ELEPHANTS. 225 



have described the elephant to be, it seems inconsistent 

 to say that he is swift in his paces. In truth he is not ; 

 a heavy trot being the fastest movement which he can 

 accomplish. His enormous stride, however, gives him 

 the advantage over lighter animals ; and we have heard 

 of a fast-galloping horse finding it difficult to escape 

 from an elephant, even when urged to his utmost speed. 

 The gait is most fatiguing and uncomfortable to those 

 who ride him for the first few times, because he moves 

 the two feet on the same side at once ; and the larger 

 the elephant, the more uncomfortable the movement. 

 Bishop Heber, however, seems to have formed an ex- 

 ception in this respect, for he says it was far from being 

 disagreeable, and appeared to him to resemble being 

 carried on men's shoulders. It is supposed that the 

 neck, where the driver places himself, is the easiest seat, 

 lie guides the animals by occasionally touching their 

 ears, pressing his legs to the sides of their necks, prick- 

 ing them with a pointed instrument, or knocking them 

 with the handle. Often, however, they are so docile 

 that a mere word will be sufficient. 



The favourite habitation of the elephant is the forest 

 or green plain, near which is a river or lake. Water he 

 must have, for both in freedom and captivity bathing 

 seems to be a necessary condition of his existence. This 

 propensity reminds me of the often-repeated trick of the 

 before-mentioned elephant of the Jar din des Plantes. 

 His stable opened into a small enclosure, in the midst 

 of which was a pond. In this pond he constantly laid 

 himself, and was so hidden by the water that nothing 

 of him appeared except the end of his proboscis, which 

 it required an experienced eye to detect. The crowd 

 often assembled round the enclosure of the ; elephant's 

 p 



