n
' .'.. ,, . - -
While in their wild ftate they are exceeding- c. one of thefe elephants of Ceylon if they, bring
y fierce, and are hot eafily fubdued ; but the 4 them among any other breed in any other
vaft price they bring in the cafttrn countries LVP-hiP- as --'the other cle-
has encouraged a race bf hardy hunters toun- 4 phnts behold the Ceyhn elephants, by &n
dertake the tafic, and thefe have devifed various' c injiinft efWatun9 they do--them 'reverence,
ways to attain, their end. In Ceylon, Achen by Jaying their trunkruj)on the ground, and
and-otherW;7 governments
elephant is a royal -diverficift, attended with in- modern traveller, if not founded on what the
credible ;expew
eafy way of catching and tarn ing them , is, by mal, is a ftrong circumftance in-favour of their -
I f I " " 1 . . . ' 1 1 1
4raihmg-a-num&
verfe the woods, and decoyy.t.he;mI.tp. lt;,,' :; we' for bear tojnention them, as utterly beyond
bierpreflared-HO belief;
with
where having ; firft fecured theift with ropes, ' On thefe relations, however, "Mr, Pope has
chains, Cr-they, by .degrees, To break their - formed an oblervation - '
labour or waiv-.-i- --
Tdirprnifr renhrf; thnf the male heintr once thine I
thus decoyed, will never again meddle with
the female ; yet being fometimes provoked by
Juftful rage( on fuch occafions they become
extremely m i fche vious . The manner of atcji
i n g t feyAV i 1 d t:c 1 e p h a n s -d e fc r i h eii -b y t h i s
traveller in his four thro' Golcsnda, is, this :
4 vThe huntfmen cut m where
clepliantsrefbrtf-and-diggingdeep
C tKpm fir j-i i rli"fKpv ropr xi7ifVi nft-k "Rpinfir
- ' ' ".-; , . -
And, indeed, it is univerfally allowed, that this
creature, after being once tanted, becomes fo
extremely doci!e,-generous,-and-affeclionate5
and difcovers a fenfc fo much fuperior to the
common race of beans,, that-it -cin fearce
diftingui filed from human rcafon. ': -j.
' It is aflerted;by an author of fbme rank, up
onjthexphcurrehttcftimony0f;trarelle
nations antient and modern, that this creature
is capable of fidelity, gratitude, and affe&ion ;
ythus prepared they begin their diverfion with the laft to fuch a decree, as to difcover, deep -
f 'ed them, they purfue them with pikes ilium- . more; if to:the:violence of that luflful racre, nf
which we have already fpoken, his Ucnefactor,
as it frequently happens, has fallcira facrificc
The chaftity too of the elephant- has Leen
much admired ; for jt is reported, that if his
mate digs, he never makes a fecond choice :
( cd with fire, of which thefe animals have a
c remarkable dread, till they fall into the pits,
In the end, the hunters bind: their feet and
trunks, arid fo take them :' Yet, adds hey
c : fome efcape from thefe fnares,- who are ever
- afteii"foxmifru bough in, and7hismoBefty has t)cen celebrated;by
meir crunKS, iney wni examine evejy ncp : who tells it as a known tact to all Kdmetmr
jthdyLtake,andis-impofiblecve
them a fecond time. . Such . as they" catch, -with a garment, as if by that alion he meant":
they couple to, two tame ones, on each fide, to have taught them more decency, at laft in .
andiet lixmenabout themjith lighted tprhisprefence.
ches, to talk.to them, and give them meat Female tendernefs'and afFeStion,is flill more
aridJf they refufe.their food,, the men order, confpicuous in theelephant, not to its young 1
''tamc-ohesaothem
and teach them obedience. of rhefe. fediin- her vouncr caught " , threw her. "
. We have already mentioned the elephants of JellTntolhe fame pit, and perilhed rather than :
Ceylon as fuperior to all others, and cannot : give it up; But this material affeftion the ,ele
omit what t;;Vr obferves of the force of -phant inherits in', common with other animals;
Jnfiin6l,-in cprifirmatio"n,T;ofthis precedency
His vyords are vry remarkable ; ,Ohc thing, . be credited,' is, rthat they carry food to the Tick
1 fays he,.I will teiryou,;hardly to be believed, in the woods, herbs to cure the malady ; and :
' hut that u
f that