ELEPHANT — GENERAL INTELLIGENCE. 
397 
some considerable space to the narration of instances of 
its display. The general fact that elephants are habitually 
employed in certain parts of India for the purposes of 
building, storing timber, &c«, in itself shows a level of 
docile intelligence which only that of the dog can rival ; 
but I shall here confine myself to stating special instances 
of the display of sagacity unusually high, even for the 
elephant. 
Capt. Shipp, in his 4 Memoirs,’ gives the following 
incident, of which he was an eye-witness. During a march 
with guns in the mountainous districts of India, the force 
of which he was a member came to a steep ascent. A 
staircase of logs w T as prepared to enable the elephants to 
ascend the slope. When all was ready the first elephant 
was led to the bottom of the staircase : — 
He looked up, shook his head, and when forced by his 
driver, roared piteously. There can be no question, in my 
opinion, but that this sagacious animal was competent instinc- 
tively to judge of the practicability of the artificial flight of steps 
thus constructed ; for the moment some little alteration had 
been made, he seemed willing to approach. He then com- 
menced his examination and scrutiny by pressing with his 
trunk the trees that had been thrown across ; and after this he 
put his fore-leg on with great caution. . . . The next step for 
him to ascend by was a projecting rock, which he could not 
remove. Here the same sagacious examination took place, the 
elephant keeping his flat side close to the side of the trunk, and 
leaning against it. The next step was against a tree, but this, 
on the first pressure of his trunk, he did not like. Here the 
driver made use of the most endearing epithets, such as 
‘ Wonderful/ 4 My life/ 4 Well done, my dear/ 4 My dove/ h My 
son/ 4 My wife ; ’ but all these endearing appellations, of which 
elephants are so fond, would not induce him to try again. 
Force was at length resorted to, and the elephant roared terri- 
fically, but would not move. 
Something was then altered, the elephant was satisfied, 
and at last succeeded in mounting to the top of the stair- 
case 
On reaching the top his delight was visible in a most eminent 
degree ; he caressed his keepers, and threw dirt about in a most 
playful manner. Another elephant, a much younger animal* 
