THE ELEPHANT. 



41V 



tures I had seen, nor the descriptions I had 

 read, giving me adequate conceptions of 

 either. 



It would, therefore, be impossible to give an 

 idea of this animal's figure by a description ; 

 which, even assisted by the art of the engraver, 

 will but confusedly represent the original. In 

 general it may be observed, that the forehead 

 is very high ard rising, the ears very large and 

 dependent, the eyes extremely small, the pro- 

 boscis or trunk long, the body round and full, 

 the back rising in an arch, and the whole ani- 

 mal short in proportion to its height. The feet 

 are round at the bottom ; on each foot there 

 are five flat horny risings, which seem to be 

 the extremities of the toes, but do not appear 

 outwardly. The hide is without hair, full of 

 scratches and scars, which it receives in its 

 passage through thick woods and thorny pla- 

 ces. At the end of the tail there is a tuft of 

 hair, a foot and a half long. The female is 

 less than the male, and the udder is between 

 the fore legs. But a more accurate, as well 

 as a more entertaining description of the parts, 

 will naturally occur in the history of their 

 uses. 



Of all quadrupeds, the elephant is the strong- 

 est, as well as the largest ; and yet, in a state 

 of nature, it is neither fierce nor formidable/ 

 Mild, peaceful, and brave, it never abuses its 

 power or its strength, and only uses its force 

 for its own protection, or that of its communi- 

 ty. In its native deserts, the elephant is sel- 

 dom seen alone, but appears to be a social, 

 friendly creature. The oldest of the company 

 conducts the band ; that which is next in se- 

 niority brings up the rear. The young, the 

 weak, and the sickly, fall into the centre ; 

 vhile the females carry their young, and keep 

 them from falling by means of their trunks. 

 They maintain this order only in dangerous 

 marches, or when they desire to feed in cul- 

 tivated grounds ; they move with less precau- 

 tion in the forests and solitudes ; but without 

 ever separating, or removing so far asunder as 

 to be incapable of lending each other any re- 

 quisite assistance. Nothing can be more for- 

 midable than a drove of elephants, as they ap- 

 pear at a distance in an African landscape ; 



I have extracted the greatest part of this description 

 from Mr. Buffon. Where I add, I mark with commas, 

 " thus." 



wherever they march, the forests seem to fall 

 before them ; in their passage, they bear down 

 the branches upon which they feed ; and if 

 they enter into an enclosure, they destroy all 

 the labours of the husbandman in a very short 

 time. Their invasions are the more disagree- 

 able, as there is no means of repelling them ; 

 since it would require a small army to attack 

 the whole drove when united. It now and 

 then happens that one or two is found linger- 

 ing behind the rest, and it is against these that 

 the art and force of the hunters are united ; 

 but an attempt to molest the whole body 

 would certainly be fatal. They go forward 

 directly against him who offers the insult, 

 strike him with their tusks, seize him with 

 their trunks, fling him into the air, and then 

 trample him to pieces under their feet. But 

 they are thus dreadful only when offended,' 

 and do no manner of personal injury when 

 suffered to feed without interruption. It is 

 even said that they are mindful of injuries re- 

 ceived; and, when once molested by man, 

 seek all occasions for the future to be revenged ; 

 they smell him with their long trunks at a dis- 

 tance ; follow him with all their speed upon 

 the scent ; and, though slow to appearance, 

 they are soon able to cotne up with and de- 

 stroy him. 



In their natural state, they delight to live 

 along the sides of rivers, to keep in the deep- 

 est vales, to refresh themselves in the most sha- 

 dy forests and watery places. They cannot 

 live far from the water ; and they always dis- 

 turb it before they drink. They often fill 

 their trunk with it, either to cool that organ, 

 or to divert themselves by spurting it out like 

 a fountain. They are equally distressed by 

 the extremes of heat and cold ; and, to avoid 

 the former, they frequently take shelter in the 

 most obscure recesses of the forest, or often 

 plunge into the water, and even swim from 

 the continent into islands some leagues distant 

 from the shore. 



Their chief food is of the vegetable kind, 

 for they loathe all kind of animal diet. When 

 one among their number happens to light upon 

 a spot of good pasture, he calls the rest, and 

 invites them to share in the entertainment ; 

 but it must be a very copious pasture indeed 

 that can supply the necessities of the whole 

 band. As with their broad and heavy feet 

 they sink deep wherever they go, they destroy 



