ELEPHANTS. 65 



must have perceived its feeble state when he 

 last passed over it. It is a well known fact, 

 that elephants will seldom or ever go over 

 strange bridges, without first trying with 

 their trunks if they be sufficiently strong to 

 bear their weight, nor will they ever go in- 

 to a boat without doing the same. 



I had a remarkably quiet and docile ele- 

 phant which one day came home loaded with 

 branches of trees for provender, followed by a 

 number of villagers, calling for mercy, (their 

 usual cry when ill used;) complaining 

 that the Mahout had stolen a kid from them, 

 and that it was then on the elephant, under 

 the branches of the trees. The Mahout took 

 an opportunity of decamping into the village 

 and hiding himself. I ordered the elephant 

 to be unloaded, and was surprised to see that 

 he would not allow any person to come near 

 to him, when at all other times he \vas per- 

 fectly tractable and obedient. Combining 

 all the circumstances, I was convinced that 

 the Mahout was guilty, and to get rid of the 

 F 



