ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 27 



CHAPTER III 



Elephants, and native methods of harnessing — F.'s reforms — Intelligence 

 of elephants — Rama — Lantana — Tree-felling — Toddy and the toddy 

 palm — 'Must' — Elephant and rice — The elephant as nurse — 

 Elephant and Mr. W. — The Doray to the rescue. 



In the timber-haulage department of the Forest Service a 

 large number of elephants were employed, and the treat- 

 ment customarily meted out to these animals was a constant 

 source of trouble to F. For five years we were stationed 

 in one district, The Wynad, headquarters Manantavadi, 

 commonly called Manantoddy, comprising the slopes of 

 the coffee-growing areas, and during that time he happily 

 succeeded in bringing about a system very different from 

 the one in vogue when we first went there. 



The native method causes awful suffering, the chains 

 and ropes being fastened to the great teeth of the patient 

 animal, forcing them from their sockets, and giving rise 

 to abscesses and injuries of all kinds, to be aggravated by 

 heat and flies. 



Also, unless seen to, it would be a very exceptional 

 mahout 1 that would think of bestirring himself to take off 

 the pad on his beast's back when halting — a necessary pre- 

 caution, for under this pad horrible sores sometimes fester. 



An elephant which had been thus misused in native 

 hands was sent up to us in the ordinary way for employ- 

 ment in the forests, not at all as a patient for treatment. 

 The poor thing was a shocking sight ! Before shooting an 

 elephant, whether tame or in a wild state, a ' permit ' is 

 necessary. This F. could easily have obtained on represen- 



1 The man who tends an elephant and drives him, seated on his head. 



