ANIMALS. 473 



The elephant, when once tamed, becomes the most gentle and 

 obedient of all animals. It soon conceives an attachment for 

 the person that attends it, caresses him, obeys him, and seems 

 to anticipate his desires. In a short time it begins to compre- 



The Goo7i(iah, or large male, is taken by means of four Koomkees, or 

 female elephants, trained for the purpose, wluch are brought near to the 

 spot where he is observed to come out of the jungle to feed. If there be 

 more than one of these males, the hunter decides which he «-iU secure, and 

 advances towards him, silently and cautiously, with three Koomkees, wliicli 

 feed as they go along, to induce the male to suppose they are wild. If he be 

 amorously inclined, as Is generally the case, he will allow their approach ; 

 and trwo of them pass one on each side of him, with their tails towards his 

 head, wlulst a third goes behind and places herself across liis tail. During 

 tlie time he is engaged in toying with them, a fourth female comes up with 

 the assistants and ropes. The hunters then creep under the bellies of the 

 tame elephants, and fasten the hind legs of the wild animal together with 

 ropes, twisting them like a figure of eight bandage. A strong cable, about 

 sixty feet in length, is next passed aroiuld each liind leg, and another figure 

 of eight bandage wound roimd above them. Having proceeded thus far, the 

 female elephants are withdrawn, and in his endeavour to follow, the male 

 soon finds out the fettered state in which he is, and attempts to make his 

 escape. The hunters follow, holding the cables till they meet with a strong 

 tree, around the trunk of wliich they turn the cable a few times, and thus 

 prevent his further retreat. 1 his of course enrages liim very much, and in 

 his attempts to get away he exhausts himself, and then the females resum- 

 ing their former station about him, the cables are shortened, and being passed 

 round his hind legs and the trunk of the tree, Ms escape is completely pre- 

 vented, and his fore logs are tied in the same manner. After being kept a 

 little while in this situation, and having taken some food, preparations are 

 made for his safe removal : in order to etfect this, a strong cable is passed 

 round his body, and tied behind the shoulder, and the remainder of it, being 

 continued back, is pass.ed round his loins and fastened : with the latter a 

 kind of kicking strap or rope is co7inected, and another, answering to a 

 crupper, is continued under liis tail and along the belly till it reaches the 

 cable behind the shoulder to which it is fastened: another rope is next 

 p;ussed roimd his buttocks to prevent him from taking a full step, and lastly, 

 two cables with nooses are passed round his neck, and fastened to the shoul. 

 der rope ; the ends of the latter arc then attached to girths round the bodies 

 of two females, and, his trappings being thus completed, ho is removed as 

 Soon as the ground is cleared over «hich he has to pass. In performing this 

 service, the MahouU sit as usual upon the necks of the females, but are 

 covered with a dark cloth, that they may escape the notice of the animal 

 which they wish to capture. Sometimes in the midst of their operations the 

 male observes them, and becoming enraged, th<^y get ofl' the ground by riui. 

 ning up a rope attached around the Koomkee's neck, and then make their 

 way oflfas speedily as possible. 



When a whole herd is to be taken, the mode employed is very different. 

 A number of persons, to the amount of 500, divide into small i)arties, form- 

 ing a large circle round the herd : each party lights a fire, and clears a road 



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