152 NATURALISTS CABINET. 



Mode of taming elephants Elephant hunting. 



his back from one of the tame elephants; and 

 gradually increases the intimacy as the animal 

 becomes more tame, till at length he is permitted 

 to seat himself on his neck, from which place he 

 is afterwards to regulate all his motions. While 

 they are training in this manner, the tame ele- 

 phants lead the others out alternately, for the 

 sake of exercise; and likewise to ease their legs 

 from the cords, which are apt to gall them, un- 

 less they are regularly slackened and shifted. 



In five or six weeks the elephant becomes obe- 

 dient to his keeper, his fetters are taken off by 

 degrees, and generally in about six months he 

 suffers himself to be conducted from one place 

 to another. Care, however, is always taken not 

 to let him approach his former haunts, lest a re- 

 collection of them should propel him to attempt 

 the recovery of his liberty. 



The mode of elephant-hunting in Abyssinia is 

 thus described by Mr. Bruce: The men who 

 make the hunting of elephants their business, 

 dwell constantly in the woods, living entirely 

 upon the flesh of the animals they kill, which is 

 chiefly that of the elephant or rhinoceros. They 

 are called Agageers; a name derived from the 

 word Agar, which signifies to ham-string with a 

 sharp weapon. More strictly speaking, however, 

 it means, the cutting of the tendon of the heel; 

 and is a characteristic of the manner in which 

 they kill the elephant. Two men, quite naked, 

 to prevent their being laid hold of by the trees 



