130 



LETTER XXIII. 



wards the entrance of the iriclosure, the whole train 

 of hunters closing in after them, shouting and making 

 loud noises till they are driven by insensible degrees 

 into the narrow part, through which there is an open- 

 ing into a smaller space, strongly fenced in and 

 guarded on all sides. As soon as one of the wild ele- 

 phants enters this narrow passage, a strong bar closes 

 it from behind, and he finds himself completely envi- 

 roned. 



On the top of this passage, some of the huntsmen 

 stand with goads in their hands, urging the animal 

 forward to the end of the passage, wjiere there is just 

 room enough for him to go through. He is then re- 

 ceived into the custody of two tame elephants, which 

 stand one on each side of them, and press him into the 

 service : if he be likely to prove refractory, they be- 

 gin to beat him with their trunks, till he is reduced to 

 obedience, and suffers himself to be led to a tree, 

 where he is bound by the leg with stout thongs made 

 of untanned elk-skin. The tame elephants are then 

 led back to the inclosure ; and other wild ones are 

 brought to submission in the same manner. 



They are all suffered to remain fast to the trees for 

 several days. Attendants are placed by the side of 

 each elephant, thus caught and confined, who supply 

 him by little and little with food, till he is gradually 

 brought to be sensible of kindness, and caresses. In 

 the space of fourteen days his subjugation is complet- 

 ed. He then becomes attached to his keeper, and 

 and quietly resigns his prodigious strength to the ser- 

 vice of man. 



It is a singular circumstance in the history of this 

 extraordinary quadruped, that in a state of subjection 

 it is invariably barren; and though it has for ages 

 been reduced under the dominion of man, it has ne- 

 ver been known to breed; it consequently follows 

 that of the vast quantities of elephants tamed arid- 

 trained to human purposes, there is not one that has 

 not been originally wild: this would seem to indicate 

 that it is not one of the creatures which nature prima- 

 rily designed for the service of man. It is, however, 



