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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[AUGUST, 1877.
gives access to the enclosure. Into this en-| the wild ones and the tame ones together neck closure are introduced three or four of the best- to neck with thongs of raw ox-hide. To pretrained female elephants. The men themselves vent them shaking themselves in order to throw lie in ambush in concealed huts. The wild off those who attempt to mount them, they make elephants do not approach this trap in the day- cuts all round their neck and then put thongs time, but they enter it at night, going in one of leather into the incisions, so that the pain by one. When all have passed the entrance, obliges them to submit to their fetters and to the men secretly close it up; then, introducing remain quiet. From the number caught they the strongest of the tame fighting elephants, reject such as are too old or too young to be they fight it out with the wild ones, whom at serviceable, and the rest they lead away to the the same time they enfeeble with hunger. stables. Here they tie their feet one to another, When the latter are now overcome with fa- and fasten their necks to a firmly fixed pillar, tigue, the boldest of the drivers dismount un- and tame them by hunger. After this they observed, and each man creeps under his own restore their strength with green reeds and elephant, and from this position creeps under grass. They next teach them to be obedient, the belly of the wild elephant and ties his which they effect by soothing them, some by feet together. When this is done they incite coaxing words, and others by songs and the the tame ones to beat those whose feet are tied music of the drum. 1 Few of them are found till they fall to the ground. They then bind difficult to tame, for they are naturally so inild
prey approaches and enters the enclosure. They when first a fierce assault is made by the tame next station some three or four of their best- elephants upon those caught in the trap, and trained she-elephants within the trap, to which then, as might be expected, the wild elephants, they leave only a single passage by means of a through loss of spirit and faintness from hunger, bridge thrown across the trench, the framework are overpowered. On this the hunters, dismountof which they cover over with earth and a great ing from their elephants, bind with fetters the quantity of straw, to conceal the bridge as much feet of the wild ones, now by this time quite as possible from the wild animals, which might exhausted. Then they instigate the tame ones to else suspect treachery. The hunters then go out beat them with repeated blows, until their sufferof the way, retiring to the cells which they had ings wear them out, and they fall to the ground. made in the earthen wall. Now the wild elephants * The hunters meanwhile, standing near them, slip do not go near inhabited places in the day-time, nooges over their necks and mount them while yet but during the night they wander about avery- lying on the ground; and, to prevent them shak.. where, and feed in herds, following as leader the ing off their riders, or doing mischief otherwise, one who is biggest and boldest, just as cows follow make with a sharp knife an incision all round the bulls. As soon, then, as they approach the their neck, and fasten the noose round in the enclosure, and hear the cry and catch soent
| incision. By means of the wound thus made they of the females, they rush at full speed in the keep their head and neck quite steady; for if they direction of the fenced ground, and being sr. become restive and turn round, the wound is rested by the trench move round its edge until galled by the action of the rope. They shun, they fall in with the bridge, along which they therefore, all violent movements, and, knowing force their way into the enclosure. The hunt. that they have been vanquished, suffer themselves ers meanwhile, perceiving the entrance of the to be led in fetters by the tame ones. wild elephants, hasten, some of them, to take XIV. But such as are too young, or through the away the bridge, while others, running off to the weakness of their constitution not worth keeping, nearest villages, announce that the elephants are their captors allow to escape to their old haunts; within the trap. The villagers, on hearing the while those which are retained they lead to the news, mount their most spirited and best-trained villages, where they give them at first green stalks elephants, and as soon as mounted ride off to the of corn and grass to eat. 10 The creatures, however, trap; but though they ride up to it they do not having lost all spirit, have no wish to eat; but the immediately engage in a conflict with the wild Indians, standing round them in a circle, soothe and elephants, but wait till these are sorely pinched by cheer them by chanting songs to the accompaniment hunger and tamed by thirst. When they think of the music of drums and cymbals, for the eletheir strength has been enough weakened, they phant is of all brutes the most intelligent. Some of set up the bridge anew and ride into the trap, I them, for instance, have taken up their riders when
