212 
MAMMALIA. 
[Chap. VII. 
rapidity. For the first three days, or till they will eat 
freely, which they seldom do in a less time, the newly- 
captured elephants are allowed to stand quiet ; and, if 
practicable, a tame elephant is tied near to give the 
wild ones confidence. Where many elephants are being 
trained at once, it is customary to put every new 
captive between the stalls of half-tamed ones, when it 
soon takes to its food. This stage being attained, 
training commences by placing tame elephants on 
either side. The " cooroowe vidahn," or the head of 
the stables, stands in front of the wild elephants hold- 
ing a long stick with a sharp iron point. Two men are 
then stationed one on either side, assisted by the tame 
elephants, and each holding a hendoo or crook 1 towards 
the wild one's trunk, whilst one or two others rub their 
hands over his back, keeping up all the while a sooth- 
ing and plaintive chaunt, interlarded with endearing 
epithets, such as " ho ! my son," or " ho ! my father," 
or " my mother," as may be applicable to the age and 
sex of the captive. The elephant is at first furious, 
and strikes in all directions with his trunk ; but the 
1 The iron goad with which the It is figured in the_ medals of 
keeper directs the movements of Caracalla in the identical form in 
the elephants, called a hendoo in which it is in use at the present 
Ceylon and hawkus in Bengal, day in India, 
appears to have retained the present The Greeks called it apirr), and 
shape from the remotest antiquity, the Eomans cuspis. 
Medal of Numidia. 
