About two in the afternoon of the same day, I was desired to repair to the place where the elephants stood, as the male had been trying to get nearer the female. On this I proceeded to the spot, when I ordered the male to he freed from his shackles, and after some toy ing, and a few mutual caresses, I had the satisfaction of seeing him cover the female. When the male mount ed, he placed one of his fore legs on each side of her spine, with his feet turned to and pressing against her shoulders, and his trunk round her neck, supporting him self firmly in this position during coition, which he ac complished nearly in the same time, and in the same manner, as a horse with a mare.
" In three months after she was covered, she became fuller, her flesh felt softer, and her breasts began to swell. During the period of her pregnancy, she like wise increased considerably in height. When covered she was only seven feet three inches high, hut before she brought forth, she exceeded seven feet eight inches, On the 16th of March 1795, she produced a fine male, just twenty months and eighteen days after she was first covered." Subsequent observations have convinced Mr Corse Scott that this is the ordinary period of ges tation, and that there is no difference as to the length of the term, whether the elephant is pregnant with a male or a female calf. Many Europeans, and generally all the natives of Bengal, believe that there is a difference of two months, but this opinion is now found to be er roneous.
The young elephant, at its birth, is about thirty-five inches high, and increases in size during the first seven years, in the following proportions, according to Mr Corse Scott The young elephant begins to and suck the breast soon after birth. He presses it with his trunk, in order to cause the milk to flow more readily while sucking. The mother never lies down to give her young ones suck, but sometimes bends her body to wards them ; and the keeper, in order that they may grasp the nipple more readily, frequently raises a little mound of earth under the mother's belly. The affection of the mother, it would appear, is by no means great. In a tamed state she is never suffered to remain loose, as instances have frequently occurred of a love of liberty overcoming maternal fondness, and inducing her to for sake her young one, and flee to the woods. If a wild ele phant happens to be separated from her young for only two days, (which often happens in the enclosure into which they are driven to be taken,) though giving suck, she never after recognises it, although the young elephant should know its dam, and by its plaintive cries and sub missive approaches solicit her assistance.
It would appear that in a wild state elephants have no particular seasons of love as other animals. The fe males taken in India, while in a state of pregnancy, pro duced their full grown young in different months of the year. The female is said to be disposed to receive the embraces of the male before she arrives at the age of fourteen.
Destined to feed on the vegetable productions of the earth, the elephant lives at peace with the other inhabi tants of the forest. His great size and strength renders him an object of terror ; as with such power and such sagacity, neither the lion nor the tiger can contend with any prospect of success. Were he to exercise his vast powers in offensive operations, or were he prolific in proportion to his size, he would soon become the master of the wood. But man, even in his rudest state, appears destined to check his progress. Even when untutored by civilization, he kindles a lire, and the elephant re treats in terror), he poisons an arrow, and inflicts a wound which speedily ends death ; or he digs a pit, and the huge monster, unconscious of danger, is sudden arrested.
The elephant is pursued for the sake of his flesh by the Hottentots of the Cape. When Sparrman in his traN els at the Cape baited at the Diep river, several IIot tentots of the Boshiesman race, who were in the ser ice of the farmer, had their huts, which were compos ed of straw, covered with large slips of elephant's flesh, cut out irregularly in strings of the thickness of two or three lingers breadth, and strung together to the length of several yards. Sonic of them were wound
round the huts, while others were stretched from one hut to another, for the purpose of drying them. At that time, the men, women, and children in the place, had no other employment but to sleep, smoke, and gormandise upon elephant's flesh. The feet and the trunk are reck oned the most delicious pieces.
As the tusks of the elephant form the well-known ar ticle Irony, a considerable temptation is held out to the huntsman to endeavour to kill these animals. Attempts of this sort appear to be attended with no small difficul ty. From two farmers employed in a hunt of this kind, Sparrman obtained the following interesting narrative. The evening on which they observed the wild elephant, they determined to pursue it on horseback, though they never before had seen one. Their horses, though equally unaccustomed as their riders to the sight of this colossus like animal, yet did not flinch in the least; nor indeed did the elephant appear to give himself any trouble about them till they came within sixty or seventy paces of him. At that moment, one of the party, agree ably to the usual manner of the Cape huntsmen, jump ed from his horse, and fastening the bridle, fell upon one knee, and with his left hand sticking his ramrod into the ground, rested his gun upon it, took his aim, and fired at the elephant, which had then got about forty or fifty paces farther off; for in this country when they hunt the larger kinds of animals, they com monly choose to take the opportunity of firing at the distance of one hundred and fifty paces, both because they load their pieces in such a manner, that the ball, as they think, does most execution at that distance ; and also they can in this way gain time to mount their hor ses again and ride off, before the wounded animal can make up to them to take his revenge. Our sportsman had scarcely got into the saddle, and turned round his horse's head, before he found that the elephant was at his heels. At that very instant, the animal set up a shrill piercing cry, which he imagined he felt pierce to the very marrow of his bones, and which occasioned his horse also to make several hasty leaps, and then gallop off twice as fast as before. In the mean time, the hunts man had sufficient presence of mind to ride his horse up an ascent, well knowing that elephants, and such like heavy animals, are slow and unwieldy in going up a i hill in proportion to their weight, and the contrary in de scending a hill. He, by this means, not only more cer tainly distanced his antagonist, but his companion had the more time to advance on one side of the elephant, where he imagined he could most easily direct his shot at the heart and the larger arteries connected with the lungs of the animal. This shot did not, however, hit in any dangerous part, as the horse was rather unruly and pulled at the bridle, which the man had hanging over his right arm, at the instant that he had jumped off his horse and discharged his piece, in the same manner as the former. The elephant now turned upon this last antagonist, but was soon wearied of pursuing him, as the sportsman had an opportunity of riding away from him up a still steeper hill than his companion. The two hunters found that it would answer their purpose better to hold each others horses, so that they should not get off, while each of the sportsmen fired their pieces by turns. The elephant, even after the third ball, still threatened vengeance, but the fourth entirely cooled his courage : he did not, however, absolutely drop till he had received the eighth. None of the balls, of course, had taken effect in the directly vital parts.