AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



247 



There is, therefore, no domestic Elephant but has been 

 wild before; and the manner of taking, taming, and bring- 

 ing them into submission, deserves particular attention. In 

 the middle of forests, and in the vicinity of the places which 

 they frequent, a large space is chosen, and encircled with 

 palisadoes; the strongest trees of the forest serve instead of 

 stakes, to which cross pieces of timber are fastened, which 

 support the other stakes; a man may easily pass through this 

 palisado; there is another great opening, through which the 

 Elephant may go in, with a trap hanging over it, or a gate 

 which is shut behind him : to bring him to that enclosure, 

 he must be enticed by a tame female, ready to take the 

 male; and when her leader thinks she is near enough to be 

 heard, he obliges her to indicate by her cries the condition 

 she is in; the wild male answers immediately, and begins 

 his march to join her, she repeats her call now and then, 

 and arrives first to the first enclosure, where the male, fol- 

 lowing her track, enters through the same gate. As soon 

 as he perceives himelf shut up, his ardour vanishes, and 

 when he discovers the hunters, he becomes furious; they 

 throw at him ropes with a running knot to stop him; they 

 fetter his legs and his trunk, they bring two or three tame 

 Elephants, led by dexterous men, and try to tie them with 

 the wild Elephant, and at last, by dint of dexterity, strength, 

 terror, and caresses, they succeed in taming him in a few 

 days. 



The Elephant, once tamed, becomes the most tractable 

 and the most submissive of all animals; he conceives an 

 affection for his leader, he caresses him, and seems to guess 

 whatever can please him: in a little time he understands the 

 signs, and even the expression of sounds; he distinguishes 

 the tone of command, that of anger or good nature, and acts 

 accordingly: he never mistakes the words of his master; he 

 receives his orders with attention, executes them with pru- 

 dence and eagerness, without precipitation; for his motions 

 are always measured, and his character seems to participate 

 of the gravity of his body; he is easily taught to bend the 

 knee to assist those who will ride on his back; he caresses 

 his friends with his trunk, and salutes with it the persons 

 he is directed to take notice of: he makes use of it to lift 

 burdens, and helps to load himself; he has no aversion to 

 being clothed, and seems to delight in a golden harness or 

 magnificent trappings; he is easily put to the traces of carts, 

 and draws ships upon occasion: he draws evenly, without 

 stopping, or any marks of dislike, provided he is not insult- 

 ed by unseasonable correction, and provided his driver 

 seems to be thankful for the spontaneous exertion of his 

 strength. His leader is mounted on his neck, and makes 

 use of an iron rod crooked at the end, with which he strikes 

 him gently on the head to make him turn or increase his 



pace; but often a word is suiEcient, especially if he has had 

 time to make himself well acquainted with his leader, and 

 has a confidence in him ; his attachment is sometimes so 

 strong and so lasting, and his affection so great, that com- 

 monly he refuses to serve under any other person, and he is 

 known to have died of grief for having in anger killed his 

 governor. 



The species of the Elephant is numerous, though they 

 bring forth but one young once in two or three years: the 

 shorter the life of animals is, the more they multiply: in 

 the Elephant, the length of his life compensates the small 

 number; and if it is true, as has been alfirmed, that he lives 

 two hundred years, and that he begets when he is one hun- 

 dred and twenty years old, each couple brings forth forty 

 young in that space of time: besides, having nothing to fear 

 from other animals, and little even from men, who take 

 them with great difficulty, the species has not decreased, 

 and is generally dispersed in all the southern parts of Africa 

 and Asia. 



Frcm time immemorial the Indians made use of Ele- 

 phants in war. Amongst those nations unacquainted with 

 the European military discipline, they were the best troops 

 of their armies; and as long as battles were decided by mere 

 weapons, they commonly vanquished : yet we see in his- 

 tory, that the Greeks and Romans used themselves soon to 

 those monsters of war; they opened their ranks to let them 

 go through; they did not attempt to wound them, but threw 

 all their darts against their leaders, who were forced to sur- 

 render, and to calm the Elephants when separated from 

 their troops ; and now that fire is become the element of 

 war, and the principal instrument of death, the Elephants, 

 who are afraid of the noise and the fire of the artillery, 

 would be rather an incumbrance in battle, and more danger- 

 ous than useful. 



In those regions, however, where our cannons and mur- 

 dering arts are yet scarcely known, they fight still with 

 Elephants. At Cochin, and in the other parts of Malabar, 

 they do not make use of horses, and all those who do not 

 fight on foot are mounted upon Elephants. In Tonquin, 

 Siam, and Pegu, the king, and all the grandees, never ride 

 but upon Elejshants: on festival days they are preceded and 

 followed by a great number of these animals richly capari- 

 soned, and covered with the richest stuffs. On comparing 

 the relations of travellers and historians, it appears that the 

 Elephants are more numerous in Africa than in Asia; they 

 are there also less mistrustful, not so wild, and, as if they 

 knew the unskilfulness and the little power of the men with 

 whom they have to deal in this part of the world, come 

 every day without fear to their habitations. 



Buffon's Natural History. 



