1 68 Anecdotal Natural History. 



but by degrees is so exhausted that it lies motionless 

 on its side. 



Now comes its future mahout. Bringing green 

 food in his hand, he cautiously approaches the 

 prostrate elephant. Mostly, rage will for the moment 

 overcome hunger and weakness, and the animal will 

 try to attack the man. In that case, the mahout 

 quietly retires, and leaves the elephant for a few 

 more hours. 



This process is repeated until the elephant no 

 longer tries to resist. He has learned his first 

 lesson, that man, small as he may be, is, in some 

 inexplicable manner, stronger than himself, and that 

 resistance is useless. 



Now he will take the grass from the mahout, and 

 before long he welcomes the man's presence as the 

 only mode by which he can obtain food. Sooner or 

 later the lesson is learnt, and the captive acknow- 

 ledges himself in subjection. The koomkies are 

 again summoned, his hind feet are freed from the 

 ropes, though the fore feet are kept hobbled, and, 

 guided by the koomkies, he is taken to his future 

 home, his new master seated on his neck. 



As the late Mr. Rarey found to be the case with 

 horses, the subdued elephant entirely trusts in the 

 man who has conquered him, and even conceives a 

 strong affection for his captor. 



Sometimes the elephants, instead of being taken 

 singly, are partly enticed and partly driven into a 

 large and very strong enclosure, called a " keddah." 

 This is made of massive posts planted deeply in the 

 ground, and set far enough apart to allow a man to 

 pass easily between them. These are supported on the 

 outside by stout buttresses, so as to withstand the 

 charge of the trapped elephants. 



Fortunately, a herd of elephants never unites in a 



