NOOSING ELEPHANTS OFF ELEPHANTS 475 



asked me if I'd like to see the sport. It is certainly most 

 exciting, and apparently most dangerous, but in reality very 

 few accidents ever occur. 



For this sport only the fastest elephants are retained, and 

 regularly trained and fed on grain to give them good wind. 

 Near the root of the tail there is a sore the size of a cheese- 

 plate kept, which is hammered during a run. The elephants 

 are bare-backed, but a stout rope is twined round the body 

 like a girth, then under the neck and tail like a breast-plate 

 and crupper, and all are securely fastened together at the 

 withers, and where the sling is also tied. The mahout who 

 guides the elephant and throws the noose must be a plucky 

 fellow, specially trained to the work, and he must of course also 

 be at home on the beast's bare back. He has a man to assist, 

 who is also trained, and whose business is not only to keep 

 the koonkie going her fastest, but to assist directly the wild 

 one has been lassoed. These two men are quite at their ease, 

 although whilst going at full speed the elephant at times all 

 but topples on her head, and at others almost falls backwards. 

 The ground is covered with matted grass and brambles ; its 

 inequalities cannot be seen ; there are narrow water-courses 

 to be negotiated (invisible) ; there are fallen logs of trees, 

 rocks, holes, ant-hills every device to upset an animal ; 

 but whatever the obstacles may be, the elephant's speed must 

 be maintained so as to overtake the quarry before it can 

 obtain its second wind. The mahout as often as not stands 

 up, holding on to a small rope attached to the girth, and it is 

 really marvellous how he sticks on. In my own case I was 

 tossed to and fro, never on the elephant's back for two minutes 

 on end ; I held on like grim death. Fortunately I was pretty 

 young, fairly strong, and given to gymnastics ; but after the 

 hunt was over my arms felt as if they had been dislocated, 

 and I felt sore all over. 



In falling in with a herd, the mahout singles out one, 

 generally a three-parts-grown tusker, a komooriah if possible ; 

 but if no good tusker is present, then a good young female is 

 chosen. As soon as the victim has been selected, they en- 

 deavour to get as near him as possible, and then lay in as fast 

 as the koonkie can put legs to the ground, and endeavour to 



