20 THE ELEPHANT. 



ed, his ardour vanifhes, and is changed into 

 fury. Ropes and fetters are thrown round 

 his legs and trunk. Two or three tamed ele- 

 phants, conducted by men expert in that buu- 

 nefs, are brought to him, and they endeavour to 

 fix him to one of thefe animals. In fine, by ad- 

 dreis, by force, by torture, and by careifes, he is 

 tamed in a few days. I will not enter into a 

 more particular detail, but content myfelf with 

 quoting from thofe travellers who have been 

 eye-witnefles of the hunting of elephants *, 



which 



* At a quarter of a league from Luovo, there is a kind 

 of large amphitheatre, of a rectangular figure, furrounded 

 with high terrafs walls, upon which the fpectators are placed. 

 Within thefe walls, there is a pallifade of ftrong pofts fixed 

 in the ground, behind which the hunters retire when pur- 

 fued by the enraged elephants. A large opening is left on 

 the fide next the fields, and, oppofite to it, next the city, there 

 is a fmaller one, which leads to a narrow alley, through which 

 an elephant can pafs with difficulty, and this alley terminates in 

 a large (hade where the operation of taming is finiihed. 



When the day deftined for the chafe arrives, the hunters 

 • iter the woods, mounted on female elephants trained to this 

 exercife. The men cover themfelves with leaves of trees, to 

 prevent their being obierved by the wild elephants. When 

 they have advanced into the forefts, and think that fome ele- 



mts may be in the neighbourhood, they make the females 

 utter certain cries, fitted to allure the males, who inftantly 

 reply by frightful roarings. Then the hunters, when they 

 perceive the elephants at a proper diftance, return, and lead 

 the females gently back toward the amphitheatre above de- 

 fcribed. The wild elephants nt vet fail to follow. The male, 

 which we faw tamed, entered the inclofure fpontaneoufly a- 



g with the females, and the ; - was immediately fhut. 



: ' :::aies continued their march acrofs the amphitheatre, 



ana 



