G A N G E T I C H I N D O O S T A N. 249 



head with a lance. The late conqueror fell dead on his ele- 

 phant; he who bravely renewed the fight, fcarcely furvived 

 his triumph a moment, being inftantly llain by the enraged 

 troops of the unfortunate Soubahdar. 



The trial made of the elephants in the Myforean campaign, Utility as 

 hath totally removed every obje<5lion to their ufe. Major Dirom, burthen! 

 p. 113 of his narrative, informs us, that the great objedion to 

 thofe animals being employed with the army, was the difficulty 

 of their fubfiftence, as it was fuppofed they could not live with- 

 out a very large daily allowance of rice. The elephant is not 

 only the moft powerful and moft ufeful, but one of the moft 

 hardy animals that can be employed with an army. He carries 

 a load equal to fixteen bullocks, and without rilk of lofs or 

 damage on the march. He fubfifts upon the leaves or fmall 

 branches of trees, on the fugar cane, or the plantain tree ; in 

 fliort, he lives upon forage which horfes and bullocks do not 

 eat, any kind of grain will fupport him, and he will work as 

 long without grain as any other animal. The lofs of elephants, 

 although they had their full fhare of hardfiiip and fatigue, was 

 inconfiderable in proportion to that of cattle ; and fo far from 

 being an incumbrance, or an expedient of neceflity to fupply 

 the want of bullocks, they will hereafter be confidered as the 

 firft and moft effential clafs of cattle, that ought to be provided 

 for the carriage of an Indian army. 



The firft volume of the Ayeen Akbern is a true houfliolJ Of the ayeen 



"^ _ Akberrv. 



book, it contains a particular of the ceconomy of that great 



and magnificent Emperor Akbar. I never informed the 



reader, that the whole of that work was compofed by his able 



Vol. II. K k miniftcr 



