1 64 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



the Mysore Province. The history of this brute 

 is well worth relating, as his madness took a very 

 singular form, his fury seeming to be directed 

 against his own kind or anything bearing a re- 

 semblance thereto. 



Complaints had for some time been pouring in to 

 the Collector of Coimbatore of the destruction to 

 fields of corn and sugar-cane by herds of wild ele- 

 phants which came down from the hills in Kolle- 

 gal, and laid waste the cultivation in the low 

 country. As it would be dfncult to shoot down 

 whole herds of these animals it was determined 

 to build a kheddah, or elephant trap, capture 

 the brutes wholesale, and break them in to 

 forest work as beasts of burden. A series of 

 stockades and enclosures were accordingly con- 

 structed in the bottom of a densely wooded valley 

 draining into the river Cauvery. Hundreds of 

 beaters had been assembled and a herd of thirty- 

 three huge animals had been successfully driven 

 into the impounding stockade, and the heavy gate 

 of logs made fast. Watchmen had been told off 

 to feed great fires surrounding the stockade and to 

 prevent all attempts of the captured herd to 

 break through the log-fence and ditch of the khed- 

 dah. There was much jubilation throughout the 

 camp. The Collector was there with numerous 

 guests who had come down from Ootacamund and 

 neighbouring stations to witness the drive. Next 

 day was to be devoted to separating the wild 

 herd and to hobbling individual elephants and 

 making them fast to trees, as a preliminary to 



