Chap. V.] 



THE ELEPHANT. 



171 



corral, collecting the elephants, maintaining the cordon 

 of watch-fires and watchers, and conducting all the 

 laborious operations of the capture. Since the abolition 

 of Eaja-kariya, however, no difficulty has been found in 

 obtaining the voluntary co-operation of the natives on 

 these exciting occasions. The government defrays the 

 expense of that portion of the preparations which in- 

 volves actual cost, — for the skilled labour expended in 

 the erection of the corral and its appurtenances, and the 

 providing of spears, ropes, arms, flutes, drums, gun- 

 powder, and other necessaries for the occasion. 



The period of the year selected is that which least 

 interferes with the cultivation of the rice-lands (in the 

 interval between seed time and harvest), and the people 

 themselves, in addition to the excitement and enjoyment 

 of the sport, have a personal interest in reducing the 

 number of elephants, which inflict serious injury on 

 their gardens and growing crops. For a similar reason 

 the priests encourage the practice, because the elephants 

 destroy their sacred Bo-trees, of the leaves of which they 

 are passionately fond; besides which it promotes the 

 facility for obtaining elephants for the processions of the 

 temples : and the Eata-mahat-mayas and headmen have 

 a pride in exhibiting the number of retainers who follow 

 them to the field, and the performances of the tame 

 elephants which they lend for the business of the corral. 

 Thus vast numbers of the peasantry are voluntarily oc- 

 cupied for many weeks in putting up the stockades, cut- 

 ting paths through the jungle, and relieving the beaters 

 who are engaged in surrounding and driving in the 

 elephants. 



In selecting the scene for the hunt a position is chosen 

 which lies on some old and frequented route of the ani- 



