^ >775^ much more probability in the account given by this author, of a misfortune that happened to an elephant-hunter in this country. The ftory runs thus: Once on a time three brothers, natives o f Europe, who had already made a hand- fome fortune by following this profeflion, had, each of them being on horfeback and armed with a lance, attacked an elephant by turns; which, however, at length, laid hold on one of the horfes that had Humbled, and threw him, together with his rider, up into the air, a hundred paces from him ; then taking up the latter, ran him through the body with one of his large tuiks; upon which the animal held him up with exultation, as it were, thus impaled and fhrieking in a horrid manner, to the two other horfe- men, his unhappy brothers. It is not extremely probable, that an elephant could throw a horfe a hundred paces from him, any more than that a man iliould be able to cry out and ihriek, when he was pierced through, and fpitted on the thick tooth o f an elephant. But in the abbe’s defence it mult be remembered, that this ingenious aftronomer did not intend to print any hiftorical account of the Cape; the fhort remarks he made upon this fubjedl, being not pub- lilhed till after his death. The elephant’s manner of copulating is a point hitherto much contefted; for, notwithftanding the great number there are o f them in India, many of which are apt to be in rutt in fo high a degree as to run mad in confe- quence of it, Hill nobody has ever been able to make them copulate. Several authors have explained the matter in this w a y ; that the elephants were too modeft to fuffer any human creature to be witnefs of their union, (a circumftance fiance which thefe animals have always reafon to be ap- prehenfive of,) though the male and female are both lhut up together in the fame dark liable. Others again have gone fo far as to alfert, that the elephants are ib fhv, as not to fuffer any of their own kind to be prefent at their copulation. And many have endeavoured to explain the continence of thefe animals in their domefticated ftate, from the confederation of their magnanimity and pride, fup- pofing them to have too much fenfe, as well as greatnefs o f foul, to wifh to multiply their race, and thus debafe it by bringing it into the world in a ftate of bondage to mankind. But fince we knowr that elephants, previous to this, fuffer themfelves to be brought to obey by compul- iion, and, indeed, to a greater degree o f fubjedtion than almoft any other animal, it ihould feem that we cannot, with any reafon, beftow our approbation on this latter opinion. In all probability, therefore, this repugnance in a point to which nature, on the other fide* vifibly encourages all her creatures, proceeds from the peculiar make of the elephant, rendering it partly unfit for the performance o f thefe rites; an impediment which nature, perhaps, found it neceffary to fet up againft the too great increafe o f thefe gigantic animals; as, were it otherwife, by defolating-and laying wafte the whole extent o f the warmer climates, they would bring on the deftrucftion o f their own fpecies. Moreover, as nature does not operate without means, may not the continence of the elephant, whether implanted in it by nature, or whether it- be the mere confequence o f its form, or other accidental circumftances, may not; I fay, this
27f 72-1
To see the actual publication please follow the link above