Method of catching wild Elephants. 243 



urge him on with their noife and din, and at the fame time the females pull 

 him gently forward : as foon as he has cleared the Roomee, his conductors fe- 

 parate, fo that, if he attempts to go to one fide, he is prevented by the ele- 

 phant, that pulls in the oppofite direction, and vice verfa. The Bundahs 

 which tie his hind-legs, though but loofely, yet prevent his going fall ; and 

 thus fituated, he is conducted like an enraged bull, that has a cord fattened 

 to his horns on each fide, fo that hs cannot turn either to the right or left, 

 to avenge himfelf. In like manner is this noble animal led to the next tree, 

 as the Goondahs before mentioned were. Sometimes he becomes obflinate 

 and will not advance, in which cafe, while one of his condylars draws him 

 forward, the other comes behind and pufhes him on : fhould he lie down, 

 fhe puts her fnout under and raifes him up, fupporting him on her knee, 

 and with her head pufhes him forward with all her flrength. The hunters 

 likewife affift by goading him, and urging him forward by their noife and 

 din : fometimes they are even obliged to put lighted torches near, in order to 

 make him advance. In conducting fmall elephants from the Roomee, only 

 one cable and one Koomkee are made ufe of. As foon as each elephant is 

 fecured, he is left in charge to the Mahote or keeper, who is appointed to at- 

 tend and inflruct him ; and under him there are from two to five Coolies ac- 

 cording to the fize of the elephant, in order to alhit and to fupply food and 

 water, till lie becomes fo tractable as to bring the former himfelf. Thefe 

 people erect a fmall hut immediately before him, where the Mahote, or one 

 of the Coolies, conflantly attends, fupplies him with food, and foothes and ca- 

 reffes him by a variety of little arts. Sometimes the Mahote, threatens and 

 even goads him with a long flick pointed with iron, but more generally 

 coaxes and flatters him, fcratching his head and trunk with a long bamboo 

 fplit at one end into many pieces, and. driving away the flies from any fores 

 occafioned by the hurts and bruifes he got by his efforts to efcape from the 



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