THE ELEPHANT. 



tame, female (a) Elephants, properly inftruded, drive the wild Elephants 

 gently towards the great opening of the inclofure; the whole train of hunters 

 then gradually clofe upon them, and drive them imperceptibly into the 

 narrow part of it, out of which there is an opening into a fmaller fpace, 

 which is llrongly fenced and well -guarded. As foon as one of the Elephants 

 enters this ftrait, the pafiage is inftantly clofed by a ftrong bar from behind, 

 and the creature finds himfelf completely mut in. Some of the huntfmen are 

 placed on the top of this pafTage, who, with goads, urge the Elephant on to 

 the end of it, where there is an opening made juft wide enough to let him 

 pafs. As foon as he gets through this opening, he is received by two well 

 inftrucied female Elephants, who place him between them, and, as it were, 

 prefs him into the ferviee ; if he offers to refill, he is foon reduced to 

 obedience by the difcipline of their trunks, and at length fufFers himfelf to be 

 led to a tree, to which he is bound by the leg with ftrong leathern thongs ; 

 the tame Elephants are then led back to the inclofure, where they difcipline 

 the reft, one by one, in the fame manner. The wild Elephants are kept 

 bound to the trees for fome days ; each animal is fupplied with food in 

 moderation, by proper attendants, till he is brought, by degrees, to be 

 fenfible of carefles and kindnefs, when he fufFers himfelf to be led quietly to 

 the liable : the food given him during this confinement is cocoa-nut leaves, 

 and he is led once a day to water by the tame ones, and, in about fourteen 

 days, he becomes perfectly gentle, and accullomed to the voice and commands 

 of his keeper. 



The manner of hunting the Elephant, at the Cape of Good Hope, differs 

 very much from the foregoing account, and it is not to be wondered at, as 

 the only objecl: of thefe colonills is to obtain their teeth and flefh. 

 Dr. Sparrman gives the following narrative of it in his voyage to the Cape of 

 Good Hope. " The Elephant chafe I have here mentioned," fays he, 

 " was, according to the account given by the hunters themfelves, (a couple 

 of farmers,) conducted in the following manner. 



(a) Hence Butler's fimile, 



•< — as Indians with a female, 

 Tame Elephant inveigle the male. 



Hudibras, Fart i. Canto ii. 



