ANECDOTE OF AN ELEPHANT. 
71 
of which he had the charge, at the same time giving 
her (for it was a female) a verbal caution, which she 
seemed perfectly to comprehend, to be vigilant in the 
discharge of her trust ; he then quitted the spot on 
which the elephant was picketed, leaving the infant 
on the ground before her. Some English officers, hear- 
ing the caution that had been given, and doubting the 
integrity of the creature, with whose character, as it 
appeared in the sequel, they were but indifferently 
acquainted, determined to try if it was not possible 
to seduce her from her trust ; they concluded of course 
that, as is the case with all brutes, whether quadru- 
ped or biped — for they are sometimes to be found 
among the latter race of animals — selfishness was a 
predominating trait of her nature, and that there- 
fore every other object would be held secondary to 
her own gratification. Under this impression, they 
began by tempting her appetite, and the appetite of 
an elephant is in general tolerably keen, with such 
fruits as they knew she was likely to be most fond 
of, not doubting for a moment that she would in- 
stantly resign the guardianship of the child for an em- 
ployment so much more to her satisfaction. But no ; 
she eyed the fruit with an oblique though approving 
glance, at the same time not attempting to stir, 
keeping her head just over the child, from which her 
eye was not for an instant diverted. Some of the 
tempters, provided with long bamboos, having a noose 
at the end, endeavoured to draw the little object of 
the creature’s solicitude from the position in which 
the parent had placed it. At this the elephant 
evinced considerable displeasure, disdaining to cast a 
