THE ELEPHANT. 
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white elephants adorned with precious stones 
and ornaments of gold precede him. When 
he gives audience these four elephants are 
presented to him, and do reverence by raising 
their trunks, opening their mouths, giving 
three distinct cries, and then kneeling. This 
done, they are led back to their stable, and 
fed out of large golden vessels ; and twice a 
day they are washed with water from a vessel 
of silver. During the time of their being thus 
dressed they stand under a canopy supported 
by eight persons, to skreen them from the heat 
of the sun. In going to the vessels containing 
their food and water, they march with great 
naajesty, preceded by three trumpeters. 
In Hindostan the general belief both of the 
natives and European residents is, that these 
animals live three hundred years. Several, 
which are still in the service of the East India 
Company, were known to be very aged when 
they first entered it, eighty years ago. 
