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Notes on the mode of Capture of Elephants in Assam. 

 By Dr. A. Campbell, late Superintendent of Darjeeling. 



By far the greater number of the Elephants for the supply of the 

 Bengal markets are now caught in Assam ; the Dooars of Bootan 

 are so iniquitously misgoverned that the Elephant-catchers nearly 

 shun them altogether. 



The Nipal Tarai furnishes Elephants for the marts of the central 

 and western provinces ; Mymunsingh and Sylhet for lower Bengal, 

 &c. &c. 



The people who are principally engaged in catching Elephants for 

 upper Bengal Uve in the northern parts of the Purneah and Rung- 

 poor districts. Titalya is the most central position for the col- 

 lection of Elephants by these people, and it is close to all the routes 

 from the Elephant-catching districts*. 



The Elephant-merchants who conduct the trade between the 

 eastern districts and other parts of India come from the central and 

 western provinces ; some even from the Punjab, Cashmere, and 

 Cabool. 



The men who keep koonkis and supply the funds for catching 

 Elephants are known as " Keda Walas." They often take their own 

 Elephants for sale to the Hajipoor Fair, or further west ; but 

 usually look to the merchants, zemindars, baboos, &c. of their own 

 districts as purchasers. At the Nek Mured Fair, in the Dinajpoor 

 district, annually held in April, there is a good deal of business done 

 in Elephants. 



An Elephant- catcher (or keda wala)'s establishment consists — 

 1st, of " Koonkis," i. e. tame Elephants trained to hunting and 

 catching wild ones ; 2nd, " Phanaits," or noosemen ; 3rd, Lohattias, 

 or Elephant-drivers, who sit on the croup and urge on the koonkis 

 with an iron-spiked mallet ; 4th, mates, or under drivers ; and 

 5th, an abundant supply of ropes and cables for catching and tying 

 up their gigantic quarry. 



The old system of decoying or driving wild Elephants on pits dug 

 for them is altogether exploded; and the lassoo, or "phan," is the 

 only mode now employed to catch them. 



The process is described as sufficiently simple, although it is 

 attended with some danger. It is very extraordinary to hear a thin 

 miserable-looking fellow (as many of the " phanaits" are) describing 

 in the quietest way possible how he has caught very large and fierce 

 Elephants. 



The usual mode seems to be to form the "keda," or encampment, 

 ♦ See Hooker's Himalayan Journals, vol. i. p. 181. 



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