to THE ELEPHANT. 



honours, and marks of refpect, they arc flatter- 

 ed, but not corrupted. This circumftance alone 

 fhould be fufficientto convince the Indians, that 

 thefe animals are not endowed with human 

 foi: 



After removing the fabulous credulities of 

 antiquity, and the puerile fictions of fuperfti- 

 tion, which dill exift, the elephant, even to phi-, 

 lofophers, poiTeiTes enough to make him be re- 

 garded as a being of the firft diftinction. He 

 deferves to be known, and to be ftudied. We 

 fhall, therefore, endeavour to write his hiftory 

 with impartiality. We fhall firft conlider him 

 in a ftate of nature, w r hen he is perfectly free 

 and independent, and afterwards in a Hate of 

 fervitude, when the will of his mafter is partly 

 the motive of his actions. 



In a wild ftate, elephants are neither fangui- 

 nary nor ferocious. Their difpofitions are gen- 

 tle, and they make not a wrong uie of their arms 

 or their flrength ; for they never exert them 

 but in defending themfelves, or in protecting 

 their companions. Their manners are focial ; 

 for they are feldomfeen wandering alone. They 

 generally march in troops, the oldefl keeping 

 foremoft ,, and the next in age bringing up the 

 rear. The young and the feeble are placed in 

 the middle. The mothers carry their young 



firmly 



* Elephanti gregatim femper ingredluntur ; ducit agmen 

 maximus natu, cogit aetate proximus. Armies trantituri mi- 

 nimos praemittunt, ne majorum inceflu atterente alveuin, 

 crefcat gurgitis alitudo ; Pith, bift. rut. lib. 8. cap. 5. 



