46 THE ELEPHANT. 



thcfe varieties are fo uncommon, that, inftead of 

 confidering them as diftindt races, they ought to 

 be regarded as qualities purely individual and 

 accidental j for, if it were otherwife, we mould 

 know the countries of white, red, and black ele- 

 phants, in the fame manner as we know the 

 climates of white, red, and black men. ' In In- 



* dia,' fays P. Vincent Marie, * there are three 



* kinds of elephants, the white, which are the 

 ' largeft, the moft gentle, and peaceable, are 

 ' adored as gods by feveral nations : The red, 

 4 iuch as thofe of Ceylon, though the fmalleft in 



* fize, are the moft valorous, the ftrongeft, and 

 1 the beft for the purpofes of war ; the other e- 

 c lephants, whether from natural inclination, or 

 ' from recognifing fomething fuperior, pay great 

 ' refpect to thofe of Ceylon : The black is the 

 6 third kind, and they are the moft common, and 

 ' in moil: eftimation *.' This is the only author 

 who feems to hint, that Ceylon is the peculiar 

 climate of red elephants ; for other travellers 

 make no mention of fuch a fact. He likewife 

 aiferts, that the Ceylon elephants are the fmalleft. 

 Thevenot fays the fame thing in his voyage, 

 p. 260. But other writers relate the reverie. 

 In fine, P. Vincent is the only author who fays, 



that 



ed with rubies ; Voyage de la Compagnie des Indss de Hollands} 

 torn. 3. p. 60. 



Voyage du P. Fr. Vincent Marie de St Catherine de Sienne, 

 chap. 9. tranflated from the Italian by M. le Marquis de 

 Mcntm.irail. 



