56 
A TREATISE ON ELEPHANTS. 
leg ; the free end should be attached to the saddle within easy 
reach of the driver, so that if occasion arises he can release it in 
the hope that it may be caught in some bush or stump. Sanderson 
cured a bolter by having a hoop of iron made with sharp spikes to 
encircle a hind-leg, soolays of the Burmese (see Figs. 23 and 24). 
to the pad by a cord in a slip-knot, handy to the mahout who could 
set the anchor free with a pull at the cord. In the Karen Hills I 
noticed that unruly beasts and those given to bolting generally have 
a hole about the size of a rupee pierced through the lobe of one ear. 
A piece of cord is passed through the hole, and the free ends kept 
handy by the driver. On giving trouble the driver hangs on to the 
string; the method appears to be fairly effective. The oo-sis, when 
bringing certain animals in from grazing, pass a cord through the hole 
in the ear, take hold of the free ends and lead the animals into camp. 
A method employed in Siam with nervous elephants is very effective : 
a bent hook like a magnified fish-hook hangs loosely on the ear close 
to the head ; a string is attached to the eye on the straight end. 
When the animal is nervous and shows signs of wanting to bolt, the 
cooly pulls on the string. 
Some mahouts take the trouble to teach their elephants certain 
methods by which they alone can approach and catch their animals 
when out grazing. For instance, a; driver seeing his elephant hails 
him, upon which the animal at once charges down on his keeper 
with (to a stranger) apparently alarming intent, but having done this 
he permits himself to be caught. 
Other elephants will permit their fetters to be removed from the 
near or off-side only, and some will only allow approach from behind, 
or the driver must pass under the elephant's uplifted trunk, before 
he proceeds to remove a fetter. 
Fig. 24. — Hind fetter for one foot only. It consists of two 
bent pieces of iron joined on one side by a short 
strong chain or rope and fastened off on the other by 
a line which is tied to a tree. The bent pieces of 
iron have four sharp points turned inwards, which on 
the elephant attempting to move enter the leg. 
This was kept in posi- 
tion round the leg 
by being suspended 
from the pad by a 
rope, and it fitted the 
leg so loosely as not 
to inconvenience the 
elephant except when 
required. To the 
ring was attached a 
chain 1 5 ft. long, at 
the other end of 
which was a pick-axe 
head. This grap^ 
pling-iron was slung 
