t 
Chap. VII.] THE ELEPHANT. 225 
believe he was); that the operation was for his good, 
and the pain unavoidable " l 
Obedience to the orders of his keepers is not, however, 
to be assumed as the result of a uniform perception of 
the object to be attained by compliance; and we cannot 
but remember the touching incident which took place 
during the slaughter of the elephant at Exeter Change 
in 1846, when, after receiving ineffectually upwards of 
120 balls in various parts of his body, he turned his face 
to his assailants on hearing the voice of his keeper, and 
knelt down at the accustomed word of command, so as to 
bring his forehead within view of the rifles. 2 
The working elephant is always a delicate animal, 
and requires watchfulness and care. As a beast of 
burden he is unsatisfactory; for although in point of 
mere strength there is scarcely any weight which could 
be conveniently placed on him that he could not carry, 
it is difficult to pack his load without causing abrasions 
that afterwards ulcerate. His skin is easily chafed by 
harness, especially in wet weather. During either long 
droughts or too much moisture, his feet become liable to 
sores, that render him non-effective for months. Many 
attempts have been made to provide him with some pro- 
tection for the sole of the foot, but from his extreme 
weight and peculiar mode of planting the foot, they 
have all been unsuccessful. His eyes are also liable to 
frequent inflammations, and the skill of the native ele- 
phant-doctors, which has been renowned since the time 
of iElian, is nowhere more strikingly displayed than in 
the successful treatment of such attacks. 3 In Ceylon, 
1 The Angler in the Lake Dis- in Hone's Every -Day Book, March, 
trict, p. 23. 1830, p. 337, 
2 A shocking account of the 3 ^Elian, lib. xiii. c. 7. 
death of this poor animal is given 
Q 
