PROFITS OF THE CAPTURE. 119 



elephant was made fast, and said a few complimentary words upon their 

 activity. I have always found that, in rewarding natives for any service, 

 the value of a present is greatly enhanced by its being given on the spot 

 in presence of their fellows : and the Canarese proverb, " Though the hand 

 be full of money, there should be sweet words in the mouth," should not 

 be forgotten ; a few pleasant words go well with rupees. 



The captured herd consisted of sixteen male elephants of different 

 sizes, of which three were large tuskers — the highest was 8 feet 5 inches 

 at the shoulder — and three w.uchnas, or tuskless males ; thirty females,** 

 full or half grown ; and nine calves. Of the largest elephants nine were 

 allotted, after careful selection, for the Maharajah's stud, ten to the Madras 

 Commissariat Department, nine died, chiefly young ones, and twenty-five 

 of the least valuable were sold by public auction at Chamraj -Nuggar three 

 months after capture, when most of them were tame enough to be ridden 

 away. These latter brought an average price of £83, 8s. each, or an 

 aggregate of £2085; and the total realised for the fifty-four (deducting 

 deaths) was £3754, which, after deducting £1556, the total expenditure 

 from the commencement of operations in 1873, left a surplus to Govern- 

 ment of £2199. The elephants drafted into the Maharajah's and Com- 

 missariat establishments were the most valuable animals, but were only 

 credited to the Kheddah Department (by the orders of the Chief Com- 

 missioner) at the same price as the second and third rate animals sold for 

 at auction — viz., £83, 8s. each. At least £100 per head more might have 

 been added, when the surplus receipts would have been £4099. 



The Chief Commissioner complimented me on the performance of my 

 task in an order on the subject as follows : " The success that has attended 

 Mr Sanderson's skilful and energetic arrangements in this matter is in the 

 highest degree creditable to that gentleman, and the Chief Commissioner 

 cordially congratulates him thereon, and will have much pleasure in bringing 

 his excellent services in organising and carrying the same out to the favour- 

 able notice of the Government of India." The experiment having succeeded 

 so well, the scheme was sanctioned for a further extended term, and the 

 officiating Under-Secretary to the Government of India addressed the Chief 

 Commissioner of Mysore as follows : " I am directed to state that his Ex- 

 cellency the Viceroy and Governor-General in Council is pleased to sanction 

 the grant to Mr Sanderson of a bonus of £200, in acknowledgment of the 

 skill and personal daring displayed by him." 



Not long after this, I was deputed to Bengal on temporary duty for ele 

 ph ant-catching, leaving the work in Mysore in abeyance for some time, though 



* This includes the female shot in the enclosure on the dny of the drive. 



