137 DR. A. CAMPBELL ON THE INDIAN ELEPHANT. [Feb. 25, 



at a likely place outside the forest and near water, generally selected 

 on intelligence of its being the haunt of wild Elephants, or by finding 

 their fresh trail. 



From this you take out the koonkis, three or four together, and 

 reconnoitre in all directions in the open places at early morning or 

 in the afternoon ; for the wild Elephants always keep to the heavy 

 forest during the heat of the day, coming into the more open spots 

 morning and evening only. When any of your parties have found 

 a "khanja," or herd, it singles out one and gives immediate chase, 

 sometimes even with one koonki only, if you have no more in your 

 •' keda," and when the quarry is a small one ; but it is better to do 

 so with two, and three are requisite to catch and master a large 

 animal. The chase is kept up until one of the koonkis gets along- 

 side the wild Elephant, the great object being to lay a koonki on 

 either side of the wild one, as fast as possible. When alongside and 

 he sees his opportunity, the "phanait" (nooseman), who drives his 

 Elephant and holds the open noose with both hands above his head, 

 lets it fall over the wild one's head and on the trunk, which in running 

 is pendent to the ground. Immediately the noose touches the trunk, 

 the animal by an instinct which is fatal to its liberty coils it in- 

 wards, and by this movement it passes at once under the neck. 

 The lohattia who holds the coil of the lassoo immediately pulls upon 

 it, and the koonki is kept close upon the wild one and pressing 

 against it until another koonki comes on the op{)osite side and a 

 second noose is delivered. "When this is done both koonkis move off 

 in opposite directions, and thus in a short time the wild Elephant is 

 suffocated and stretched on the ground between them. This takes 

 some time, however, when the noosed animal is a powerful one, as it 

 sets off at speed and struggles long and violently before it is choked 

 and down. As soou as it is, the running nooses are loosed to give 

 the animal breath, and a stopper put on each to prevent their run- 

 ning. The two koonkis again press on each side ; and by this means 

 and one or two more pushing from behind, the captured animal is 

 forcibly dragged away to the keda, where it is strongly picketed 

 and starved into tameness. After a month or two it is quiet and 

 tractable enough to be marched homewards, being in the mean- 

 time led out frequently with koonkis, and gradually accustomed to 

 a rider. 



During the first six months fresh Elephants become thin and 

 weak-looking, and then begin to pick up again. During the first 

 rainy season (or, rather, during August, September, and October of 

 the first year) they are most liable to illness and death. The risk 

 decreases the second season, and is not great in the third, after which 

 they are considered "pucka," i. e. safe and acclimatized. 



There is no procuring any data by which to arrive at the rates of 

 mortality of fresh Elephants. It seems to depend on circumstances 

 quite unknown to the catchers (who suffer most from it), and is 

 therefore always attributed to "kismut," chance. Som.etimes all 

 the catchings of a season will die in one man's hands; at other 

 times he will have a succession of seasons without anv losses. The 



