THE ELEPrfANT. 123 



General description. 



CHAP. IV. 



Peaceful beneath primeval trees, that cast 

 Their ample shade o'er Niger's yellow stream, 

 And where the Ganges rolls his sacred wave : 

 Or mid the central depth of black'ning woods, 

 High rais'd in solemn theatre around ; 

 Leans the huge elephant, wisest of brutes ! 

 O truly wise! with gentle might endow'd ; 

 Though powerful, not destructive ! 



THOMSON. 



THE ELEPHANT. 



THE elephant is the largest of all quadrupeds, 

 and an animal, which, in many respects, merits 

 crur attention. When at full growth, it measures 

 from ten to twelve feet in height from the ground 

 to the highest part of the back, which is six or 

 seven feet broad, and somewhat protuberant. It 

 has a round thick body, a large short head, and 

 a short neck; a long proboscis, snout, or trunk, 

 hanging down almost to the ground; a little nar- 

 row mouth, with two long tusks proceeding from 

 the upper jaw, one on each side of the proboscis ; 

 besides four strong grinders in each jaw; small 



