186 JOURNAL, R.A.S. (CEYLON). [VOL. XV. 



Kandy, and also those most suitable to the trade of the Hon. 

 Company. The first kind aforesaid, most difficult to get and 

 hence most prized, must have snow-white eyes, the apples of 

 which are of a yellowish colour, the forehead spotted white, 

 and two outstretched tusks of even length, the right being a 

 little longer than the left, the trunk and tail reaching the 

 ground, eighteen 19 white and clear nails in the four feet, viz., 

 five and four on each forefoot and hindf oot respectively, the 

 back running like that of a wild pig, and the ear whole. This 

 is sufficient in the eyes of the king. But the elephants 

 caught for the trade of the Company need only have their 

 ears untorn, hair in the tail, and as many nails on each foot 

 as stated above, without regard to the colour of the nails or 

 eyes. On the other hand, all animals which are quite old, 

 with ears damaged and with stumpy tails, and which have 

 seventeen or less nails, are considered worthless, as being 

 unfit for trade, and merchants at once turn away their faces 

 from them, or offer very low prices for them. 



We have sufficiently touched on the character of the 

 elephant and how they breed, and shall now proceed to 

 discuss the elephant hunt and the coraal or snare by which 

 these animals are caught in parts of Matara, 



The coraal 20 or trap (which the accompanying sketch 

 indicates as a flat plot of ground)* has two wings, No. 1 called 

 Rewoelwette in Sinhalese, and three divisions with names, 

 Welgalle No. 2, Kelinagaale No. 3, and Hirregaale No. 4. 

 The first division, wherein the two wings (No. 1) are fixed, 

 is generally and sometimes more than 500 roods in circum- 

 ference or less, according as the master of the hunt finds 

 the place suitable and the elephants hunted are great in 

 number, and the second coraal is half as large, but the last 

 (No. 4) is only 8 ft. broad and 4 to 6 roods long, and there are 

 four drop-gates (No. 5) at the enclosure, which stand bet ween 

 the two wings, also one drop-gate between the first and 

 the second division (Nos. 2 and 3), together with one more 



* Not reproduced.— Hon. Sec. 



