ELEPHANT. 



which "have already been offered to your considera- 

 tion; but the same divine attributes are not less con- 

 spicuous in a number of others, and particularly in 

 the ponderous and unweildy 



ELEPHANT, 



Which in size and strength surpasses all terrestrial 

 animals, and in sagacity is inferior only to man ; al- 

 though some assert the superiority of the moose, but 

 this'bpinion seems erroneous, or at least very doubt- 

 ful. The human race excepted, the elephant indeed 

 is the most respectable, as well as the most wonderful 

 of creatures endowed with life and sensation. 



Tiiis wonderful quadruped is a native of Asia and 

 Africa, but is most numerous in tiie latter. In the 

 live 1 regions which lie between the river Sene- 

 gal and the Cape of Good Hope, elephants abound 

 more than in any other part of the world, and are also 

 less fearful of man ; for the savage inhabitants of those 

 countries instead of attempting to subdue this power- 

 ful animal, and render him subservient to their r.e- 

 cosiLics, seem only desirous of avoiding his anger. 

 In the Countries ne <r the Cape, elephants are seen 

 in large herds consisting of many hundreds; and in 

 the va.it regions of Moiiomotapa, Monocmuci, and 

 other parts of the interior of Africa, they are proba- 

 bly stiii more numerous. 



A creature so extraordinary in its structure and 

 qualities merits to be somewhat particularly describ- 

 ed, although no description can convey an adequate 

 idea of its magnitude, unless the animal itself has been 

 presented to the view. 



At the Cape the height of the elephant is from 

 twelve to fifteen feet. His eyes are in. proportion to 

 his size, very small, but lively, briliu.Mt, and i'all of 

 expression: his ears are very large, long Ur.d pendu- 

 lous; but he can raise them with great facility, and 

 makes use of them as a Ian to cool himself, and drive 

 away the flies or insects. His hearing is reuiark^uy 

 tine: he delights in the sound of musical instruments, 

 to which he is easily brought- to move in cadence. 

 His sense of smelling is equally delicate; for he is 

 G 3 



