The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-12-12
"O10I 'IHtNIU1 NtHgUOM.
INTELLECT OF BRUTES.

the editor, were travelling with the British
array, when they had occasion to cross tn,
Jumua IN HAT bottomed boat; the novct,
OF the thing excited their fears to such /
oegree, that 1t seemed impossible to drive
OF induce them 20 enter the boat sponta.
neousiy upon which one of the mohauts
or elephant keepers, called to his elephant
and desired him to drive them in the ami.
NAL Immediately put on furious appear.
anee, trumpeted with his proboscis. shook
his ears, roared, struck the ground to the
right and left, and blew the dust in clouds
towards them and so effeetuallv snhdued
one great fear in The refractory camels by
exciting greater, that they bolted into
The boat IN the greatest hurry, when the
elephant reassumed his composure. and de-
llberately walked back to his post. The
same elephant was appealed 10 by his mo-
haut to remove branch from a tree which
hung TOO low to raise the tent pole: the
animal looked at the pole as if measuring
II VITA ms eye, then atthe tree and impenG-
ing branch; he then turned his rump to-
wards the trunk of the tree, stepped cou
pie OF PAGES forward, took the branch in his
Trunk, and felt, as if examining where it
would split off; finding it easy at this place
he moved a little back to where it was
thlcker then taking firm hold, he gave
II three or four successive swings, increas-
ing his force, till with one very powerful
effort it tore and fell on the ground. Be-
ing appealed to remove another branch.
still higher, he looked up, stretched his
proboscis, and caught only twig or two and
some leaves; he was urged again--he
shook his ears and gave piping sound of
dlspleasure; but the mohaut insisting, after
another vain attempt, he caught the bear
ing pole of dooly Ia kind Of palannuin.)
and shook 1t with violence, making poor
SICK soldier immediately start out of it the
hint was sufficient-he would not be trifed
with.
At the siege of Bhurtport, in tie wear
IoO3, an affair occurred between two ele-
phants, which displays at once the charac-
Yer and capabliity of these curious animals.
The British army, with its countless host
OF followers and attendants, and thousands
OF cattle, had been for a long time before
the city, when, on the approach of the hot
season, and of the dry hot winds, the SUD-
ply OF water III the neighborhood of tile
camp necessary, ior the supply of so many
beings, began TO fail; the ponds or tanks
had dfled up, and no more water was left
than the immense wells of the country
would furnish. The multitude of men and
cattle tnat were increasingly at the wells.
particularly the largest, occasioned no in
considerable struggle for the priority in
procuring the supply, for which each were
there to seek, and the consequent conlu-
sion on the spot was frequently very con
siderable. On one occasion. two elephant
drivers, each with his elephant,-the one
remarkably large and strong, and the other
comparatively small and weak,-were at
the well together: the small elephant had
been provided by his master with a bucket.
for the occasion, which lie carried at the
emf OF his proboscis; but the larger animal
being destitute of this necessary vessel,
either spontaneously or by desire of his
keeper seized the bucket, and easily wrest
it away from his less powerful fellow ser
want: the latter was too sensible Of his in
ierlorlty, openly to resent the insult, though
1t Is obvious that he felt it but great
squabling and abuse ensued between the
Keepers. At length, the weaker animal.
watching the opportunity when the other
was standing with his side 10 the well. re-
tired backwards few PAGES, in very
quiet, unsusplcious manner, and then push
ing forward with all his might, drove his
head against the side of the other and fair
ly pushed him into the well. 1t NAV east
ly be imagined that great Inconvenience
was immediately experienced, and serious
apprehenslons quickly followed, that the
water IN the well, on which the existence
OF so many seemed in a great measure to
depend, would be spoiled, or at least in
1DPnH bIt I41n5iol,{l,,
precipitated into it and the surface of the
water was nearly twenty feet below the
common level, there did not appear to be
any means that could be adopted to get
the animal out by main force, at least With
out lnlurlng him: there were many feet OF
water below the elephant, who floated with
ease on its surface, and, experiencing con
siderable pleasure from his cool retreat
evlnced but little inclination even to exert
what means he might possess in himself o.
escape. A vast number of fascinas hao
been employed by the army in conducting
the siege, and at length it occurred to the
elephant keeper that a sufficient number o
these (which may be compared to bundle.
of wood might be lowered into the well {,
make pile, (which might be raised to the top
if the animal could be instructed as to tht
necessary means of laying them in regular
succession under his feet. Permission hay
ing been obtained from the engineer oil
GERS to use the tascines, the keeper had t
teach this elephant the lesson, which BY
means Of that extraordinary ascendencl
these men attain over the elephants, iomeI
with the intellectual resources of the ami
NAL itself, he was soon enabled to do; an(
the elephant began quickly to place eacl
fascine as it was lowered to him success
lively under him, until in little time h
was enabled to stand upon them: 10y Thu
time, however, the cunning brute, enjoying
the cool pleasure of his situation, after til,
heat and partial privatlon of water, t,
which he had been lately exposed, 1.-THE,
are observed, in their natural state to fire.
quent rivers, and to swim very olten,) wa
unwilling to work any longer, and all tb
threats of his keeper could not induce hir