THE ELEPHANT AT HOME 249 



period, and it will be readily seen that absolute 

 coolness and nerve were called for. Much 

 necessarily depended on the pluck and trust- 

 worthiness of the natives who carried the spare 

 guns. It was our rule never to approach an 

 elephant above all, 'a rogue' alone. Two 

 sportsmen went together, taking turns for the 

 shot ; the second stood steadily, a little to one 

 side to give assistance, should the first shot fail 

 in immediate effect. Three double weapons 

 each, two at least of these of heavy calibre, 

 constituted an efficient battery ; and it added 

 immensely to the coolness of the hunters if 

 these spare guns were carried by men in whom 

 they could place implicit reliance. Such a man, 

 for instance, was ' Nielgalla Banda,' of iron 

 nerve and unfailing pluck, who is immortalised 

 in Baker's books. He it was, by great good 

 fortune, who took me up to my first elephant 

 a notorious old rogue who luckily fell dead at 

 the first fire. 



From time immemorial a lucrative traffic has 

 been carried on in catching and taming elephants 

 for the Indian market. One method of entrap- 

 ping them on a large scale is that of the ' Kraal ' 

 a Dutch variant of ' Corral,' in India known 

 as a * Keddah.' This is a great and lengthy 

 undertaking, involving much expense and the 



