THE ELEPHANT. 159 



surrounded by all this cortege, I imagine that I see 

 the king, my master, at the head of his troops, giving 

 orders and disposing all things for a great battle. 



"This reply/' he adds, "gave him great pleasure, 

 as I had foreseen it would; for I knew that he loved 

 nothing in the world better than to be compared to 

 Louis le Grand ; and, if the truth must be written,, 

 this comparison, which went no further than the ex- 

 terior grandeur and magnificence of the two princes, 

 was not absolutely without justice, there being few 

 spectacles in the world more superb than the public 

 processions of the King of Siam." 



The following are the modern methods of hunting. 

 In some places they are pursued with tame elephants, 

 trained for the purpose, and very swift. 



When these have come up with one, the hunter 

 throws, with much dexterity, a noose of very stout 

 cord, in such a way that the wild animal finds himself 

 caught by the foot. He falls, and they strap him down 

 before he has time or opportunity for rising. They 

 then fasten him between two strong tame elephants, 

 who beat him with their trunks if he is at all re- 

 fractory, and compel him to walk with them to the 

 stables. 



In Ceylon an elephant hunt is a very important 

 affair. The government assembles a great number of 

 Europeans and Cingalese, who meet in the forest where 



