and obeys, without the use of bridle or spur.  But when fire is thrown at them, they are wonderfully afraid and run away, on which occasions it is impossible to stop them; on which account the Indians have many curious devices of fire-works to frighten the elephants, and make them run away.  I saw an instance of the extraordinary strength of these animals while at Cananore, where some Mahometans endeavoured to draw a ship on the land, stem foremost, upon three rollers, on which occasion three elephant, commodiously applied, drew with great force, and bending their heads down to the ground, brought the ship on the land.  Many have believed that elephants have no joints in their legs, which therefore they could not bend; but this notion is utterly false, as they have joints like other beasts, but lower down on their legs.  The female elephants are fiercer than the males, and much stronger for carrying burdens.  Sometimes they are seized by a kind of fury or madness, on which occasions they run about in a disorderly manner.  One elephant exceeds the size of three buffaloes, to which latter animals their hair has some resemblance.  Their eyes resemble those of swine.  Their snout or trunk is very long, and by means of it they convey food and drink to their mouths, so that the trunk may be called the hand of the elephant.  The mouth is under the trunk, and is much like the mouth of a sow.  The trunk is hollow, and so flexible, that the animal can use it to lay hold of sticks, and wield them with it as we do with the hand.  I once saw the trunk of a tree overthrown by one elephant, which 24 men had in vain attempted.  It has two great teeth or tusks in the upper jaw.  Their ears are very broad, above two spans even on the smallest elephants.  Their feet are round and as broad as the wooden trenchers which are in ordinary use, and each foot has five round hoofs like large oyster shells.  The tail is about four spans long, like that of a buffaloe, and is very thin of hair.  Elephants are of various sizes, some 18 spans or 14 spans high, and some have been seen as high as 16 spans; but the females are larger than the males of the same age.  Their gait is slow and wallowing, so that those who are not used to ride upon them are apt to become sick, as if they were at sea; but it is pleasant to ride a young elephant, as their pace is soft and gentle like an ambling mule.  On mounting them, they stoop and bend their knee to assist the rider to get up; but their keepers use no bridles or halters to guide them.  When they engender they retire into the most secret recesses of the woods, from natural modesty, though some pretend that they copulate backwards.