Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1855-11-28
Instinct Of the Elephant.

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The Elephant, unwieldy and uncoutH
as he seems, PRESENTS most remarkable
features of character, combining the fidel.
ity of the dog, the endurance of the
camel, and the docility of the horse, with
singular sagacity, prudence, and courage;
There are many affecting instances of his
fidelity on record. 1t is related of one of
the soldiers of Pyrrhus, King of Epieus,
that when fighting in the territory of
Argos, he fell wounded from his elephant;
he rushed furiously among the combat.
ants till he found his master, raised him
gently from the ground with his trunk;
and placing him on his tisks, carried him
back to the town. A similar anbcdote is
given of King Porus, who, in an engage
ment with Alexander the Great, meeting
with a similar casualty, his faithful ele-
plant is said to have kept the enemy at
bay till he had replaced the monarch on
his back with his trunk, although the
poor animal, in this heroic defence was
severely wounded. An Oriental traveller
furnishes some amusing incidents respect.
ing the docility and sagacionshess. of
he says, if he wished to stop to admire a
beautiful prospect, the animal remained
immovable until his sketch was finished:
| if he wished for mangoes growing out of
his reach, this faithful servant selected
the most fruitful branch, and breaking If
off with his trunk for him, accepting verv
thankfully of any part for himself re.
spectfully and politely acknowledging the
compliment by raising his trunk three
times above his head, in the manner of
oriental obeisance. Docile as he is. this
noble quadruped seems conscious of supe.
rlorlty over the rest Of brute creation: q
proof of this may be seen in the following
circumstance related by another eastern
tourist. Some young camels were travel
ling with the British army in India. when.
having occasion to cross the Jumfna in n
boat, and the driverbeing unable to nroe
them forward, the elephant was appealed
to accomplish the task. The animal i'm
mediately assumed ferocious appearance,
trumpeted with his proboscis, shook his
ears, roared, struck the ground right and
left, and blew the dust in clouds towards
them. The camels, in their fear of the ell
ephant, forgot their dread of the boat,
and they rushed into it in the greatest
hurry, when the elephant resumed his
composure and deliberately returned to-
his post. The celebrated Locke, SAYS:
1t seems as evident to me, that some
animals do, in certain instances reason. as
that they have sense" This certainly
derives something like confederation from
the following statement of facts
/ At the seige of Burtpore, in 1905. the
British army, with its countless hosts of
followers and attendants, and thousands
of cattle had been for long time before
the city, when, on the approach of the hot
season, the supply of water generally
fails. On this occasion, two drivers. each
with his elephant-the one large and
strong, the other small and weak-were
at the we'll together The smaller animal
was provided with bucket which he
carried at the end of his trunk: but the
other elephant, not being furnished with
the needfnl appendage, seized the bucket.
and easily wrested it away from his less
powerful fellow. The latter was too SCI.
sible of his inferiority openly to resent
the insult though he evidently felt it; but
the keepers began to contend and abuse
each other. At length the injured brute.
watching the opportunity when the other
was standing with his side to the well. re-.
tired backwards few PAGES very quietly,
and rushing forward with all his might he
drove his adversary into the we'll. It NAV
be supposed, great CONSERVATION among
the company was the result; and some
fourteen hours assiduous and Ingenious
labor was required to restore the ponde-
rous animal from his novel, though NOS
unpleasant, because cool, situatiori-
II helpless living creature, or woun-
ded person lie in his way, the elephant
will protect and succor him. An incident
is recorded in the history of the seiee of
Scringapatam, to this Effect have
SEEM says the officer referred to. "tbe
wife OF mohoot give an infant in CHARGE
of an elephant, while she went about some
business and have been much amused in
observing the sagacity and care of the nm.
wleldy nurse. The child, which. like
most children, did not like to lie still IN
one position, would, as soon as left to it.
self, begin crawling about; in which exer-
else it would probably get among the
legs OF the animal, or entangled in the
branches of the trees on which he was
feeding, when the elephant would, in the
most tender manner, disengage its charge
either by lifting it out of the way with
his trunk or by removing the impediments
to its free progress. If the little creature
should happen to stray away too far, it's
mammoth guardian would lift it back as
gently as possible to the spot whence it
had started"