442 THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



to a stand-still. On finding himself thus arrested, the natural 

 impulse of the captive is to turn on the man who is engaged in 

 making fast tlie rope, a movement which it is the duty of his 

 colleague to prevent by running up close to the elephant's head, 

 and provoking him to confront him by irritating gesticulations 

 and incessant shouts of clcih I dah I a monosyllable the sound 

 of Avhich the elephant peculiarly dislikes. Meanwhile the first 

 assailant having secured one noose, comes up from behind with 

 another, with which, amidst the vain rage and struggles of the 

 victim, he entraps a fore-leg, the rope being as before secured 

 to another tree in front, and the whole four feet having been 

 thus entangled, the capture is completed. 



' A shelter is then run up with branches to protect him from 

 the sun, and the hunters proceed to build a wigwam for them- 

 selves in front of their prisoner, kindling their fires for cooking, 

 and making all the necessary arrangements for remaining day 

 and night on the spot, to await the process of subduing and 

 taming his rage. Picketed to the ground like Gulliver by 

 the Lilliputians, the elephant soon ceases to struggle, and what 

 with the exhaustion of ineffectual resistance, the constant an- 

 noyance of smoke, and the liberal supply of food and water 

 with which he is indulged, a few weeks generally suffice to 

 subdue his spirit, when his keepers at length venture to re- 

 move him to their own village, or to the seaside for shipment 

 to India. 



' No part of the hunter's performances exhibits greater skill 

 and audacity than this first forced march of the recently captured 

 elephant. As he is still too morose to submit to be ridden, 

 and it would be equally impossible to lead or to drive him by 

 force, the ingenuity of the captors is displayed in alternately 

 irritating and eluding his attacks, but always so attracting his 

 attention, as to allure him along in the direction in which they 

 want him to go. 



' In Ceylon, the principal place for exporting these animals to 

 India is Manaar on the western coast, to which the Arabs from 

 the continent resort, bringing horses to be bartered for elephants. 

 In order to reach the sea, open plains must be traversed, across 

 which it requires the utmost patience of the Panickeas to coax 

 their reluctant charge. At Manaar the elephants are usually 

 detained till any wound on the leg caused by the rope has been 



