222 TWO YEAES IN THE JUNGLE. . 



use of their noises, drive them into the enclosure, after which the 

 gate is instantly closed and secured. 



A keddah is never so strongly built but that the larger elephants 

 could break through it anywhere, by a combined and determined 

 rush, and when a herd is caught, the defence of the stockade im- 

 mediately becomes a matter of great importance. The beaters sur- 

 round it with firearms, toi'ches, and long poles, and whenever an 

 attack is threatened upon any given point, the men I'ally there 

 promptly, and frighten the assailant away. Judging from what I 

 have heard, I should think native music (!) would be a most ex- 

 cellent thing to employ in defending a keddah. It is so thoroughly 

 frightful that I think even the most determined elephant would 

 run from it. 



When the captives have finally abandoned their frantic efforts to 

 escape, and stand huddled together in a terrified group in the cen- 

 tre of the enclosure, the tame elephants and the noosers are in- 

 troduced at the gate, and one by one the wild ones are singled 

 out and suiTounded. Usually three or four tame elephants com- 

 pletely surround one of the others and hold him in his place, while 

 the noosers slij) down, quietly tie his feet together with strong, 

 soft ropes, and before he is fully aware of the situation he is ready 

 to be marched out of the keddah between two of the tame animals. 

 Most wild elephants are completely tamed, and ready for work, 

 within three or four months after capture, and not unfrequently 

 good-tempered animals can be ridden with safety in a few days. 

 It is, however, a matter requii-ing more time to bring an elephant 

 up to the perfection of training. Sanderson declares that the lar- 

 gest and oldest elephants are frequently the most easily tamed, aa 

 they are less apprehensive than the younger ones. 



There are other ways in which elephants are caught now and 

 then, namely, in pitfalls and by hunting with tame females. The 

 former method is no longer followed except among the most be- 

 nighted natives, and the latter can succeed only under the most 

 exceptional and favorable circumstances. 



It is so much more economical and expeditious to catch wUd 

 elephants and train them, than it would be to breed and rear them 

 in captivity, no particular attention is paid to the latter means of 

 keeping up the supply of serviceable animals. Notwithstanding 

 this, elephants are frequently born in captivity, and have been 

 ever since the days of Pliny. On the Animallais, five were bom in 

 one year in the stud belonging to the Forest Department, all of 



