H THE ELEPHANT. 



of forage, they often change their place of pa- 

 sturing; and, when they come upon cultivated 

 fields, they do incredible damage. Their bodies 

 bcino; of an enormous weight, thev deftroy ten 

 times more with their feet than they ufe for 

 food, which generally amounts to one hundred 

 and fifty pounds of grafs a day ; and, as they 

 always go in troops, they lay a whole country 

 wafic in a fmgle hour. For this reafon, the In- 

 dians and Negroes ufe every artifice to prevent 

 the approach of thefe animals, or to fright 

 them away. They make great noifes, and 

 kindle large fires round their cultivated fields. 

 But, notwithftanding thefe precautions, the ele- 

 phants fometimes pay them a vifit, drive oft the 

 domeftic cattle, put the men to flight, and, not 

 unfrequently, overturn their limber habitations. 

 It is difficult to fcare them ; and they are not 

 fnfceptible of fear. Nothing can furprife them, 

 or flop their progrefs, but artificial fires *, or 

 crackers, which the natives throw at them, and 



the 



quibus pafcuntur ; e quibus primus qui aliquam praedam re- 

 pererit, regreditur ut et fuos gregales advocet, et in praedae 

 cemmunicnem deducat ; Milan, lib. 9. cap. 56. 



* When the elephant is enraged, nothing flops his career 

 but artificial fires. When fighting, the fame means are em- 

 ployed to difengage them from the combat ; Relat. par 'The-* 



t, lorn. 3. p. 133. The Portuguefe know no other 



mode of defending themfelves againfl the elephant, but by 

 throwing fquibs or torches in his eyes; Voyage de F.yr.es, p. 89. 

 . — In the Mogul empire, elephants are made to combat with 

 each other. They fight fo obftinately, that they can only be 

 feparated by throwing artificial fires between them ; Voyage de 

 Bert;hr } torn. 2. p. 64. 



