NO. 49—1898.] THE CEYLON ELEPHANT. 



183 



to be remarked here that wild elephants in the jungle drink 

 water twice a day, viz., in the morning and evening, going 

 for that purpose to certain rivers, streams, and other watering 

 places. But in the stalls they are not allowed to drink 

 more than once a day, that is, when they are brought to the 

 river and washed, when they swell themselves as much as 

 Nature will let them, without being in any way hindered 

 thereby. 12 



As regards the period during which elephants can go 

 without food or drink, it may be stated, for the satisfaction 

 of those who are fond of the elephant, that these elephants 

 have been found by experience to go without water at most 

 for three days, and can remain longer without food, but by 

 remaining long without food or drink they languish and 

 die of weakness, which, regarding their hungry and thirsty 

 nature, which is great, is not to be wondered at. 



And as all living creatures have their times of sleep 

 and wakefulness, so elephants, like many other quadrupeds,, 

 sleep stretched out, but not longer than an hour or hour 

 and a half in the evening, when they rise again and refresh 

 themselves with eating, and afterwards go to sleep again 

 about morning, but not for more than an hour at most, so 

 that these beasts generally sleep from two and a half to 

 three hours a day, sometimes also resting during the day, but 

 seldom, and never longer than half an hour, sometimes less 

 if they are not very hungry or otherwise, for they seem to 

 prefer eating to sleeping. 



These elephants have also great power in the tooth, and 

 are strong in carrying loads, for they have been seen to 

 crack with their teeth a hard cocoanut in pieces as if it 

 were a hazelnut. And they bear on their shoulders a burden 

 of 1,200 pounds weight and go about with ease. And the 

 noise and cry of these elephants is so great and piercing 

 that the earth seems to tremble in consequence, and when 

 heard at night of a sudden is enough to frighten the boldest 

 man, especially when their cry is followed by an echo in the 

 dark jungle. But it is wonderful what small eyes they 



