THE ELEPHANT. 



and look at him ; but when any person came near, the 

 animal struck at them with his trunk, and, in every 

 respect, appeared as wild and outrageous as any of 

 the other elephants. At length, an old hunter coming 

 and examining him narrowly, declared he was the very 

 elephant that had made his escape eighteen months 

 before. Confident of this, he boldly rode up to him 

 on a tame elephant, and ordered him to lie down, 

 pulling him by the ear at the same time. The animal 

 seemed quite taken by surprise, and instantly obeyed 

 the word of command, with as much quickness as the 

 ropes with which he was tied permitted ; uttering, at 

 the same time, a peculiar shrill squeak through his 

 trunk, as he had formerly been known to do, by which 

 he was immediately known by every person who had 

 ever been acquainted with this peculiarity. Thus we 

 see that this elephant, for the space of eight or ten 

 days, during which he was in the enclosure, and even 

 while he was tied in the outlet, appeared equally 

 wild and fierce as the boldest elephant then taken, 

 till he was conducted from the outlet. The moment, 

 however, that he was addressed in a commanding tone, 

 the recollection of his former obedience seemed t f ) rush 

 upon him at once, and he permitted a driver to be 

 seated on his neck, who, in a few days, made him as 

 tractable as ever." 



Such is the account, given by one who was an eye 

 witness and very competent judge, of the reasoning 

 memory of that quadruped, which has been vulgarly 

 regarded, not merely as the paragon of animal saga- 

 city, but as making a near approach to man in the 



