The French academie Fully discoursed and finished in foure bookes. 1. Institution of manners and callings of all estates. 2. Concerning the soule and body of man. 3. A notable description of the whole world, &c. 4. Christian philosophie, instructing the true and onely meanes to eternall life. This fourth part neuer before published in English. All written by the first author, Peter de la Primaudaye, Esquire, Lord of Barre, Chauncellour, and Steward of the French Kings house.

Of the Elephant, of the Camell, and of the Rhinoceros. Chapter 84.

ACHITOB.

IT seemeth that there is no beast, which approcheth neerer to the sense of man then the Elephant. For hee is endued with so excellent witte, discreti∣on, * 1.1 and memory, that hee surpasseth in these gifts of other beastes; as hee doth in strength also. Hee is bigger then two great oxen, couered with blacke haire, hauing eies like to those of swine & such a mouth also, being couered with a truncke, or snout that hangs downe to the ground, which serueth him for an hand to put his victuals into his mouth, both meate and drinke: and out of both sides thereof two great tuskes doe issue, which are fastened in his vpper iaw. His eares are two spannes broad, his thighes and legs thicke and long, in such sort that some are found of fifteene foote high: his nailes (beeing fiue in number about his feete) are round, and each naile a palme broad, and his tayle is a∣bout three handfuls long. In many regions of Africa they vse these Elephants to ride ordi∣narily vpon, and they serue for many domesticke businesses also, so that the traffike of them there, is as that of horses heere. But the Indians vse them in the warre, putting vpon this beast, a certaine saddle beeing girt very streight about him with two yron chaines, vpon which they set two wooden houses, on either side one, and in each of those houses do three men lodge, betweene which houses and the Elephants necke, is a little seate placed, vpon which a man sitteth like as if he were on horsebacke, who guideth this beast by his wordes, which he vnderstandeth very well: and he carieth neither bridle, nor halter, nor any thing else vpon his head. And euen as they, which are within these houses vpon his backe are ar∣med with coates of maile, with bowes, launces, swordes, and targets: so likewise will he bee couered with a mayle, especially vpon his head, and snout, to which men fasten a sword of two fathomes in length, thicke, and as broad as a mans hand, wherewith this beast doeth himselfe in fight. In all things else he is of incredible force. For Lewes de Barthema in the

discourses of his Indievoyages doeth testifie that he did see three Elephants alone drawe a ship out of the sea, and set it aland, after the people had gotten vnder it three great wedges of wood. For kneeling down vpon the earth on the sea shore, they did with their heads cast the ship on drie land. Plinie recordeth many other wonders concerning these beasts, saying, that they honour the starres, and principally the Sunne and Moone; that some haue beene * 1.2 seene, who being sicke, haue fallen downe backewards, casting vp herbes towards heauen, as if they would offer vp the fruits of the earth in sacrifice, and prayer to obtaine succour from aboue: that all of them doe honour a king, and fall downe vpon their knees before him, and that they bring chaplets of hearbes, and flowers vnto him. That some of them haue beene * 1.3 seene to record by themselues in the night time, that, which they haue beene taught in the day time, to the ende that they might the better put it in practise. That marching in troupes, the eldest amongst them goeth formost, as captaine: and another behinde them as ordering the rereward: that intending to passe any riuer, they put the yoongest ele∣phants formost, knowing that the great elephants would sinke lower, because of their ex∣cessiue heauinesse, and would by that meanes make the fourd more difficult to passe, by reason of the water, which would gather there. That they doe no harme except they be prouoked thereto; and also that they are so gentle towards other weake beasts, that passing by a flocke of small cattell, they will gently turne backe with their heads all those beastes which they meete, for feare of hurting them, or treading them vnder their feete. They are very long liued, to two hundred or three hundred yeares, as Aristotle affirmeth: and when the male and female couple together as man and woman, they withdraw themselues for this purpose into most secret and hidden places: and the females beare their yong ones for two yeares together, and doe neuer bring forth but one, and that but once onely in their life. Of their teeth is the true iuorie made: but because there are but few to be had, therefore some saw and cut in pieces the bones of Elephants, which they sell for iuorie. Moreouer, Historiographers report that the first time that Elephants were seene at Rome, was in the triumph of Pompey, after he had subdued Africke, for hee had two yoked to his chariot: and that in the turnies, and fence playes which Germanicus Caesar made, to shewe pastime to the people of Rome, there were Elephants that leaped, as if they would skippe and daunce: and that fortie two Elephants were brought in triumph to Rome after the memorable victorie, which Ruscius Metellus did obtaine in Sicily against the Carthageni∣ans.

The camell is also a very tractable beast and profitable to man, very ingenious: and apt to receiue discipline. For they serue to ride vpon, to beare great burthens, and also to shew * 1.4 men pastime in many exercises which is taught them by vse. There are some in all parts of the world, but they abound in Africa. And the Arabians hold them for their greatest riches and possessions. There are three kindes of them; one whereof is very great, another sort are very little: these two kindes hauing but one bunch vpon their backes, and the o∣ther are of meane stature, and haue two bunches, each whereof are fit to carrie burthens, and to rid vpon also, besides, some of them resemble asses in colour, and some are reddish: and they haue their hoofes almost clouen in two, but not exactly, so that their foote expresseth a kinde of semblance of fiue toes fleshie vnderneath, which maketh them ten∣der in stony places. The best Camels are those of Africa, because they beare their char∣ges for the space of fortie daies together, without euer eating any oates, but only such grasse as is in the fields, or some boughes, and their least burthen is of a thousand waight, bee∣ing by a naturall instinct so vrged to the seruice of man, that with the least touch which may bee vpon their necke or knees, they will presently bend and kneele vpon the ground to receiue their loade; which when they feele to bee answerable to their strength, they rise againe vpon their feete. There are some of them so swift, that they will run fifty miles and more in a one day, but these are of small stature, beeing good for nothing but to ride vpon. The noble men of Arabia, Numidia, and Africans of Lybia do neuer vse other steeds. And when the king of Tumbuto would haue any matter of importance to bee signified to the merchants of Numidia with speed, he sendeth a Poste vpon one of his Camels, who runneth from Tombuto to Darha, or Segelmessa in the space of seuen or eight dayes, which are about foure hundred and fiftie French miles: beeing a countrey full of deserts, so that the way is very hard to find out, but by the very direction of the Camell it selfe. When these beastes are lustie, which lasteth for fortie dayes together with them, they waxe verie fierce and outragious, and will remember the least blow that their masters shall strike them

with a sticke; so that if they may fasten their teeth vpon any of them, they will lift them vp into the aire, then cast them down again, & murther thē with their forefeet, in terrible and grieuous manner: but that time being passed, they become gentle and tractable, as before. They neuer drinke but from fiue daies to fiue daies, and sometimes they stay nine, or fi∣teene dayes; whether it be by custome, or that this beast is dry, or else that Nature hath so well prouided that this creature which liueth in deserts, should haue no neede to drinke oftentimes in those places, where water is seldome found. He daunceth at the sound of the trumpet, and seemeth to reioyce at musicke, refreshing himselfe, and taking new courage, then, when (being tyred with a tedious iourney) his guide beginneth to sing some merry * 1.5 song: and some also haue bin seene to dance at the sound of a tabor, as the Author of the de∣scription of Africa doth testifie.

Now speake we of the Rhinoceros (which is named by some the Bull of India) beeing * 1.6 admirable amongst other beasts. For he is almost as bigge as the Elephant, his thighes are bigger, of the colour of wood, being all naturally armed with shels, which hee beareth like bucklers. He hath in the vppermost part of his forehead an horne for the length of a span or more, very hard, strong, straight, and very sharpe, which turneth towards the forehead, and when he will fight he whetteth it. And there are some also which haue another little horne vpon the skinne of their backe, which is so hard and difficult to penetrate, that no arrow how sharp soeuer it be, can pierce it thorough. And therefore the Indians arme them∣selues with their skinnes, as wee doe with harneis and murrions, and couer their horses with it, as we doe ours with barbs and armour. This beast hath continuall warre with the Elephant, and is his great enemy, fighting chiefly with him, yea and with all other beastes, when the female bringeth foorth her young ones: of which the male is so carefull, that nothing dare come nigh him, but he will wreake his furie thereon. And hee remaineth for the most part victorious ouer the Elephant, if hee can picke him vnder the belly, as beeing the softest place of all his body. For when the Rhinoceros doth strike him there, he giueth him so deepe a wound, that the Elephant can hardly scape death. And he hath this wit na∣turally, that when hee will prepare himselfe to fight, hee whetteth his horne against some rocke, which horne the Indians vse in many things, and especially against all poison: so that being bitten or stung by any serpent, or other venemous beast, they their haue recourse to this horne. Whereupon the authour of the vniuersall Cosmographie taketh occasion to suppose, that that which is attributed to the Vnicorne, is the propertie of the Rhinoceros, * 1.7 and that the pieces which are shewed vnder the name of Vnicornes horne, are of the horne of this Indie beast: considering that there are as many such Vnicornes, as Plinie, Solinus, and Munster write of, as there be Phenixes or Griffons. But omitting such disputations, let vs consider vpon other excellent beastes, the discourse whereof (ASER) I referre to you.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of the Ele∣phant.
• * 1.2

  Lib 3.
• * 1.3

  Hist. nat. lib. 8
• * 1.4

  Of the Cam∣mell.
• * 1.5

  Lib. 9.
• * 1.6

  Of the Rhi∣noceros.
• * 1.7

  Theu. lib. 11.