Cii.vr. v.] THE CAPTIVES. 371 



some still struggling and writhing in feverish excite- 

 ment, wliilst others, in exhaustion and despair, lay 

 motionless, except that from time to time they heaped 

 fresh dust upon their heads. The mellow notes of a 

 Kandyan flute, which was played at a httle distance, 

 had a striking effect upon one or more of them ; they 

 turned their heads in the dfrection from which the 

 music came, expanded their broad ears, and were evi- 

 dently soothed with the plaintive sound. The two 

 young ones alone still roared for freedom ; they stamped 

 their feet, and blew clouds of dust over thefr shoulders, 

 brandishing their httle trunks aloft, and attacking every 

 one who came within their reach. 



At first the older ones, when secured, spurned every 

 offer of food, trampled it under foot, and turned 

 liaughtily away. A few, however, as they became more 

 composed, could not resist the temptation of the juicy 

 stems of the plantain, but rolhng them under foot, till 

 they detached the layers, they raised them in their 

 trunks, and commenced chewing them hstlessly. 



On the whole, whilst the sagacity, the composure, and 

 docihty of the decoys were such as to excite lively 

 astonishment, it was not possible to withhold the highest 

 admiration from the calm and dioiiified demeanour of 

 the captives. Their entire bearing was at variance with 

 the representations made by some of the " sportsmen " 

 who harass them, that they are treacherous, savage, 

 and revengeful ; when tormented by the guns of their 

 persecutors, they, no doubt, display their powers and 

 sagacity in efforts to retaliate or escape ; but here their 

 every 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. 

 It would not have been tolerable had they either been 

 captured with unnecessaiy pain or reserved for ill treat- 

 ment afterwards. 



B n 2 



