154 
ELEPHANT. 
bit* and with flaming torches, the discharge of 
guns, and other noises, drive the animals before 
them into a park previously prepared, and in- 
closed with strong palisades. Sometimes persons, 
eminent for activity and courage, will single 
out an elephant in the woods, pursue him till they 
can fling a sort of springe, made of cord, round 
his hinder legs, and winding and fastening the 
other end of this round a tree, bring two tame 
elephants, between whom he is conducted home 
to captivity, and who, if he prove refractory by 
the way, are directed to beat him with their trunks. 
Tame females are also led out, at times, to invei- 
gle wild males. As soon as one of these females 
has enticed a male from the savage herd, a part 
of her conductors seize her captive, while the rest 
make a noise to frighten away his companions. 
Mankind have, in all ages, been at great pains 
in taming elephants . When Alexander penetra- 
ted into India, the natives opposed him upon 
tame elephants, which they had trained to military 
discipline. The Greeks, who at first beheld 
them with terror, after triumphing over the 
nations of the East, introduced them into their 
own armies. Either a part of those very elephants 
which Alexander brought from India, or others 
brought soon after into Greece, were carried by 
Pyrrhus into Italy, when he went to oppose the 
Romans. His elephants, with the Macedonian 
tacticts, rendered him at first no unequal match 
to the warriors of Rome. But Roman discipline 
and Roman magnanimity, soon triumphed over 
his military skill and his gigantic cavalry. Ele- 
phants were often after that exhibited at Rome. 
The Carthaginians, as well as Pyrrhus, found 
them but weak aids against Roman valour. In 
the circus they were at first driven about, and 
slain with darts. They were afterwards opposed 
