16 THE ELEPHANT. 



but once in three years. The females produce 

 only one young *, which, at the moment of 

 birth, has teeth "f, and is as large as a wild boar. 

 There is no appearance, however, of the horns 

 or tufks. Soon after, they begin to moot ; and, 

 at the age of fix months, they are feveral inches 

 long X- The animal is then larger than an ox, 

 and the tufks continue to grow and enlarge till 

 the moll advanced age, provided the creature en- 

 joys health and liberty ; for it is not to be ima- 

 gined what changes may be introduced into the 

 temperament and habits of the elephant by ila- 

 very and unnatural food. They are eafily tamed, 

 inftrucled, and rendered fubmiffive ; and, as they 

 are ftronger and more intelligent than any other 

 animal, their fervice is more ready, more exten- 

 five, and more ufeful. But the difguft arifmg 

 from their fituation is probably never eradicated : 

 For, though they feel, from time to time, the 

 moft lively impreffions of love, they neither in- 

 termix nor produce in a domeftic flate. Their 

 conftrained paffion degenerates into fury. Beino- 

 unable to gratify themfelves without witnefles, 

 they fret, lofe patience, and, at laft, their indig- 

 nation becomes fo violent, that the ftrongeft 



chains, 



* Quae maxima inter animalia funt, ea fingulos pariunt, 

 ut elephas, camelus, equus ; Arijl. de General. Anim. lib. 4. 

 cap. 4. 



f Statim cum natus eft elephantus dentes habet, quanquam 

 grandes illos (dentes) non illico confpicuos obtinet ; Arijl. 

 JHiJi. Anim. lib. 2. cap. 5. 



X Thomas Lopes, apud Gefaerum, cap. de Elephanto. 



