230 An Account- of the. 



neceflary to protect them from the tiggH, with which this province abounds* ■ 

 From this lofty {ration the alarm is foon communicated from one watch- 

 m n to another and to the neighbouring- villages, by means of a rattle with, 

 which each is provided. With their fhouts and cries, and the noife of the 

 rattles, the elephants are generally feared and retire. It fometimes however 

 happens, that the males advance even to the villages, overturn the houfes, 

 and kill thofe who unfortunately come in their way, unlefs they have had 

 time to light a number of fires : this element feems to be the moir. dreaded 

 by wild elephants, and a few lighted wifjbs' of fbraw or dried grafs feldomv 

 fail to ftop their progrefs. To fecure one of the males a very different me- 

 thod is employed from that which is taken to -fecure a herd: the former is 

 taken by Koomkees, or female elephants trained for the purpofe, whereas 

 the latter is driven into a flrong enclofure called a Keddah, 



As the hunters know the places where the elephants come out to feed, 

 they advance towards them in the evening with four Koomkees, which is = 

 the number of which each hunting party coniifts : when the nights are dark,, 

 and the fe are the moft favorable for their purpofe, the male elephants arc-- 

 difcovered by the noife they make in, cleaning their food, by whifking and 

 linking it againft their fore-legs,, and by moon light they can fee-them dif- 

 tinctly at forne diftance, 



,As foon as they have determined on the Goondah they mean to fecure,,. 

 three of the Koomkees are conducted filently and (lowly by their Mahotes 

 (drivers) at a moderate diftance from each other, near to the place where he- 

 is feeding? the Koomkees advance very cautioufly, feeding as they go along, 

 and appear like wild elephants that had ftrayed from the jungle. When 

 the male perceives them approaching, if he takes the alarm and is vicioufly 



