Method of patching JFild Elephants, l^q 



an elephant takes fright, or is determined to run away, all 

 the exertions of the Mahote cannot prevent him, even by 

 beating or digging the pointed iion hook into his head, with. 

 which he directs him ; on fuch an occafion the animal 

 (eems to difregard thefe feeble efforts, otherwife he world 

 fhake or pull him oft" with his trunk, and dafh him in pieces. 

 Accidents of this kind happen almoft every year, efpecially 

 to thofe Mahotes who attend the large Goondahs; but fuch. 

 accidents are in general owing entirely to their own care- 

 lefthefs and neglect. It is neceffafy to treat the males with 

 much greater feverity than the females, to keep them in 

 awe ; but it is too common a practice among the Mahotes, 

 either to be negligent in ufing proper meafures to render 

 their elephants docile, or to truft too much to their good 

 nature before they are thoroughly acquainted with their 

 difpofitions. The iron hook, with which they direct him, 

 is pretty heavy, about fixteen inches long, with a ftraight 

 fpike advancing a little beyond the curve of the hook, fo 

 that altogether it is exactly like that which ferrymen or 

 boatmen ufe faftened to a long pole. 



In this account of the procefs for catching and taming 

 elephants, I have ufed the mafculine gender to avoid cir- 

 cumlocution, as both males and females are treated in the 

 fame manner : the former are feldom fo docile, but, like 

 the males of other animals, are fiercer, ftronger, and more 

 untraceable than the females. I 



Before I conclude, it may be proper to obferve, that young 

 elephants fuck constantly with their mouths, and never 

 with their trunks*, as Burton has aflerted; a conclufion he 

 made merely from conjecture, and the great and various 

 ufes to which they are well adapted and applied by every 

 elephant, 



• Ariftotlc fays exprcfsh'> that the young elephants fuck with their 

 nioi tiis. an.! not with their trunks : 'o fo <rxiY*i<3{ «tov ytv\mat $n\z£u -rv 

 {'-pan ou tw puKTrtft. Ariftot Opera. Balili.t 1500. fol. p. 494. Edit- 



I have 



