122 
ELEPHANT* 
of persoiKil injury when suffered to feed without 
interruption. It is even said that they are mind* 
ful of injuries received ; and, when otice molested 
by man, seek all occasions for the future to be re- 
venged * they smell him with their long trunks 
at a distance ; follow him with all their speed upon 
the scent ; and, though slow to appearance, they 
are soon able to come up with and destroy him. 
In their natural state, they delight to live along 
the sides of rivers, to keep in the deepest vales, to 
refresh themselves in the most shady forests and 
watery places. They cannot live far from the 
water ; and they always disturb it before they 
drink. They often fill their trunk with it, either 
to cool that organ, or to divert themselves by 
spurting it out like a fountain. They are equally 
distressed by the extremes of heat and cold ; and, 
to avoid the former, they frequently take shelter 
in the most obscure recesses of the forest, or often 
plunge into the water, and even swim from the 
continent into islands some leagues distant from 
the shore. 
Their chief food is of the vegetable kind, for 
they loath all kind of animal diet. When on®, 
among their number happens to light upon a spot 
©f good pasture, he calls the rest, and invites 
them to share in the entertainment ; but it must 
be si very copious pasture indeed that can supply 
the necessities of the whole band. As with their 
broad and heavy feet they sink deep wherever 
they go, they destroy much more than they devour, 
so that they are frequently obliged to change their 
quarters, and to migrate from one country to 
another. The Indians and negroes, who are often 
incommoded by such visitants, do all they can to 
keep them away, making loud noises, and large 
fires round their cultivated grounds.; but these 
precautions do not always succeed ; the elephants 
