32 T ITE ELEPHANT. 



the fuccuffions are not fo hard as on the flioul- 

 dcrs, back, or crupper. But, for the purpofes of 

 war, or of hunting, each elephant is always 

 mounted by feveral men *. The conductor 

 rides aftraddle on their neck, and the hunters or 

 combatants fit on the other parts of the body. 



In thofe happy regions where cannon, and 

 other murdering engines, are imperfectly known, 

 they ftill fight with elephants f. At Co- 

 chin, and other parts of Malabar J, horfes are 

 not ufed, and all the warriors who fight not on 

 foot, are mounted on elephants. The practice 

 is nearly the fame in Tonquin §, Siam ||, and 



Pegu, 



* Of ail animals, the elephant is the mofl ferviceable in 

 war ; for he can eafily carry four men armed with mufkets, 

 bows, or fpears ; Recueil des voyages de la Compagnie des hides de 

 Hollande ; fecond voyage de Vander Hagen, torn. 2. p. 53. 



f When the elephants are led to war, they ferve two pur- 

 pofes ; for they either carry fmall wooden towers, from the 

 top of which forne foldiers fight, or they have fwords fixed to 

 their trunks with iron chains, and in this manner they are let 

 loofe againfl the enemy, whom they aflat 1 with courage, and 

 would unqueftionably cut to pieces, if they were not re- 

 pelled by fpears, which throw out fire ; for, as elephants are 

 terrified at fire, this artifice is employed to put them to flight ; 

 Voyage d' Orient, par le P. Philippe, p. 367. 



± In Cochin, as well as in other pares of Malabar, no hor- 

 fes are ufed in war. Thofe who fight not on foot, are mount- 

 ed on elephants, of which there are great numbers in the 

 mountains ; and thefe mountain elephants are the hrgeft in 

 India; Relation d'un voyage, par Tkevenot, torn. 3./. 261. 



§ In the kingdom of Tonquin, the women of rank general- 

 ly ride upon elephants, fo very tall and mafly, that they can 

 carry, without any danger, a tower with fix men in it, befide 

 the conductor on their neck ; // Genio vagante del conte Awelh 

 degli anzi, torn. X. p. 282. 



|| See Le Journal du voyage de PAbbe de Choify, p. 242, 



