Exportation. 103 



it, and exhibit amusing adroitness in accommodating 

 their movements to the rolling of the little vessel ; and in 

 this way they are ferried across the narrow strait which 

 separates Ceylon from the continent of India. ^ 



But the feat of ensnaring and subduing a single ele 

 phant, courageous as it is, and demonstrative of the 

 supremacy with which man wields his " dominion over 

 every beast of the earth," falls far short of the daring 

 exploit of capturing a whole herd : when from thirty to 

 one hundred Avild elephants are entrapped in one vast 

 decoy. The mode of effecting this, as it is practised in 

 Ceylon, is no doubt imitated, but with considerable 

 modification, from the methods prevalent in various 

 parts of India. It was introduced by the Portuguese, 

 and continued by the Dutch, the latter of whom had 

 two elephant hunts in each year, and conducted their 

 operations on so large a scale, that the annual export, 

 after supplying the Government establishments, was from 

 one hundred to one hundred and fifty elephants, taken 

 principally in the vicinity of Matura, in the southern pro- 

 vince, and marched for shipment to Manaar.^ 



' In the Philosophical Transactio7is ship, where tackle was reeved to the 



for 1701, there is "An Account of the sail-cloth, and he was hoisted on board, 



taking of Elephants in Ceylon, by " But a better way has been invented 



Mr. Strackan, a Physician who lived lately," says Mr. Strachan ; "a large 



seventeen years there," in which the flat-bottomed vessel is prepared, covered 



author describes the manner in which with planks like a floor ; so that this 



they were shipped by the Dutch, at floor is almost of a height with the key. 



Matura, Galle, and Negombo. A piece Then the sides of the key and the 



of strong sail-cloth having been wrapped vessel are adorned with green branches, 



round the elephant's chest and stomach so that the elephant sees no water till 



he was forced into the sea between two he is in the ship." {Phil. Traris. 



tame ones, and there made fast to a vol. xxiii. No. 227, p. 1051.) 



boat. The tame ones then returned to ^ Valentyn, Oud en Nieuw Oost- 



land, and he swam after the boat to the Indien, ch. xv. p. 272. 



