The extraordinary thickness of skin which distinguishes certain animals,
has induced naturalists to group them together, and call them
Pachydermata. This group is again divided according to the still further
peculiarities which some of them possess; and in the first subdivision
are elephants; distinguished by an enormous prolongation of the upper
lip and nose, into what is termed a trunk, or proboscis. The largest
animals in the world are to be found among them; and according to some,
they are the most sagacious. There is, however, a strong inclination in
many to give the dog the highest place next to man, with regard to
intellect.
The trunk of which I have just spoken, is formed of numbers of muscular
fibres, amounting to at least 40,000, which take various directions, and
cross each other in so many ways, that the whole forms one of the most
flexible organs that can be conceived. It can be contracted, raised,
depressed, curved, turned, or twisted round any object at the will of
its possessor; and can lay hold of, and pick up the most minute and the
thinnest substance, aided in such instances by the prolongation of its
upper edge into what is called a finger, which protects the nostrils,
and acts as a feeler. This trunk serves as a reservoir for holding
liquid, which can be put into the mouth at pleasure, by inserting the
end between the jaws; or for retaining it as long as may be wished, when
it is discharged over any object which the elephant desires to inundate.
He occasionally pours it upon his own body, thereby not only cooling and
refreshing himself, but getting rid of the numerous insects which lodge
themselves in his hide. The trumpet-like noise, for which elephants are
remarkable, proceeds from their trunk, and it serves in other ways to
express their feelings, for with it they bestow their caresses. A tame
elephant, in the Jardin des Plantes, took a great fancy to a little
girl, who used to walk in the menagerie every morning with her nurse,
before it was open to the public. It constantly happened that she and
the elephant would be met together, and not only was his care to avoid
trampling upon her most excessive, but if she were going the same way,
he would gently insinuate the end of his proboscis under her arm,
lovingly rest it there, and walk by her side. Great pains are always
taken by these animals to guard their trunks from injury; and they
constantly raise them as high in the air as they can, to prevent their
coming in contact with any hurtful substance. With them food is procured
and conveyed to the mouth; and they pull down, not only branches of
trees, but, in many instances, the trees themselves.
The immense skull and neck, and in fact, the size of the body, required
to sustain the weight of this ponderous organ, and the tusks with which
they are provided, give elephants a clumsy, heavy look. The proportions
of the head cause the eyes to look small; the weight of the head itself
is, however, much diminished by the hollow cavities in front, which make
it almost a vain attempt to try to kill an elephant by shooting him in
the forehead; for the balls lodge in these cells: they so protect the
brain, which is the seat of feeling, that fearful buttings are practised
with impunity by these animals.
The teeth of elephants are remarkable; for they consist of only one
large grinder on each side, and in each jaw, which looks like a bundle
of smaller teeth, fastened together by intervening and surrounding
plates of enamel. These grinders change frequently during the life of
the animal, perhaps even six or eight times, as long as the jaw grows;
and the new arrivals do not come from below, but are formed behind the
old one, and push it out. There are no other teeth, properly so called,
but in the upper jaw are two tusks, which supply the ivory of commerce,
and which are changed once during the life of the animal. Their enormous
weight and size are almost fabulous, and combined with the trunk, make
us cease to wonder that the whole body should have strength alone as its
attribute, and be entirely wanting in grace. One of these tusks, sold at
Amsterdam, weighed 350 pounds, and with such weapons as these, aptly
called _defenses_ by the French, they are able to uproot enormous trees,
and catching their heaviest foes upon them, hurl them to the ground, or
transfix them so as never to rise again. The ears are large, and hang
flapping over the shoulders, and are very sensible to the touch; the
hearing seems to be much more alive to grave than to acute sounds.
Four ungraceful, stiff columns, for legs, support the clumsy body. On
each fore foot there are five toes, and on each hind foot four; each toe
should shew a hoof, but sometimes the skin envelops and conceals them.
The sole is nearly round; and the skin of a foot exhibited by Mr. Gordon
Cumming, is so large, that a child of three years of age could easily
seat itself within it. The tail is small in circumference, flattened at
the end, and has thick, stiff bristles at the extremity. These tails are
sometimes used as whips, and at the court of Ashanti, when decorated
with gold; they form part of the insignia of the Court. The skin is
generally dark-coloured, and rough, having a few scattered hairs upon
it; proofs, however, have been found, that a race of elephants thickly
covered with hair, once existed. White elephants are occasionally met
with, and it has been asserted, that they are worshiped. Others have
contradicted this, and declare, that they are only kept as a piece of
royal state.
The usual height of elephants is from nine to ten feet; but many have
been known to attain fourteen; the skeleton of that sent to the Czar
Peter, by the king of Persia, and which is seen in the museum at St.
Petersburgh, is sixteen and a half, and there are records of elephants
attaining the enormous height of twenty feet. When we think of the
mountainous animal, as I have described the elephant to be, it seems
inconsistent to say, that he is swift in his paces: in truth, he is not;
a heavy trot being the fastest movement which he can accomplish. His
enormous stride, however, gives him the advantage over lighter animals;
and we have heard of a fast-galloping horse finding it difficult to
escape from an elephant, even when urged to his utmost speed. The gait
is most fatiguing and uncomfortable to those who ride him for the first
few times, because he moves the two feet on the same side at once; and
the larger the elephant, the more uncomfortable the movement. Bishop
Heber, however, seems to have formed an exception in this respect, for
he says, it was far from being disagreeable, and appeared to him to
resemble being carried on men's shoulders. It is supposed that the neck,
where the driver places himself, is the easiest seat. He guides the
animals by occasionally touching their ears, pressing his legs to the
sides of their necks, pricking them with a pointed instrument, or
knocking them with the handle; often, however, they are so docile, that
a mere word will be sufficient.
The favourite habitation of the elephant is the forest, or green plain,
near which is a river, or lake: water he must have, for both in freedom
and captivity, bathing seems to be a necessary condition of his
existence. This propensity reminds me of the often-repeated trick of the
before-mentioned elephant of the Jardin des Plantes. His stable opened
into a small enclosure, in the midst of which was a pond. In this pond
he constantly laid himself, and was so hidden by the water, that
nothing of him appeared, except the end of his proboscis, which it
required an experienced eye to detect. The crowd often assembled round
the enclosure of the "elephant's park," as it was called, supposing they
should see him issue from his stable. All at once, however, a copious
shower would assail them, and ladies with their transparent bonnets, and
gentlemen with their shining hats, were forced to seek shelter under the
neighbouring trees, where they looked up at the cloudless sky, and
wondered from whence the shower could come. When they directed their
eyes towards the elephant's pond, they saw him standing in the midst,
evincing an awkward joy at the trick he had played. In process of time
his pastime became generally known, and the moment the water rose from
his trunk, his beholders ran away, which he also seemed to enjoy
exceedingly, getting up as fast as he could to behold the bustle he had
created. This same elephant had been landed from the vessel, which
brought him from the East Indies, at Bordeaux, and the sailor lad, who
had taken charge of him during the voyage, was appointed to conduct him
through France to Paris. The rough, and sometimes paved roads, cut the
poor animal's feet, and a shoemaker was employed to make him four boots.
There was not much skill required, as no shape was necessary; but they
answered the purpose, and were afterwards hung up in his stable to the
great delight of the younger visitants to the Jardin, who often went
expressly to see the elephant's boots. When he and his guide stopped for
the night, a mattress used to be thrown down on the floor for the
latter; but, after a few nights, the elephant discovered how comfortable
it was, and under pretense of sharing the accommodation, at length
nightly pushed Auguste off, and stretched his own huge carcass upon the
mattress.
Constant differences between the Asiatic and African elephants have
established them into separate species. The enamel of the grinders is so
placed in the latter, as to form lozenges; and in the former,
parallel-fluted ribbons. The ears of the African animal are much larger,
and the shape of his forehead is more convex. Although it was from this
country that the Romans obtained all their clever, well-trained
elephants, the natives now never think of making them useful. Connected
with this, I was once much amused by the proposal, seriously suggested,
that if we English would go among the savage tribes of Africa, and tame
some of their elephants, they would be so convinced of our superiority,
that they would, without hesitation, submit to our dominion. This came
from a learned king's counsel, and was seriously uttered to one of his
Majesty's government, without exciting surprise in any but my
experienced self. In our human impatience we are apt to think the
progress we so much desire, comes slowly; but _could_ such an idea be
_now_ entertained?
A curious propensity in the Indian elephant has been repeatedly noticed.
I mean the separation of a male elephant from all his companions, in
order to lead a solitary existence. I am rather of opinion with some of
the natives, that he has been turned away by them for his own misdeeds;
but I know not if this will equally apply to the raccoon, the only other
animal, I believe, concerning whom the same habit is recorded. At all
events, the hermit elephant is particularly fierce and mischievous; and
it becomes a matter of policy, or even necessity, to catch him. The
Indians hunt him down, accompanied by two trained female elephants, who
draw near to him as if unconscious of his presence, and begin to eat the
surrounding food as a matter of course. If he join them, they lavish
their caresses upon him, and while he is returning their blandishments,
the hunters creep softly to his feet, and having tied them together,
fasten him to a tree, or let him go loose, with merely the shackles
round all his legs. Of course he is in a dreadful rage, especially when
the females desert him; but hunger, thirst, and ineffectual struggles,
at last subdue him; he is led away, and generally trained; but if his
violent efforts should effect his liberation, he plunges into the
forests, whither the hunters prudently do not again go to effect his
capture. Some female elephants are also used to decoy wild males into
inclosure's, where they are secured; and there is a wholesale method of
surrounding a herd by a number of men, who, by means of various noises,
musketry, fire-works, drums and trumpets, drive the elephants into pens
constructed for the purpose, and supplied with water; where the poor
creatures are made to stay some time. The elephants become very furious;
and as the strongest inclosure's might give way to their overpowering
strength, sentinels are placed all round, who light fires and make all
the noises which the prisoners most dread, till they again become quiet.
Elephants, after being domesticated for years, will return to the
forests, and resume their wild habits; but they never forget their
education. Their former keepers have recognized them among their untamed
companions, called them, and without hesitation, they have walked from
the midst of their brethren, and quietly returned to their former
habits, after a lapse of ten years. All are extremely sensible to the
praises and caresses of those who attend to them, for whose sake they
will make the most wonderful exertions. They are useful in transporting
artillery and heavy baggage, and their docility and obedient performance
of their duties, even when left to themselves, is perfect. They are not
now used in war, except by some of the native princes; but they largely
enter into the state processions, decked out with the most costly
trappings of gold and silver, frontlets of jewels, gold and silver
chains, and bells, etc. Travellers generally place a kind of canopy on
their backs, in which two or three persons can sit; but the saddle is
most used when hunting tigers. They dexterously catch these animals upon
their tusks, if the attack be made in front, but the tiger will
sometimes seize them in the flank, when if they cannot roll upon him,
the elephants rush forward, and the tiger is generally shot. The
assertion that the elephant and rhinoceros will fight a duel for the
pleasure of the thing, does not seem to be borne out by experience; but
combats have been seen between them, in which sometimes one, and
sometimes the other, have gained the victory.
The quantity of food daily consumed by an elephant in captivity is
calculated at 200 lbs; besides thirty-six pails of water. It consists of
turnips, rice, chaff, bran, hay, and sea biscuit. Straw is allowed for
his bed, which is generally consumed before morning; besides which, when
they are in menageries they receive no small quantity of dainties from
visitors. I never could enter the Rotunda in the Paris menagerie,
without being furnished with bread or carrots for its inhabitants: the
instant the Indian elephant caught sight of me, he used to sit down, get
up again, make what was called a curtsy, and play other antics; and the
instant I came before him, squat down again; his trunk raised, and his
enormous mouth wide open to receive what I threw into it; the attitude
was so grotesque and imploring, that it was impossible to deny him. In
their native condition, elephants eat the young juicy roots, and
branches of trees; the latter of which, they beat two or three times
before they take them, and they then tuck them into the left side of
their mouths; they also devour grass, and bulbous roots, which they pull
up with their proboscis. The vast numbers in which the herds assemble,
give some idea of the extent of the vegetable riches which can support
such colossal eaters from generation to generation; the weight of an
ordinary one will be 7000 lbs, and the mind becomes bewildered, in
thinking of the quantity required for the daily sustenance of thousands
of such animals. They open paths through forests which would be
impenetrable to others; and seem to exercise much judgment in choosing
their route, the large bull elephants taking the lead, crushing the
jungle, tearing down the branches, and uprooting the trees; the females
and the young sometimes amounting to three hundred, march after in
single file, and the way thus made is as smooth as a gravel walk. They
often carry branches of trees, with which they flap the insects from
their bodies as they walk along.
A settler's wife complained to Mr. Pringle very bitterly, of the
destruction occasioned to her husband's crops by the elephants; which
she, with reason, said were too big to wrestle with, and they
occasionally seemed to commit mischief from mere wantonness. In the same
place, a troop came down one dark and rainy night to the outskirts of
the village; but knowing that it was sometimes dangerous to encounter
them, the inhabitants did not go out; although they heard them making a
terrible bellowing and uproar. It appeared the next morning, that one of
the elephants had fallen into an unfinished trench, which had no water
in it, and did not know how to get out again. It is supposed, that his
companions had pulled him out with their trunks; for there were clearly
defined marks of their having stationed themselves on each side; some
kneeling, and some standing, and that thus he had been hoisted up.
The remarkable escape of Lieut. Moodie is one of the most extraordinary
encounters on record. A servant informed him that a large troop of
elephants was in the vicinity, and that a party had gone out to attack
them, so he started to join in the hunt; but losing his way in the
jungle, he did not overtake them till they had driven the elephants from
their first station. On leaving the jungle, he was going through a
meadow on the banks of the Gualana, to the spot where the firing had
begun, when he was suddenly warned of some danger, by the cry of "Take
care" both in Dutch and English. He heard a crackling behind him,
occasioned by the elephants breaking through the wood, which was
accompanied by their screams. A large female elephant, and three of a
smaller size, departed from the rest, and came towards him; but not
being in a good position for firing, Mr. Moodie retreated from their
direct path, to get a better place from which to take aim, and hoped
they would not observe him. They, however, rapidly pursued him; he
reserved his fire as a last resource, and turning off at a right angle,
made for the banks of the river, intending to take refuge among the
rocks on the other side. Before this, however, they were close upon him,
screaming so tremendously that he was almost stunned by their noise. He
turned upon them, and fired at the head of the largest; the powder had
become damp, the gun hung fire, till he was in the act of taking it from
his shoulder, when it went off, and the ball grazed the side of the
large elephant's head. She stopped for an instant, and then rushed
furiously forward: whether struck down or not, he could never say; but
Lieut. Moodie fell. The animal had only one tusk, which missed him as
she rushed upon him; but it ploughed up the earth within an inch or two
of his body; she then caught him by the middle with her trunk, threw
him between her fore feet, and battered him with them for a short time;
one of these huge feet once pressed him so much, that his bones bent
under its weight. He did not lose his recollection, and he constantly
was able to twitch himself on one side, and so avoid several blows. Two
of his party came up and fired at her; one bullet alone touching her in
the shoulder; her young ones then retreated, and she left her victim,
finally knocking him with her hind feet as she went off. He got up,
picked up his gun, and staggered away as fast as he could. She turned
round, looked after him; and he then lay down in the long grass, and so
eluded her observation.
A soldier of the Royal African Corps did not escape as Mr. Moodie did,
for an elephant caught him with his trunk, carried him some distance,
threw him down, brought his four feet together and trod and stamped upon
him till he was dead. He left the body, then returned to it, knelt down
upon, crushed and kneaded it once more; then he seized it with his
trunk, bore it to the jungle, and threw it among the bushes.
One of the strongest instincts of the elephant is to try the strength of
everything before he ventures upon it, and it is almost impossible to
induce him to trust himself upon any surface which is not perfectly firm
and steady. Therefore the well-authenticated story is the more
extraordinary of a rope-dancing, or rather walking elephant, who not
only walked forwards, but backwards upon a suspended rope.
A female elephant, seven years old, on being brought to the Adelphi,
first ascertained the safety of the stage, and then began to rehearse
the parts she used to play in Paris. Having succeeded so well in this
place, she took a higher walk of performances at the Coburg theatre,
where she rehearsed for three weeks, then distinguished the actors,
learnt to place the crown on the head of the lawful king, and feasted at
his banquet with perfect propriety. All this was taught her by kindness.
A poor little calf elephant hovered about the body of its mother after
she had been killed, making the most mournful noises; the herd had
deserted them, and they had passed the night in the forest. The poor
thing, when the hunters came up, entwined its little proboscis about
their legs, showed its delight at their approach by many ungainly
antics, then went to the body of its mother, scaring away the vultures;
ran round it with every mark of grief, and tried to raise it with its
trunk. Of course the confidence of the baby elephant was not abused,
though its wishes for aid towards its mother, could not be gratified.
The elephants of Ceylon have always been reckoned the best; and
instances of their memory are quite extraordinary. A favourite mode of
execution among the Canadians, when they were masters of the island, was
to make the elephants trample upon the criminals, so as to crush their
limbs first, and by avoiding the vital parts prolong their agony. When
Mr. Sirr was there, he saw one of these elephant executioners. The word
of command, "Slay the wretch!" was given to him; upon which he raised
his trunk, pretended to twist it round a body, then slowly raised one of
his fore feet, and placed it where the limbs of the victim would have
been; then he stood motionless with his trunk in the air. He was ordered
to complete his work, and he placed one foot as if on the man's abdomen,
and another as if on his head, with apparently sufficient force to
destroy life. The elephant had not done this for thirty-five years, and
yet recollected the whole. They attain a great age, and have been known
to live more than a hundred years.
Major Rogers, who had killed one thousand four hundred elephants, shot
one on whom the ball only made a flesh wound; the creature, in a fury,
uttered its trumpet-like shriek, seized the Major with his trunk,
carried him to a deep hole, dashed him into it, and trampled upon him,
breaking his right arm in two places, and several of his ribs. He must
have been killed if the hole had been large enough to give the elephant
room to exercise his whole strength. He became senseless; but when he
came to himself, found the elephant gone, and friends about him: he knew
what had happened, and said he had always made up his mind, in case of
such an accident, to remain quite passive, as affording the best chance
of escape--and his plan answered.
Nothing done to elephants by way of insult, teasing, or unkindness, is
ever forgotten or forgiven by them, and they are sure to take an
opportunity of revenging themselves. On the other hand, kindness is
equally remembered and appreciated; an awkward proof of which occurred
to a lady, who, when she frequently went to see a male elephant, carried
to him bread, apples, and brandy. To show his gratitude for these, he
took her up with his trunk one day, and seated her on his back. As she
could not enjoy this testimonial of his feelings, she uttered the most
piercing shrieks, and implored the assistance of those around. His
keepers, however, advised her not to stir, and there she was obliged to
wait till he again encircled her with his trunk, and put her on the
ground in safety. Of the attachment of elephants to each other, a proof
was given by two in the Jardin des Plantes, who had been with difficulty
separated during their journey thither from Holland. They were placed in
two apartments, divided by a portcullis. The male soon found out that
this was fastened only by a perpendicular bolt, which he soon raised,
and then rushed into the other room. The joy of the two at meeting can
scarcely be described: their cries of joy shook the whole building, and
they blew air from their trunks resembling the blasts from smiths'
bellows. The female moved her ears with great rapidity, and entwined her
trunk round the body of the male; she kept the end motionless for a long
time close to his ear, and after holding it again round his body,
applied it to her own mouth. The male encircled her with his trunk, and
shed tears. They were afterwards kept in the same apartment; and their
attachment was never interrupted.
The indignation of elephants at being laughed at or deceived, has been
manifested very often; and sometimes they punish the offenders with
death; at others, they seem perfectly to understand in what way their
retaliation will take most effect, without inflicting so serious a
reproof.
An artist in Paris was anxious to draw one of the elephants of the
menagerie there; with his trunk in the air, and his mouth wide open.
After throwing fruit and vegetables in for some time, to make him repeat
the attitude, his keeper only pretended to do so, fearing to give him
too much food. The elephant at last became irritated, and perfectly
understood that the artist was the cause of his annoyance; he,
therefore, turned round upon him, and dashed a quantity of water over
the paper on which he was drawing. It is chiefly in animals of greatest
intelligence that we find the greatest affection and gratitude;
elephants have sometimes refused to eat, and have pined to death when
separated from their favourite keepers, and they are never obliterated
from their memory. Their humanity is also frequently conspicuous; and we
are told of one who, on being ordered to walk over the bodies of some
sick persons, at first refused to advance; and then on being goaded by
his driver, gently took the poor men up with his trunk, and laid them on
one side, so that he could not do them any injury.
The following is another fearful instance of their power and vengeance,
related by Mr. Burchell, a South African traveller. "Carl Krieger was a
fearless hunter, and being an excellent marksman, often ventured into
the most dangerous situations. One day, having with his party pursued an
elephant which he had wounded, the irritated animal suddenly turned
round, and singling out from the rest the person by whom he had been
injured, seized him with his trunk, and lifting his wretched victim high
in the air, dashed him with dreadful force to the ground. His
companions, struck with horror, fled precipitately from the fatal scene,
unable to look back upon the rest of the dreadful tragedy; but on the
following day, they repaired to the spot, where they collected the few
bones that could be found, and buried them. The enraged animal had not
only literally trampled Krieger's body to pieces, but did not feel its
vengeance satisfied till it had pounded the very flesh and bones into
the dust, so that nothing of the unfortunate man remained excepting a
few of the latter, which made most resistance from their size."
M. Frederic Cuvier, in his admirable essay on the "Domestication of
Animals," writes as follows, concerning an elephant in the menagerie of
the Jardin des Plantes. The care of this animal had been confided, when
he was only three or four years old, to a young person, who taught him a
number of those tricks which amuse the public. The animal loved him so
much, as not only to be perfectly obedient to all his commands, but to
be unhappy out of his presence. He rejected the kindness of every one
else, and even was with difficulty persuaded to eat the food presented
to him.
During a certain period, the elephant had remained with his owner, and
the young man, his son, had constantly evinced the greatest kindness
towards the animal; but he was at length sold to the government, and his
keeper hired to take care of him; deprived of all restraint, and his
family no longer present to watch over him, the latter neglected his
charge, and when intoxicated, even struck his favourite, for he
abandoned himself to the worst habits. The naturally cheerful
disposition of the elephant began to alter, and he was thought to be
ill; he was still obedient, but his exercises no longer gave him
pleasure. He now and then appeared to be impatient, but tried to repress
his feelings; the struggle, however, changed him so much, that his
keeper became still more dissatisfied with him. Orders had been given to
the young man never to beat the elephant, but in vain. Mortified at
losing his influence, which daily became less, his own irritability
increased; and one day being more unreasonable than ever, he struck the
elephant with such brutality, that the beast uttered a furious cry. The
frightened keeper fled, and it was well he did so, for from that moment
the elephant could not endure the sight of him, becoming violent the
moment he appeared; and nothing ever restored the poor animal to his
previous good conduct: hatred had succeeded to love, indocility to
obedience, and as long as the animal lived these two latter feelings
predominated.
Mr. Broderip, in his delightful Zoological Recreations, tells us of an
elephant which was shewn, among other wild beasts, at a fair in the West
of England. One of the spectators gratified the elephant by some
excellent gingerbread nuts, in return for which, the animal,
unsolicited, performed his tricks. The donor, however, was a practical
joker, and when he had gained the confidence of the good-tempered beast,
presented him with a large parcel, weighing two or three pounds, which
the elephant took unsuspectingly, all at once. He had scarcely
swallowed it, however, than he set up a loud roar, and seemed to suffer
exceedingly; he gave the bucket to his keeper, as if to ask for water,
which was supplied to him most plentifully. "Ho!" said his tormentor,
"Those nuts were a trifle hot, old fellow, I guess." "You had better be
off," exclaimed the keeper, "unless you want the bucket at your head;
and serve you right, too." The elephant drank the sixth bucket full, and
then hurled the empty vessel at the head of the man, just as he cleared
the entrance of the show, or most probably he would have lost his life.
A year after, at the same place, the joker again went to see the
elephant, with one pocket full of good nuts, and the other with nuts of
pepper. He gave the animal some of the first, and then presented him
with one that was hot. The moment the elephant tasted it, he seized the
coat tails of the man, and lifted him from the ground, when the cloth
giving way, he dropped down, half dead with fright; and his coat reduced
to a jacket. The elephant retained the skirts, inserted his trunk into
the pockets, and devoured the good nuts in the most leisurely manner,
after due examination. Those done, he trampled upon the others, till he
had reduced them to a mash, then tore the coat skirts to rags, and threw
them to their owner.
We must not omit to mention the remarkable partiality of the elephant
for brandy, rum, or arrack, either of which will tempt him to make
extraordinary exertions, and which seems almost unnatural in so simple a
feeder.