TlllO ELEPHANT. 



185 



robes of men, and six females attired as women. They laid down in order on their couches, and at a 



signal extended their trunks and ate with praiseworthy modern 

 tion. Not one of them appeared the least voracious, or manifested 

 any disposition for an unequal share of the food, or an undue 

 proportion of the delicacies. They were as moderate also in their 

 drink, and received the cups that weiic presented to them with 

 the greatest decorum. According to Pliny, at the spectacles g!\en 

 by Germanicus, it was not an uncommon thing to see elephants 

 hurl javelins in the air, and catch them in their trunks, fight with one another as gladiators, and then 

 execute a Pyrrhic dance. Lastly, they danced upon a rope, and their steps were so practised and 

 certain, that four of them traversed the rope, or rather parallel ropes, bearing a litter, which eon- 

 tained one of their companions, who feigned to be sick. Such feats seem scarcely credible, but many 



LAST LO\VEU TOOTH OF AFllK'AN EI.Kl'llANT. 



esl.s (IF TIIK KI.KI'HANT IN OKIKSTAL VAIU-.Uli; IN MdliKISN Tl.MKS. 



ancient writers of authority agree with Pliny, that the elephants trained at Rome would not only walk 

 forward aloni; a rope, but retire backward with equal precision. 



And Busbequius, who visited Constantinople about the middle of the sixteenth century, the, 

 witnessed an elephant not only dance with accuracy and elegance, but play at ball with gre 

 tossing it with his trunk, and catching it again, as easily as a man could with his hands 



An old writer tells us that Csesar, having attempted, unsuccessfully, to cro<s 

 a la,,,,, elephant which he had with him with a coat of mail, built a large turret on his back, ai 

 it with bowmen and slingers, ordered them to pass first into the sin,,,,,. The lint, 

 at the sight of this unknown and monstrous animal, and Hed in the wildest contusion. ^ ^ 



VOL. II. 



