K)4 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



and guarded on all sides. As soon as one of the 

 Elephants enters this strait, a strong bar closes the 

 passage from behind, and he finds himself com- 

 pletely environed. On the top of this narrow pas- 

 sage, some of the huntsmen stand with goads in 

 their hands, urging the creature forward to the end 

 of the passage, where there is an opening just wide 

 enough to let him pass. He is now received into 

 the custody of two females, who stand on each side 

 of him, and press him into the service: if he be 

 likely to prove refractory, they begin to discipline 

 him with their trunks, till he is reduced to obedi- 

 ence, and suffers himself to be led to a tree, where 

 he is bound by the leg with stout thongs, made of 

 untanned Elk or Buck skin. The tame Elephants 

 are then led back to the inclosure, and the others 

 are made to submit in the same manner. They are 

 all suffered to remain fast to the trees for several 

 days. Attendants are placed by the side of each 

 animal, who supply him with food by little and 

 little, till he is brought by degrees to be sensible of 

 kindness and caresses, and allows himself to be led 

 to the stable. In the space of fourteen days, his 

 absolute submission is completed. During that 

 time, he is fed daily with cocoa-nut leaves, and led 

 once a day to the water by the tame ones. He be- 

 comes accustomed to the voice of his keeper, and 

 at last quietly resigns his prodigious powers to the 

 dominion and service of man. 



The time of gestation of the Elephant is hitherto 

 but imperfectly known : Aristotle says, it goes two 

 years with young; which is the more likely, as the 

 season of desire in the male returns but once in 

 three years. The female produces one young at a 

 time. The young Elephants are said to suck with 



