142 The Wild Elephant. 



movement was indicative of innocence and timidity. 

 After a struggle, in which they evinced no disposition to 

 violence or revenge, they submitted with the calmness 

 of despair. Their attitudes were pitiable, their grief was 

 most touching, and their low moaning went to the heart. 

 We could not have borne to witness their distress had their 

 capture been effected by the needless infliction of pain, 

 or had they been destined to ill-treatment afterwards. 



It was now about two hours after noon, and the first 

 elephants that had entered the corral having been dis- 

 posed of, preparations were made to reopen the gate, 

 and drive in the other two herds, over which the watchers 

 were still keeping guard. The area of the inclosure was 

 cleared ; and silence was again imposed on the crowds 

 who surrounded the corral. The bars that secured the 

 entrance were withdrawn, and every precaution repeated 

 as before ; but as the space inside was now somewhat 

 trodden down, especially near the entrance, by the fre- 

 quent charges of the last herd, and as it was to be 

 apprehended that the others might be earlier alarmed 

 and retrace their steps, before the barricades could be 

 replaced, two tame ones were stationed inside to protect 

 the men to whom that duty was assigned. 



All preliminaries being at length completed, the signal 

 was given ; the beaters on the side most distant from 

 the corral closed in with tom-toms and discordant noises; 

 a hedge-fire of musketry was kept up in the rear of the 

 terrified elephants ; thousands of voices urged them 

 forward ; we heard the jungle crashing as they came on, 

 and at last they advanced through an opening amongst 



