Method of catching wild Elephants. 233 



as the Koomkees leave him, he attempts to follow, but finding his legs tied, 

 he is roufed to a proper fenfe of his fituation, acid retreats towards the jun~ 

 gle : the Mahotes follow at a moderate diftancc from him on the tame ele- 

 phants, accompanied by a number of people that had been previoufly fent 

 for, and who, as foon as the Goondab paffes near a ftout tree, make a 

 few turns of the Pbands, or long cables that are trailing behind him, around 

 its trunk 1 his progrefs being thus flopped, he becomes furious and exerts 

 his utmoft force to difengage himfelf, nor will he then allow any of the 

 Koomkees to come near him, but is outrageous for fome time, falling down 

 and goring the earth with his tu&s. If by thefe exertions the Phands are 

 once broken, which fomctimes is effected, and he efcapes into the thick 

 jungle, the Mahotes dare not advance for fear of the other wild elephants, 

 and are therefore obliged to leave him to his fate j and in this hampered fitua«» 

 tion, it is faid, he is even ungeneroufly attacked by the other wild ele- 

 phants. As the cables are very flrong and feldom give away, when he has 

 exhaufted himfelf by his exertions, the Koomkees are again brought near 

 and take their former pofitions, viz. one on each fide and the other behind. 

 After getting him nearer the tree, the people carry the ends of the long 

 cables around his legs, then back and about the trunk of the tree, makin g, 

 if they can, two or three turns, fo as to prevent even the poiTibility of h is 

 efcape. It would be almofl impofTible to fecure an elephant in any otber 

 manner, as he would tear up any flake, that could at the time be driven int o 

 the ground, and even the noife of doing it would frighten the elephant : 

 for thefe reafons as far as I can learn, nothing lefs thin a flrong tree is eve r 

 trufted to by the hunters. For dill farther fecurity, as well as to confint 1 

 him from moving to euher fide, his fore-legs are tied exadly in the fam e 

 manner as the hind-legs were, and the Phands are made fail one on eaci 1 

 fide, to trees or (lakes driven deep into the earth. During the procefs Q f 



F f 



