348 THE ELEPHANT. 



narrower all the way, and until the poor animal 

 finds himself completely shut up, without the 

 power of either advancing or retreating; the 

 female, in the mean time, being let out by a pri- 

 vate way, which she has been previously accus- 

 tomed to. The wild elephant, upon seeing him- 

 self entrapped in this manner, instantly attempts 

 to use violence ; and, upon seeing the hunters, 

 all his former desires only turn to fury. In the 

 mean time the hunters, having fixed him with 

 cords, attempt to soften his indignation, by throw- 

 ing buckets of water upon him in great quantities, 

 rubbing the body with leaves, and pouring oil 

 down his ears. Soon after, two tame elephants 

 are brought, a male arid a female, that caress the 

 indignant animal with their trunks ; while they 

 still continue pouring water to refresh it. At 

 last a tame elephant is brought forward, of that 

 number which is employed in instructing the new- 

 comers, and an officer riding upon it, in order to 

 show the late captive that it has nothing to fear. 

 The hunters then open the enclosure ; and, while 

 this creature leads the captive along, two more 

 are joined on either side of it, and these compel 

 it to submit. It is then tied by cords to a massy 

 pillar provided for that purpose, and suffered to 

 remain in that position for about a day and a 

 night, until its indignation be wholly subsided. 

 The next day it begins to be somewhat submis- 

 sive, and in a fortnight is completely tamed like 

 the rest. The females are taken when accom- 

 panying the males ; they often come into these 

 enclosures, and they shortly after serve as decoys 



