45° 



THE PHILOSOPHY 



finiflied than the elephant placidly follows the hunter *. From this 

 faft, however, we rauft not conclude that the elephant underftands 

 language, but that, like the dog, he has a ftrong difcerning faculty. 

 He diftinguifhes efteem from contempt, friendfliip from hatred, and 

 many other emotions which arc exprefled by human geftures and 

 features. For this reafon, the elephant is more eafily tamed by mild- 

 nefs than by blows. 



' I have frequently remarked,' fays Edward Terry f, 'that the ele- 

 ' phant performs many adlions which feem to proceed more from 



• reafon than from inftind. He does every thing that his matter 

 ' commands. If he wants to terrify any perfon, he runs upon him 

 ' with every appearance of fury, and, when he comes near, Hops 

 ' fhort, without doing the perfon the fmalleft injury. When the 



* mafter choofes to affront any man, he tells the elephant, who ira- 

 ' mediately collefts water and mud with his trunk, and fquirts it 

 ' upon the objedt pointed out to him. The Mogul keeps fome ele- 

 ' phants who ferve as executioners to criminals condemned to death, 

 ' When the condudlor orders one of thefe animals to defpatch the 



♦ poor criminals quickly, he tears them to pieces in a moment with 

 ' his feet : But, if defired to torment them flowly, he breaks their 

 ' bones one after another, and makes them fuffer a punifhment as 

 « cruel as that of the wheel.' 



Next to the elephant, the dog feems. to be the moft docile quadru- 

 ped. A wild dog is a paflionate, ferocious, and fanguinary animal. 

 But after he is reduced to a domeftic ftate, thefe hoftile difpofitions 

 are fuppreffed, and they are fucceeded by a warm attachment, and a 

 perpetual defire of pleafing. The perceptions and natural talents 



of 



• Voyage d'Orient. du P. Phillippe, pag. 366. 

 f Terry's Voyage to the Eaft Indies, pag. 15. 



