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JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XI. 



themselves : this must be wood which does not burn quickly- 

 like other kinds, but, on the contrary, smoulders and glows 

 a long while. Knowing already whence the elephants are 

 coming, they place it down for a distance of four, five, or 

 six miles, as they want to drive them, and set fire to it. 

 The animals are very much afraid of the fire, and certainly 

 would not step over it (this was also our safeguard during 

 the night, and we protected ourselves in making a huge 

 fire around us), and a kral is put at the end, that is to say, 

 they put on both sides strong, big trees, close together, like 

 pallisades, and strongly supported. Here the elephants 

 stand, wedged in, and must submit to have those picked out 

 which are to be driven into a kind of passage at a quarter of 

 an hour's distance. This passage is much narrower, so that 

 an elephant once in it can neither turn round nor get out, 

 because the end is closed with four strong bars. As soon 

 as the one wanted is inside, it will go straight on, in the 

 hope of getting through, but as soon as it reaches the end, 

 the natives, who are at hand, run up with small spears, 

 and put likewise four bars behind it, so that it can neither 

 go forward nor backward. When eight (that is the number 

 that can be accommodated in the passage at one time) 

 have been driven in, the elephant-catcher reports to the 

 commander. Then the tame elephants, which have been 

 broken to it, are brought up by a native with the help of a 

 goad, one on each side of the passage, with a thick rope wound 

 four times round its neck. A similar rope is thrown round 

 the wild elephant ; but this is very difficult to manage, and it 

 often takes half a day before a small rope is got round it, 

 to which the big rope is attached. As soon as it is tied in 

 this way, a rope is fastened to one of the hind legs, and 

 held by two hundred natives, until at the outlet the bars have 

 been withdrawn. Then the elephant imagines that it can 

 quickly escape, because it is free in front, but it remains 

 firmly tied to the tame elephants. After it is thus well 

 secured, the hind leg is set free again, and it must walk on 



