MODE OF SECURING ELEPHANTS. 73 



this purpose one man is taken from each picket of the original circle on the 

 morning of the day when the drive is to take place, and a smaller interior 

 circle is formed by commencing at the ends of the guiding wings of the 

 kheddah and posting the men until the elephants are again surrounded. 

 They are then driven forward towards the kheddah, and when near it the 

 men close in from all sides with shouts and shots, and the elephants gen- 

 erally enter the trap without hesitation. Should they suspect danger, how- 

 ever, and refuse to proceed, or break back through the beaters, fatal accidents 

 are not uncommon. 



After the elephants have been impounded in the kheddah, the tame 

 elephants are admitted with their mahouts upon the neck of each, and a 

 rope-tier seated behind. It is a remarkable circumstance that the wild ones 

 very seldom attempt to dislodge the riders, though they might do so with 

 ease. I never knew of a case (except one which happened to myself) of 

 a rider being attacked by any of them. The duty of the tame elephants 

 is to secure the wild ones by separating them one by one from their com- 

 panions, when their hind-legs are tied together by the men, who slip to the 

 ground for the purpose. A rope is then secured round each captive's 

 neck and another to one hind-leg, and they are led out and picketed in 

 the forest near, until they have been sufficiently subjugated to be removed. 

 Further details will be found in the account of capturing elephants in Mysore. 



HUNTING WITH TRAINED FEMALES. 



The largest male elephants are seldom caught with the herd by the 

 kheddah plan, from their habit of frequently absenting themselves from their 

 companions, or making their escape out of the circle of men by their greater 

 boldness. They are the most valuable animals, and are usually caught in 

 the following manner, or some modification of it : — 



Four or five steady females, ridden by their mahouts, who partly 

 conceal themselves with a dark- coloured blanket as they lie on their 

 elephants' necks,* are taken to the jungle where the single male is 

 known to be, and are allowed to graze as though they were wild ones, and 

 to gradually approach the male if he does not himself take the initiative. 

 Some wild males make off at once, probably scenting the men on the 

 elephants' necks, but many do not appear to notice them. When the male 



* The term "decoy" is entirely misapplied to trained elephants used for catching wild ones, 

 as they act at the command of their riders, and use no arts to divert the male's attention, as has 

 heen asserted. 



