ATTENDANTS AND THEIR DUTIES. 
37 
unless his peculation is of such a degree as to affect the health of 
the animal in his charge, thus evincing a lack of concern in its well- 
Toeing. Petty peculation, submission of false and exorbitant bills 
for medicines said to have been purchased and given in emergency, 
and regularly stealing a portion of the ratibs, are drawbacks which 
in an elephant establishment must be regarded as lesser evils. 
Elephant attendants appear to be unable to abstain from these 
methods of defrauding their employers, and any attempt to enforce 
honesty by severe measures would eventually be visited upon the 
animals, and thus a much greater evil brought about than that which 
it was sought to avoid. Supervision will ensure the animals receiv- 
ing the food ordered for them, and by keeping a supply of ordinary 
drugs and mussaul ingredients, the attendants would soon recog- 
nize that it was quite unnecessary for them to submit bills for 
medicine. 
As a rule a driver is proud of his elephant, and it is astonishing 
to see what a good man can make his animal do ; all his orders are 
given in a quiet persuasive manner, and his hints (conveyed by his 
knees and feet behind the animal's ears) are given in such a quiet 
way as to make it almost appear that the movements of the elephant 
are spontaneous. 
There are many offences for which keepers should be severely 
punished or dismissed, namely, a man who takes no pride in his 
animal, and shows no concern about its prosperity, evinced by 
making the immediate wants of the animal subordinate to his own, 
by cooking his food, sitting down to smoke before he has watered 
and fed his elephant, neglecting to bathe it when proper oppor- 
tunity offered, taking the animal into water when the body is heated, 
overworking or overloading it, tying it up at nightfall instead 
of allowing it to graze so as to save bother in tracking it up the 
next morning, failing to administer medicines ordered, and neglect- 
ing to report any symptoms of ill-health, injuries, etc. 
Nevertheless, keepers of almost tantamount value with their 
animals and to their employers are frequently dismissed or discour- 
aged for offences which by comparison with the above are mere 
bagatelles ; often too upon charges not thoroughly enquired into or 
proved. Much care as may be exercised in the choice of a good 
keeper, it is singular how little is occasionally bestowed on that of 
the disposition and attainments of the person empowered to deal 
summarily with him. 
As a matter of fact in a great many instances the occupation of 
the care and treatment of elephants as oo-si or mahout runs in 
families for generations, the father training his son to a knowledge 
of the work. 
