danger of drowning, although in reality they are merely gamboling in the
element which is their delight. I have seen them cross the Brahmaputra
when the channel was about a mile in width. Forty elephants scrambled
down the precipitous bank of alluvial deposit and river sand: this,
although about thirty-five feet high, crumbled at once beneath the
fore-foot of the leading elephant, and many tons detached from the
surface quickly formed a steep incline. Squatting upon its
hind-quarters, and tucking its hinder knees beneath its belly, while it
supported its head upon its trunk and outstretched fore legs, it slid
and scrambled to the bottom, accompanied by an avalanche of earth and
dust, thus forming a good track for the following herd.

It is surprising to see in how few minutes a large herd of elephants
descending a steep place will form a road. I have frequently seen them
break down an alluvial cliff in the manner described, where at first
sight I should have thought it impossible for an elephant to descend.
Once within the river the fun began in earnest. After a march in the hot
sun, it was delightful to bathe in the deep stream of the Brahmaputra,
and the mighty forms splashed and disported themselves, sometimes
totally submerged, with the drivers standing ankle-deep upon their
hidden backs, which gave them the appearance of walking upon the
surface. A tip of the trunk was always above water, and occasionally the
animal would protrude the entire head, but only to plunge once more
beneath the stream. In this way, swimming at great speed, and at the
same time playing along their voyage, the herd crossed the broad river,
and we saw their dusky forms glittering in the sunlight as they rose
wetted from their bath, and waded majestically along the shallows to
reach an island; from which they again started upon a similar journey to
cross another channel of the river.