158 The Wild Elephant 



the most worthless when tamed, are those distinguished 

 by a thin trunk and flabby pendulous ears. The period 

 of tuition does not appear to be influenced by the size 

 or strength of the animals : some of the smallest give 

 the greatest amount of trouble ; whereas, in the instance 

 of the two largest that have been taken in Ceylon within 

 the last thirty years, both were docile in a remarkable 

 degree. One in particular, which was caught and trained 

 by Mr. Cripps, when Government agent, in the Seven 

 Korles, fed from the hand the first night it was secured, 

 and in a very few days evinced pleasure on being patted 

 on the head.i There is none so obstinate, not even a 

 rogue, that may not, when kindly and patiently treated, 

 be eventually conciliated and reconciled. 



The males are generally more unmanageable than the 

 females, and in both an inclination to lie down to rest 

 is regarded as a favourable symptom of approaching 

 tractability, some of the most resolute having been 

 known to stand for months together, even during sleep. 

 Those which are the most obstinate and violent at first 

 are the soonest and most effectually subdued, and gene- 

 rally prove permanently docile and submissive. But 

 those which are sullen or morose, although they may not 



' This was the largest elephant that decoys. He on one occasion escaped, 



had been tamed in Ceylon; he measured but was recaptured in the forest; and 



upwards of nine feet at the shoulders, he afterwards became so docile as to 



and belonged to the caste so highly perform a variety of tricks. He was 



prized for the temples. He was gentle at length ordered to be removed to 



after his first capture, but his removal Colombo ; but such was his terror on 



from the corral to the stables, though approaching the fort, that on coaxing 



only a distance of six miles, was a him to enter the gate, he became 



matter of the extremest difficulty : his paralysed in the extraordinary way 



extraordinary strength "renuering him elsewhere alluded to, and died on the 



jiiore than a match for the attendant spot. 



