36 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAVS 
CHAP. 
by curling it up when attacked. Upon this ground¬ 
work of buff leather I had plates of thick and hard 
buffalo hide, tanned, overlapping like slates upon a 
roof. This armour was proof against either teeth or 
claws, as neither could hold upon the slippery and 
yielding hard surface of the leather tiles ; at the same 
time the elephant could move its trunk with ease. 
Two circular apertures were cut out for the eyes, 
about six inches in diameter. 
An elephant, if well trained, would be sufficiently 
sagacious to appreciate this protection should it find 
itself unharmed after a home charge by a tiger or 
other dangerous beast; and such a quality of armour 
would add immensely to its confidence and steadiness. 
Although the elephant is of enormous strength it 
is more or less a delicate animal, and is subject to a 
variety of ailments. A common disease is a swelling 
in the throat, which in bad cases prevents it from 
feeding. Another complaint resembles gout in the 
legs, which swell to a distressing size, and give 
exquisite pain, especially when touched. This attack 
is frequently occasioned by allowing elephants, after 
a long march under a hot sun, to wade belly-deep 
in cool water in order to graze upon the aquatic 
vegetation. 
Few animals suffer more from the sun’s rays than 
the elephant, whose nature prompts it to seek the 
deepest shade. Its dark colour and immense 
surface attract an amount of heat which becomes 
almost insupportable to the unfortunate creature when 
forced to carry a heavy load during the hot season 
