136 
ELEPHANT. 
feetlv reconciled to his fate. It seems somewhat 
extraordinary, that though the animal u&es his u(~ 
most force to disengage himself when taken, and 
would kill any person coming within his reach, 
yet he seldom or never attemptsto hurt the females 
that have ensnared him ; but, on the contrary, 
seems (as often as they are brought near, in order 
to adjust his harnessing, or move and slacken 
those ropes which gall him) pleased, soothed, and 
consoled by them, as it were, for the loss of his 
liberty. 
The mode of securing a herd of wild elephants 
is very different from that adopted in taking a 
single male, and the process is much more tedious. 
When a herd, which generally consists of from 
about forty to a hundred, is discovered, about five 
hundred people are employed to surround it. By 
means of fire and noises, they, in the course of some 
days, are able to drive them to the place where they 
are to be secured. This is called the keddah. It 
consists of three inclosures, communicating with 
each other by means of narrow openings or gate- 
ways. The outer one is the largest, the middle 
generally the next in size, and the third or further- 
most the smallest. When the animals arrive near 
the first inclosure, (the palisadoes and two gates 
of which are as much as possible disguised with 
branches of trees and bamboos stuck in the ground, 
so as to give them the appearance of a natural 
jungle,) great difficulty attends the business of 
getting them in. The leader always suspects 
some snare, and it is not without the utmost hesi- 
tation that he passes ; but as soon as he enters* 
all the rest implicitly follow. Immediately, when 
they have passed the gateway, fires are lighted 
round the greatest part of the inclosure, and par- 
ticularly at the entries, to prevent the elephants 
from returning. The hunters from without then 
