THE ELEPHANT. 



to his voice, or the impreflion of his hand armed with a fharp hook, called 

 ankocha. He lies down on his belly, that he may be mounted with greater 

 eafe, or prefents his leg bent, by way of a ttep, and affitts his mailer to mount 

 on his back with his trunk. At the word of command, he performs the 

 office of executioner ; he feizes a criminal with his trunk, toffies him in the 

 air, and then tramples him to death : in his encounters with other animals, 

 he unites prudence with courage ; he knows, for example, the danger he is 

 expofed to when he fights a Tiger ; fenfible that his trunk is the only part 

 where he can be materially injured by his enemy, he takes care to keep it 

 elevated above the reach of the Tiger's fangs and claws, and endeavours to 

 give him an effectual ftroke, that he may ttun him, and then crufh him under 

 his feet, or ruth upon him with impunity, and transfix him with his tufks. 

 If well educated, he is not difmayed by fireworks, or even the roaring of 

 cannon. Before the invention of gunpowder, the Elephant was much ufed 

 in battle ; a tower or platform was fattened on his back, capable of containing 

 four or five combatants, armed with bows, arrows, javelins, &c. he was alfo, 

 fometimes, taught to rum on the enemy, having a chain fattened to his trunk, 

 with which he made dreadful havock among the ranks, knocking down and 

 killing all that flood in his way ; but fince the ufe of fire-arms, he is no longer 

 fent to the field of battle, except for mow, as he is not always to be depended 

 on, but when rendered furious by defperate wounds, he will fometimes 

 avenge himfelf on his friends. 



The natural temper of the Elephant is mild and circumfpecl:, and he is 

 never cruel from ferocious brutality, as the Buffalo and fome other animals are. 

 He is with difficulty provoked to affinal t or combat with other creatures, and 

 though otherwife obedient, he refufes at firft with evident figns of horror. 



The following anecdote, of which Mr. Le Baron de Laurifton was a 

 witnefs, is related by Mr. Foucher D'Obfonville in his Philofophic Effays on 

 the Manners, &c. of foreign Animals, and will ferve to give an idea of the 

 fenfible and benevolent character of the Elephant. " During the laft war, 

 his zeal, and certain circumttances, conducted him to Lacknaor, the capital 

 of the Soubah of that name, at a time when an epidemic diflemper raged 



