THE ELEPHANT. 23 



pallifades, parks, and vaft enclofure?, the poor 

 Negroes content themfelves with the moft fimple 



artifices. 



fpecies of hunting, which they have feveral modes of perform- 

 ing. The eafieft, and not the lead entertaining, is executed by- 

 means of female elephants. When a female is in feafon, fhe is 

 conduced to the foreft of Luovo. Fer guide rides on her back, 

 and covers himfelf with leaves, to prevent his being perceived 

 by the wild elephants. The cries of the tame female, which fhe 

 never fails to fet up upon a certain fignal given by the guide, 

 collect all the elephants within the reach of hearing, who foon 

 follow her. The guide, taking advantage of their mutual cries, 

 returns flowly towards Luovo with all his train, and enters an 

 enclofure made of large flakes, about a quarter of a league from 

 the city, and pretty near the foretl. A great troop of elephants 

 were, in this manner, brought together; but one of them only 

 was large, and it was very difficult to feize and to tame him. — 

 The guide who conducted the female went out of the enclofure 

 by a narrow paffage, in the form of an alley, and about the 

 length of an elephant. Each end of this alley was provided 

 with a portcullis, which was eafily raifeu or let down. All the 

 young elephants followed the female at different times. But a 

 paffage fo narrow alarmed the large one, who always drew 

 back. The female was made to return feveral times j he uni- 

 formly followed her to the port ; but, as if he forefaw his lois 

 of liberty, he would never pafs. Several Siamefe, who were in 

 the park, then advanced, and endeavoured to force him, by 

 goading him with fharp pointed poles. The elephant, being en- 

 raged by this treatment, purfuedthem with fuch fury and quick- 

 nefs, that not one of them would have efcaped, had they not 

 nimbly retired behind the flakes of the puiiiiade, againft which 

 the ferocious creature broke its large tufks three or four times. 

 In the heat of the purfuit, one of thofe who attacked him moil 

 brilkly, and who was moft keenly purfued, run into the alley, 

 which the elephant entered, in order to kill him. But the ani- 

 mal no fooner fell into the fnare, than the Siamefe efcaped by 

 afmail paffage, and the two portcullifes were inftantly let down. 

 The elephant ftruggled much; but he found himfelf obliged to 



remain 



