420 



THE ELEPHANT. 



those of a horse. Its manner of drinking is 

 equally extraordinary. For this purpose, the 

 elephant dips the end of its trunk into the 

 water, and sucks up just as much as fills that 

 great fleshy tube completely. It then lifts up 

 its head with the trunk full, and turning the 

 point into its mouth, as if it intended to swal- 

 low trunk and all, it drives the point below 

 the opening of the wind-pipe. The trunk 

 being in this position, and still full of water, 

 the elephant then blows strongly into it at 

 the other end, which forces the water it con- 

 tains into the throat; down which it is heard 

 to pour with a loud gurgling noise, which 

 continues till the whole is blown down. 

 From this manner of drinking, some have 

 been led into an opinion that the young ele- 

 phant sucks with its trunk, and not with its 

 mouth ; this, however, is a fact which no tra- 

 veller has hitherto had an opportunity of see- 

 ing, and it must be referred to some future 

 accident to determine.* 



The hide of the elephant is as remarkable 

 as any other part. It is not covered over 

 with hair, as in the generality of quadrupeds, 

 but is nearly bare. Here and there indeed 

 a few bristles are seen growing in the scars 

 and wrinkles of the body, but very thinly 

 scattered over the rest of the skin ; but in 

 general the head is dry, rough, and wrinkled, 

 and resembling more the bark of an old tree 

 than the skin of an animal. This grows thicker 

 every year; and by a constant addition of 

 substance, it at length contracts that disorder 

 well known by the name of the elephantiasis, 

 or Arabian leprosy; a disease to which man, 

 as well as the elephant, is often subject. In 

 order to prevent this, the Indians rub the ele- 

 phant with oil, and frequently bathe it, to 

 preserve its pliancy. To the inconveniences 

 of this disorder is added another, arising from 

 the great sensibility of those parts that are 

 not callous. Upon these the flies settle in 

 great abundance, and torment this animal un- 

 ceasingly; to remedy which, the elephant 

 tries all its arts; using not only its tail and 

 trunk in the natural manner to keep them 



The young elephant, it i now known, dues not suck 

 by the trunk, but by the mouth only, as in all other quad- 

 rupeds ; during which the trunk of the young is thrown 

 back over the head. It is, however, highly remarkable, 



off, but even takes the branch of a tree, or a 

 bundle of hay, to strike them off with. When 

 this fails, it often gathers up the dust with its 

 trunk, and thus covers all the sensible places 

 In this manner it has been seen to dust itseli 

 several times a day, and particularly upon 

 leaving the bath. 



Water is as necessary to this animal as foou 

 itself. When in a state of nature, the ele- 

 phant rarely quits the banks of the river, and 

 often stands in water up to the belly. In a 

 state of servitude, the Indians take equal care 

 to provide a proper supply; they wash it 

 with great address; they give it all the con- 

 veniences for lending assistance to itself; 

 they smooth the skin with a pumice-stone, 

 and then rub it over with oils, essences, and 

 odours. 



Itisnotto be wondered at that an animal fur- 

 nished with so many various advantages, both 

 of strength, sagacity, and obedience, should 

 he taken into the service of man. W T e ac- 

 cordingly find that the elephant, from time 

 immemorial, has been employed either for 

 the purposes of labour, of war, or of ostenta- 

 tion; to increase the grandeur of eastern 

 princes, or to extend their dominions. We 

 have hitherto been describing this animal in 

 its natural state; we now come to consider 

 it in a different view, as taken from the forest, 

 and reduced to human obedience. We are 

 now to behold this brave harmless creature 

 as learning a lesson from mankind, and in- 

 structed by him in all the arts of war, mas- 

 sacre, and devastation. We are now to be- 

 hold this half-reasoning animal led into the 

 field of battle, and wondering at those tumults 

 and that madness which he is compelled to 

 increase. The elephant is a native of Africa 

 and Asia, being found neither in Europe nor 

 America. In Africa he still retains his natu- 

 ral liberty. The savage inhabitants of that 

 part of the world, instead of attempting to 

 subdue this powerful creature to their neces- 

 sities, are happy in being able to protect them- 

 selves from his fury. Formerly, indeed, du- 

 ring the splendour of the Carthaginian empire, 



if what is related be true, that they do not attach them- 

 selves to their dams in par'icuh 11 , but suck indiscriminate- 

 ly the females of the whole herd. 



