Taming process. loi 



journeys through the forest I have come unexpectedly on 

 the halting place of adventurous hunters when thus en- 

 gaged ; and on one occasion, about sunrise, in ascending 

 the steep ridge from the bed of the Malwatte river, the 

 foremost rider of our party was suddenly driven back by 

 the trumpeting of a furious elephant, which we found 

 picketed by two Panickeas on the crest of the bank. In 

 such restraint, the elephant soon ceases to struggle ; and 

 what with the exhaustion of rage and resistance, the 

 terror of fire which he dreads, and the constant annoy- 

 ance of smoke which he detests, in a very short time, a 

 few weeks at the most, his spirit becomes subdued ; then 

 being plentifully supplied with plantains and fresh food, 

 and indulged with water, in which he luxuriates, he grows 

 so far reconciled to his keepers that they at length ven- 

 ture to remove him to their own village, and eventually 

 to the sea-side for shipment to India. 



No part of the hunter's performances exhibits greater 

 skill and audacity than this first forced march of the 

 recently captured elephant through the great central 

 forests to the sea-coast. As he is still too morose to 

 submit to be ridden, and it would be equally impossible 

 to lead or to drive him by force, the ingenuity of the 

 captors is displayed in alternately irritating and eluding 

 him, but always so attracting his attention as to allure 

 him along in the direction in which they want' him to go. 

 Some assistance is derived from the rope by which the 

 original capture was effected, and which, as it serves to 

 make him safe at night, is never removed from the leg 

 till his taming is sufficiently advanced to permit of his 

 being entrusted with partial liberty. 



