“These are thy glorious works, Parent of good,
Almighty!——these declare
Thy goodness beyond thought, and power divine!”
The cheerful activity of Alan Thomson, bearing his little favorite Ellen
in his arms, one of her fat little arms encircling his neck; the mild
and venerable demeanour of Mr. Elmer; and the engaging innocence of
the children, each holding a hand of their indulgent grandpapa, seemed
irresistibly to actuate the several individuals who formed the crowd
surrounding the caravans composing the menagerie; for they readily gave
way, that the little group might easily pass to the entrance, while
the woman who took the admittance-money, exclaimed “God bless the sweet
dears,” and in a tone of respect said to Mr. Elmer as he passed, “take
care, Sir, I am afraid you will find the steps very slippery:” thanking
her for the caution, he passed into the enclosure.
The first object that met the astonished view of the children, was
the elephant. Its height was nearly eleven feet, appearing to their
unpractised eyes, a moving mountain. Ellen, with a sensation of fearful
surprise, clung to the arm of Alan, who feeling the pressure kissed her,
and told her not to be afraid, for that great animal was as gentle as
her own little pet lamb, and loved children dearly; “I have seen one,”
he added, “that used to rock a little baby like your brother Charles
to sleep in its cradle.” Ellen, thus encouraged, ventured to look at it
again, and her fear began to subside; yet when she saw the animal, by
the command of the keeper, lift a pail full of water from the ground
with its proboscis, and pour it into its mouth as into a vessel, she
was too much astonished to speak. “I see by its spotted skin this is
a Ceylonese,” said Mr. Elmer to the keeper; “they are not so handsome
as the white elephants, but they are larger and stronger, and with
qualities I believe equally wonderful, and useful to man.” “Yes, your
honour, this noble animal is from Ceylon [_Note 1._]; it was given to a
British officer by the king of Candy, and truly he was a royal present,
for his mildness, sagacity, and docility are most wonderful. Poor
fellow,” he added, caressing the elephant, “he not only obeys, but he
anticipates all I would have him do, he understands all my signs, he
never mistakes my voice, knows perfectly well when I am angry or pleased,
listens to what I tell him with attention, and never fails to execute my
commands.” “I readily believe it,” replied Mr. Elmer, “for such are the
general characteristics of this valuable quadruped.” “Will not the young
gentleman like to see how we ride and manage them,” inquired the man,
evidently pleased with his affable and intelligent visitor. “Certainly,
and the young ladies too,” said Mr. Elmer good temperedly, as he turned
to three or four neatly dressed girls just entering the area.
The keeper then made a sign to the elephant (which might in a moment
have annihilated the whole party by the exercise of the power with which
Providence had invested him, had it not also with restraining wisdom,
rendered it subservient to the will of man), when it folded its flexible
proboscis gently but firmly round the body of the keeper, and lifted
him upon his back; here he sat a few moments, and then removed to the
animal’s neck with a little pointed iron rod, intended by pricking the
ears of the elephant to guide and urge him on; but this was very seldom
necessary, even generally speaking, as these sagacious animals are so
docile and so much attached to their keepers that words and caresses are
quite sufficient, seldom or ever being refractory unless insulted with
improper or cruel chastisement; bending their knees for the accommodation
of those who mount them, and moving steadily on with a gravity suitable
to their immense bulk. “I should be rather afraid, grandpapa,” said
Harry, “to ride upon an elephant, because he could so easily take me off
with his trunk.” “Why indeed, my boy, were it not for the confidence
which the docility and strong affection of these immense and powerful
animals produce in those accustomed to attend and use them, the fear
might be very just; but the admirable qualities they possess, effectually
dissipate all apprehension in the breasts of those who have the care
of them, so strong is the attachment they have for their _cornacs_ or
keepers, that there are instances in which they are stated to have
died of sorrow, when, irritated by ill treatment, or other causes,
they have in a paroxysm of rage killed their guide. These instances of
ungovernable fury are very rare, nor do I remember to have myself felt
any apprehensions, although I have taken many long journeys on noble
elephants: one particularly I remember, whose sagacity, docility, and
affection could not be exceeded; if I wished to stop to enjoy and sketch
a beautiful prospect, he would remain immoveable until I wished to go
forward. If I desired the ripe and delicious mangoes, growing out of
the reach of myself or my attendants, he would select the most fruitful
branch, and breaking it off with his trunk, offer it to the driver for
the refreshment of myself and companions in the houdah, accepting any
part we might give to himself with a respectful salam or salute, viz.
by raising his trunk three times above his head in the mode of oriental
obeisance, expressing at the same time his thankfulness by a murmuring
noise. When a bough obstructed the houdah, he twisted his trunk around
it, breaking it off with ease, even if of considerable magnitude, and not
unfrequently gathering a leafy branch either to keep off the flies, or as
a fan to agitate the air around him, by waving it with his trunk. When
we had pitched our tents on any spot, he generally paid us a visit at the
tent door during breakfast to procure sugar-candy, or fruit, and seemed
delighted and cheered by the encomiums and caresses he deservedly met
with; indeed no spaniel could be more innocently playful, or fonder of
those who noticed him than this truly valuable and wonderful animal, who
on particular occasions appeared even conscious of his exaltation above
the brute creation.”
This anecdote seemed highly to interest all the visitants present, for
they approached during the relation, nearer and nearer to the nice old
gentleman who had travelled on the back of an elephant, seeming to regard
him with nearly as much admiration and astonishment as they did the
animal itself.
A decent man in the group, who appeared particularly struck with the
account of Mr. Elmer, was not a little alarmed, however, when the
elephant, reaching over the heads of several persons, put his proboscis
to the pocket of the man, who afraid to move, looked with a terrified
aspect to the keeper, but seemed unable to speak. “You probably, Sir,
have fruit in your pocket,” observed the keeper, “which his quick and
accurate sense of smell has discovered: do not be alarmed.” A word to
the elephant caused him to remove his intrusive proboscis, and the man
produced three or four apples, which he now (not however entirely
divested of alarm) presented to the unceremonious animal, who took them
mildly from his hand, making a low sort of murmur, as of satisfaction.
“They must eat a great deal, grandpapa;” said Joanna softly, as she
watched the elephant eating the apples, “what do they eat?” “Their food
is entirely vegetable, my dear; the young shoots of trees, different
sorts of grain, and fruits of various kinds abounding in the East, from
whence they come. Sometimes they do a great deal of mischief by breaking
into the plantations, not only ravaging every thing they find, but by
trampling the ground with their large and heavy feet: they generally
also herd together in large numbers, marching in troops, the oldest
leading the way, and the mothers taking the young ones firmly embraced
in their trunks.” “But what do the poor elephants do, grandpapa, who are
caught and shut up like this; they cannot have nice tender branches of
trees to eat?” “When tamed and used for labour, my dear, they require a
great deal of care, and a large quantity of food, and that of the best
quality, with much rice, both raw and prepared. I once had one who to
keep himself in full vigour, required daily a hundred pounds weight of
this food, besides fresh herbage to cool him, for they are very subject
to be overheated, and must, in those hot countries, be conducted to the
water several times in the day for the purpose of bathing. It is curious
to observe how they refresh themselves: sucking up the water in the
trunk, they carry it to the mouth, drink a part of it, then elevating
the trunk, allow the remainder to run over every part of their body.”
“What is the quantity and quality of the food this elephant consumes?”
inquired Mr. Elmer of the keeper. “He is usually, Sir, fed with hay and
straw, but he generally seems to prefer the latter; the quantity he takes
I cannot exactly ascertain, as he scatters much that is given him for
food, and also eats a great deal of the straw with which he is littered.
He eats with great avidity bread, boiled potatoes, and other vegetables;
I allow him nine pails of water, given at three different times in the
day. He is extremely fond of beer and all kinds of spirituous liquors.”
“Yes,” replied Mr. Elmer, “I have seen them take arrack in the East
Indies, and it is customary if they shew any repugnance to what may be
exacted of them, for the cornac or conductor to promise them arrack or
other spirit. It is very dangerous, however, to neglect any promise made
to them; many have fallen victims to this indiscretion: for although
nothing can provoke an elephant to hurt those who never injured him, yet
he remembers, and never fails to revenge an offence, if he has power.”
“He will not only do this, Sir,” said the keeper, “but he will obey the
command of his cornac desirous of terrifying any one; when told to do
so, he will run at the person with great apparent fury, and you may well
believe effectually terrifies the object of his attack; but when he gives
himself up for lost, the elephant stops short and does him no injury.
Should the master chuse to affront any one, he tells his elephant, who
quickly collects mud and water in his trunk, and squirts it upon the
person pointed out to him.” The keeper now ordered the huge animal to lie
down: it instantly obeyed, and the spectators were then invited to view
the texture of his skin, to examine its ears, its trunk, and its tusks.
They remarked the smallness of its eyes, the large and pendulous ears,
the great head, the ponderous body, the arched back, the short and thick
legs, and the extreme awkwardness of its appearance altogether; and were
thence led to acknowledge, that it is very wrong to judge of the value
of any thing by mere externals; but they were never weary in admiring
the wise, the wonderful, the admirable structure of the proboscis, and
agreed it was justly considered as one of the miracles of nature. They
were directed by Mr. Elmer, to observe, that this wonderful organ is
composed of an infinite number of flexible rings, and consists of a
double tube with a somewhat flattened circular tip, furnished with a
projecting point, which may not inaptly be called a finger, possessed of
extreme sensibility, and with which it can take up the smallest object.
The trunk, formed with this astonishing pliability, turns with ease in
every direction, performing the office of a hand and arm: and such is its
strength, that it is capable of breaking off long and large branches from
the trees, and to lift immense weights.
“How thick and coarse the skin looks, grandpapa,” said Harry; “it looks
as if nothing could penetrate it.” “Some parts of it are however, my
dear, extremely sensible, and in those parts the poor animal feels the
stinging of the flies so painfully that he not only employs the usual
instinctive motions to free himself from their attacks, but it would seem
the resources of that intelligence with which Providence has endowed him.
He strikes them with his tail, his ears and his trunk: he also contracts
his skin, and crushes his tormentors between the wrinkles. He drives them
off with the branch of a tree, or bundles of long straw; and when all
these ingenious artifices fail, he collects a great quantity of dust in
his trunk, and covers all the most tender parts of his skin with it. He
will thus dust himself several times in a day, and always sagaciously
chuses the most effectual period; that is, after bathing.”
“Grandpapa,” whispered Joanna, “you said you travelled many journies
on an elephant; you did not ride on the neck as the man did, surely?”
“No, my dear, the driver, or cornac as he is styled, rides on the neck,
the traveller beneath a sort of awning or tent placed on the back of
the animal. The great princes of India allow five men and a boy to each
elephant; the chief of these rides upon the neck to guide him, another
sits upon the rump when engaged in war, the rest supply him with food and
water, and perform the necessary services.
“Elephants indeed, either in peace or war, are more obedient to command
than many rational beings. It is stated also, that upon an emergency they
can travel two hundred miles in forty-eight hours, and will hold out for
a month at the rate of forty or fifty miles a day, with cheerfulness and
alacrity; but, my dear children, we must conclude our anecdotes of the
elephant, at home I believe, we have made this fine animal a very long
visit, and must therefore defer till another day the view of the others
worthy attention.” Mr. Elmer having given the keeper a handsome gratuity
for his patience and civility, the children thanking him also, they
retired to make way for a number of persons, urged by the same laudable
curiosity to see the stupendous animal.