44 THE ELEPHANT. 



in 1 66S *, and which was then only four years 

 old, died in the month of January 1681, at the 

 age of feventeen, and lived at Verfailles only 

 thirteen years, though he was fed plentifully, and 

 managed with the greateft attention. He had 

 daily eighty pounds of bread, twelve pints of 

 wine, and two pails of pottage, mixed with four 

 or five pounds of bread ; and, every fecond day, 

 in place of pottage, he had two pails of boiled 

 rice, without reckoning what was given him by 

 vifitors. He had, befides, a fheaf of corn every 

 day for his amtifement ; for, after eating the 

 ears, he made a kind of whip of the draw, with 

 which he drove aw r ay the flies. He delighted in 

 breaking the ft raw into fmall morfels, which he 

 did very dexteroufly with his trunk ; and, as he 

 •was daily led out to walk, he pulled and eat the 

 grafs. The elephant which was lately at Naples, 

 though the heat is greater there than in France, 

 lived but a few years. Thofe which were fent to 

 Peterfburg, though well fheltered, clothed, and 

 warmed with ftoves, all died fucceffively. Hence 

 we may conclude, that this animal is incapable 

 of fubfi fting, and far lefs can he multiply, in 

 any part of Europe. But I am aftonifhed that 

 the Portuguefe, who firft knew the value and 

 utility of elephants in the Eaft Indies, did not 

 tranfport them to the warm climate of Brafit, 

 where, by leaving them at liberty, they would 



probably 



* Mem. pour fervir a Phi-ftoire des animaux, part. 3. p. ici. 

 et 127. 



