ELEPHANT. 
123 
placed^ and every precaution used to prevent their 
breaking through. This they would soon effect if 
left to themselves, notwithstanding the palisade is 
made of strong stakes, sunk into the earth on the 
outside of the ditch, and strengthened by cross-bars 
and buttresses, as already mentioned. 
tc When the herd has continued a few days in 
the keddah , the doors of the roomee are opened, 
into which some one of the elephants is enticed to 
enter, by having food thrown first before, and then 
gradually further on into the passage, till the ele- 
phant has advanced far enough to admit of the gates 
being shut. Above this wicker-gate, or door, two 
men are stationed on a small scaffold, who throw 
down the food. When the elephant has passed be- 
yond the door, they give the signal to a man, who, 
from without, shuts it by pulling a string, and they 
secure it by throwing two bars that stand per- 
pendicular on each side, the one across the other, 
thus X , forming the figure of St. Andrew’s cross ; 
and then two similar bars are thrown across each 
other behind the door next the keddah , so that the 
door is in the centre. For further security hori- 
zontal bars are pushed across the roomee , through 
the openings of the palisades, both before and be- 
hind those crosses, to prevent the possibility of the 
doors being broken. The roomee is so narrow, that 
a large elephant cannot turn in it ; but as soon as 
he hears the noise that is made in shutting the gate 
he retreats backwards, and endeavours to force it. 
Being now secured in the manner already noticed. 
