46 THE ELEPHANT. 



water, which is supplied by a small stream, either natural or 

 conducted through an artificial channel from some neighbour- 

 ing reservoir. The elephants have recourse to this water to 

 quench their thirst and cool themselves, after their fatigues, by- 

 sucking the water into their trunks, and then squirting it 

 over every part of their bodies. While they remain in this 

 inclosure they continue sulky, and seem to meditate their 

 escape ; but the hunters build huts and form an encampment 

 as it were around them close to the palisade ; watchmen are 

 placed, and every precaution used to prevent their breaking 

 through. This they would soon effect if left to themselves, 

 notwithstanding the palisade is made of very strong stakes 

 stuck into the earth on the outside of the ditch, and strength- 

 ened by cross bars and buttresses, as already mentioned." 

 In this inclosure they are kept confined for a few days ; after 

 which they are enticed one by one into a passage leading from 

 the keddah, too narrow for them to turn round in, and from 

 which retreat or advance is prevented. When a large elephant 

 finds himself inclosed in this place, he advances and exerts his 

 utmost force to break down the bars, which were previously 

 put across a little further on in the outlet, by running against 

 them, screaming and roaring, and battering them like a ram, 

 by repeated blows of his head, retreating and advancing with 

 the utmost fury. In his rage, he rises and leaps upon the 

 bars with his fore feet, and strives to break them down with 

 his huge weight. When the elephant is somewhat fatigued 

 by these exertions, he is bound in nearly the same manner 

 as the elephant captured singly by means of the decoy fe- 

 males ; and is afterwards led away and treated in a similar 

 manner. 



It is a remarkable fact that the elephant, notwithstanding 

 its boasted sagacity and power of memory, will suffer itself 

 to be a second time driven into the keddah, after having re- 

 gained its liberty, though it has lived only for eighteen months 

 wild in the woods. Mr. Corse relates an instance of this 

 kind, where a runaway male in a surrounded herd, instead of 

 taking alarm as might have been expected on the first shout 

 of the hunters, and setting the example to its inexperienced 

 companions of breaking through the line, suffered itself to be 

 driven from circle to circle to the last fatal inclosure, where, 

 notwithstanding he at first appeared equally wild and fierce 

 with the rest, yet the moment he was addressed in a com- 

 manding tone the recollection of his former obedience seemed 

 to rush upon him at once, and without any difficulty he per- 

 mitted a driver to be seated on his neck, who in a few days 

 made him as tractable as ever. 



The difference of disposition in the captured elephants is so 



