THE ELEPHANT. 
227 
elephant first tried its strength with its trunk; 
and at last, with apparent unwillingness, pro- 
ceeded about half way over, when the bridge 
gave way, and the elephant and mahout were 
precipitated together into the ditch. The 
elephant was severely injured, and the mahout 
killed by the fall. This sort of elephant can- 
not be induced, under any circumstances, to 
enter a boat till it has first tried, in like 
ftianner, the soundness of its timbers. 
It would require a volume to relate all the 
authentic anecdotes recorded of the astonish- 
ing sagacity and docility of the elephant in 
a state of domestication : the following may 
kere suffice. 
Captain Blakiston, in his ‘ Twelve Years Mi- 
ktary Adventure,’ chiefly in the East Indies, 
®ays : — “ To the battering train were attached 
11 few elephants, to assist the guns over any 
obstacles which could not be surmounted by 
the ordinary means. These sagacious ani- 
