BETWEEN MAN AND ANIMALS. 23 



like that of man under the same circumstances. 

 When in Ceylon many years ago, a friend of 

 mine, who was Deputy Quart ermaster-Greneral, 

 consulted me about an elephant belonging to 

 his department, one that had a deep burrowing 

 sore on its back, just over the back-bone, which 

 had long resisted the ordinary mode of treat- 

 ment employed. After due examination I re- 

 commended, as necessary, the free use of the 

 knife, that issue might be given to the accu- 

 mulated matter ; but no one of the ordinary 

 attendants would undertake the operation. 

 Being assured by my friend that the brute 

 would behave well under it, I undertook it. 

 The elephant was not bound ; he was made to 

 kneel down, his keeper at his head : with an am- 

 putating knife, using all my force, I made the in- 

 cision requisite through his tough integuments ; 

 he did not flinch, but rather inclined towards 

 me when using the knife, and uttered merely a 

 low, as it were suppressed groan ; in short, he 

 behaved as like a human being as possible, as 

 if conscious, as I believe he was, that the pain 

 inflicted was unavoidable, and that the opera- 

 tion, as I am happy to say it proved, was for 

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