ELEPHANTS. 287 



trapped, and then in not using their terrific strength and powers 

 to crush their captors or effect their escape ; and most people, 

 while agreeing that the tales generally told about them, especially 

 the one Mr. Sanderson quotes of the tailor and the needle, and 

 the dirty water, are on the face of them absurd, yet there are 

 others which are well authenticated that show elephants to be 

 anything but stupid beasts. Dogs, with whom they are com- 

 pared, are not over-gifted with sagacity in their wild state, and 

 perhaps if thoroughly domesticated, and careful attention paid to 

 their breeding, the elephants' intellectual powers might ultimately 

 undergo considerable improvement, and increased mental capacity 

 be transmitted to the future race. It is within the bounds of possi- 

 bility that intelligent attributes of a high order might be developed, 

 which would confer on the elephant a capacity for performing 

 duties that would be of the greatest assistance to mankind. 



No doubt many people have themselves seen children when 

 feeding an elephant with buns accidentally drop some portion of 

 one out of the animal's reach, which, after trying in various ways 

 to get its trunk near enough to grasp the coveted morsel, has 

 resorted to the stratagem of blowing through that organ with 

 force suflB.cient to cause the bun to strike the nearest post or wall 

 with such vigour that it rebounded near enough to be easily seized. 

 Surely this is anything but a stupid manoeuvre, and exhibits some 

 intellectual power. The fact is that it is a mistake to make any 

 sweeping assertion respecting animals, for the instinctive capacity 

 is not the same in every specimen; each individual varies in the 

 possession of its own peculiar endowments. 



Again, with regard to their being neither treacherous nor 

 retentive of an injury, well-authenticated cases have occurred 

 that prove if this is the rule with regard to elephants in general 

 there are many exceptions to it in individual cases. Several 

 instances could be quoted to prove this, all narrated by eye- 

 witnesses whose veracity is beyond question. One case was 

 related of an elephant belonging to his Excellency the Governor 

 of Bombay, who sent the animal to take part in the Durbar 

 held at the proclamation of the Queen as Empress of India. 

 This elephant had six years previous to this date a mahout 



