Chap. V.] THE CAPTIVES. 377 



the animals caught, the infliction of pain, so far from 

 being an incident of the operation, was most cautiously 

 avoided from its tendency to enrage, the poUcy of the 

 captor being to concihate and soothe. The whole scene 

 exhibits the most marvellous example of the voluntaiy 

 alhance of sagacity and instinct in active co-operation 

 with human inteUigence and courage ; and nothing in 

 nature, not even the chase of the whale, can afford so 

 vivid an illustration of the sovereignty of man over brute 

 creation even when confronted with force in its most stu- 

 pendous embodiment. 



Of the two young elephants which were taken in the 

 corral, the least was sent down to my house at Colombo, 

 Avhere he became a general favourite with the servants. 

 He attached himself especially to the coachman, who had 

 a httle shed erected for him near his own quarters at 

 the stables. But his favourite resort was the Idtchen, 

 where he received his daily allowance of milk and 

 plantains and picked up several other dehcacies besides. 

 He was innocent and playful in the extreme, and when 

 walking in the grounds would trot up to me and twine 

 his httle trunk round my arm and coax me to take him 

 to the fruit trees. In the evening, the grass-cutters now 

 and then indulged him by permitting him to carry home 

 a load of fodder for the horses, on which occasions he 

 assumed an air of gravity that was highly amusmg, 

 showing that he was deeply impressed "wdth the import- 

 ance of the service intrusted to him. Being sometimes 

 permitted to enter the dining-room, and helped to fruit 

 at dessert, he at last learned his way to the side-board ; 

 and on more than one occasion having stolen in in the 

 absence of the servants, he made a clear sweep of the 

 wine-glasses and china in his endeavoiu*s to reach a 

 basket of oranges. For these and similar pranks Ave were 

 at last forced to put him away. He was sent to the 

 Government stud, where he was affectionately received 

 and adopted by Siribeddi, and he now takes his tui-n of 

 public duty in the department of the Commissioner of 

 lloads. 



