Punishments. 165 



At one point, however, the utiUty of the elephant stops 

 short. Such is the inteUigence and earnestness he displays 

 in work, which he seems to conduct almost without 

 supervision, that it has been assumed ^ that he would 

 continue his labour, and accomplish his given task, as 

 well in the absence of his keeper as during his presence. 

 But here his innate love of ease displays itself, and if the 

 eye of his attendant be withdrawn, the moment he has 

 finished the thing immediately in hand, he will stroll away 

 lazily, to browse or enjoy the luxury of fanning himself 

 and blowing dust over his back. 



The means of punishing so powerful an animal is a 

 question of difficulty to his attendants. Force being 

 almost inapplicable, they try to work on his passions and 

 feelings, by such expedients as altering the nature of his 

 food or withholding it altogether for a time. On such 

 occasions the demeanour of the creature will sometimes 

 evince a sense of humiliation as well as of discontent. 

 In some parts of India it is customary, in dealing with 

 offenders, to stop their allowance of sugar canes or of 

 jaggery ; or to restrain them from eating their own share 

 of fodder and leaves till their companions shall have 

 finished ; and in such cases the consciousness of degra- 

 dation, betrayed by the looks and attitudes of the culprit, 

 is quite sufficient to identify him, and to excite a feeling 

 of sympathy and commiseration. 



The elephant's obedience to his keeper is the result of 

 affection, as well as of fear ; and although his attachment 

 becomes so strong that an elephant in Ceylon has been 



' Menageries, etc. ch. vi. p. 138. 



