Method of Catching Wild Elephants. 135 



palifade is made of very ftrong ftakes funk into the earth on 

 the outfide of the ditch, and ftrengthencd by crofs bars and 

 buttrefTes as already mentioned. 



When the herd has continued a few davs in the Keddah, 

 the door of the Roomee is opened, into which fome one of 

 the elephants is enticed to enter, by having food thrown 

 firft before, and then gradually further on into the'paiTage, 

 till the elephant has advanced far enough to admit of the 

 gate's being {hut. Above this wicker-gate, or door, two men 

 are Rationed on a fmail fcaffold, who throw down the food. 

 When the elephant has palled bevond the door, they give 

 the fignal to a man who from without (huts it by pulling a 

 firing, and they i'ecure it by throwing two bars that flood 

 perpendicular on each fide, the one acrofs the other thus X, 

 forming the figure of St. Andrew's Crofs ; and then two 

 fimilar bars are thrown acrofs each other behind the door 

 next to the Keddah, fo that the door is in the centre : for 

 farther fecurity, horizontal bars are pufhed acrofs the 

 Roomee, through the openings of the palifades, both before 

 dnd behind thofe croffes, to prevent the potfibility of the , 

 door's being broken. The Roomee is fo narrow that a large 

 elephant cannot turn in it; but as foon as he hears the noife 

 that is made in (hutting the gate, he retreats backwards, 

 and endeavours to force it : being now fecured in the man- 

 ner already noticed, his efforts are unavailing. Finding his 

 retreat thus cut off, he advances and exerts his utmoft force 

 to break down the bars, which were previously put acrofs 

 a little farther on in the outlet, by running againft them, 

 fcreaming and roaring, and battering them, like a ram, by 

 repeated blows of his head, retreating and advancing with 

 the iitmoft fury. In his rage he riles and leaps upon the 

 bars with his fore-feet, and ftrives to break'them down with 

 his huge weight. In February 1788 a large female elephant 

 dropt down dead in the Roomee, from the violent cxe; 

 flie made. When the elephant is fomewhat fatigued by 

 K 4 



