ELEPHANTS. 55 



to do so ; I believe it is their natural disposition ; 

 for they certainly are the most amusing creatures 

 imaginable in their wild state. It is no wonder 

 that with monkeys they are led about to amuse 

 mankind. It is astonishing, as well as ludicrous, 

 to see them climb rocks and tumble, or rather 

 roll down precipices. If they are attacked by 

 any person on horse-back, they stand erect on 

 their hind legs, shewing a fine set of white teeth, 

 and making a cackling kind of noise: if the 

 horse comes near them, they try to catch him by 

 the legs, and if they miss him, they tumble over 

 and over several times. They are easily speared 

 by a person mounted on a horse that is bold 

 enough to go near them, which, however, few will 

 do, unless they are much accustomed to it. 



Elephants are numerous on the north side of 

 the river Granges, near the mountains from Chit- 

 tagong to Hardwar. The principal Keddah 

 for catching them is in the district of Tipperah. 

 They are caught in Nepaul, and at many places 

 near the mountains, in pits and by phauns 

 (nooses made with slip knots) which are thrown 

 over their heads, and are at last brought round 

 their .necks, by people on large tame elephants. 

 The elephants thus caught are not considered so 



