448 THE PHILOSOPHY 



to underftand what his cornack, or conduflor, fays to him. "When 

 his condudor wants him to perform any painful labour, he explains 

 the nature of the operation, and gives the reafons which fhould in- 

 duce him to obey. If the elephant fliows a reludance to the talk, 

 the cornack promifes to give him wine, arrack, or any other article 

 that he is fond of, and then the animal exerts his utmoft efforts. 

 But to break any promife made to him is extremely dangerous. 

 Many cornacks have fallen vidlims to indifcretions of this kind. 'At 

 ' Dehan,' fays M. de Bufly, ' an elephant, from revenge, killed his 



* cornack. The man's wife, who beheld the dreadful fcene, took 



* her two children, and threw them at the feet of the enraged ani- 



* mal, faying, Since jou have Jlain my hujhand, take my life alfo, as 

 '■ ivell as that of my children. The elephant inftantly flopped, re- 

 ' lented, and, as if flung with remorfe, took the eldeft boy in its 

 ' trunk, placed him on its neck, adopted him for its cornack, and 



* would never allow any other perfoa to mount it.' 



From the members of the Royal Academy of Sciences, we learn 

 fome curious fads with regard to the manners of the Verfailles ele- 

 phant. This elephant, they remark, feemed to know when it was 

 mocked, and remembered the affront till it had an opportunity of 

 revenge. A man deceived it, by pretending to throw fome food in- 

 to its mouth. The animal gave him fuch a blow with its trunk as 

 knocked him down, and broke two of his ribs, A painter wanted 

 to draw the animal in an unufual attitude, with its trunk elevated, 

 and its mouth open. The painter's fervant, to make it remain in 

 this pofition, threw fruits into its mouth, but generally made only a 

 faint of throwing them. This condudt enraged the elephant ; and, 

 as if it knew that the painter was the eaufe of this teazing imperti- 

 nence, inftead of attacking the fervant, it eyed the mafter, and fquirt- 

 ed at him from its trunk fuch a quantity of water as fpoiled the pa- 

 gev on which he was drawing. This elephant commonly made lefs 



ufe 



