6 An Account of the 



make nocturnal excurfions into the plains in feareh of food, 

 and where they often deftroy the labours of the hufband- 

 man, by devouring and trampling down the rice, fugar 

 canes, &c. that they meet with. A herd or drove of ele- 

 phants, from what I can learn, has never been feen to leave 

 the woods : Tome of the largeft males often ftray to a confi- 

 derable diftance ; but the young ones always remain in the 

 foreft under the protection of the Palmai, or leader of the herd, 

 and of the larger elephants. The Goondahs, or large males, 

 come out fingly, or in fmall parties, fometimes in the morn- 

 ing, but commonly in the evening ; and they continue to 

 feed all night upon the long grafs, that grows amidft the 

 fwamps and marflies, and of which they are extremely 

 fond. As often, however, as they have an opportunity, they 

 commit depredations on the rice fields, fugar eanes, and 

 plantain trees that arc ne3r, which oblige the farmers to 

 keep regular watch, under a fmall cover, erected on the tops 

 of a few long bamboos, about 14 feet from the ground : and 

 this precaution is neceffary to protect them from the tigers, 

 with which this province abounds. From this lofty ftation, 

 the alarm is foon communicated from one watchman to 

 another, and to the neighbouring villages, by means of a 

 rattle with which each is provided. With their ihouts and 

 cries, and noife of the rattles, the elephants are generally 

 feared and retire. It fometimes, however, happens, that the 

 males advance even to the villages, overturn the houfes, and 

 kill thofe who unfortunately come in their way, unlefs they 

 have had time to light a number of fires : this element 

 feems to be the moft dreaded by wild elephants, and a few 

 lighted wifps of llraw or dried grafs feldom fail to flop 

 their progreis. To fecure one of the males, a very different 

 method is employed from that which is taken to fecure a 

 herd : the former is taken by Koomkees, or female ele- 

 phants trained for the purpofe, whereas the latter is driven 

 into a ftrong enclofure called a Keddah, 



As 



