THE ELEPHANT. 



421 



elephants were used in their wars ; but this 

 was only a transitory gleam of human power 

 in thai p.irt of the globe: the natives of 

 AfVi ' i h.we long since degenerated, and the 

 elephant is oaly known among them from his 

 devastations. However, there are no ele- 

 phants in the northern parts of Africa at pre- 

 sent, there being none found on this side of 

 Mount Atlas. It is beyond the river Senegal 

 that they are to be met with in great numbers, 

 and so down to the Cape of Good Hope, as 

 well as in the heart of the country. In this 

 extensive region they appear to be more nu- 

 merous than in any other part of the world. 

 They are there less fearful of man: less re- 

 tired into the heart of the forests, they seem 

 to be sensible of his impotence and ignorance; 

 and often come down to ravage his little la- 

 bours. They treat him with the same haugh- 

 ty disdain which they show to other animals, 

 and consider him as a mischievous little being, 

 that fears to oppose them openly. 



But although these animals are most plen- 

 tiful in Africa, it is only in Asia that the great- 

 est elephants are found, and rendered sub- 

 servient to human command. In Africa, the 

 largest do not exceed ten feet high ; in Asia 

 they are found from ten to fifteen. Their 

 price increases in proportion to their size; 

 and when they exceed a certain bulk, like 

 jewels, their value then rises as the fancy is 

 pleased to estimate. 



The largest are entirely kept for the ser- 

 vice of princes ; and are maintained with the 

 utmost magnificence, and at the greatest ex- 

 pense. The usual colour of the elephant, 

 is a dusky black, but some are said to be 

 white; and the price of one of these is ines- 

 timable. Such a one is peculiarly appro- 

 priated for the monarch's own riding; he is 

 kept in a palace, attended by the nobles, and 

 almost adored by the people." Some have 

 said that these white elephants are larger 

 f than the rest ; b others assert that they are 

 less; and still others entirely doubt their ex- 

 istence. 



As the art of war is but very little improv- 

 ed in Asia, there are few princes of the East 

 who do not procure and maintain as many 



a P. Vincent Marie. > P. Tachard. 



c Multis persuasinn est elephantem non brutorum sed 

 liorninum more coire. Quod retro mingit non dubitatur. 



elephants as they are able, and place great 

 confidence on their assistance in an engage- 

 ment. For this purpose they are obliged to 

 take them wild in their native forests, and 

 tame them; for the elephant never breeds 

 in a state of servitude. It is one of the most 

 striking peculiarities in this extraordinary 

 creature, that his generative powers totally 

 fail when he comes under the dominion of 

 man; as if he seemed unwilling to propagate 

 a race of slaves, to increase the pride of his 

 conqueror. There is, perhaps, no other quad- 

 ruped that will not breed in its own native 

 climate, if indulged with a moderate share of 

 freedom; and we know that many of them 

 will copulate in every climate. The elephant 

 alone has never been seen to breed ; and 

 though he has been reduced under the obe- 

 dience of man for ages, the duration of preg- 

 nancy in the female still remains a secret. 

 Aristotle, indeed, asserts, that she goes two 

 years with young; that she continues to 

 suckle her young for three years, and that 

 she brings forth but one at a time: but he 

 does not inform us of the manner in which it 

 was possible for him to have his information. 

 From authorities equally doubtful, we learn, 

 that the little one is about as large as a wild 

 boar the instant it is brought forth ; that its 

 tusks do not yet appear; but that all the rest 

 of its teeth are apparent ; that at the age of 

 six months, it is as large as an ox, and its 

 tusks pretty well grown ; and that it conti- 

 nues, in this manner, for near ihirty years, ad- 

 vancing to maturity. All this is doubtful; 

 but it is certain that, in order to recruit the 

 numbers which are consumed in war, the 

 princes of the East are every year obliged to 

 send into the forests, and to use various me- 

 thods to procure a fresh supply. Of all these 

 numerous bands, there is not one that has 

 not been originally wild ; nor one that has 

 not been forced into a state of subjection. 

 Men themselves are often content to propa- 

 gate a race of slaves, that pass down in this 

 wretched state through successive genera- 

 tions: but the elephant, under subjection, is 

 unalterably barren ; perhaps from some phy- 

 sical causes, which are as yet unknown. 



Sed ipse vidi marein hujusce speciei,in nostri regis stabulis, 

 super fa'tnellam itidem inclusam quadruqednm more sili- 

 entem, pene pauiulum incurvato sed sufficienter recto 

 3R* 



