CHAP. V.

“Curiosity is one of the strongest and the most lasting appetites implanted in us, and admiration one of our most pleasing passions.”

ADDISON.

The moment of egress from the menagerie seemed to unlock the generally loquacious tongue of little Ellen; a thousand questions were now asked of her good-tempered bearer, respecting the elephants; nor was Mr. Elmer uncalled upon to relate what he had seen of their wonderful qualities, during his residence in Hindostan, “We will now enjoy our walk, my dear children,” he observed, “and when we have dined I will endeavour to recollect all I have seen of the habits and usefulness of these sagacious animals.” “Well grandpapa,” said Harry, “I little thought when I got up this morning that I should see such a great creature, and be so very much entertained as I have been, I hope when I am a man I shall go to India and ride on the back of an elephant. I think I should make them very fond of me, for I would be sure to caress and encourage them, and never promise any thing I did not remember to perform.”

“That is (I suppose, my dear, you mean to say) you would remember to perform what you promised?” “Yes, grandpapa, that is what I mean; dear me! if the elephant could but speak, he would have expressed himself better than me, stupid boy. There, Joanna! look at that bullock in the field, we should call that a great creature, but it seems like a kitten now, or at most a dog compared to the elephant. I wonder what you and I looked like to the elephant: had he eat any thing except grain and fruit, I should have been afraid to have gone near him, he might have swallowed us up in a moment.” “Thus, my dear boy,” remarked Mr. Elmer, “we find every object in the creation impressed with the characters of infinite wisdom, beneficence, and perfection of its great author. Had the elephant been as ferocious as he is powerful, how dreadful the ravages he might commit, how fearful to be the subject of his violence; but with dispositions gentle, and of social habits, they range in solitary grandeur the vast solitudes of the torrid zone, and when ensnared by the power and art of man, to whom all are made subject, they are very soon tamed and rendered the most useful and effective servants of the being to whom supremacy is given.” “You will tell us after dinner, how they are caught and tamed, won’t you grandpapa;” asked Joanna. “Yes, my dear, certainly, I will describe to you what I myself was a witness of when I was very young, and I assure you I enjoyed the sport highly.”

They had now arrived at the villa, and were not sorry to find dinner ready for them; indeed, it had waited some time, so that Mary’s pudding was not quite so light as she wished. “Hey day!” said Mr. Elmer, as he cut it, “I question if the elephant could not have compounded a better pudding.” The children, however, were hungry, and the pudding quickly disappeared. “Hey day!” said grandpapa laughing, “I question if the elephant would have despatched it quicker.” The cloth removed, the little glasses filled, and papa’s and mamma’s health with dear grandpapa’s duly drank, and the fruit enjoyed, Harry sidled to his grandpapa—“I hope I shall not be too troublesome, but I long to hear how they catch the elephants.” “Ah so do I,” added Joanna, and Ellen (climbing on his knee) kissed his cheek as if to bribe him to comply with the wish of Harry.

“Ah, you are all irresistible petitioners,” said the kind old man, while a tear of genuine feeling trembled in his mild eye, and placing Harry between his knees, and a girl upon each of them, he prepared to gratify them. “I have told you, my children, that the elephants generally herd together; these herds consist of from forty to a hundred, and when discovered, about five hundred people are employed to surround them. They are driven by the means of fires placed on moveable pedestals, and by great noises to the spot where they are to be secured. This place consists of three different enclosures, communicating with each other by the means of narrow openings or gate-ways. When the elephants first arrive at the gates and palisadoes, great difficulty is found to make them enter; the leader’s sagacity always making him suspect some snare: but when once he is made to pass, the rest follow without hesitation. Reach me that sheet of paper, Alan,” said Mr. Elmer, as the old man entered the room. “There now, Harry, look here, there are the enclosures; (marking the paper with his pencil) now you see we have the elephants in this: do you understand?” “Oh yes, grandpapa.” “Well, they have passed this gate-way. Immediately fires are stationed round the greatest part of the enclosure, particularly at and near the entrances, to prevent the elephants from returning. A terrible shouting and noise is made by the hunters, beating of drums called tom-toms, firing blank cartridges, to urge the elephants into the next enclosure. They, thus finding themselves entrapped, scream dreadfully, and discovering no opening but the entrance into the next enclosure, they after traversing repeatedly their present situation, following their leader, at length enter the second enclosure, which is smaller than the first. The gate is instantly closed upon them, the same process of fires, shouts, &c. force them to pass into the last enclosure. Being now completely surrounded, and finding no outlet, the poor ensnared animals become desperate, frequently advancing furiously to the surrounding ditch to break down the palisade, screaming aloud, and swelling their trunks; but wherever they attempt an attack, they are repelled by the noise of the hunters and opposed by the fires. The ditch is then filled with water, and the fatigued elephants have very soon recourse to it in order to cool themselves, and to quench the thirst produced by their exertions and fury. Having continued in this situation for a few days, during which they are scantily fed from a scaffold on the outside, the door of an outlet about sixty feet long and very narrow is opened, and one of the elephants is induced to enter by having food thrown before it. When advanced far enough, the gate is closed upon him, when finding his retreat cut off, and that he cannot turn himself, he advances furiously, endeavouring to break the bars in front of him. He even rises up in his rage and leaps upon the bars with his fore feet; thus he continues his efforts to obtain liberty, until he becomes exhausted; ropes are then by degrees carefully passed round him, and he is secured. Sometimes instead of being enticed into the Roomee or narrow passage, they are taken by the aid of tamed elephants, who engage the attention of the wild ones, while they are secured by ropes. The elephants being thus ensnared are separated, and each placed under the care of a keeper appointed to attend and instruct him. This principal attendant, has three or four subordinate assistants, who supply the elephant with his food and water, until he is sufficiently tamed to feed himself. To effect this, a variety of methods are resorted to, soothing and caressing, sometimes threatenings and even goading with a long stick pointed with iron; but more generally the keeper flatters and coaxes him, scratching his head and trunk with a long bamboo split at one end into several pieces, and driving away the flies from his sores and bruises, produced by his desperate struggles for liberty. He also is very attentive to keep him cool, by squirting water frequently all over him, taking care to keep out of the reach of his trunk.

“In a few days he even advances cautiously to his side, speaks to him soothingly, pats him, and strokes him with his hand, and in a very little while he conciliates the immense animal, who knows him and obeys his commands. The keeper now becomes more familiar, ventures to mount him from the back of a tame elephant, and thus gradually increasing in intimacy, he is at last permitted to seat himself upon the neck, from which place he is to regulate and direct the motions of the subdued animal. While they are training in this manner the tame elephants lead the others out alternately for exercise, and likewise to ease their legs from the cords, with which they are tied, and which gall them dreadfully, unless frequently slackened and shifted.

“In about five or six weeks the elephant becomes obedient to his keeper, his fetters are then removed by degrees, and generally in about six months he suffers himself to be conducted from one place to another. In some parts of the East these huge animals are taken by means of pitfalls. Through the forest several paths are cut, in these are dug deep and large holes, which are carefully concealed by being covered over with branches and loose earth. The elephants in passing over, of course fall into the pit, the hunters secure them while in this helpless state, and dragging them out, tame them in the following manner. The elephant is placed between two tame ones; they are surrounded by men, each holding a pike with a lighted torch at the end of it, who talk to the animal and call out to him as they offer him meat, ‘take it, take it, take it.’

“The wild elephants refusing obedience, signs are made to the tame ones to beat him, which they immediately do by giving him desperate blows on the head with their trunk, and if the poor beast offers any resistance, the blows are repeated till exhausted he at length is rendered obedient, and appears to become perfectly reconciled to his fate. It is worthy of observation, that although this noble animal uses his utmost force to disengage himself when ensnared, and would certainly kill any one coming within his reach, yet he seldom or never attempts to hurt those tame elephants that have aided in ensnaring him; but on the contrary, seems as often as they are brought near, in order to adjust his harnessing, or move or slacken the ropes that gall him, to be pleased, soothed, and consoled by them, as it were, for the loss of his liberty.”

“Thank you grandpapa,” said the gratified Harry, “I shall certainly never forget how the elephant is snared, but I think I am not ambitious to be an elephant hunter.” “You would not then like to be an Abyssinian elephant hunter?” “Why, grandpapa?” “Because of the great danger and skill required.” “Did you ever see them, grandpapa?” “No, my dear, but an enterprising traveller has given us an account of the mode in very lively colouring.” “Perhaps you can remember it so as to tell us, dear grandpapa?” “I will try, my boy.—Mr. Bruce tells us that the persons employed in this dangerous service live constantly in the woods, subsisting upon the flesh of the animals they kill. They are exceedingly thin, light, and agile, both on foot and on horse-back. They are called Agageers, a name derived from the one descriptive of their mode of destroying the great animals, such as the elephant and rhinoceros; Agar signifying to hough or hamstring with a sharp weapon, or, more properly, cutting the tendon of the heel. To effect this, two men quite naked, to prevent their being caught by the trees and bushes, in making their escape from their watchful enemy, get on horse-back. One of them sits on the back of the horse, sometimes with a saddle, sometimes without one: with only a short stick in one hand, carefully managing the bridle with the other: behind him sits his companion, armed only with a broadsword——but hold, I recollect I have a drawing of the group. Harry boy, ring the bell, Alan shall bring my port-feuille.” “Ah, that will be delightful Harry,” exclaimed Joanna, who had a fine taste for drawing and delighted to look at them. Alan appeared, received his directions where to find the port-feuille, and in a few minutes it was opened before the delighted children; indeed its contents were well calculated to gratify the most refined taste, and to excite the admiration of the practised delineator of nature’s beauties and wonders.

The descriptive drawing of the Agageers and elephant was soon found. “Here, Harry,” said Mr. Elmer, as pleased as his juvenile companions, “here they are. The left hand of his Agageer is employed you see, in grasping the sword by the handle; about a foot or fourteen inches of the blade of which is covered with whipcord. This part he takes in his right hand without any danger of being hurt by it, and though the edges of the lower part of the sword are as sharp as a razor, he carries it without a scabbard.

“As soon as an elephant is found feeding as here delineated, the horseman rides before him as near his face as possible, or if he tries to escape, crosses him in all directions, calling out, I am such a one, and such a one, this is my horse, that has such a name, I killed your father in such a place, and your grandfather in such another place, and I am now come to kill you, who are nothing in comparison with them. This nonsense he thinks the elephant perfectly understands; who irritated at hearing the noise so immediately before him, attempts to seize him by his trunk.” “Oh, grandpapa, how frightful!” exclaimed Joanna involuntarily. Mr. Elmer smiled, kissed her forehead, and proceeded: “the elephant intent upon this, follows the horse every where, turning round and round with him, neglecting to make his escape by going straight forward, in which consists his only safety. After having made him thus turn several times in pursuit of the horse, the horseman rides up close beside of him, and drops his companion just behind on the off side; and while he engages the elephant’s attention upon the horse, the other behind him gives him a drawn stroke just above the heel, into what in man is called the tendon of Achilles. This is the critical moment—don’t your heart beat, Harry?” “That it does, grandpapa, pit a pat, pit a pat.” “Well, the horseman instantly wheels round, again takes his companion up behind him, and rides off full speed after the rest of the herd, if they have started more than one; and sometimes an expert Agageer will kill three out of one herd. If the sword is good and the man not too timid, the tendon is generally separated entirely, and if not quite cut through, is so far divided that the animal from the stress his weight puts upon it, breaks the remaining part asunder.” “Ah! poor thing, how much it must suffer,” said Joanna. “It must, indeed, my dear, for in either case he remains quite incapable of advancing a step, till the horseman returning, or his companions coming up, he is pierced through with javelins and lances, by which he falls to the ground, and expires from loss of blood. Here is another drawing descriptive of this closing scene. The elephant being thus slain, they cut his flesh into slips or thongs, and hang them upon the branches of the trees till they become dry, without salt, and then lay them by for their provision in the rainy season.” “Dear me, grandpapa, what bad food they must be. I am sure I must be very hungry indeed to relish such a strange dish.” “Yes, my boy, hunger is admirable sauce. I don’t know but it would make you even relish very highly the pretty dirty list bridle you so cleverly put on Joanna this morning.” “Oh, grandpapa! no, I never could eat that to be sure, it was so rough it would choke me.” “Well, well, I hope you will never be reduced to such necessity; what say you, my pet?” (to Ellen.) “No, grandpa, I like little chicken, not dried elephant for my dinner.” “That is very lucky, my dear, because we could not conveniently have the one, and my poultry-yard is very well filled. Yet, my dear, we are informed by a lively traveller, that the feet of the elephant roasted are a delicious morsel, as well as the shins; and I can readily imagine it, from the pure nature of their food, and the extreme cleanliness of their habits.”

“Have you any more drawings of the elephant, grandpapa?” inquired Joanna. “I dare say there are among these, my dear; we will look through them.” “O yes, here is one,” resumed the eager and delighted girl. “Do not touch, Ellen; you know mamma always tells you, little girls should not touch any thing that is shown them, especially such beautiful drawings.” Ellen withdrew her finger at this remonstrance of her sister, and quietly looked on. “I remember the occasion upon which this drawing was taken,” said Mr. Elmer. “Elephants are kept in many parts of India more for show and grandeur than use, although I shall relate to you many instances in which I have seen them eminently useful. Their keeping is attended with very great expense, as they devour a vast quantity of the best provisions, and are sometimes regaled with a plentiful repast of cinnamon, of which they are exceedingly fond. When the King of Pegu walks abroad, he is preceded by four stately white elephants, adorned with sumptuous trappings, covered with precious stones, and ornaments of gold; and when he gives audience, these four elephants are presented to him, who do him reverence by raising their trunks, and uttering three distinct cries, while kneeling before him. This ceremony ended, they are conducted back to their apartment, where each is fed from large golden vessels. They are also washed twice a day with water taken from a silver reservoir. During the time of their being thus refreshed and adorned, they are under a canopy supported by eight slaves, in order to defend them from the heat of the sun. In being led to the vessels containing their food and water, they are preceded by trumpets, and march with great majesty, as if feeling the elevation conferred upon them by this pomp. The king of Siam has also 1000 elephants attached to his army.

“This drawing, my children, represents the great mogul, upon an occasion of his appearing in public, when I had an opportunity of seeing him. No pomp, magnificence, or luxury can exceed, or indeed be comparable to the ostentatious brilliancy of this potentate on such occasions. He sits, as you may perceive by this sketch, upon a throne of gold, glittering with precious stones: the throne and monarch borne on the back of a noble elephant, who seems conscious of his burden. The elevation gives the emperor an air of grandeur, which is extremely impressive to the beholders, above whom he is so highly exalted in situation as well as rank; nor can we fail to regard with an eye of indulgence that despotic pride which is both excited and fostered by the adulation paid to a mortal. It requires something more than mortal strength, to resist the fascinations of power and the flatteries of the self-interested, who live in the sunny beams of royal favour. As the elephant moves slowly and majestically on, the people fall prostrate before their great and mighty prince. It is thus by dazzling the eyes of his slaves, and inspiring them with awe, he supports his despotic authority: his mighty will is the law. The shield of this splendid despot is thickly studded with diamonds and rubies; on his head he has a gorgeous turban, ornamented in the same manner, and round his neck a rich chain of pearls of the most exquisite beauty. He also you see bears a sword and a beautiful quiver of arrows, bearing also a staff in his hand richly adorned with drilled or pierced diamonds, while chains of diamonds and rubies adorn different parts of his dress. Rich bracelets encompass his arms, just above the wrist and elbow; and his fingers are covered with costly rings. When he marches at the head of his troops, he is attended by at least a hundred elephants, richly caparisoned, and ten or twelve thousand men. In the centre, either on an elephant or a fine Persian horse, rides the emperor, although he is said to be at the head of his troops; and when he travels privately into the country, he is conveyed in a covered sort of chariot drawn by oxen. When this eastern potentate holds in person a divan, or public court for the administration of justice, he is seated, as you see in this drawing, on the musnud, viz. a kind of stage elevated about two feet above the floor, and covered with a superb cloth, richly embroidered with jewels and fringed with gold. In the centre of the musnud, you see he is placed upon a sort of tray, being formed of either gold or silver gilded. He styles himself the conqueror of the world. His officers surround him, his courtiers adulate him, and the unfortunate are admitted to petition him.” “Who is that person, grandpapa, with his head nearly touching the floor, and without his shoes?” “That is a petitioner, my dear; he is obliged to leave his slippers outside the entrance, and to advance barefooted in token of humility. The salute he is making is called salam: it is expressive of his profound veneration. His forehead nearly touching the ground, he bows himself thus three times before the musnud, and then presents his petition with a purse of gold,—the one being very useless at an eastern court without the other. On giving them, he says, with great humility, ‘Read this my petition, the day will come when all petitions shall be read.’ If the emperor does not choose to receive the petition, he frowns and turns away his head; but if favourable, which greatly depends upon the weight of the purse, he smiles and grants a gracious nod of approbation.”

Just as Mr. Elmer concluded this explanation of the drawing, which inimitably displayed the superb costumes of the mogul court, Alan entered with the tea equipage, informing his master, that he would but just have time to take tea before the phaeton would be ready, according to his order, that the children might reach home before it was too late to hazard their taking cold. An universal exclamation of “surely it cannot be so late, Alan,” came from the party who had been so amused, that time had passed unheeded. Even Little Ellen, who would have found it impossible to have remained so long still any where but on grandpapa’s knee, could not help saying, she was very sorry it was so late that they must go home.

“Well, my dears, as my sketch-book has proved so amusing, you must come and look at it another day, and hear some more anecdotes about the elephants, and perhaps go to the menagerie again, if it remains at C——. Now, Harry, let us see if those cakes Mary has made for us, are as good as the strips of elephant’s flesh.” “This I know, grandpapa,” replied Harry, “that I will willingly give up to the Agageers the dried flesh, while Mary is so good as to furnish us with such famous cakes: won’t you take some, young ladies,” he added, with arch ceremony. Nothing loath, the young ladies accepted his proffer, and full of innocent glee they concluded their refreshment; having kissed their dear grandpapa over and over again, they jumped into the phaeton, and were driven off by Alan, eagerly anticipating the pleasure of telling their papa and mamma all they had seen, and the kind invitation of their grandpapa,—which none of them failed to remember.

Their conversation naturally turned upon what they had heard respecting the elephant, and they seemed disposed to regard every thing they saw in reference to it; for instance, they were accompanied by a favorite water spaniel of their grandfather’s, who in passing a stream seemed highly to enjoy the swim across, instead of passing the bridge. “Look at Selim,” said Harry; “now if he was an elephant, he must go over the bridge, for he could not jump over the stream, and certainly he could not swim.” “Swim, no, I should think not, indeed, Harry,” said Joanna, laughing; “an elephant swim, no, no, with all its cleverness and sagacity, it could not do that to be sure.” “But you are mistaken, my dear,” said Alan, “for they swim over large rivers with great ease. The form and weight of the elephant do not indeed seem much adapted to swimming, yet his trunk enables him to do so. It is true, that when out of his depth in the water (as Selim now is) his body and head are entirely sunk under it; yet he is not in danger of being drowned as other land animals, as he carries his trunk raised above the surface, in order to breathe, and steers his course also by it. Even when several elephants have been crossing a river at the same time, they have all found their way very well, and what is remarkable have never been known to interfere with each other, although their heads, and of course eyes, have all the time been under water.”

“Well, you do surprise us, Alan,” said the children, “so you have seen elephants swim?” “Yes, often, my dears; you remember your grandpapa told you they formed great herds, or families, in the woods. Now I can assure you, that when these families remove from place to place, which they must do for food, the largest elephants put themselves at the head, and if they arrive at a river, are the first to pass over it. On reaching the opposite bank, they try if the landing-place is safe; if it is, they give a signal with their trunk, on which another division of the old elephants pass over, the younger then follow, holding one another by locking their trunks together, then the rest of the old ones bring up the rear.” “Well, I am glad Selim chose to swim over the stream, or we should not have heard these anecdotes of the elephants from you, Alan, and I dare say might have still thought it was impossible for them to swim.”

“O, there is papa and mamma on the lawn,” said Ellen, “we shall soon be at home; what a happy day we have had!”

As they approached the gate, such was the cry—“O what a happy day we have had! and we are to go again, grandpapa says; and he bid us tell you, mamma, we have not been troublesome, but have made him very happy. And he says, you must go, mamma,” added Ellen, “and Charles, when he is a little older. He says I behave very well now.” “I am glad he has returned you with a good character, my little pet,” said Mr. Monson, as he took Ellen in his arms. “Oh papa,” she said, “the elephant is as big as the hay-stack, but so good-natured, Alan says, it rocked a little baby to sleep in a cradle.” “Then, you would have no objection to ride upon one, I suppose.” “Why yes, papa, I don’t think I should like it.” “But I should,” observed Harry. “Papa, let me go to India, when I am a little bigger; I shall then travel on elephants, and eat mangoes, and see the grand mogul all over jewels and gold, with the people bowing their heads to the ground, while he looks so proud and stately.” “What, I suppose, you would like to see his majesty weighed, Harry?” “Weighed, papa! I don’t know what you mean.” “I mean the grand festival, given on the birth-day of the great mogul, when he is very sumptuously dressed, and goes to a magnificent pavilion, attended by his nobles. In it are suspended golden scales, adorned with jewels. Into one of these scales, the emperor places himself, in order to balance the other, which is filled with rubies, emeralds, pearls, gold, silver, fine stuffs, cinnamon, cloves, and other sweet spices; and an exact account is given of the difference of his weight from the last year: if he weighs more, the people shout and rejoice; if less, they manifest every token of concern. The ceremony is concluded with the distribution, from the hands of the mogul, of golden almonds, and other artificial fruits, formed of the same precious metal; and to the poor he distributes small pieces of money.” “That must be a very pretty sight indeed,” observed Joanna, “I should like to see such a grand prince throwing money to the poor. How happy the rich must be!” “Say rather, my child, might be,” said Mr. Monson, “did the will always accompany the power; but as this is not always, nor indeed very often the case, to be content is our wisest as well as our most virtuous course. We have the gracious assurance that a willing mind is accepted by Him who bestows upon us every good, and that a cup of cold water given in his name to those that need it, is an act well-pleasing to Him, and verily will have its reward. But the evening closes, and my Ellen gets sleepy; let us go in, and thank God for the blessings of the day, ere we seek that repose which is to refresh us for the duties of the morrow, should the Almighty suffer us to see it. An habitual remembrance, that we depend upon him for life and breath, and all things, will give additional value to each of these blessings, and preserve our minds easy and serene. You cannot, my children, be too early taught that this is the secret of happiness, the only source of true enjoyment. The prayers of the innocent are acceptable to Him, and their hearts the sweetest sacrifice that can be offered to his Majesty. Come, then, my children, we will kneel before Him, and commit ourselves to his Almighty protection.”

Mr. Monson was the most cheerful of men, and he had found that to preserve it unclouded in his own breast, as well as have its light pervade his family, was to cherish a simple unaffected piety, and a constant sense of the omnipresence of God. “He is about my path and about my bed, and spiest out all my ways,” was his frequent and emphatic caution to his children and dependents, and his encouragement when they had done any thing pleasing to him; thus referring their reward to Him who seeth in secret. It was his regular custom to assemble his family morning and evening, convinced not only that it was a homage due to the Creator and Preserver, but also that such practice was the only thing that could preserve that beautiful union of ranks forming a family, each reciprocally depending upon each in their several peculiar departments, making together the sweet harmony of domestic charities.

Declaring they should dream of the elephant and the great mogul, the children kissed their parents, and cheerfully retired, not a little fatigued with the unexpected pleasures of the day.