356 A Sportswoman in India 



stables in the lines. Immense animals they are 

 in fact, the largest living land animal, weighing as 

 much as three tons. The biggest elephant in Madras 

 to-day is owned by the commissariat stud, and stands 

 nine feet ten inches at the shoulder. It may be taken 

 as a general rule that twice round an elephant's foot 

 gives its height ; the circumference of the forefoot 

 of the average elephant is about fifty-four inches. 

 The renowned Jumbo stood about eleven feet two 

 inches, and measured five feet six inches round his 

 forearm, but he was an African specimen. 



However, I must away to a description of one of 

 the most exciting scenes ever witnessed the entrapping 

 of these wild monarchs of the jungle. Indian elephants 

 are most valuable as beasts of burden, and hundreds 

 of them are employed in Government service. From 

 time immemorial man has exercised his ingenuity 

 in capturing them alive, but it remained to Mr. 

 Sanderson to introduce into India the most successful 

 kind of khedder^ in connection with which his name 

 will ever be associated. 



Mysore is not a long journey from Ootacamund, 

 and there our party established themselves in camp 

 near the village of Chamraj-Nugger, close to the 

 foot of the Billiga-rungun Hills. In the thick scrub 

 and wild jungle which clothe these heights there 

 were elephants in plenty, travelling about, as is their 

 custom, in herds, under the guidance of a single 

 leader, whom they implicitly follow. Should an elephant 

 leave the herd to which it belongs, it is not allowed 



