186 HUNTING IN THE JUNGLE. 



a royal officer is appointed, and immense hunting par- 

 ties are made up, and whole herds captured at once ; 

 although it is no easy thing to take alive and un- 

 wounded an animal that has at once such strength and 

 such intelligence as the elephant. It could not he done 

 without the aid of other elephants, who bring their 

 attachment to their masters to this high point, and 

 having assisted in the capture, go still fartlier and in- 

 struct the captives in their future duties. The trait of 

 obedience is, however, rather the result of affection than 

 fear, and in this regard the elephant's docility is more 

 like that of the dog than of the horse. It even leads 

 them to bear the pain of the worst surgical operations, 

 like the l3urning; out with a hot iron of tumors or ulcers, 

 or the taking of the most bitter medicines at the hands 

 of their "approved good masters." 



The only way in which the male's gentle temper can 

 be spoiled is by a course of special diet of certain kinds 

 of food ; and this is the means resorted to by their less 

 gentle masters when they wish them to tight, — either 

 one another, or their feudal enemy, the tiger. In India 

 I was once invited by a Rajah to attend his celebration 

 of the Feast of Moharem, where the principal attraction 

 is the display of elephants. I accepted, of course. 



The Feast began by a tiger fight. A space some fifty 

 feet square had been fenced off near the river, and we 

 occupied a special " box," protected, in case of accident, 

 by a bamboo network strong enough to keep the tiger 



