THE ELEPHANT. 41 



which, in foft ground, meafure fifteen or eighteen 

 inches in diameter. • 



A domeftic elephant performs more work than 

 perhaps fix horfes * ; but he requires from his 

 mailer much care, and a great deal of good vic- 

 tuals, which coil about four francs, or a hundred 

 pence a-day "f. He is generally fed with rice, 

 raw or boiled, and mixed with water. To keep 

 him in full vigour, he is faid to require daily a 

 hundred pounds of rice, befides frefh herbage to 

 cool him ; for he is fubject to be over-heated, 

 and mull be led to the water twice or thrice a- 

 day for the benefit of bathing. He eafily learns 

 to bathe himfelf. Ke takes the water up in his 

 trunk, carries it to his mouth, drinks part of it, 

 and, by elevating his trunk, allows the remain- 

 der to run over every part of his body. To 



give 



* The price of elephants is very high. They are fome- 

 times fold from a thoufand pagodas of gold to fifteen thou- 

 fand roupees, that is, from nine or ten thoufand livres to 

 thirty thoufand; Notes de M. de Bujjy. — At Ceylon, an elephant 

 is worth, at lead,' eight thoufand pardaons ; and, when very 

 large, he brings twelve, and even fifteen thoufand pardaons ; 

 Iliji. de rifle de Ceylon, par Ribeyro, p. 144. 



\ The food of an elephant cofis about half a piflole each 

 day ; Relation a"-un voyage par Thevenot, p. 261. Tamed ele- 

 phants are very delicate in their feeding. They require rice 

 well boiled, and feafoned with butter and fugar, which is 

 given to them in large balls. They devour daily a hundred 

 pounds of rice, befides leaves of trees, particularly thofe of the 

 Indian fig, called bananas or plantane, which are given them 

 by way of refrefhment ; Voyage de Pyrard, torn. 2. p. 367. — See 

 alfo, Voyages de la Boullaye-le-Goicz, p. 250.; — and Recueil des 

 voyages de la Compagnie des Indes de Hollande, torn. 1. p. 473. 



