DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5834#0173
146
SCENES IN INDIA.
exposing them to imminent peril;—indeed, those un-
fortunate persons are occasionally trodden to death by
the angry elephants when thrown from their necks or
haunches. Sometimes they are struck down by the
trunks of the enraged animals whilst encouraging or
goading them to the combat: they, however, general-
ly contrive to evade such disasters, by retreating to-
wards the tails of their respective cliarges, as these
latter meet in full encounter.
So soon as the huge antagonists see the female they
immediately trot towards her; but, coming in sight of
each other, there is usually a pause, during which
the shaking of the tail, the flapping of the ears, and
the lifting of the trunk, manifest a state of extreme
disquiet. The object of contention does not attempt
to quit her post, but stands, with evident tokens of
pleasure, mutely contemplating the approaching strug-
gle. After a short interval one of the elephants rushes
to the encounter; and when both meet, the shock is
always tremendous. The tusks come into stunning
collision, and with so loud a shock as to be heard at
a distance of several hundred yards, the concussion
being so tremendous as to raise the two gigantic
champions off their fore legs. After they have met,
the contest sometimes becomes terrible in the extreme.
They grasp one another's trunks, butting with their
heads, and occasionally raising a shrill cry of the
fiercest rage. The female, meanwhile, does not offer
to interpose, but calmly surveys the combat, as if
with the gratifying consciousness that her presence
stimulates her gallant rivals to maintain the despe-
rate struggle for victory.
SCENES IN INDIA.
exposing them to imminent peril;—indeed, those un-
fortunate persons are occasionally trodden to death by
the angry elephants when thrown from their necks or
haunches. Sometimes they are struck down by the
trunks of the enraged animals whilst encouraging or
goading them to the combat: they, however, general-
ly contrive to evade such disasters, by retreating to-
wards the tails of their respective cliarges, as these
latter meet in full encounter.
So soon as the huge antagonists see the female they
immediately trot towards her; but, coming in sight of
each other, there is usually a pause, during which
the shaking of the tail, the flapping of the ears, and
the lifting of the trunk, manifest a state of extreme
disquiet. The object of contention does not attempt
to quit her post, but stands, with evident tokens of
pleasure, mutely contemplating the approaching strug-
gle. After a short interval one of the elephants rushes
to the encounter; and when both meet, the shock is
always tremendous. The tusks come into stunning
collision, and with so loud a shock as to be heard at
a distance of several hundred yards, the concussion
being so tremendous as to raise the two gigantic
champions off their fore legs. After they have met,
the contest sometimes becomes terrible in the extreme.
They grasp one another's trunks, butting with their
heads, and occasionally raising a shrill cry of the
fiercest rage. The female, meanwhile, does not offer
to interpose, but calmly surveys the combat, as if
with the gratifying consciousness that her presence
stimulates her gallant rivals to maintain the despe-
rate struggle for victory.