8 



THE ELEPHANT. 



Within the past few years, on account of con- 

 tinued persecutions from the hunters who have 

 sought these animals, principally for their tusks, 

 which form one of the most valuable articles of 

 commerce, the Elephants have retired futher into 

 the interior of the continent, leaving merely a 

 remnant of their numbers in the localities where 

 they formerly abounded. A large herd of these 

 gigantic animals must present a magnificent spec- 

 tacle, and few Europeans who have witnessed 

 them enjoying the unrestrained freedom of their 

 native wilds have given most enthusiastic descrip- 

 tions of the excitement that took possession of 

 them when beholding the scene. 



One Elephant hunter says : 



"The whole face of the landscape was actually 

 covered witli wild Elephants. There could not 

 have been fewer than three hundred within the 

 scope of our vision. E\'ery height and green 

 knoll was dotted over with groups of them, while 

 the bottom of the glen exhibited a dense and sa- 

 ble living mass — their colossal forms being at 

 one moment partially concealed by the trees 

 which. they were disfiguring with giant strength, 

 while others were seen majestically emerging into 

 the open glades, bearing in their trunks branches 

 of trees, with which they indolently protected 

 themselves from the flies." 



Many anecdotes are related of both the tame 

 and the wild Elephant. Tliey would seem to 

 ■prove that the animal is gifted with intellectual 

 faculties akin to those of human l:)eings. 



When the British troops were bcseiging Bhurb- 

 fon in India, the water in the ponds and tanks 

 'becoming exhausted, it coidd only be obtained 

 from deep and large wells. In this service Ele- 

 phants were especially useful. 



One day two of these animals, — one of them 

 large and strong, the other much smaller, — came 



I 



together to a well. The smaller Elephant carried 

 by his trunk a bucket, which, the larger, not hav- 

 ing one, stole from him. The smaller animal 

 knew that he could not wrest it from the other, 

 but he eyed him, watching for an opportunity of 

 avenging himself. The larger Elephant now ap- 

 proached the edge of the well, when the smaller 

 one, rushing forward with all his might, pushed 

 him fairly into the water. 



Ludicrous as was the scene, the consequences 

 might have been disastrous. Should the huge 

 animal not be got out, the water would be spoiled; 

 at all events, his floundering about would make 

 it very muddy. The Elephant, however, seemed 

 in no way disconcerted, and kept floating at his 

 ease, enjoying the cool liquid, and exhibiting no 

 wish to come out of it. At length a number of 

 fascines used in the siege were brought, and these 

 being lowered into the well, the Elephant was in- 

 duced by his driver to place them under his feet. 

 In this way a pile was raised sufficiently high to 

 enable him to rise. But, being unwilling to 

 leave the water, he after a time would allow no 

 more fascines to be lowered ; and his driver had 

 to caress him, and promise him plenty of arrack 

 as a reward, to induce him to raise himself out of 

 the water. Thus incited, the Elephant permitted 

 more fascines to be thrown in ; and at length, 

 after some masonry was removed from the mar- 

 gin of the well, he was able to step out — the 

 whole operation having occupied fourteen honrs. 



A large Elephant was sent a few years ago to 

 assist in piling up timber at Nagercoil. The offi- 

 cer who despalfched it, suspecting the honesty of 

 the driver, requested the wife of a missionary, to 

 whose house the animal was sent, to watch that 

 he received his proper allowance of rice. After 

 some time the lady, suspecting that her charge 

 was being defrauded of his rice, intimated her 



