il go
before him, and bring him into the plaine way. Ioyned in battel, they haue
no small respect vnto them that be wounded: for they bring them that are
hurt or weary into the middle of the army to be defended: they are made
tame by drinking the iuise of barley. [Sidenote: Debate between the
Elephant and the Dragon.] They haue continual warre against Dragons, which
desire their blood, because it is very cold: and therefore the Dragon lying
awaite as the Elephant passeth by, windeth his taile (being of exceeding
length) about the hinder legs of the Elephant, and so staying him,
thrusteth his head into his tronke and exhausteth his breath, or else
biteth him in the eare, whereunto he cannot reach with his tronke, and when
the Elephant waxeth faint, he falleth downe on the serpent, being now full
of blood, and with the poise of his body breaketh him: so that his owne
blood with the blood of the Elephant runneth out of him mingled together,
which being colde, is congealed into that substance which the Apothecaries
call Sanguis Draconis, (that is) Dragons blood, otherwise called
Cinnabaris, although there be an other kinde of Cinnabaris, commonly called
Cinoper or Vermilion, which the Painters vse in certaine colours.

[Sidenote: Three kinds of Elephants.] They are also of three kinds, as of
the Marshes, the plaines, and the mountaines, no lesse differing in
conditions. Philostratus writeth, that as much as the Elephant of Libya in
bignes passeth the horse of Nysea, so much doe the Elephants of India
exceed them of Libya: for the Elephants of India, some haue bene seene of
the height of nine cubits: the other do so greatly feare these, that they
dare not abide the sight of them. Of the Indian Elephants onely the males
haue tuskes, but of them of Ethiopia and Libya both kindes are tusked: they
are of diuers heights, as of twelue, thirteene, and fourteene dodrants,
euery dodrant being a measure of nine inches. Some write that an Elephant
is bigger then three wilde Oxen or Buffes. They of India are black, or of
the colour of a mouse, but they of Ethiope or Guinea are browne: the hide
or skinne of them all is very hard, and without haire or bristles: their
eares are two dodrants broad, and their eyes very litle. Our men saw one
drinking at a riuer in Guinea, as they sailed into the land.

Of other properties and conditions of the Elephant, as of their marueilous
docilitie, of their fight and vse in the warres, of their generatio