the Elephant's neck, and carries in his hand fharp iron, with which, when neceffary, he pricks the creature's head or ears, to make him move fafter; but this is feldom put in practice, since words are always fufficient, provided that the Cornac has had time to acquire the Elephant's confidence; after which the beaft's attachment and affection become fo ftrong, that one is actually recorded to have died of grief, because in a fit of paffion he had killed his keeper.

Before the invention of gunpowder, Elephants were used in war, and have often by their efforts decided the fate of battles. On their backs they carried fmall towers which held five or fix armed men; and from their trunks hung heavy chains, which they were taught to swing around them in order to break the ranks of the enemy's army. But now that fire is the chief inftrument of death in battles, the Elephant, as he is fubject to dread both the noife and the flame of fire-arms, would be dangerous to his own party. He is still employed by Europeans in the east for the purpose of transporting the baggage of their troops, and by the Indian princes, for carrying their women in large cages...... covered with green branches of trees.

Elephants are more numerous in Africa than in Afia, the only two parts of the world where they are, naturally, found. In Africa they live uncomtrouled,

uncontrouled, for they defpife the negroes as aà set of unskilful, weak beings, who have neither ftrength nor art enough to reduce them to flavery. Those of the Afiatic island, Ceylon, are looked upon as the largest, boldeft, and most intelligent of the whole fpecies.

The Elephant is ftrong in proportion to his vaft bulk. He can with eafe carry from three to four thousand weight; and on his tusks alone* he can fupport upwards of one thousand pounds. The quickness of his paces, when the immenfe weight of his body is confidered, is a proof of his amazing ftrength. His ufual walk equals the common trot of a horse; and he can run as faft as a horfe can gallop. He is generally permitted to walk when loaded, and can with ease perform fifty miles in a day, but, when pushed, can go almost twice as far. He will do as much work as fix ftrong horses, but his price is immenfe, and the charge of maintaining him very great indeed. An Elephant who has been properly disciplined is worth from four to twelve hundred guineas; and he will eat in a day above a hundred pounds of rice, besides vegetables. In India all barrels, facks, and bales of goods are carried from place to place by Elephants, and if their necks and trunks have no more room for burthens, they will carry an additional weight in their mouth. The Elephant unites fa

gacity with ftrength, and never injures any thing committed to his charge, be it ever fo delicate. He will carry each particular parcel to a boat in his trunk without wetting it; he will range each in order, will try whether each lies firm, and will actually place ftones where neceffary to prevent cafks from rolling from their proper ftations.

The trunk (or probofcis) of this wonderful animal ought to be particularly defcribed. It extends itself confiderably beyond his mouth, and is terminated by a protuberance which performs all the offices of, and is by no means unlike to, a finger; with this he can lift the fmalleft piece of money from the ground; he can untie knots; he can turn keys, pufh back bolts, or loosen straps from buckles; and with this he can gratify his sense of smelling (which there is reason to believe to be very exquifite) by gathering flowers, and conveying them to his nofe, which, as well as his finger, composes a part of his trunk. The orange tree, in whofe flowers he delights, both for their taste and smell, is an object of his most eager pursuit.

The Elephant, when old, fuffers great inconvenience from the increasing size of his large teeth or tufks; to remedy this evil, his natural fagacity prompts him to make two holes in a tree, if wild, or if tamed, in a wall, to support

them,

them, and prevent the vaft fatigue which his neck endures from their weight. As great part of his fkin is tender and delicate, he suffers much from the bites and ftings of flies. To prevent this inconvenience, he puts in practice all the means which his peculiar good fenfe fuggefts: if he cannot keep the infects away by brushing them off with branches of trees and whisps of ftraw, he then wets all the moft expofed parts of his body, and gathering duft with his trunk, spreads it carefully over each unguarded place.

The height of the creature in his natural state is generally between ten and fourteen feet; but in captivity his growth is confiderably checked.

He is nice in many particulars, abhors bad fmells, and, probably on that account, dreads the fight or even the cry of a hog. In eating, let him be ever fo hungry, he will fast until he has nicely examined his victuals, and feparated from them every particle of dirt, duft, or other uncleanliness.

Both antient and modern writers dwell with peculiar pleasure on the innumerable inftances of inftinct, or rather fomewhat which approaches very nearly to reason, in this noble animal; but of these we shall select a few of the best attefted.

An Elephant had been provoked by ill usage

to kill his conductor.-The widow, who had been a witness to the horrid fcene, rufhed with her two infant children to the enraged animal. -"Here," said fhe, "fince you have flain my "husband, take my life too, and complete your bloody bufinefs by destroying these poor "babes!" The beaft, apparently hurt at his own excess of paffion, loft at once his refentment, and taking the eldeft of the children in his trunk, adopted him, as it were for his governor, and would never fuffer any other perfon to mount his neck.

If the Elephant is revengeful when ill treated, he is truly grateful to those who ufe him kindly. A foldier in the Eaft Indies had been accuftomed, when he received his pay, to treat one of thefe fenfible animals with arrack; one day, having himself partaken too largely of the fame liquor, he escaped from a detachment who had been ordered to convey him to prifon, and taking fhelter beneath the creature whom he had obliged, he fell faft afleep. His purfuers finding that the Elephant had taken him under his protection, left him, and he, when he awoke, fober, and frightened at his fituation, was confoled by the careffes of the good-natured animal, who feemed fenfible of the terrors which his benefactor felt, and willing to remove them. An Elephant, in a battle fought not many years ago, having been driven to distraction by the