Chap. VII.] THE ELEPHANT. 
219 
Of course much must depend on the nature of the timber 
and the moisture of the soil ; thus a strong tree on the 
verge of a swamp may be overthrown with greater ease 
than a small and low one in parched and solid ground. 
I have seen no " tree " deserving the name, nothing but 
jungle and brushwood, thrown down by the mere move- 
ment of an elephant without some special exertion of 
force. But he is by no means fond of gratuitously tasking 
his strength ; and food being so abundant that he obtains 
it without an effort, it is not altogether apparent, even 
were he able to do so, why he should assail "the largest 
trees in the forest, " and encumber his own haunts with 
their broken stems ; especially as there is scarcely any- 
thing which an elephant dislikes more than venturing 
amongst fallen timber. 
A tree of twelve inches in diameter resisted successfully 
the most strenuous struggles of the largest elephant I 
ever saw led to it ; and when directed by their keepers to 
clear away jungle, the removal of even a small tree, or 
a healthy young coco-nut palm, is a matter both of time 
and exertion. Hence the services of an elephant are of 
much less value in clearing a forest than in dragging 
and piling felled timber. But in the latter occupation 
he manifests an intelligence and dexterity which is sur- 
prising to a stranger, because the sameness of the oper- 
ation enables the animal to go on for hours disposing 
of log after log, almost without a hint or direction from 
his attendant. For example, two elephants employed 
confined to the mimosas, "immense of their food. Many of the larger 
numbers of which had been torn mimosas had resisted all their 
out of the ground, and placed in efforts ; and indeed it is only after 
an inverted position, in order to heavy rain, when the soil is soft and 
enable the animals to browse at loose, that they ever successfidly 
their ease on the soft and juicy attempt this operation." — Prin- 
roots, which form a favourite part gle's Sketches of South Africa. 
