446 THE PHILOSOPHY 



Upon which they feed ; and, if they enter into an Inclofure, 

 they foon deftroy all the labours of the huibandmac. Their 

 invadons are the more tremendous, as there is hardly any 

 means of repelling them -, for, to attack a troop, when thus 

 united, v.'ould require a little army. It is only when one or 

 two elephants happen to linger behind the reit, that the hun- 

 ters dare exert their art and ingenuity in making an attack ; 

 for anv attempt to difturb the trocp would certainly prove 

 fatal to the aflailants. When an infult is offered, the ele- 

 phants inftantly move forward againft the offender, tofs him in 

 the air with their tulks, and afterwards trample him to pieces 

 under their feet, or rather pillars of flefli and bone. Let not 

 the chai'a<5ler of this noble and majeftic animal, however, be 

 niifreprefented. With force and dignity he refents every 

 affront *, but, when not difturbed by petuience or aclual inju- 

 ry, he never {hov.'s an hoftiie intention either againft man or 

 any other animal. Elephants live entirely on vegetables, and 

 have no thirft for blood. Such is their focial and generous 

 difpofition, that, when an individual chances to meet with a 

 luxurious fpot of pafture, he immediately calls lo his com- 

 panions, and invites them to partike of his good fortune. 



The elephant poffeffes all the fenfes in perfection : But, ' 

 in the fenfe of touching, he excells all the brute creation. 

 His trunk is the chief inftrument of this fenfe. In an ele- 

 phant of fourteen feet high, the trunk is about eight feet 

 long, and five feet and an half in circumference at the bafe. 

 It is a large uefliy tube, divided through its whole extent by 

 a feptum or partition. It is capable of motion in every di- 

 rection. The animial can fliorten or lengthen it at pleafure. 

 It anfvvcrs every purpofe of a hand ; for it grafps large ob- 

 jefts with great force, and its extremity can lay hold of a fix- 

 pence, or even of a pin. The trunk of the elephant affords 

 him the fame means of addrefs as the ape. It ferves the pur- 

 pofes of an arm and a hand. By this inflrument, the ele- 



