OF NATURAL HISTORY. 445 



* more *?' When at work, the elephant draws equally, and, if pro- 

 perly managed, never turns reftive. The man who conduds the ani- 

 mal generally rides on his neck, and employs a hooked iron road, or 

 a bodkin, with which he pricks the head or fides of the ears, in or- 

 der to pufh the creature forward, or to make him turn. But words 

 are commonly fufficient. The attachment and affedion of the ele- 

 phant are fometimes fo ftrong and durable that he has been known 

 to die of grief, when, in an unguarded paroxyfin of rage, he had 

 killed his guide. 



Before the invention of gun- powder, elephants were employed 

 in war by the African and Afiatic nations. ' From time immemo- 



* rial,' fays Schouten, ' the Kings of Ceylon, of Pegu, and of Ara- 



* can, have ufed elephants in war. Naked fabres were tied to their 



* trunks, and on their backs were fixed fmall wooden caftles, which 



* contained five or fix men armed with javelins, and other wea- 



* pons t-' The Greeks and Romans, however, foon became ac- 

 quainted with the nature of thefe monftrous warriors. They open- 

 ed their ranks to let the animals pafs, and direded all their weapons, 

 not againft the elephants, but their conductors. Since fire has now 

 become the element of war, and the chief inftrument of deftrudion, 

 elephants, who are terrified both at the flame and the noife, would 

 be more dangerous than ufeful in our modern battles. The Indian 

 Kings, however, ftill arm elephants in their wars. In Cochin, and 

 other parts of Malabar, all the warriors who fight not on foot are 

 mounted on elephants J. The fame pradice obtains in Tonquin, 

 Siam, and Pegu. In thefe countries, the kings and nobles at public 

 feftivals are always preceded and followed by numerous trains of 



elephants, 



* Voyage d'Oricnt. pag. 367. 

 ■}■ Voyage de Schouten, pag. 32, 

 % Ttevenot, torn. 3. pag. 261. 



