CHAPTER X. 



ELEPHANT-CATCHING IN MYSORE. 



COMMENCE ELEPHANT-CATCHING IN MYSORE — PLANS AT MORLAT IN 1873 — FAILURE OF 

 FIRST ATTEMPTS — CHANGE OF PLANS — COMMENCEMENT OP THE RAINS — VISIT OF A 

 HERD — ITS MOVEMENTS — SURROUND THE HERD OP FIFTY-FOUR ELEPHANTS — EXCIT- 

 ING NIGHT -SCENES — THE SMALL ENCLOSURE — VISITORS TO CAMP — DRIVE THE HERD 

 INTO THE ENCLOSURE — SHOOT A TROUBLESOME FEMALE — A WHITE CALF — CONDUCT OP 

 HERD IN SMALL ENCLOSURE — OUR TAME ELEPHANTS— AMUSING MISHAP — A TROUBLE- 

 SOME TUSKER— "JAIRAM" VANQUISHES HIM — CAPTURE OF A WILD TUSKER IN THE 

 ELEPHANT LINES — ALLOTMENT OF NINE OP THE NEW ELEPHANTS TO HIS HIGHNESS 

 THE MAHARAJAH, AND TEN TO THE MADRAS COMMISSARIAT DEPARTMENT— SALE OP 

 TWENTY-FIVE ELEPHANTS — PROFIT OF THE OPERATIONS TO GOVERNMENT — RESULTS 

 TO MYSELF. 



IT was in September 1873 that I arrived at Chamraj-Nuggar — a large 

 village ten miles from the foot of the Billiga-rungun hills — commis- 

 sioned to try and capture some of the herds of elephants which frequently- 

 left the hills and trespassed into the cultivated lands adjoining. I knew 

 nothing of elephant-catching at the time, nor had I any men at command 

 who did ; but I knew where there were plenty of elephants, and I was well 

 acquainted with their habits. Some of the IMaharajah's mahouts who were 

 amongst my following had been accustomed to catch single elephants with 

 trained females, and in pitfalls, but they had never heard of any one at- 

 tempting the capture of a whole herd. It was said that Hyder had made 

 a trial, a century before, in the Kakankot(^ jungles, but had failed, and had 

 recorded his opinion that no one would ever succeed, and his curse upon 

 any one that attempted to do so, on a stone still standing near the scene of 

 his endeavours. Consequently all the true Mussulmans who were with me 

 regarded the enterprise as hopeless — though they judiciously kept that 

 opinion to themselves. 



It was owing to this general inexperience that the Chief Commissioner 



