Method of Catching Wild Elephants. Jtf 



were faftened round his neck, are brought forward to the 

 end of the Roomee, where two female elephants are wait- 

 ing ; and to them thefe cables are made faft. When every 

 thing is ready, the door at the end of the outlet is opened^ 

 the ciofs bars are removed, and the paffage left clear. The 

 ropes that tied his legs to the palifades are loofened, and, 

 if he does not advance readily, they goad him with long 

 poles {harpened at the ends or pointed with iron, and urge 

 him on with their nolle and din, and at the fame time the 

 females pull him gently forward: as foon as he has cleared 

 the Roomee, his conductors feparate; fo that if he attempts 

 to go to one fide, he is prevented by the elephant that pulls 

 in the oppofite direction, and vice verja. The Bundahs 

 which tie his hind legs, though but loofely, yet prevent his 

 going faft ; and, thus fituated, he is conducted like an en- 

 raged bull, that has a cord faftened to his horns on each 

 fide, fo that he cannot turn either to the right or left to 

 avenge himfclf. In like manner is this noble animal led to 

 the next tree, as the Goondahs before mentioned were. 

 Sometimes he becomes obftinate, and will not advance ; in 

 which cafe, while one of his conductors draws him for- 

 ward, the other comes behind and pufhes him on : fhould 

 he lie down, (lie puts her fnout under and raifes him up, 

 jupporting him on her knee, and with her head pufhing him 

 forward with all her ftrength; the hunters likewife affift by- 

 goading bun, and urging him forward by their noife and 

 <din ; fometimes they are even obliged to put lighted torches 

 near, in order to make him advance. \n conducting fmall 

 elephants from the Roomee, only one cable and one Koomkee 

 arc made ufe of. As foon as each elephant is fecured, he is 

 kit iu charge to the Mahotc, or keeper, who is appointed to 

 attend and inft met him j anJ, under him, there are from 

 two to live ( Joolies, according to the fize of the elephant, in 

 order to aHifl and to fupply food and water, till he becomes 

 fo tractable as to bring the former himfclf. Thefe people 

 creel a fmall hul immediately before him, where the Mahote, 



pr 



