ELEPHANT. 131 



certain, that it is in an eminent degree capable of a 

 secondary application to his purposes. The immense 

 quantity of forage which it requires, plainly shews 

 thatit is not an animal of general use in a domestic state ; 

 and even in the countries where they most abound, 

 arid are^most used, they are seldom kept except by 

 the great and opulent. As they do not propagate in 

 a, domestic state, the Eastern princes are obliged to 

 send every year into the forests to procure fresh sup- 

 plies, to make up the deficiencies of number unavoid- 

 ably occasioned by age, disease, or accident. They 

 are frequently hunted by the Dutch colonists at the 

 Cape of Good Hope, who make great advantage of 

 their teeth. The largest teeth weigh a hundred and 

 fifty Dutch pounds, and are sold for as many guilders; 

 so that an expert shooter may at one shot earn three 

 hundred guilders. It is not therefore, to be woncrred 

 at, that a traffic so lucrative should tempt them to run, 

 great risks. 



In approaching this animal great care must be taken 

 for if the elephant discover his enemy, he rushes out 

 upon him. 



One of these hunters being on a plain under the. 

 shelter of a few scattered trees, thought he should be 

 able to approach near enough to shoot at an elephant 

 that was at a little distance from him. The animal,, 

 however, discovered, pursued, and overtook him, and, 

 laying hold of him with his trunk, instantly beat him 

 to death. The elephant, however, although thus ter- 

 rible when provoked, never attacks any but those 

 who have given him olfence, or are preparing for his 

 destruction. 



Although elephants are more numerous in Africa,, 

 those of India are generally superior in strength, as 

 well as size, and those of Ceylon in particular surpass 

 all others in courage and sagacity . In those oriental 

 countries some of them are milk white, and valued at 

 an exorbitant price,, as constituting one 'of the most 

 pompous appendages of eastern magnificence. 



As the elephant never propagates in a domestic 

 state, the precise time of its gestation is but i 

 ct> 



