It Is True, However, Here, That Though The Trappings
Are Mean And Almost Savage, A Man's Importance Is Estimated By The
Number Of His Elephants.
When the pack was adjusted, the mahout jumped
on the back, and giving me his hands hauled me up over the head, after
which the creature rose gently from the ground, and we went on our
journey.
But the ride was "a fearful joy," _if_ a joy at all! Soon the driver
jumped off for a gossip and a smoke, leaving the elephant to "gang his
ain gates" for a mile or more, and he turned into the jungle, where he
began to rend and tear the trees, and then going to a mud-hole, he drew
all the water out of it, squirted it with a loud noise over himself and
his riders, soaking my clothes with it, and when he turned back to the
road again, he several times stopped and seemed to stand on his head by
stiffening his proboscis and leaning upon it, and when I hit him with
my umbrella he uttered the loudest roar I ever heard. My Malay fellow-
rider jumped off and ran back for the driver, on which the panniers
came altogether down on my side, and I hung on with difficulty,
wondering what other possible contingencies could occur, always
expecting that the beast, which was flourishing his proboscis, would
lift me off with it and deposit me in a mud-hole.
On the driver's return I had to dismount again, and this time the
elephant was allowed to go and take a proper bath in a river.
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