Their nwnbers in Ceyloiu 5 



them, alike on the summits of the loftiest mountains, and 

 on the borders of the tanks and lowland streams. 



From time immemorial the Singhalese have been 

 taught to capture and tame them, and the export of 

 elephants from Ceylon to India has been going on with- 

 out inteiTuption from the period of the first Punic War.' 

 In later times in all forests elephants were the property 

 of the Kandyan crown ; and their capture or slaughter 

 without the royal permission was classed amongst grave 

 ofiFences in the criminal code. 



In recent years there is reason to believe that their 

 numbers have become considerably reduced. They have 

 entirely disappeared from localities in which they were 

 formerly numerous ; ^ smaller herds have been taken in 

 the periodical captures for the public service, and hunters 

 returning from the chase report them to be growing year 

 by year more and more scarce. In consequence of this 

 diminution the natives in some parts of the island have 

 even suspended the ancient practice of keeping watchers 

 and fires by night to scare away elephants from their 

 growing crops.^ The opening of roads too in the hill 



Jih-hcn. (See Jonrn. Asiat. 1S43, adds, is not a derivation from Sanskrit 



t, xliii. p. 133.) The Spaniards of Soutli or Pali, but belongs to a dialect morij' 



America call the palm which produces ancient than either, 



the vegetable ivory [Phytelephas sua- ' jElian, de Nat. Atii'm. lib. xvi. 



crocarpa] Pabna de marfil, and the c. 18 ; Cosmas Indicopl. p. 128. 



nut iiself, marfil vegetal. " Le Brun, vv-ho visited Ceylon A. D. 



Since the above was written Goone- 1705, says that in the district round 



ratne Modliar, the Singhalese Inter- Colombo, where elephants are now 



preter to the Supreme Court at Colnm- never seen, they were then so abim- 



bo, has supplied me with another dant, that 160 had been taken in a 



conjecture, that the word elephant may single corral. ( Voyage, etc. torn. ii. 



possibly be traced to the Singhalese ch. Ixiii. p. 331.) 



name of the animal, alia, which means ^ In some parts of Bengal, where 



literally, " the huge one." Alia, he elephants were formerly troublesome 



