152 A HIDE AFTER WILD ELEPHANTS. 



my good fortune to witness. I may here transcribe my ac- 

 count of it, written long ago for the ' Oriental Sporting 

 Magazine.' 



There are several methods resorted to for capturing wild 

 elephants in different parts of India. These have been so 

 ably described by those who are much more conversant with 

 such experiences than I am, that I shall therefore only pre- 

 mise my attempt to recount the incidents of an elephant- 

 hunt witnessed by myself, by mentioning that the way the 

 animals were usually captured in the Kumaon Terai was by 

 driving them up from the level forest into some narrow 

 mountain-gorge, or sote as it is there called, the ridges on 

 either side of which having been previously lined with men 

 provided with firearms and blank ammunition, in order to 

 prevent the elephants making their escape on either flank. 



On the wild herd being driven into this kind of cut de sac 

 an operation which was not achieved without considerable 

 tact and manoeuvring the entrance was guarded by some of 

 the largest and strongest male elephants being posted across 

 it ; whilst other animals carrying the " phandetes " (noosers) 

 were ridden in among the herd, and the process of noosing 

 and tying commenced. This was very cleverly executed by 

 men trained to the work, assisted by the great sagacity of 

 the tame elephants. Before it could be effected, however, it 

 was occasionally necessary to subdue some mighty lord of the 

 herd by pitting a domesticated giant against him, when a 

 terrific combat sometimes ensued between these elephantine 

 gladiators, which usually resulted in the discomfiture and 

 eventual capture of the wild animal. 



Intelligence of the proximity of a herd of wild elephants 

 having just been brought in to the superintendent by his 

 scouts, he at once prepared to go after it, and invited our 

 party to join in the sport. 



The necessary arrangements having been quickly made 

 and orders given, each of us mounted an elephant, and seated 

 himself on a very small pad that had been substituted for 



