OF NATURAL HISTORY. 445 



Europe ; and fhall only remark, that, notwithftandlng the 

 great finilarlty of his ftru£ture and organs to thofe of the hu- 

 man fpecles, his genius and talents feem to be very limited. The 

 form of his body enables him to imitate every human a£lion. 

 But, though he has the organs of fpeech, he is deftitute of 

 articulate language. If, however, he were domefticated, and 

 proper pains beftowed for inftrudling him, he might unquef- 

 tionably be taught to articulate. But, fuppofing this point to 

 be obtained, if he remained incapable of refledlion, if he was 

 unable to comprehend the meaning of words, or to difcover 

 by his expreffions a degree of inteUe6l greatly fuperior to 

 that of the brute creation, which I imagine would be the cafe, 

 he could never, as fome authors have held forth, be exalted 

 to the diftinguifhed rank of human beings. 



Of all quadrupeds, of whofe hiftory and manners we have 

 any proper knowledge, the elephant is the moft remarkable 

 both for docility and underftanding. Though his fize is 

 enormous, and his members rude and difproportioned, which 

 give him, at firft fight, the afpe£l of dullnefs and ftupidity, 

 his genius is great, and his fagacious manners, and his fedate 

 and collefled deportment, are almoft incredible. He is the 

 largeft and ftrongeft of all terreftrial animals. Though 

 naturally brave, his difpofitions are mild and peaceable. He 

 is an aflbciating animal, and feldom appears alone in the for- 

 efts. When in danger, or when they undertake a depreda- 

 tory expedition into cultivated fields, the elephants aflemble 

 in troops. The oldefl: takes the lead j the next in feniority 

 brings up the rear ; and the young and the feeble occupy 

 the center. In the forefts and folitudes they move with lefs 

 precaution ; but never feparate fo far afunder as to render 

 them incapable of affording each other mutual afliftance 

 when danger approaches. A troop of elephants conftitutes 

 a moll formidable band. Wherever they march, the foreft 

 feems to fall before them. They bear down the branches 



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