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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 September 2009
The existence of perfectly white elephants has been called in question by many; and it was long supposed that the kings of Siam imposed on the credulity of foreigners, and that the light colour of the elephant was artificial. No doubt can now remain respecting the existence of this deviation from the common course of nature. In the stables of the king of Siam there are elephants, the colour of which, although not pure white, is yet sufficiently light-coloured to admit of the appellation they have received being with propriety bestowed upon them. Strangers at Siam are taken to see these elephants, and no mystery is made respecting them.
page 185 note * Mr. Crawford, in his Mission to Siam, describes having seen six of these in the king's stables, a larger number than were ever before collected there. “They approached much nearer to a true white colour than I had expected; they had indeed all of them more or less of a flesh-coloured tinge, but this arose from the exposure of the skin, owing: to the small quantity of hair with which the elephant is naturally covered. They showed no signs of disease, debility, or imperfection; they were of the ordinary stature.” P. 96. “The rareness of the white elephant is no doubt the origin of the consideration in which it is held.” P. 97. They have also a white monkey.
page 186 note * Mr. Kendall, in the 87th No. of the Asiatic Journal, in treating of the true history of the wild sheep, has made some remarks which may be applied to this subject. He observes, that in every species of animal of which the usual colour is not white, nature occasionally presents us with white specimens; thus we have white oxen, white deer, white ravens, and white sparrows, &c.; and even amongst the human species Albinos and white negroes.
This occasional whiteness produced in a state of nature is the result of a faulty constitution of the individual animal.
In so far as respects the white buffalo, we cannot apply Mr. Kendall's remarks, but they may with propriety be considered applicable to the white elephant, until facts shall be adduced to establish it as a distinct species.
page 187 note * M. De la Loubere has only casually alluded to the white elephant, by observing that the king never rides upon it, because its rank is equal to his own. Kœmpfer makes no mention of the white elephant.
Phra Sowat, a king of Ulum pancha, dreamed that a flower of the lotus fell into his hand. Next day the soothsayer told him that he must go to a distant forest to search for a princess called Prat‚hom. He set off on a flying Pegasus, and met with the princess; and was married to her by a-Rishi, her father. The happy couple were next day walking in the forest, when a P‚hràn or bowman (huntsman) of the Raja killed Phka Sowat, and carried off his wife. The Rishi found the body, which he restored to life, by anointing it with holy oil. The Raja then went in quest of his wiffe, carrying with him some of the oil. He found a white elephant which had just been killed in a rencontre with, a black one: and anointing the body restored it to life; and it then obtained the victory, and regained its attendants from the black one. The Raja then mounted the white elephant, and proceeded to the temple Wiman nam krot.
According to Maurice, armies of elephants (or men riding on elephants) mark the progress of Crìshna through the Thebaid and Ethiopia. And from the late Colonel Wilford's learned Essays we find, that a river of Sanka Dwìpa (supposed by him to mean Egypt) flowed from the temples of a huge white elephant. Crishna slew him after a combat of six days, and a beautiful Yaksha sprung from the decapitated trunk.
page 188 note * Sir W. Jones describes the eight gods, who guard the eight quarters of the world, as borne on elephants. The elephant's head, or mouth, gives birth to one of the great rivers of Hindustan.
In the Asiatic Researches also, we find it stated that Viswa D‚hanva, son of Kamadeva, saw in the Himala a white elephant of great size, having four tusks, which he chased to the burning sands of Barbara, and there slew; when a beautiful youth sprung from the mangled body, after having first assumed the appearance of a gigantic Racshasa. (Vide Asiatic Researches, vol. iii.)Google Scholar
page 188 note † Key to Hindoo Chronology.