314 WANDEKINGS OF A 



dation proves too strong, and thus more than one fine elephant 

 has been carried away. One old male, employed in carrying 

 the officers' mess-tent, had been rather unruly ever since 

 leaving Eawul Pindee, and now broke away from his picket, 

 and made off to a neighbouring jungle, when it became ne- 

 cessary to bring him back by two others, in the mode usually 

 adopted in capturing the wild ones. These furious fits of 

 iU-temper and insubordination, called " must," resulting from 

 excited passion (a^iodieiaxog), are sometimes developed to a 

 dangerous extent, and apparently very sudden in their onset. 

 I knew a gentleman who nearly lost his life by a " must" 

 elephant — one of six that were engaged in beating a tigerr 

 jungle. He had dismounted, and was standing in front of 

 the line of elephants, when one of them, with enormous tusks, 

 rushed at him and made a vigorous attempt to impale Mm. 

 Being of a spare habit of body, the elephant missed his mark, 

 and the gentleman escaped by retreating to the rear of the 

 others, whilst the infuriated animal made off with his driver 

 and two persons for some distance, before he could be per- 

 suaded to rejoin his companions, which, however, he did that 

 afternoon, and -remained perfectly quiet and docile for the 

 remainder of the excursion. There was one of the largest 

 Indian elephants I have ever seen, chained for many months 

 in the open air at Eawul Pindee, in consequence of his exces- 

 sive iU-temper. He used to fall into periodic attacks of rage, 

 when he continued trumpeting often all night. I have seen 

 this animal amuse ^himseK for hours by tossing a large heavy 

 log of wood, some 20 feet in length and upwards of 10 inches 

 in diameter, into the air as if it were a crowquill, and seize 

 his " dhurra" {SorghMm vulgare), straw, and fodder, which 

 he flung about, and sometimes amused himself by digging 

 up the ground with his tusks. During an expedition into 



