DOCILITY OF ANIMALS ^ 



hind feet. She made her bed very neatly every day, lay upon 

 her side, and covered herself with the bed-clothes. When her 

 head ached, she bound it up with her handkerchief; and it 

 was amusing to see her thus hooded in bed. I could relate 

 many other little articles which appeared to be extremely 

 singular. But I admired them not so much as the multitude ; 

 because, as I knew the design of bringing her to Europe to 

 be exhibited as a show, I was inclined to think that she had 

 been taught many of these monkey tricks, which the people 

 considered as being natural to the animal. She died in our 

 ship, about the latitude of the Cape of Good Hope. The 

 figure of this ape had a very great resemblance to that of 

 man." 



We have now enumerated the principal facts regarding this 

 extraordinary animal, which have been related by voyagers 

 of credit, and by those who have seen and examined him in 

 Europe ; and shall only remark, that notwithstanding the 

 great similarity of his structure and organs to those of the hu- 

 man species, his genius and talents seem to be very limited. 

 The form of his body enables him to imitate every human ac- 

 tion. But though he has the organs of speech, he is destitute 

 of articulate language. If, however, he were domesticated, 

 and proper pains bestowed for instructing him, he might pos- 

 sibly be taught to articulate. But, supposing this point to be 

 obtained, if he remained incapable of reflection, if he was 

 unable to comprehend the meaning of words, or to discover 

 by his expressions a degree of intellect greatly superior to 

 that of the brute creation, which I imagine would be the case, 

 he could never, as some authors have held forth, be exalted 

 to the distinguished rank of human beings. 



Of all quadrupeds, of whose history and manners we have 

 any proper knowledge, the elephant is one of the most re- 

 markable both for docility and for understanding. Though 

 his size is enormous, and his members rude and dispropor- 

 tioned, which give him, at first sight, the aspect of dulness 

 and stupidity, his genius is great, and his sagacious manners, 

 and his sedate and collected deportment, are almost incredi- 

 ble. He is the largest and strongest of all terrestrial animals. 

 Though naturally brave, his dispositions are mild and peace- 

 able. He is an associating animal, and seldom appears alone 

 in the forests. When in danger, or when they undertake a 

 depredatory expedition into cultivated fields, the elephants 

 assemble in troops. The oldest takes the lead; the next in 

 seniority brings up the rear; and the young and the feeble 

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