302 HAUNTS AND HOBBIES 



the most convenient and agreeable. Raised high aloft, 

 the view of the rider is never interrupted, and he escapes 

 all the closeness and pressure of the crowds below. 

 Moreover, the elephant makes his way through the 

 crowds with an ease and rapidity possible to neither 

 horse nor carriage, and he does so with almost absolute 

 safety to the crowds themselves. Fatal as would be 

 his push or tread, yet he manages to pass along and 

 to clear his passage without hurt to man or animal. 



Except, however, for these two purposes, the travers- 

 ing the cities and the forests or jungles, the elephant as 

 a substitute for a horse or vehicle is not to be recom- 

 mended, and least of all for the performance of a 

 journey. The pace of the elephant is a series of jolts. 

 Towards the end of the journey, as he becomes tired, 

 the jolts grow rougher ; also his speed slackens. He 

 appears every instant as if about to stop, and has 

 to be constantly urged on by his mahowt. What 

 with the jolting and the urging, by the end of the 

 journey the rider is almost as fatigued as the elephant 

 himself. 



An elephant cannot be well described as a beautiful 

 animal, hardly even as a handsome animal ; yet his 

 vast size and enormous tusks give to him an aspect 

 of much grandeur. But, to appreciate his full majesty 

 of appearance, he should be seen fully caparisoned in 

 gorgeous trappings, and bearing one of the beautiful 

 Indian howdahs, all overlaid with gold. 



The height of an elephant is said to equal twice the 

 circumference of his fore foot. I have never, however, 

 tested the accuracy of the statement by measurement. 



