92 



trucks. This expedient, liowcvcr, should only be resorted to as 

 a last rcsourco ; it will seldom be necessary. 



The trucks selected should be very carefully inspected, and it 

 should be particularly ascertained that the floors are strong, and 

 fittings complete and in perfect working order. 



As some elephants are shy of trusting their weight on any 

 yielding surface, it is well to put wedges under the springs of 

 the trucks, so that the animals may find a firm platform to tread on. 



In order that the elephants may be secured as quickly as possi- 

 ble after entering the trucks, they should be fitted with fetters, 

 and chained beforehand as follows : — 



I. The two fore and hind legs should be coupled together with 

 strong fetters (" berries ") so closely connected as just to allow 

 the animal to shuffle along by short st«ps. 



II. The front and hind coupling chains should bo connected 

 by a chain so adjusted as to bo about six inches longer than the 

 space between the elephant's fore and hind legs when standing 

 in a natural position. 



III. Chains terminating in bent hooks should be attached to 

 the connecting rings of each pair of " berries. " These are for 

 the purpose of securing the elephant to the ring-bolts outside each 

 end of the truck. The front chain should be handed to the 

 mahout on the elephant's neck and hauled up clear of the ground, 

 60 as not to be trodden on. The rear chain may be allowed to 

 drag. 



IV. A strong chain collar covered with leather, and furnished 

 with a chain long enough to be secured to a ring-bolt in the^floor 

 of the truck, should be fitted to each elephant. 



V. Strong ring-bolts are fixed in the floor of the truck, one 

 just in front of, and one just behind, the elephant. The fore and 

 aft chains (No. Ill) are passed through these ring-bolts before 

 being secured to the end ring-bolts above referred to.* 



The neck chain is also hooked to the front ring-bolt. 



The " berries " or coupling chains, and the connecting chains^ 

 are fastened by the well-known device of " pinched links " : the 

 three chains by which the elephant is secured to the. truck ter- 



*_Tlicre would be considerable risk in using inferior or badly fitted 

 taclcle : special fetters of approved pattern have been constructed by Messrs. 

 Jcssop & Co. of Calcntta, and are stored in Fort TVilliam Arsenal. 



