THE ASIATIC ELEPHANT. 167 



One of the strongest features in the domesticated elephant's 

 character is its obedience, but, whilst fairly quick at compre- 

 hending anything sought to be taught it, it is decidedly wanting 

 in originality. In support of these views, Mr. Sanderson related 

 several cases which had come under his observation in which a 

 want of intelligence had been displayed. He thought, however, 

 that all who had had to deal with elephants would agree that their 

 good qualities could not be exaggerated, that their vices are few, 

 and only occur in exceptional animals ; that they are neither 

 treacherous nor retentive of any injury (the story of our youth of 

 the tailor and the elephant he wholly disbelieved), and that they are 

 obedient, gentle, and patient beyond all other domestic animals. 



On the subject of height, Mr. Sanderson stated that much 

 misapprehension exists. He had heard and read of Indian 

 elephants 13 ft., 15 ft., and even 20 ft. high ! As a matter of fact, 

 he had found that 10 ft. in males and 8 ft. 6 in. in females (vertical 

 height at the shoulders measured in a horse) is very rarely 

 attained, and is not exceeded by one animal in five hundred. 

 Five years ago he had inserted a request for information on this 

 subject in all the chief newspapers of India. Accounts of 11 ft. 

 and 1 2ft. elephants poured in, but none stood the test of inquiry. 

 To make it worth anyone's while to establish such dimensions, 

 he offered to give an order upon any gunmaker for the best 

 double-barrelled rifle and all accessories to any gentleman who 

 could produce evidence of an elephant even 1 1 ft. high. This was 

 never done, and out of many thousands he had only found one 

 elephant above 10 ft. This animal, belonging to the Maharajah 

 of Nakim-Sirmoor in the Punjaub, measures 10 ft. 7^ in. in vertical 

 height at the withers, and he made a journey of one hundred 

 miles in a palanquin to measure him with his own hands. 



In connection with this part of his subject, Mr. Sanderson 

 remarked that twice round an elephant's forefoot is his height, 

 within an inch or two ; more frequently it is exactly so. Out of 

 many hundreds of elephants which he had measured, he had only 

 once found the variation to be as much as five inches. In June, 

 1878, he measured the since famous African elephant Jumbo, 

 which was then 10 ft. 5 in. at the withers. According to Sir 

 Samuel Baker, who had seen large numbers of both Asiatic and 

 African elephants in their native wilds, the Africans, male and 

 female, average about one foot higher than the Asiatic. 



