184 HUNTING IN THE JUNGLE. 



or slioulders with his trunk, uttering little sniffs of 

 pleasure." 



Major vSkinner, of the English Army, vouches for the 

 following story, which shows on the part of the elephant 

 intelligence, memory, comparison, judgment, and good- 

 nature. 



Riding along a very narrow trail near Kandy, in 

 Ceylon, where he happened to be stationed, he heard the 

 heavy tread of an apjoroaching elephant, uttering discon- 

 tented grunts which frightened his rather nervous horse, 

 and made him rear and plunge. He says : — 



'' I soon saw whence these sounds proceeded. A tame 

 elephant had undertaken the difficult task of transporting 

 a long girder, resting on his tusks, over the narrow road. 

 Between the trees on either side there was not room for 

 this to pass, and he could only advance by turning his 

 head from side to side and avoiding each tree as he went. 

 It was a slow business, and no wonder he complained ; but 

 on seeing how his trumpetings frightened my horse, he 

 ceased instantly, threw down his load, and pressed his 

 huge body close up against the trees on one side of the 

 road to allow us to pass. My horse trembled all over, 

 and refused to move, seeing which, the elephant drew 

 still farther back and tried to encourage the coward by 

 a gentler note. 



" Finally the latter plucked up enough heart to dash 

 by on his way, when the faithful elephant resumed the 

 laborious errand in which we had found him engaged. 



