3Q4 THE INDIAN ELEPHANT. 



decoy elephants, they prick the feet of the wild ones, and as 

 soon as the legs are lifted, throw nooses dexterously round 

 them. The noosed elephant starts off, but is speedily brought 

 on its knees, the hunter having securely wound the other end 

 of the rope round a tree. Major Forbes, who resided many 

 years in the island, says he has seen- men actually descend from 

 the trees on to the backs of wild elephants to dislodge them 

 from the spot ; and this excellent authority relates many 

 frightful incidents which occurred during elephant hunts. In 

 one case a gentleman was crushed to death by an elephant, and 

 the same fate was near happening to two persons who attacked 

 the same animal, but luckily escaped by both moving to the 

 left when it charged at them. Having thus changed their 

 position, the elephant rushed past them to their great surprise -, 

 but this was subsequently explained on finding that their shots 

 had destroyed its vision. " On another occasion, an unlucky 

 hunter was seized by an elephant's trunk. Fortunately, con- 

 sidering the hurry in which I fired off my gun, the ball passed 

 through the animal's head without injuring the man, who was 

 released from an embrace so severe, that it had already forced 

 blood from his nose and mouth. At another time a very large 

 elephant and a smaller one having taken shelter in an extremely 

 thick dark copse, I crept in after them, and soon perceived the 

 legs of the larger one, whose head was concealed by the foliage ; 

 but the other was sufficiently visible to allow of my taking a 

 proper aim. My attendants being close to the edge of the 

 brushwood, and being myself ready to back out and face the 

 expected charge of the large elephant, I fired at the smaller one, 

 and it fell dead. I then attempted to rise, but ineffectually, as 

 I was entangled by trailing thorny plants ; and, before the 

 attempt could be repeated, the thick mass of vegetation was 

 pressing forward upon me, owing to the large elephant rushing 

 up close to where I lay, and there it stood with its legs within 

 my reach, and its head almost over me, and uttering that fearful, 

 shrill, trumpet-like squeal, which generally proclaims the animal's 

 readiness for battle. I raised my rifle under its head, and with 



