DOCILITY OF ANIMALS. 257 



tusks are ornamented with rings of gold and silver ; their ears 

 and cheeks are painted with various colors ; they are crowned 

 with garlands ; and a number of small bells are fixed to dif- 

 ferent parts of their bodies. They delight in gaudy attire; 

 for they are cheerful and caressing in proportion to the num- 

 ber and splendor of their ornaments. The Asiatics, who were 

 very anciently civilized, perceiving the sagacity and docility 

 of the elephant, educated him in a systematic manner, and 

 modified his dispositions according to their own manners, and 

 the useful labors in which his strength and dexterity could be 

 employed. 



A domestic elephant performs more labor than could be 

 accomplished by six horses ; but he requires much care and 

 a great deal of food. He is subject to be overheated, and 

 must be led to the water twice or thrice a day. He easily 

 learns to bathe himself. With his trunk he sucks up large 

 quantities of water, carries it to his mouth, drinks part of it, 

 and by elevating his trunk, makes the remainder run over 

 every part of his body. To give some idea of the labor he 

 performs, and the docility of his disposition, it is worthy of 

 remark, that, in India, bales, sacks, tuns, are transported from 

 one place to another by elephants. They carry burdens on 

 their bodies, their necks, their tusks, and even in their mouths, 

 by giving them the end of a rope, which they hold fast with 

 their teeth. Uniting sagacity with strength, they never break 

 or injure any thing committed to their charge. From the 

 margins of the rivers they put weighty bundles into boats with- 

 out wetting them, lay them down gently, and arrange them 

 where they ought to be placed. When the goods are disposed 

 as their masters direct, they examine with their trunks 

 whether the articles are properly stowed ; and if a cask or tun 

 rolls, they go spontaneously in quest of stones to prop and 

 render it firm. 



In the elephant, the sense of smelling is acute, and he is 

 passionately fond of odoriferous flowers, which he collects one 

 by one, forms them into a nosegay, and after gratifying his 

 nose, conveys them to his mouth. 



In India, the domestic elephants, to whom the use of water 

 is as necessary as that of air, are allowed every possible con- 

 venience for bathing themselves. The animal goes into a 

 river till the water reaches his belly. He then lies down on 

 one side, fills his trunk several times, and dexterously throws 

 the water on such parts as happen to be uncovered. The 

 master, after cleaniag and currying one side desires the 

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