THE ELEPHANT AT HOME 243 



direction those mountain ridges and summits : 

 to-day, no doubt, much of the jungle or dense 

 forest which used to clothe the mountains to 

 the very top must have been cleared by the 

 axes of the planters. These paths are to be 

 found ascending rocky gorges, or threading steep 

 and narrow passes which, in their ruggedness, 

 one could scarcely credit as being passable by 

 such unwieldy creatures. The peculiar structure 

 of their hind legs, with their knees instead of 

 hocks, must be of great assistance to them. 



In old days the natives were accustomed, in 

 default of fire-arms, to kill them in a cruel, if 

 effective manner. In a defile, where the elephant 

 must of necessity place his foot on a certain 

 spot, a barbed iron spike was placed point 

 uppermost, the lower end fixed firmly in a 

 concealed log. His foot transfixed with this 

 horrid implement, the poor beast was helpless 

 and a ready prey to the spears of the hunters. 



One day, on taking shelter from a shower, 

 in a cave on a newly-cleared hill-face, I found 

 lying on a rock shelf an old and much rusted 

 iron weapon, which is now lying before me. It 

 is eighteen inches in length, forged from a square 

 bar of half-inch iron ; at one end is a barbed 

 blade about four inches in length, the rank 

 barbs projecting some one and a half inches ; 



