50 THE SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF 



ailments knocked them over in a few days. Several of the larger 

 ones succeeded in escaping. 



The total number of elephants captured since the commence- 

 ment is 132. Of these, twenty-two had to be released, owing to 

 their tender age, eighty-six died from various causes, leaving twenty- 

 four, which have, since their capture, been the subject of attempts 

 at domestication. 



The training at the commencement was rather neglected, the 

 time being occupied with the captures. They began at first to 

 make the elephants tame; then, by loading the strongest of them 

 with light burdens, they accustomed them to drag branches; 

 finally, they put on some special harness which had been sent out 

 from Europe. They thus gradually succeeded in making them 

 drag little waggons loaded with materials, and in making them join 

 in field work by dragging the plough. 



The experiments in training them have resulted in interesting 

 observations. Training has to be begun carefully and gradually. 

 The elephant responds to good treatment, and better results are 

 obtained by gentleness than by force. In short, the difficulties 

 have been great, but the work has been greatly facilitated by the 

 presence of elephants already trained. Not only are fresh captures 

 led to the encampment when accompanied by the old ones, but 

 they are also tamed much quicker and lend themselves with better 

 grace ^to the work demanded of them, following the example of 

 their tame companions. This is all the more encouraging, as it 

 foretells the complete solution of the problem of the domestication 

 of the African elephant. 



