736 MANNER OF CAPTURING THE ELEPHANT 
taken into consideration, the value of its labour will be found to be less than that of a 
good draught horse. The keep of an Elephant in Ceylon costs between six and seven 
shillings per diem, and the animal can only work, on an average, four days in each week ; 
while the keep of a powerful dray horse, which works five days in the week, is only 
half-a-crown per diem. 
The general disposition of the Asiatic Elephant is gentle, but there are always some 
stray individuals that are not admitted ate any herd, but live in solitary moodiness, 
and are termed “rogues,” from their irritable temper. So gentle, indeed, is their nature 
that even when most irritated by wounds, they literally do not know how to kill their foe, 
even if he is lying at their mercy ; and there are many imstances where hunters who have 
been chased and struck down by these animals have escaped without suffering any serious 
damage. The tusks are seldom employed as offensive weapons, and the Elephant has but 
little idea of directing them towards an adversary. A momentary pressure of the foot, or 
a blow with the tusk, would in any case be sufficient to cause death, but the animal seems 
to be scarcely aware of its own power, and often contents itself w ith kicking its prostrate 
foe from foot to foot, hustling him between the fore and hinder limbs in a very unpleasant 
manner. A little Indian E slephant, that had been much worried by wild boars, was 
accustomed to defeat them by receiving their charge, and then knocking them about from 
foot to foot until they were effectually ‘disabled. 
There are two modes of capturing the Asiatic Elephant, the one by pursuing solitary 
individuals and binding them with ropes as they wander at will through the forests, and 
the other by driving a herd of Elephants into a previously prepared pound, and securing 
the entrance so as to prevent their escape. 
In the former method, the hunters are aided by certain trained females, termed 
*]xoomkies,” which enter into the spirit of the chase with wonderful animation, and help 
their riders in every possible manner. When the koomkies see a fine male Elephant, they 
advance carelessly towards him, plucking leaves and grass, as if they were perfectly 
indifferent to his presence. He soon becomes attracted to them, when they overwhelm 
him with endearing feminine blandishments, and occupy his attention so fully that he 
does not observe the proceedings of the “mahouts,” or riders. These men, seeing the 
Elephant engaged with the “koomkies,” slip quietly to the ground, and attach their rope 
nooses to his legs, fastening the ends of the cords to some neighbouring tree. Should no 
suitable tree be at hand, the koomkies are sagacious enough to comprehend the dilemma, 
and to urge their victim towards some large tree which is ‘sufficiently strong to withstand 
his struggles. As soon as the preparations are complete, the mahouts give the word 
of command to the koomkies, who move away, leaving the captive Elephant to 
his fate. 
Finding himself deserted and bound, he becomes mad with rage, and struggles with 
all his foree to get free. In these furious efforts, the Elephant displays a flexibility and 
activity of body that are quite surprising, and are by no means in accordance with the 
clumsy, stiff aspect of its body and limbs. It rolls on the ground in despair, it rends the 
air with furious cries of rage, it butts at the fatal tree with all its force, in hope of bringing 
it to the ground, and has been known to stand with its hind legs fairly off the ground, in 
its furious endeavours to break the rope. After a while, however, it finds its exertions to 
be totally useless, and yields to its conquerors. Formerly it was allowed to remain in its 
captivity until reduced by hunger, but as the ropes are apt to cut severely into the ankle, 
and to eause painful and dangerous wounds, the time of bondage is now shortened as 
much as possible, and the animal removed to another spot where ropes are needless. The 
koomkies afford invaluable assistance both in tying the animal and in leading him away 
from the tree to which he had been bound. One of these animals is reported to have gone 
on a solitary hunting expedition on her own account, and to have captured a fine male 
Elephant, which she ‘tied to a tree with some iron chains. 
The second mode of capturing Elephants is more complicated, and secures a greater 
number of beasts at a time, but as it necessarily includes the young, the old, and the 
vigorous of both sexes in the general seizure, its results are not so admirable as might 
be antic ipated, 
