ORDER OF PACHYDEEMATA. 125 



As soon as the chief has gone into it, the whole troop follow 

 him. All is not, however, yet over, for it is necessary above all 

 things to get them all isolated from each other, so as to get 

 possession of them and tame them separately. With this object 

 in view, they place fruit and herbs near the entrance of very 

 narrow passages, in which the animals cannot turn round. As 

 soon as an Elephant has entered into one of these, they shut the 

 door and so cut off its retreat. There they keep the animal a 

 prisoner by cross-bars forced in between its legs. Soon after the 

 captive's limbs and feet are securely tied with cords. 



Each prisoner is then left to its keeper, who, " with time and 

 patience," by caressing, threatening, depriving it of food, or 

 humouring its appetite, manages by degrees to approach his charge 

 without danger. It requires about six months before the animal 

 will allow its mahout to get on its back. However, love of liberty 

 is so great in these proud giants, that they occasionally, though 

 very rarely, seize the opportunity, when it presents itself, of 

 escaping into the woods and of resuming their wild life. 



Let us add, that tame Elephants serve, in their turn, to break in 

 their wild brethren, and to accustom them to Man — a singular 

 proof of intelligence or of philosophy in animals, particularly in 

 those which always secretly preserve a strong love for the liberty 

 they have lost. 



As for the Elephants which live isolated in the forests, the 

 Indians capture them in various ways. For example, they cast a 

 slip-knot over one of the hind feet of those which they have 

 been able to approach stealthily ; making fast the other ex- 

 tremity of the cord to a tree, they then envelop it in a 

 net-work and other bonds. They build a roof in the tree 

 to which the captive is attached ; and when fatigue and hunger 

 have weakened the imfortunate, they come with a tame Ele- 

 phant, which reassures it, appeases it, and conducts it to the 

 stable.* 



A well-trained Elephant is considered of very great value in 



* They are also taken in various other ways, and a solitary male wild Elephant is 

 usuaOy approached by a couple of tame females, who caress him, and while doing so 

 avail themselves of opportunities to assist the men who had acoompamed them m 

 passing cords round the limbs of their dupe. This done, he is not now starved into 

 submission, but a couple of powerful tame male Elephants take charge of the captive, 

 and soon reduce him to obedience, sometimes by veiy rough means.— i^n. 



