'A voyage from England to India, in the year 1754, and an historical narrative of the operations of the squadron and army in India, under the command of Vice-Admiral Watson and Colonel Clive, in the years 1755, 1756, 1757 ... Also a journey from Persia to England by an unusual route. With an appendix, containing an account of the diseases prevalent in Admiral Watson's squadron, etc.' [‎59] (88/562)

t 59 ]
fdf, that he might fet his nlafter down without hurting him, and puHed 1755.
out the arrows which ftuck in him with his trunk ; at length perceiving v —-v~
him to faint through lofs of blood, he placed him again upon his back,
and conveyed him in fafety to the camp : A moft amazing inftance
of the docility and gratitude of the elephant. No wonder therefore that
the ancients made uie of them in war, and fometimes with great fuccefs;
but fince the invention of fire-arms they have, not been found of equal ufc
as formerly •, for they are remarkably terrified at fire, and will at the fight
of it, frequently turn back upon their friends, and overthrow every thing
that Hands in their way. They are chiefly ufed at prefent for the fording
deep rivers, and carrying over the baggage on their backs. After the
keepers have loaded them with feveral hundred weight, they fallen ropes
to them, of which the foldiers taking hold, either .fwim, or are drawn
acrofs the river. In time of a6lion, they now and then fix an heavy iron
chain to the end of their trunks, which they whirl round with fuch agility,
as to make it impoflible for an enemy to approach them at that time.
Another ufe they ftill have for this creature in war, is, to force open the
oates of a city or garrifon which is clofely befieged. This he does by
fetting his backfide againft them, riggling backwards and forwards with
his whole weight, till he has burft the bars, and forced an entrance: to
prevent which, moft of the garrifons in this country, have large fpikes
ftuck in their gates, that projed to a confiderable diftance. However,
after all, thofe prodigious animals are kept more for fhew and grandeur
than for ufe, and their keeping is attended with a very great expence,
for they devour vatt quantities of provifion ; and you muft fometimes regale
them with a plentiful repaft of cinnamon^ of which they are exceflively fond.
1 have been told, that it is no uncommon thing with a Nabob An honorific title; an official acting as a provincial deputy ruler in South Asia; or a significant Muslim landowner in nineteenth century India. , if he has a
mind to ruin a private gentleman, to make him a prefent of an elephant %
which he is ever afterwards obliged to maintain at a greater expence than
he can afford : by parting with it, he would certainly fall under the dif-
pleafure of the grandee, befides forfeiting all the honour which his country
men think is conferred upon him by fo refpeftable a preient.
The notions of the Indians concerning the elephant are various. It has
been in all ages, and is to this day, the cuftom of the oriental nationjs, to
wrap up all their wifdom in fhort fentences or proverbs, allegories and
parables. Some of the Indians literally believe that the globe of the world
is lupported by an elephant ; which notion probably had its rife from a
proverb of theirs to that purpofe, but which certainly meant no more, than
that the commerce of their country depended in a great meafure upon
elephants. I could not but remark too, that in almoft all their Pagodas, or
places of worfhip, ( they have the image of this creature depicted on the
walls. Some imagine, that they place the elephant here as an emblem of
* Eutrapelus cuicunque nocere volebat,
Veltiraenta dabat pretiofa H or , Epiji* xviii. lib, i.
I ^ God's'