18 



MANAGEMENT OF TEAK FORESTS. 



Nature of 

 elephants. 



Mahouts. Mahouts as Commissariat Mahouts, as a rule, are quite 



worthless in the jungles, they infinitely prefer the distrac- 

 tions of the bazaar. Extra batta was not a sufficient bait to 

 keep them straight, indeed forest Mahouts are, as a rule, 

 an inferior set of men, given to bhang and other abomina- 

 tions. 



Elephants differ as much as horses in shape, muscular 

 power, temper, and constitution. The Burmah ones are very 

 good, those caught in Southern India generally fairly good ; 

 but Ceylon elephants are undersized, ill-made, and weakly 

 animals. A fair sized female, of Southern India, will be 

 about seven to eight feet in height, and a male, eight and a 

 half to nine feet. 



"Wounds of feet. The diseases of elephants fairly fed and worked are not 

 many. They are very apt to get wounded in the sole of the 

 foot when dragging timber by sharp splinters of bamboo, 

 but they are very docile, and submit to be doctored by their 

 Mahouts readily. 



Wounds or sores are readily cured by carbolic acid ; to 

 prevent worms, give salt; in wet weather, give massala, or a 

 mixture of pepper and ginger sprinkled over the food, or 

 if a stimulating food is required, then give five pounds daily 

 of the following cattle food : 



Ks. cwt. qrs. Ibs. 



Oilcake, such as cocoanut, gingelly 



Rs. 88-6-0 one Ton. 



