TILE TIGEi:. 301 



one purchased for a mucli smaller sum. The supply (A 

 elephants has much fallen off in late years, since the 

 Government ceased to capture them in the forests of 

 the north of India. I visited tlie great annual fair on 

 one occasion at Sonpiir, on the Ganges, to purchase 

 elephants for our forest work in Central India. It occurs 

 on the occasion of a cjreat cono-rec^ation of HindiJ 

 pilgrims to worship at a noted shrine of Siva, and 

 bathe in the Ganges at the full moon of the month 

 of Kartik (September — October). Several hundred 

 thousands of Hindus from every part of India are then 

 collected on the banks of the holy river ; and such a 

 gathering together of people is of course seized by 

 traders in every sort of ware, from wild yaks' tails of 

 Tibet to croquet implements in lac varnish, and dealers 

 in every sort of animal, from white mice to elephants. 

 The European gentlemen of Bengal have also here 

 constructed an excellent race-course, with grand stand 

 complete ; and some of the best races in India are run 

 during the fair. The year I was there something like 

 twelve thousand horses were brought by dealers for sale 

 — ranging from the tiny woolly-haired pied pony of 

 Nepal, which makes the best child's pony in the world, 

 to Australian thorough-breds and " made-up " casters 

 from the Indian cavalry. 



About five hundred elephants offered a considerable 

 choice in my particular department. It is difficult to 

 buy horses at a fair ; but the difficulty is ten times 

 greater in the case of elephants. Every one connected 

 with the keeping of elephants (and camels) is by nature 

 and training from his youth upwards a consummate 

 rascal ; and the animal himself is subject to numerous 

 and often obscure vices and unsoundnesses. I have 

 given in an appendix some hints regarding these, as 



