THE ELEPHANT OF INDIA. 191 



When the two sons of Tippoo were received as hostages by Lord Cornwall!*, they were each 

 mounted on an elephant, richly caparisoned, and seated in a silver houdiih. At Vizier All's wedding, 

 in 17!t.">, the procession consisted of about twelve hundred elephants, richly caparisoned, drawn up in 

 a regular line, like a tile of soldiers. Al.iout one linndred elephants in llie centre had, however, dales 

 or castles, covered with silver. In the midst of those appeared the nabob, mounted ou an enormously 

 large elephant, within a houdah covered with silver, richly set with precious stones. 



The elephant has indeed long played an important part in the immense retinues of great persons 

 in India. When Sir Jasper Nicholls, the comniander-in-chief during a recent war, arrived at the camp 

 at Ferozepoor, eighty elephants swelled his train. He had, in addition, three hundred camels, and one 

 hundred and thirty-six draught oxen. About a thousand attendants ware present merely for Sir 

 Jasper's personal service, and to attend to the animals. When the Governor-General made his entry, 

 he took with him one hundred and thirty elephants, and seven hundred camels. 



An ordinary elephant costs one thousand rupees (.100), and his keep forty rupees a-month. In 

 its wild state it attains an age of upwards of two hundred years ; but when tamed not much more than 

 one hundred and twenty. It is said that in Ceylon scarcely two in a hundred have tusks. As soon as 

 an elephant armed with tusks is caught, the greater portion of his tusks is sawn off, and the extremities 

 of what remains are incased in gold or silver. On occasions of festivity the Mahmouds take much pains 

 to paint his head and trunk with arabesque designs in, white, red, yellow, or blue. 



There is a singular feeling of novelty and excitement the first time of riding this creature. First 

 of all, there is placed on its back a cushion, thickly stuffed with hair, for this is the tenderest part of 

 the elephant, and the greatest care of the attendant is to guard against all injury to this place, the 

 more especially as wounds are difficult to heal. Over this cushion there is thrown a long hanging 

 cloth, red, and embroidered with gold, upon which the houdah rests, fastened with cords and girths. 

 The houdah is made to contain two persons and their servant. The mahoud sits upon the neck behind 

 the creature's ears, guiding turn with an, iron fork, one prong of which is curved out, whilst a man runs 

 alongside with a large staff, and hastens his advance by blows or cries. A ladder hanging at one side 

 completes the appointments. 



When it is desired to mount, the mahmoud cries bell, belt, that is, " kneel down," whereupon the 

 animal kneels down, the ladder is ascended, and the rider takes his seat. The gait of the animal, of 

 course, regulates the motion of his rider; sometimes it is pleasant, and at others fatiguing. His pace 

 when urged onwards is so quick, that a horseman must trot to. keep by his side ; but he soon slackens 

 his speed, and it is not without difficulty that he accomplishes twenty-four miles a-day. To cool him- 

 self, or to remove dust, he now and then sprinkles himself with water drawn up into his trunk. 



A mahmoud bestows great attention on an elephant committed to his care. He never curtails an 

 animal of his food, much less leaves him without support. The tent in which he, his wife, and 

 children are lodged, is placed near the elephant, so that the animal almost lives with them. While the 

 mahmoud cooks a cake of prepared flour upon an iron plate, his charge stands patiently by until the 

 cake is cool, and then he receives his sustenance from the hands of the family. When the mahmoud 

 cleans him, he patiently kneels down, or places himself on his side. 



The tame elephant soon becomes reconciled to other domestic quadrupeds. He has been said to 

 be afraid of the horse, but the experience of Sir Emerson Tennent favours the belief that it is the horse 

 which is alarmed at the aspect of the elephant. Of this fact he records an instance, which we quote, 

 because it illustrates at the same time the peculiar sagacity of the great proboscidian, and illustrates 

 also the disposition to make good use of his tusks, when he happens to have them. 



" One evening, whilst riding in the vicinity of Kandy, towards the scene of the massacre of Major 

 Davie's party in 1803, my horse evinced some excitement at a noise, which approached us in the thick 

 jungle, and which consisted of a repetition of the ejaculation nnn/i/i .' m-mjih .' in a hoarse and dis- 

 satisfied tone. A turn in the forest explained the imslery. by bringing me face to face with a tame 

 elephant, unaccompanied by any attendant. He was labouring painfully to carry a heavy beam of 

 timber, which he balanced across his tusks; but the pathway being narrow, he was forced to bend his 

 head on one side to permit it to pass endways; and the exertion and inconvenience combined, led him 

 to utter the dissatisfied sounds which disturbed the composure of my horse. On seeing us halt, the 

 elephant raised his head, reconnoitered us for a moment, then threw down the timber, and forced 



