56 



hawut, rode upon his neck to guide him ; another sat upon the 

 rump, and assisted in battle; the rest supplied him with food and 

 water, and performed the necessary services. Elephants bred to 

 war, and well disciplined, will stand firm against a volley of mus- 

 quetry, and never give way unless severely wounded. I have seen 

 one of these animals, with upwards of thirty bullets in the fleshy 

 parts of his body, perfectly recovered from his wounds. All arc 

 not equally docile, and when an enraged elephant retreats from 

 battle, nothing can withstand his fury: the driver having no longer 

 a command, friends and foes are involved in undistinguished 

 ruin. 



The elephants in the army of Antiochus were provoked to fight 

 by shewing them the blood of grapes and mulberries. The history 

 of the Maccabees informs us, that " to every elephant they ap- 

 pointed a thousand men, armed with coats of mail, and five hun- 

 dred horsemen of the best; these were ready at every occasion: 

 wherever the beast was, and whithersoever he went, they went also; 

 and upon the elephants were strong towers of wood, filled with 

 armed men, besides the Indian that ruled them." 



Elephants in peace and war know their duty, and are more 

 obedient to the word of command than many rational beings. It 

 is said they can travel, on an emergency, two hundred miles in 

 forty-eight hours; but will hold out for a month, at the rate of forty 

 or fifty miles a day, with cheerfulness and alacrity. I performed 

 many long journeys upon an elephant given by Ragobah to Co- 

 lonel Keating; nothing could exceed the sagacity, docility, and 

 affection of this noble quadruped: if I stopped to enjoy a prospect, 

 he remained immoveable until my sketch was finished; if 1 wished 



