ELEPHANT. 
149 
is trunk, and placing him upon its neck, adopted 
him for its conductor, and obeyed him ever after 
with great punctuality. 
But it is not for drawing burdens alone, that 
the elephants are serviceable in war; they are 
often brought into the ranks, and compelled to 
fight in the most dangerous parts of the field of 
battle. There was a time, indeed, in India, when 
they were much more used in war than at present. 
A century or two ago, a great part of the depen- 
dence of the general, was upon the number and the 
expertness of his elephants ; but of late, since war 
has been contented to adopt fatal, instead of for- 
midable arts, the elephant is little used, except 
for drawing cannon, or transporting provisions. 
The princes of the country are pleased to keep 
a few for ornament, or for the purposes of re- 
moving their seraglios ; but they are seldom led 
into fMd of battle, where they are unable to 
withstand the discharge of fire-arms, and have 
often been found to turn upon their employers. 
Still, however, they are used in war, in the 
more remote parts of the East; in Siam, in 
Cochin-China, in Tonquin, and Pegu. In all 
these places, they not only serve to swell the pomp 
of state, being adorned with all the barbarian 
splendor that those countries can bestow, but they 
are actually led into the field of battle, armed 
before with coats of mail, and loaded on the back 
each with a square tower, containing from five 
combatants to seven. Upon its neck sits the con- 
ductor, who. goads the animal into the thickest 
ranks, and encourages it to increase the devasta- 
tion : wherever it goes, nothing can withstand 
its fury; if levels the ranks with its immense bulk, 
flings such as oppose it into the air, or crushes 
them to death under its fept. In the mean time, 
thosq who are placed upon its back combat as from 
