M L E P H A N T. 
accounts of their attaining the height of twelve 
feet *, others are laid to have been three feet higher; 
Inhabits India and fome of its greater iflands, 
Cochin-China , and fome of the provinces of 
China y abounds in the fouthern parts of Africa , 
f rom the river Senegal to the Cape , and from thence 
as high as Ethiopia on the other fide: found in 
greateft numbers in the interior parts, where there 
are vail forelts, near the fides of rivers: are fond 
of marlhy places* and love to wallow in the mire 
like a hog: fwim very well: feed on the leaves and 
branches of trees : do great damage to the fields of 
corn, and to plantations of Coco Palms , tearing up 
• the trees by the roots to get at their tops. 
Often deep Handing; are not incapable of lying down 
as is vulgarly believed : are very mild and harmlefs, 
except wounded, or during the rutting time, when 
they are feized with a temporary madnefs: are faid 
to go one year with young, bring one at a time : 
live 120 or 130 yearsare 30 years before they ar¬ 
rive at their full growth. Drink by meaiis of thek 
trunk, fucking water up it, and then conveying it 
into the mouth •, are very careful of the trunk, conf- 
cious that their exiftence depends on it; is to them 
as a hand 5 is their organ of feeling and of fmell, 
both which fenfes it has in the mod; exquidte degree : 
notwithflanding its bulk is exceedingly fwift: its 
ftrength matchlefs *, the tame elephants carry fmall 
pieces of artillery, fmall towers, with numbers of 
people in them, and alfo v&ft loads: is not at pre- 
* 'Ici'vernWs <voy. part II. 96. 
fent 
