Embassy to Tamerlane, 1403-1406 / translated from the Spanish by Guy Le Strange with an introduction.
- Ruy González de Clavijo
- Date:
- [1928]
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Embassy to Tamerlane, 1403-1406 / translated from the Spanish by Guy Le Strange with an introduction. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![S A MPA R Q’A N D armed, for so too is the case with the elephant as we have explained. His attack is by a series of jumps, not unlike the way a bear would advance, and next using the sword-blades with which his tusks are armed he gives at each ¿tep a blow, raising his head to throw it back, and the blows are aimed at any who oppose him. When in the fight his master would urge him on to greater rage, he álrikes the beaát on the head in front, wounding him there with the point of the goad: and as the elephant feels this wound he gives forth a loud grunt, like a pig’s grunt and opening his mouth rushes on goaded by his master. This wound that has been given that day the same night will entirely be healed over, if the animal be left out in the open, but should they put him under the cover of a roof he will forthwith incontinently die of it. His master who rides him will easily make the elephant pick up for him any objebf off the ground, and this no matter how heavy it be: and to do this he uncurls his trunk, puts it down, picks up what is indicated and turning the trunk back gives it to those who are in the caálle on his back. When the men who ride in this caátle [or howdah] wish to alight they order the elephant to kneel: this he does by átretching the hind legs back and the front legs forward, lowering himself till his belly reáts on the ground: the men in the caátle can now come down by slipping over the hind quarters, holding on by ropes attached to the sides of the caátle. On the day of which we are speaking they made the elephants perform many tricks. Thus at one time they made them race againát horses, and then they ran pursuing the folk in the crowds assembled round and about. When all the elephants together charged abreaál, it seemed as though the solid earth itself shook at their onrush. Indeed there is no animal or horse¬ man or man that can withstand their charge. For what I saw I deem it that in battle every elephant may](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b31354932_0297.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
