12 History of Nature. [BooK VIII. 



Misfortunes which soon after ensued accordingly. Again, 

 Ccesar the Dictator, in his third Consulship, exhibited ano- 

 ther Fight of them ; 20 against 500 Footmen ; and a second 

 Time 20 more, having Turrets with 60 Defendants to the 

 same ; and he opposed against them the same Number as 

 the former of Footmen, and as many Horse. After this, 

 Claudius and JVero, the Princes, brought them forth one by 

 one, by way of finishing the Show of Gladiators. This 

 Animal is reported to be so gentle to all that are not so 

 strong as himself, that if he meet a Flock of Cattle, he will 

 with the Hand remove any that cometh in his Way, for Fear 

 he should crush them without being aware of it. And they 

 never do any Hurt unless provoked. They always walk in 

 Troops, and are less disposed to wandering alone than any 

 other Animals. If they are environed with Horsemen, they 

 take into the midst of the Troop the feeble, weary, or wounded ; 

 and as if they were under the Direction of a General, or with 

 the Guidance of Reason, they succeed one another in their 

 Course. When taken, they are soonest brought to be tame 

 with the Juice of Barley. 1 



CHAPTER VIII. 

 The Manner of taking Elephants. 



THE Indians take Elephants in this manner : the Go- 

 vernor employeth one of them that are tame, and when he 

 meeteth with a wild one alone, or can single him from the 

 Herd, he beateth him until he hath made him weary, and 

 then he mounteth on him and ruleth him as well as the former. 

 In Africa they catch them in Pit-falls; into which, if one of 

 them wander, all the rest immediately heap together Boughs 

 of Trees, they roll down Heaps, they raise Banks, and with 

 all they can do, labour to draw him out. Formerly when 

 they meant to make them tractable, by the Help of Horse- 

 men they drove the Flocks along into a Valley made by 

 Man's Hand, and calculated to deceive them for a consider- 



1 That is, gruel, or tissane, as we may suppose. Wern. Club. 



