126 THE DACCA KHEDDAH ESTABLISHMENT. 



attendants ; a slielter for howdabs and ropes, &c. The depot is situated 

 close to the river for convenience of bathing and watering the elephants, and 

 also that fodder may be brought by boats. 



Most of the elephants required for the service of the Bengal Government 

 are furnished by the Dacca establishment. It is under a European officer, 

 and a yearly exodus of all hands is made to hunt in the forest-tracts of 

 Chittagong and Assam. The establishment contains fifty trained elephants 

 or koonhies, — derived fiom the Hindoostan vt^ord kiiviuk, aid. These are all 

 females. In addition to the permanent stud of koonkies, there is always a 

 large number of new elephants undergoing training. When fit for service 

 these are allotted to military stations as required. The hunting-party 

 •usually leaves Dacca about the beginning of December, and after worldng 

 for three or four months (this season is selected as little rain falls), returns 

 with the captured elephants about May. The training of these occupies the 

 •establishment till November, when the animals are despatched to Commis- 

 sariat stations, leaving the establishment free to hunt again. The annual 

 captures in Dacca for seven years prior to 1875-76 averaged fifty-nine 

 elephants. I found from old records that from 1836 to 1839 inclusive, 

 sixty-nine elephants were the annual average. 



In the chapter upon the method of capturing elephants, I have men- 

 tioned the composition of a Bengal hunting-party. The expense of main- 

 taining the full number of men of which it consists the whole year round 

 would be so great that only the jemadars and chief men are permanently 

 employed, the coolies required being enlisted for two or three months annu- 

 ally, as required. This system of hunting has been pursued by the Bengal 

 Government, and probably by former native governments, so long, that the 

 people required for klieddahs are easily collected at Chittagong and other 

 centres. Though many die at times from the effects of these jungle-trips, 

 and some are killed almost every year by elephants, there are always plenty 

 of volunteers for the work, 



The permanent Superintendent of the Dacca Kheddahs having obtained 

 furlough to England, I accepted the acting appointment for eighteen months, 

 but I only held it for nine, as I was permitted to return to Mysore at the 

 end of that period to continue kheddah operations there. And though I was 

 under orders to return to Dacca for the last three months of my officiating 

 term, to ma^e another expedition into Chittagong in January 1877, the 

 return of the permanent Superintendent before the expiration of his leave 

 rendered my doing so unnecessary. 



I took charge of the depot from Major C. in September, 1875. As 

 ^e sat at a table under a shady tree in the quadrangle, with a roU of the 



