appear to be any means that could be adopted to get the animal out by
main force, without the risk of injuring him. There were many feet of
water below the elephant, who floated with ease on its surface, and,
experiencing considerable pleasure from his cool retreat, he evinced but
little inclination even to exert what means of escape he might himself
possess.

"A vast number of fascines (bundles of wood) had been employed by the
army in conducting the siege; and at length it occurred to the
elephant-keeper, that a sufficient number of these might be lowered into
the well, on which the animal might be raised to the top, if it could be
instructed as to the necessary means of laying them in regular
succession under its feet. Permission having accordingly been obtained
from the engineers to use the fascines, the keeper had to teach the
elephant the lesson, which, by means of that extraordinary ascendency
these men attain over their charge, joined with the intellectual
resources of the animal itself, he was soon enabled to do; and the
elephant began quickly to place each fascine, as it was lowered,
successively under him, until, in a little time, he was enabled to stand
upon them. By this time, however, the cunning brute, enjoying the
pleasure of his situation, after the heat and partial privation of water
to which he had been lately exposed, was unwilling to work any longer;
and all the threats of his keeper could not induce him to place another
fascine. The man then opposed cunning to cunning, and began to caress
and praise the elephant; and what he could not effect by threats he was
enabled to do by the repeated promise of plenty of arrack, a spirituous
beverage composed of rum, of which the elephant is very fond. Incited by
this, the animal again set to work, raised himself considerably higher,
until, by a partial removal of the masonry round the top of the well, he
was enabled to step out, after having been in the water about fourteen