138 An Account of the 



or one of the Coolies, conftantly attends, fupplies him 'with 

 food, and foothes and earefles him by a variety of little arts. 

 Sometimes the Mahote threatens and even goads him with 

 a long Rick pointed with iron, but more generally coaxes 

 and natters him, fcratching his head and trunk with a long 

 bamboo fplit at one end into many pieces, and driving 

 away the flies from any fores occasioned by the hurts and 

 bruifes he got by bis efforts to efcape from the Roomee. 

 This animal's fkin is foft, confidering bis great fize ; is ex- 

 tremely fenfible, and is cafily cut or pierced, more fo than the 

 fkin of moft large quadrupeds. Tbe Mahote likewife keeps 

 , him cool, by fquirting water all over him, and ftanding with- 

 out the reach of bis trunk : in a few days he advances 

 cautioufly to his fide, and ftrokes and pats bim with his 

 hand, fpeaking to him all the while in a foothing tone of 

 voice, and in a little time he begins to know his. keeper and 

 obey his commands. By degrees tbe Mahote becomes 

 familiar to him, and at length gets upon his back from one 

 of tbe tame elephants, and, as the animal becomes more 

 tractable, he advances gradually forward, towards his head, 

 till at laft he is permitted to feat himfelf on bis neck, from 

 which place he afterwards regulates and directs all his mo- 

 tions. While they are training in this manner, the tame 

 elephants lead out tbe others in turn, for the fake of ext r- 

 cife, and likewife to cafe their legs from the cords with 

 which they are tied, and which are apt to gall them moll 

 terribly unlefs they are regularly flacked and fliifted. In 

 five or fix weeks the elephant becomes obedient to his 

 keeper, bis fetters are taken oft' by degrees, and generally in 

 about five or fix months he fu tiers himfelf to be conducted 

 by the Mahote from one place to another : care, however, 

 is always taken not to le % t him approach his former haunts, 

 left a recollection of tbe freedom he there enjoyed mould 

 induce bim again to recover his liberty. This obedience to 

 his conductor feems to proceed partly from a fenfe of ge- 

 ncrofity, as it is in fome meafure voluntary j for, whenever 



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