The Elephant
The Elephant
Theelephant, on first view, appears to be a large mass of unwieldy flesh, and on further examination, scarcely gives us any idea but of an animal of extreme stupidity, with small eyes, large pendulous ears, and an enormous trunk. He is generally about ten feet high, but does sometimes attain the astonishing height of twelve or fourteen feet. It is covered with a hide, without hair, which is hard and callous; it has heavy and misshapen legs, with round feet, and a tail with a tuft of hair at the end.
There are two species of the elephant, the Asiatic and African; they are much alike, though there is some difference in the teeth. In Africa, the people never train the elephant to any useful purposes, but in Asia this is quite common. In India, the animal is taught to carry burdens, and it performs a great deal of labor. We know that two thousand years ago elephants were used for war; this does not appear common now. They, however, carry large loads, and often, in hunting tigers, they are very expert.
Though extensively used, the elephant is not so domesticated as to breed in its state of confinement. All those that are employed by men, are taken when wild, and trained to their state of servitude. An elephant will carry three thousand pounds on his back, which is about sixtimes as much as a horse will carry. In its natural state it is a mild and peaceable animal, and will always run away from a man. It seems to have no disposition to quarrel even with the brute creation; and as lions, tigers, and rhinoceroses, usually let the elephant alone, he lets them alone.
Though the elephant looks like a stupid creature, it is in fact very intelligent, and appears to have some faculties and sentiments almost human. It delights in music, and easily learns to beat time; it is fond of sweet odors, and often picks flowers, unites them into a nosegay, and seems delighted with the perfume; it has a delicacy of touch in its trunk, like that of the fingers, by which it can pick up a pin, tie and untie knots, lock and unlock doors, and even write with a pen; it learns to love its keeper, whom it caresses and obeys; it seems gratified with kindness, and distressed by abuse; it has even been known to die of grief, when, in some fit of madness, it has killed its conductor.