NO. 49. — 1898.] THE CEYLON ELEPHANT. 



181 



or thickly-grown woods and adjoining fields. And it 

 remains to be considered here that when elephants 

 have a film or any other trouble in the eye and cannot be 

 treated in consequence of their fury and rage, a sort of 

 syringe is used to squirt the medicine into the eyes and 

 thus to bring about their recovery. 



If an elephant is bitten and injured by a venomous snake 

 without its being noticed, we can know it by the looseness 

 of the hair, which then begins to fall and come off, in which 

 case the wedderala or physician is brought into requisition, 

 and he at once applies the necessary remedies to cure the 

 said beast, and recovery generally takes place if the 

 remedies are ready at hand and applied at once, otherwise 

 such elephants run a risk and generally die. 



After close investigation and much experience it has been 

 ascertained that the elephant (except in the case of death by 

 accident) can live from 100 to 110, sometimes even to 120 

 years, when they languish and die of nothing but old age. 7 

 It is also necessary to point out in this place that if an 

 elephant is down with any malady or accident, it seldom 

 rises again, but generally remains lying thus till it dies, so 

 that all hopes are given up when elephants are reduced to 

 this condition. 



The elephants found in various parts of India are of 

 various castes or kinds, which have the following names, 

 viz., Panderye, Tambelye, Pingelye, Gandeye, Mangelye, 

 Hemeye, Oepasatye, Satdantye, Calewockeye, and Gangeye ; 

 but of these we have in Ceylon the first four castes, which 

 are stronger and more spirited than the last two, and weaker 

 than the other four kinds. But as regards the propagation 

 of the species, there is no difference between the castes, and 

 nothing further need be said on this point. 



The largest elephants caught and tamed in Ceylon are 

 from 9 to 9J Rhenish feet ; for although larger elephants are 

 found in the forests of other countries, those of Ceylon are 

 better taken care of and esteemed, 8 being generally more 

 docile and quicker at learning things than those from 



