Returning to the subject of the intelligence of the elephant, Mr. Grahani read the following from the pen of an American traveler in Burmah, who tells how the elephant was employed in building a telegraph line:
“First a track was made by felling all timber and clearing off any undergrowth, etc., to about twenty feet in width, hundreds of men being employed. Such trees as were suitable in length and otherwise same distance apart as the one he had measured. The man then lay down under a tree and went to sleep. In the meantime the noble animal took up each piece of timber, and carried it to its proper place in the line. I felt so interested that I stayed to witness the whole proceeding. I measured the distance by pacing and found them all to be equal in length and correctly placed like the first one. The beast then went to his mahout and gently touched him with the tip of his trunk and awoke him, as much as to say, 'All is finished, master, according to your orders.' The mahout awoke, mounted the elephant, and went forward to continue the line in the same easy and agreeable manner.”
The same writer says:—
“The young elephants are made pets of and not allowed to work until fully grown. That they are not deficient in understanding, even at an early age, the following anecdote will prove:—The commissioner at Shweygheen had a young elephant, quite a baby, given him by a Burmese gentleman, and the lively intelligent beast afforded much amusement to his owner and all who knew him.