4.53 
E L E P II A S. 
which it occafionally fills the trunk from entering into 
the padage of the nofe, where the organs ferving for the 
fenfation of fmell are placed. The elephant can move 
the trunk in all directions ; lie can extend or fiiorten it 
at pleaftire, without altering the diameters of the two 
canals within. By this means refpiration is not inter,- 
rupted, whatever be the fituation of the trunk ; and the 
water is allowed to remain till the animal choofes to 
throw it out by an exfpiration. Each canal is lined with 
a fmooth ftrong membrane, and the ftirface of the trunk 
is covered with another ftrong membrane or fkin. The 
fubftance contained between the exterior and interior 
membranes, is a compofition of longitudinal and tranf- 
verfe mufcles, which ferve to extend and contsaft the 
length of the trunk. At the extremity there is a con¬ 
cave protuberance, in the bottom of which are the two 
paflages of the noftrils. The inferior part of the protu¬ 
berance is thicker than the (ides, and the fuperior part is 
ftretched out like a finger about five inches long; which, 
together with the edges of the whole extremity of the 
trunk, aftumes different figures accordihg to the neccfli- 
ties of the animal, [t is by this organ that the animal 
lays hold of food or other fubftances ; which he ma¬ 
nages with as much dexterity as a man does his hand, 
taking up grains of corn, or the fmalleft blades of grafs, 
and conveying them to his mouth. When he drinks, he 
thrufts his trunk into the water, and fills it by drawing 
in his breath and exhaufting the air : when the trunk is 
thus filled with water, he can either throw it out to a 
great diftance, or drink it by putting the end of the trunk 
in his mouth. The longevity of the elephant, though 
not well afeertained, is neverthelefs afferted to be of very 
confiderable duration. It is faid that forne have lived in 
a domertic ftate upwards of one hundred and thirty years; 
and in a ftate of nature they are fuppofed to live upwards 
of two hundred years, and to be capable of propagating 
their fpecies until they arc one hundred and twenty years 
old. No quadruped beftdes the elephant is furnifhed 
with a trunk; though the probofees of the tapiir and 
great ant-eater approach fomewhat towards it. In the 
infeCf tribes, however, great numbers are diftinguifhed 
by this conformation. 
The elephants of Afia and of Africa, appear to be two 
very diftintt fpecies; and have been noticed and deferibed 
as fuch by feveral modern writers. The Afiatic elephants 
are divided by the natives of Bengal into, two cafts, the 
koomareah, and the merghee ; without any regard to the ap¬ 
pearance, (hape, or lize, of the talks; as thefe circurn- 
ftances ferve merely to characterize- fome varieties, as 
well as the difference of fex or age. The koomareah 
call is a deep-bedied, ftrong, compact, elephant, with a 
large trunk, legs Ihort, but thick in proportion to the 
fize of the animal. The merghee call, when full grown, 
is taller than the former, but has not fo compact a form, 
nor is he fo ftrong, or fo capable of bearing fatigue ; his 
legs are long, he travels fait, has a lighter body, and his 
trunk is both Ihort and (lender, in proportion to his height. 
A large trunk is always efteemed a great beauty in an 
elephant ; fo that the koomareah is pteferred, not only 
for this, but for its fuperior ftrength, by which it can 
undergo greater fatigue, and carry heavier loads than the 
merghee. As there appears, however, no predilection in 
any of thefe elephants to have connection with his own 
particular kind, from an indiferiminate intercourfe feve¬ 
ral varieties are produced, partaking of the qualities of 
their refpeCtive progenitors. This mixed breed is in 
greater or lefs eftimation, in proportion as it partakes of 
the qualities of the koomareah, or merghee, call. 
Of the African breed of elephants we have the follow¬ 
ing account in Park’s Travels: “ Elephants are very 
numerous in the interior of Africa, and appear to be a 
diftinCt fpecies frofn thole found in Afia. Blumenback, 
in his figures of objects of natural hiftory, has given good 
drawings of a grinder of each ; and the variation is evi¬ 
dent. M. Cuvier alfo has given, in the Magazin Ency- 
Vol, VI, No. 363. 
clopedique, a clear account of the difference between, 
them. As I never examined the Afiatic elephant, I have 
chofen rather to refer to thofe writers, than advance this 
as an opinion of my own. It lias been faid, that the Af¬ 
rican elephant is of a lefs docile nature than the Afiatic, 
and incapable of being tamed. The negroes certainly do 
not at prefent tame them ; but when we conlider that 
the Carthaginians had always tame elephants in their ar¬ 
mies, and actually tranfported fome of them to Italy in 
the courfe of the Punic wars ; it feems more likely that 
they fiiould have poftefied the art of taming their own 
elephants, than have fubmitted to the expence of bring¬ 
ing fuch vaft animals from Afia. Perhaps, the barbarous 
praCtice of hunting the African elephants for the fake of 
their teeth, has rendered them more untraClable and ra¬ 
vage, than they were found to be in former times. 
“ The greater part of the ivory which is fold on the 
Gambia and Senegal rivers, is brought from the interior 
country. The lands towards the coaft are too fwampv, 
and too much interfeCted #ith creeks and rivers, for lo 
bulky an animal as the elephant to travel through, with¬ 
out being difeovered ; and when once the natives difeern 
the marks of his feet in the earth, the whole village is 
up in arms. The thoughts of feafting on his flefli, making 
fandals of his hide, and felling the teeth to the Europeans, 
infpire every one with courage ; and the animal feldom 
efcapes from his purfuers ; but in the plains of Bambarra 
and Kaarta, and the ex ten five wild of Jallonkadoo, the. 
elephants are very numerous; and, from the great fcar- 
city of gunpowder in thofe diftriCts, they are lefs annoyed 
by the natives. Scattered teeth are frequently picked up 
in the woods, and travellers are very diligent in looking 
for them. It is a common practice with the elephant, 
to thruft his tufks under the roots of fuch fhrubs and 
bullies as grow in the more dry and elevated parts ot the 
country, where the foil is fliaHow. Thefe bullies lie ealily 
overturns, and feeds on the roots, which are, in general, 
more tender and juicy than the hard woody branches, or 
the foliage ; but when the teeth are partly decayed by 
age, and the roots more firmly fixed, the great exertions 
of the animal, in this practice, frequently caufes them to 
break or fall oft'. 
“ There are certain feafons of the year, when the ele¬ 
phants colleCl into large herds, and traverfe the country 
in queft of food or water; and as all that part of the 
country, to the north of the Niger, is deftitute of river?, 
whenever the pools in the woods are dried up, the ele¬ 
phants approach towards the banks of that river. Here 
they continue until the commencement of the rainy fea- 
fon, in the months of June or July; and, during this 
time, they are much hunted by fuch of the Bambarrans 
as have gunpowder to fpare. The elephant hunters fel- 
doni go out fingly ; a party of four or five join together ; 
and, having each furnifhed himfelf with powder and ball, 
and a quantity of corn-meal in a leather bag, fufficient for 
five or fix days provifion, they enter the moft unfrequented 
parts of the wood, and examine with great care every 
tiling that can lead to the difeovery of the elephants. 
In this purfuit, notwithftanding the bulk of the animal, 
very great nicety of obfervation is required. The broken 
branches, the fcattered dung of the animal, and the marks 
of his feet, are carefully infpeCted ; and many of the hun¬ 
ters have, by experience and obfervation, become fo ex¬ 
pert in their fearch, that as foon as they obferve the foot¬ 
marks of an elephant, they will tell almoft to a certainty 
at what time it palled, and at what diftance it will be 
found. When they difeover a herd of elephants, they 
follow them at a diftance, until they perceive fome one 
ftray from the reft, and come into fuch a fituation as to 
be fired at with advantage. The hunters then approach 
with great caution, creeping amongft the long grafs, un¬ 
til they have got near enough to be fure of their aim. 
They then dilcharge all their pieces'at once, and throw 
themfelves on their faces among the grafs. The wounded 
elephant immediately applies his trunk to the different 
5 Z wounds $ 
