xl 



ill putting the water recjuirenients of au elephant at 6 — 8 gallons, 

 Gilchrist from careful observations has shown that an ordinary 

 elephant will take lo\ gallons twice daily and on boardship they 

 are allowed 40 — 50 gallons according to size. They must be 

 allowed as much water as they will drink when it is available. 

 Gilchrist informs us that " the animal generally cannot with impu- 

 nity support a deprivation of water much beyond 24 hours." They 

 require the water to be sweet and free from mud. Well water is 

 preferable for them to tank water as being cleaner and less liable 

 to contaminations such as turn the animal against it. The large 

 amount of water required by elephants renders it advisable 

 during the hot weather to picket them out or keep them in stations 

 near small tributary running streams rather than take them into 

 the jungle where stagnant pools, semi-dried tanks, and brackish 

 ponds only are available as a means of water supply [Slymm] . 

 Elephants prefer running water and will drink freely that obtained 

 by digging holes in the sandy bed of a river. When on the march 

 [in addition to the routine watering parades] every opportunity 

 should be taken of allowing elephants to drink a small amount of 

 water which taken then is not liable to do harm if the animal con- 

 tinue on the march. It is a well established rule that they should 

 not be allowed to bathe or to throw water over themselves when 

 heated, wild elephants seldom bathe after sundown. According 

 to Slymm " when elephants used for travelling have to cross a 

 deep river either at the end of the march (before the sun is up), 

 or when their bodies are heated by a part of the marcli already 

 undergone, they should not cross before the next morning or 

 till the heated state of their bodies has subsided. The sudden 

 cold of the water produces the same effect as a chill from extreme 

 cold, which gives them the disease called " Chowrung." Hood 

 gives the following useful details about crossing rivers and nalas 

 with elephants :— Halt and allow to stand without guddees for 

 half an hour before entering water. With one hundred to cross 

 send four or five good swimmers across first and keep the remain- 

 der for the refractory. Tie the good swimmers and refractory neck 

 to neck by slip knot, and be sure each mahout carries his knife into 

 to the water with him. Send a Jemadar over first to select the best 

 landing place. Make much allowance for current. Send main 

 body of elephants after the pioneers, 2 or 3 abreast, as closely as 



