The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1855-11-14
Iastinct Of the Elephant.

Ihe elephant, unwleldiy and uncouth
as he seems, presents some remarkable
features of character, combining the fidel-
ity of the dog, the endurance ofthe camel,
and the docility of the horse, with singu-
lar sagacity, prudence and courage
There are many instances of his fidelity on
record. 1t is related of one of the SOL
soldiers of Pyrrhus, King of Bpirus, that
when, fighting in the territory of Argos,
he fell wounded from his elephant, he rush.
ed furiously among the combatants till he
found his master, raised him gently from
the ground with his trunk, and placing him
on his tusks, carried him back to the town.
A singular anecdote is given of King Porus,
who, in an engagement with Alexander
the Great, meeting with similar casual
| ty his faithful elephant 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 ori-
| entail traveller furnishes some amusing in
cidents respecting the docility and saga
ciousness of this monstrous creature In
his Journeys, he says, if he wished to stop
to admire beautiful prospect the animal
remained immovable until his sketch was
finished; if he wishes for mangoes grow
ing out of his reach, this faithful servant
selected the most faithful branch, and,
breaking it off with his trunk for him, &C.
cepted very thankfully of any part for
himself, respectfully and politely acknowl-
enging 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
his superiority over the rest of the brute
creation; proof of this may be seen in
the following circumstance related by an
other eastern tourist. Some young cam
els were travelling with the British army
in India, when, having occasion to cross
the Jumna in q boat, and the driver being
unable to urge them forward, the elephant
was appealed to to accomplish the task.
The animal Immediately assumed furi-
Gus appearance, trumpeted with his pro-
boscis, 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 elephant, 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: ut seems us evident to me,
that some animals do, in certain instances
reason, as that they have sense" This
certainly derives something like corrobor-
alton from the following statement OF
facts:
At the siege of Burtpore, in 1905, the
British army, with its countless host of fol-
lowers and attendants, and thousands ol
cattle, had been for a 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 rather small and weak-were at
the we'll together. The smaller animal
was provided with bucket, which he car
ried at the end of his trunk; but the 9TH
er elephant, not being furnished with this
needful appendagc, seized the bucket, and
easily wrested it away from his less pow.
erful fellow. The latter was too sensi-
bile 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, retired backwards a few spaces very
quietly, and rushing forwards with all his
might, he drove his adversary into the
we'll. 1t may be supposed great eonster!
!. nation among the company was the result;
and some fourteen hours assiduous and