134 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
A few days after, we received another invitation 
from the Newaub to witness a fight between an ele- 
phant and an alligator ; this we willingly accepted, 
expecting to see something tremendous from the col- 
lision of two animals so formidable and so different 
in their habits and character. His highness had 
made the necessary preparations for affording us this 
new species of entertainment, having sent to the river 
Goggra a party, who had succeeded in catching a 
couple of large alligators, one of which was seven-and- 
twenty feet long. They were conveyed from the 
banks of the Goggra to the Goomty upon hackeries. 
On reaching the scene intended for this strange sport, 
we found the alligators so exhausted from the uncon- 
genial mode of their conveyance, and from having been 
so long without food, that they could scarcely crawl, 
but remained upon the banks of the stream without 
attempting to escape, and in a state of almost complete 
inaction. One, however, was much more torpid than 
the other, in consequence of having been longer caught 
and consequently longer a sufferer. A large elephant 
was at length led to the spot, though it approached 
with evident symptoms of distrust ; for these animals 
appear to have an instinctive perception of danger far 
more keen than any other beast of the forest. He 
eyed the hideous monster which lay half gasping 
upon the river hank, for several moments before he 
ventured to advance, and when at length he did so, 
the largest alligator opened its ponderous jaws and 
made a snap at his trunk, but he had taken care to 
curl it up between his tusks, thus securing it from 
injury. The alligator finding itself foiled, snapped 
