Natural History of the Elephant. 37 
so, when the back is flat, or a little depressed. A partial de- 
pression of the spine is, however, no uncommon occurrence, 
even in very young elephants ; and I am convinced it happens 
from external injury. I have been surprised to see the violence 
used (in herds of wild elephants just taken) by the large ele- 
phants, both male and female, putting the projecting part of 
the upper jaw, from which the tusks grow out, on the spine of 
the young ones, and pressing them to the ground, while they 
roared from pain. 
It has been stated, that the sagacity of the elephant is so 
great, and his memory so retentive, that when once he has re- 
ceived an injury, or been in bondage, and afterwards escapes, 
it is not possible, by any art, again to entrap him. Great as my 
partiality is for this noble animal, whose modes of life and ge- 
neral sagacity I have had so many opportunities of observing, 
yet a regard to truth compels me to mention some facts, which 
contradict that opinion. The following history of an elephant 
taken by Mr. Leeke,* of Longford Hall, Shropshire, contains 
many interesting particulars on this subject. The elephant was 
a female, and vyas taken at first, with a herd of many others, 
in the year 1765, by Rajah Kishun Maunick, *f- who, about 
six months after, gave her to Abdoor Rezah, a man of some 
rank and consequence in the district. In 1767, the Rajah sent 
a force against this Abdoor Rezah, for some refractory con- 
duct, who, in his retreat to the hills, turned her loose into the 
* He was then the Resident of Tiperah, and took some pains to ascertain the facts 
here mentioned. 
t The Rajah is the principal Zemindar in the province of Tiperah, paying the 
usual revenue for his lands in the low country ; but, in the hills he is an independent 
sovereign, has the power of life and death over his subjects, a mint, and other insignia 
cf sovereignty. 
