military history of elephants from the most
remote times to the introduction of fire-arms.
It is by the Chevalier Armandi, formerly a
colonel of artillery under Napoleon. From
this book, and from an article that appeared
in a number of the "Foreign and Colonial
Quarterly" for 1843, we have derived much
information and amusement on the employment
of elephants in the magnificent scenes
of Oriental warfare in remote periods.

The earliest account, which may be considered
worthy to be regarded as history, of
the employment of elephants as part of an
army, is that which is given of the battle of
Arbela (331 B.C.), when Darius ranged fifteen
of them in front of the centre of his grand
line. He does not appear to have done much
with them, as nothing is said on the point.
They fell into the hands of the conqueror,
Alexander, to whom a present was made of
twelve more; but this great general was too
wise to make use of them in his battle against
Porus, as he had already perceived that they
might prove very dangerous allies, if driven
back mad with wounds and terror among the
"serried ranks." Very soon, however, they
were put to use, systematically; and
gradually, by regular training, became very
formidable. There were few wars in which the
Romans were engaged, during the three
hundred years that intervened between the time
of Alexander the Great and Cæsar, in which
these animals were not employed. Notwithstanding
their military education, however,
it must be admitted that the best fighting
elephants not unfrequently caused their
masters to lose the day, by their insubordinate
and disorderly conduct. Some of their
exercises were very curious, and often equally
laughable. Scipio, having received some
trained elephants from Juba, found they were
not yet sufficiently to be relied upon; he
therefore devised the following new exercise
for them:—Ranging them in a single line, he
placed opposite to them a troop of slingers,
who, on a sudden, threw stones at them,
amidst cries and shouts. The elephants
soon wheeled about, and were in the act of
retreating, when they were suddenly met
from behind by another body of slingers, who
uttered shouts twice as loud—cries doubly
piercing—and who cast rough sharp stones,
of five times the weight of the former; thus
teaching the elephants that it was far more
dangerous to run away than to advance to
the attack.

It was thought that the colour of scarlet
had an effect upon the imagination of an
elephant, and made him fierce; for this
reason, and also to render him a more terrific
object in battle, they often painted the insides
of his great ears scarlet—though sometimes
blue, or white; and, as it is his habit, when
enraged, to raise his ears and flap them up
and down, there is no doubt but his sudden
appearance among a group, in the confusion
of a battle, must have had rather a striking
effect; more particularly if he was drunk, to
produce which stimulating drugs were
frequently administered before he went into
action. This latter preparation is very poetically
rendered, not to say a little disguised by
the elegance of the wording, in Maccabees,
chapter vi., verse 34:—"And to the end that
they might provoke the elephants to fight,
they showed them the blood of grapes and
mulberries."

Colonel Miles, "a learned soldier from the
East," who was present at the conversazione,
assured the company that it was a common
thing to make the animals mad drunk by
wine, and also by drugs.

Of the tower which was fixed upon the
back of the elephant, and filled with armed
men, our impressions are chiefly derived from
ancient medals and coins, pictures, bas-reliefs,
and the writings of poets; but the very form
of these towers appears to be involved in some
doubt, and historians differ widely as to the
number of men they contained. In the book
of Maccabees it is said—  "And upon the
beasts there were strong towers of wood,
which covered every one of them, and were
girt fast unto them with devices; there were
also upon every one, two-and-thirty strong
men, that fought upon them, beside the Indian
that ruled him." Surely there must be a
mistake here in the numbers, as they would
have no room to move a limb. We have seen
old prints, in which the tower was absolutely
crowded with about a dozen archers and
spearmen, proving thereby the utter
impracticability of such a number having been
employed. According to Heliodorus, the
number was six; while Livy says there
were only four soldiers, beside the man
who acted as conductor; and in the authenticity
of this latter number Bibi Sahibeh
coincides. Livy is the man for her. Of
course it was a prime object with the enemy
to "pick off" the conductor. In these cases,
the elephant was very apt to run wild, not
choosing to be ordered about, under
unpleasant circumstances, by a stranger.

The ancient armour of an elephant, in other
respects, is highly interesting—a strange mixture
of the terrible and grotesque. He was
often half cased with plates of metal, and wore
a large breastplate, which was furnished with
long sharp spikes, to render his charge into
the ranks of the enemy more devastating; his
tusks were fitted—in fact, elongated—with
strong points of steel. Plumes of feathers,
small flags, and bells, were also affixed to
him. This much we gather from medals,
which were struck by Cæsar to commemorate
his victory at Thapsus, and also from
medals of the Julian family. Besides this
equally protective and aggressive armour,
some of the most sagacious and skilful of the
fighting elephants were taught the use of the
sword, and the handles being made suitable
to the grasp of the trunk, they wielded enormous
scymetars with extraordinary address,