Happily, however, for Mr Fogg, the animal's instruction in this direction had not gone…

Happily, however, for Mr Fogg, the animal's instruction in this direction had not gone far, and the elephant still preserved its natural gentleness. Kiouni – this was the name of the elephant – could doubtless travel rapidly for a long time.

The phrase "preserved its natural gentleness" indicates that the elephant is .......... .