Cuar, V.] THE ELEPHANT. 163 
may be as nearly as possible on a line with the level of 
the wharf. The elephant being placed with his back to 
the water is forced by goads to retreat till his hind legs 
go over the side of the quay, but the main contest com- 
mences when it is attempted to disengage his fore feet 
from the shore, and force him to entrust himself on 
board. The scene becomes exciting from the screams 
and trumpeting of the elephants, the shouts of the Arabs, 
the calls of the Moors, and the rushing of the crowd. 
Meanwhile the huge creature strains every nerve to 
regain the land; and the day is often consumed before 
his efforts are overcome, and he finds himself fairly 
afloat. The same dhoney will take from four to five 
elephants, who place themselves athwart it, and exhibit 
amusing adroitness in accommodating their movements 
to the rolling of the little vessel; and in this way 
they are ferried across the narrow strait which separates 
the continent of India from Ceylon.! 
But the feat of ensnaring and subduing a single 
elephant, courageous as it is, and demonstrative of the 
supremacy with which man wields his “dominion over 
every beast of the earth,” falls far short of the daring 
1 In the Philosophical Transac- 
tions for 1701, there is “An 
Account of the taking of Elephants 
in Ceylon, by Mr. Srracuan, a 
Physician who lived seventeen years 
there,’ in which the author de- 
scribes the manner in which they 
were shipped by the Dutch, at 
Matura, Galle, and Negombo. A 
piece of strong sail-cloth having 
been wrapped round the elephant’s 
chest and stomach, he was forced 
into the sea between two tame 
ones, and there made fast to a boat. 
The tame ones then retuned to 
land, and he swam after the boat 
to the ship, where tackle was reeved, 
to the sail-cloth, and he was hoisted. 
on board. 
“ But a better way has been in- 
vented lately,” says Mr. Strachan ; 
“a large flat-bottomed vessel ig 
prepared, covered with planks like 
a floor; so that this floor is almost 
of a height with the key. Then 
the sides of the key and the vessel 
are adorned with green branches, 
so that the elephant sees no water 
till heis in the ship.”—Phil. Trans., 
vol, xxiii. No. 227, p. 1051. 
mM 2 
