Method of catching wild Elephants. 241 



the pafTage, till the elephant has advanced far enough to admit of the gates 

 being (hut. Above this wicker gate or door, two men are ftationed on a 

 fmall fcaffold, who throw down the food. When the elephant has palled 

 beyond the door, they give the fignal to a man, who from without fhuts it by 

 pulling a firing, and they fecure it by throwing two bars that Hood per- 

 pendicular on each fide, the one acrofs the other, thus x t forming the figure 

 of St. Andrew's Crofs, and then two fimilar bars are thrown acrofs each 

 other behind the door next to the Keddah, (o that the door is in the centre : 

 for farther fecurity, horizontal bars are pulhed acrofs the Roomee through 

 the openings of the palifades, both before and behind thofe croffes, to pre- 

 vent the poffibility of the doors being broken. The Roomee is fo narrow* 

 that a large elephant cannot turn in it ; but as foon as he hears the noife that 

 is made in fhutting the gate, he retreats backwards, and endeavours to force 

 it j being now fecured however in the manner already noticed, his efforts are 

 unavailing : finding his retreat thus cut off, he advances and exerts his ut- 

 moft force to break down the bars, which were previoufly put acrofs a little 

 farther on in the outlet, by running againft them, fcreaming and roaring, 

 and battering them, like a ram, by repeated blows of his head, retreating and 

 advancing with tne utmoft fury. In his rage he rifes and leaps upon the 

 bars with his forefeet, and ft rives to break them with his huge weight: In 

 February 1788 a large female elephant dropt down dead in the Roomee from 

 the violent exertion (he made. When the elephant is fomewhat fatigued 

 by thefe exertions, ftrong ropes * with running noofes are placed in the 

 •outlet by the hunters j and as foon as he puts a foot within the noofe, it is im- 

 mediately drawn tight and fattened to the palifades:. When all his feet 

 have been made pretty fait, two men place themfelvcs behind fome bars" 



* Tlu'i'e are of the fame form and fize nearly as the PL'atut's, but nvuch fhorter in proportion. 



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