Chap. V.] 



THE ELEPHANT. 



163 



may be as nearly as possible on a line with the level of 

 the wharf. The elephant being placed with his back to 

 the water is forced by goads to retreat till his hind legs 

 go over the side of the quay, but the main contest com- 

 mences when it is attempted to disengage his fore feet 

 from the shore, and force him to entrust himself on 

 board. The scene becomes exciting from the screams 

 and trumpeting of the elephants, the shouts of the Arabs, 

 the calls of the Moors, and the rushing of the crowd. 

 Meanwhile the huge creature strains every nerve to 

 regain the land ; and the day is often consumed before 

 his efforts are overcome, and he finds himself fairly 

 afloat. The same dhoney will take from four to five 

 elephants, who place themselves athwart it, and exhibit 

 amusing adroitness in accommodating their movements 

 to the rolling of the little vessel ; and in this way 

 they are ferried across the narrow strait which separates 

 the continent of India from Ceylon. 1 



But the feat of ensnaring and subduing a single 

 elephant, courageous as it is, and demonstrative of the 

 supremacy with which man wields his " dominion over 

 every beast of the earth," falls far short of the daring 



1 In the Philosophical Transac- 

 tions for 1701, there is "An 

 Account of the taking of Elephants 

 in Ceylon, by Mr. Strachan, a 

 Physician who lived seventeen years 

 there," in which the author de- 

 scribes the manner in which they 

 were shipped by the Dutch, at 

 Matura, Galle, and Negombo. A 

 piece of strong sail-cloth having 

 been wrapped round the elephant's 

 chest and stomach, he was forced 

 into the sea between two tame 

 ones, and there made fast to a boat. 

 The tame ones then returned to 



M 



land, and he swam after the boat 

 to the ship, where tackle was reeved 

 to the sail-cloth, and he was hoisted 

 on board. 



" But a better way has been in- 

 vented lately," says Mr. Strachan ; 

 " a large flat-bottomed vessel is 

 prepared, covered with planks like 

 a floor ; so that this floor is almost 

 of a height with the key. Then 

 the sides of the key and the vessel 

 are adorned with green branches, 

 so that the elephant sees no water 

 till heis in the ship." — Phil. Trans., 

 vol. xxiii. No. 227, p. 1051. 



2 



