ELEPHANT. 153 
brothers, as if it were with an aspect of revenge 
and insult, held out to them the impaled wretch, 
writhing in the agonies of death. 
Ceylon is famed for its elephants. Some of the 
Dutch have observed the manners of the wild 
elephants in that island with singular attention. 
They live in small troops, or distinct families. 
The old ones often stand while they sleep. In 
wandering from place to place, the males, who 
are armed with the largest tusks, put themselves 
at the head of the troops. These are the first to 
face every difficulty. In swimming over any large 
river, these lead the van, and seek out a landing 
place ; next follow the young elephants that have 
not yet attained their full growth, clinging to- 
gether by the trunks ; the rest of the full grow® 
bring up the rear. 
A solitary elephant, who seems to have been 
expelled from the herd to which he belonged, is 
sometimes met with in the woods. Such a vaga- 
bond is uncommonly fierce and dangerous. The 
enormous bulk of the elephant renders his air 
grave and stupid, and all his motions slow. A 
nimble Indian will outrun the swiftest. To avoid 
danger, or attack an enemy, an elephant lengthens 
and quickens his step, so as to keep up with a 
horse at a brisk gallop, but not at full speed. 
In the island of Sumatra, where the herds of 
wild elephants prove extremely troublesome f 
wandering over the cultivated grounds, and partly 
by the impression of their feet, partly by de- 
vouring the plantanes and sugar-canes, oblite- 
rating all traces of cultivation ; the inhabitants 
often split and impregnate a part of their canes with 
poison ; and of these the elephant eating unwarily, 
dies. 
The Ceylonese sometimes surround, in mime® 
rous bands, the woods which the elephants inha- 
YQL. I. X 
