l3S "^IIE ELEPHANT. 



Then boughs of trees they cut, with tempting fruIC 



Of various kinds surcharg'd ; the downy peacli. 



The clust'ring vine, and of bright golden rind 



The fragrant orange. Soon as ev'ning grey 



Advances, slow besprinkling all around 



With kind refreshing dews the thirsty glebe, 



The stately Elephant from the close shade 



With step majestic strides ; eager to taste 



The coaler breeze that from the sea-beat shore 



Delightful breathes, or in the limpid stream 



To lave his panting sides ; joyous he scents 



The ricii repast, unweeting of the death 



That lurks within. And soon he sportino- breaks 



The brittle boughs, and greedily devours 



The fruit delicious. — Ah ! too dearly bought; 



The price is life. For now the trcach'rous turf 



Trembling gives way ; and the unwieldy beast. 



Self-sinking, drops into the dark profound. 



When the hunters have sufficiently secured the 

 animals with strong ropes tied round their limbs, 

 they are dragged out and taken home to be tamed. 

 Of their mode of performing this I shall give the 

 account of Tavernier, from his Travels in India^ 

 who tells us that he was himself present at the tam- 

 ing of two that had been taken not long before. 

 " After two hours travel, we came to a great village, 

 where we saw the two Elephants that had been lately- 

 taken. Each of these was placed between two tame 

 ones. Round the wild Elephants stood six men, 

 each with a half-pike in his hand, with a lighted 

 torch fastened at the end of it, who talked to the 

 animals, giving them meat, and calling to them 

 in their own lan?uaoe ' taka it, take it' If the 



