206 



MAMMALIA. 



[Chap. VI. 



Of the two young elephants which were taken in the 

 corral, the smallest was sent down to my house at Colombo, 

 where he became a general favourite with the servants. 

 He attached himself especially to the coachman, who had 

 a little shed erected for him near his own quarters at 

 the stables. But his favourite resort was the kitchen, 

 where he received a daily allowance of milk and plan- 

 tains, and picked up several other delicacies besides. 

 He was innocent and playful in the extreme, and when 

 walking in the grounds he would trot up to me, twine his 

 little trunk round my arm, and coax me to take him to 

 the fruit-trees. In the evening the grass-cutters now 

 and then indulged him by permitting him to carry home 

 a load of fodder for the horses, on which occasions he 

 assumed an air of gravity that was highly amusing, show- 

 ing that he was deeply impressed with the importance 

 and responsibility of the service entrusted to him. Being 

 sometimes permitted to enter the dining-room, and 

 helped to fruit at desert, he at last learned his way to the 

 side-board ; and on more than one occasion having stolen 

 in, during the absence of the servants, he made a clear 

 sweep of the wine-glasses and china in his endeavours to 

 reach a basket of oranges. For these and similar pranks 

 we were at last forced to put him away. He was sent to 

 the Government stud, where be was affectionately re- 

 ceived and adopted by Siribeddi, and he now takes his 

 turn of public duty in the department of the Commis- 

 sioner of Eoads. 



