134 HISTORY OF THE ELEPHANT. 



which the elephant was kept, she no sooner heard the 

 voice of her friend in distress, than she began to feel the 

 separating boards, and giving one blow, appeared surprised 

 that they did not fall; she then struck with greater force, 

 made the boards fly in splinters, and looked through with 

 such menacing gestures, that the unfeeling people thought 

 proper to make off. 



Another incident is related of this animal. She was 

 crossing a river in a passage-boat, when some men, to 

 tease her, took the dog into a boat that was towed along- 

 side, and began to pull its ears ; the elephant, resenting the 

 ill usage of her friend, filled her proboscis with water and 

 squirted it upon the men ; but rinding they would not de- 

 sist, she set in good earnest to suck up water and discharge 

 it into the boat. At first the men laughed at the expedient, 

 but she persevered till they began to bale, to keep from 

 sinking ; upon this she redoubled her efforts, and would 

 certainly have swamped the boat, had the passage across 

 been prolonged a few minutes. 



Surely it is no small proof of the benevolence of the 

 Creator thus to assign to the lower orders of creation a 

 portion of that faculty which he has so abundantly be- 

 stowed upon man. But then observe the difference ; this 

 faculty in man is capable of great attainments, it elevates 

 him to a dignity little lower than the angels, and we have 

 a lively hope, that though it doth not yet appear what the 

 Christian will hereafter be, glorious things, even in this 

 respect, are laid up for him. But in the "animal creation, 

 it is a restricted gift, bringing with it no reciprocity of ob- 

 ligation. Happy and enviable is the condition of these 

 poor creatures, even if subjected to harshness and neglect, 

 when compared with the awful state of those, who while 

 they boast the dangerous pre-eminence, forget or disregard 

 the obligation it imposes. 



