134 LETTER XXIII. 



which was sent by the king of Portugal to Louis XIV. 

 A. D. 1608, died in 1081, being four years old at his 

 arrival, and living only thirteen years in the mena- 

 gerie at Versailles. He was six feet and a half high 

 at four years old, and advanced in growth only one 

 foot during the thirteen years that he lived in France, 

 although he was treated with care, and fed with pro- 

 fusion. He had every day four pounds of bread, 

 twelve pints of wine, two buckets of porridge with 

 four or five pounds of steeped bread and two buckets 

 of rice boiled in water. 



The elephant that died in 1803 at Exeter 'Change, 

 was brought over in the Rose East-Indiaman, and pur- 

 chased by the owner of the menagerie for 10001. He 

 was generally fed with hay and straw, but could also 

 eat with avidity, carrots, cabbages, bread, and boiled 

 potatoes He was so excessively fond of beer, that 

 h.e has been known to drink upwards of fifty quarts in 

 a day, given by his numerous visitors. He was also 

 allowed nine pails of water daily, given at three dif- 

 ferent times : but the quantity he ate could not be 

 precisely ascertained, as he frequently scattered great 

 part of the straw which was given him for food, and 

 ate a considerable portion of that which formed his 

 litter. This animal would kneel down, bow to the 

 company, or search the pockets of his keeper, at the 

 word of command. 



I presume, my dear Sir, you will excuse my pro- 

 lixity in the description of the elephant, Avhen you 

 consider that it is, if not the most useful, at least the 

 most wonderful of all God's works displayed in the 

 animal creation, being a monster of matter and a mi- 

 racle of intelligence. He unites in himself the judg- 

 ment of the beaver, the, dexterity of the monkey, 

 and the sentiment of the dog; and adds to all these 

 qualifications the peculiar advantages of extraordi- 

 nary size, strength and longevity. He can conquer the 

 lion and the tiger, nor dare any beast of prey attack 

 him. When we consider that he can root up trees 

 with his trunk ; that in war he carries on his back a 

 tower containing five or six combatants; that h 



