ELEPHANT. 
127 
in a soothing tone of voice ; and in a little time 
he begins to know his keeper, and obey his com- 
mands. By degrees the mahote becomes familiar 
to him ; and at length gets upon his back from one 
of the tame elephants ; and as the animal becomes 
more tractable, he advances gradually forward to- 
wards his head, till at last he is permitted to seat 
himself on his neck, from which place he regulates 
and directs all his motions. 
“ In five or six weeks he becomes obedient to 
his keeper; his fetters are taken off by degrees; and 
generally, in about five or six months, he suffers 
himself to be conducted by the mahote from one 
place to another. Care, however, is always taken 
not to let him approach his former haunts, lest a 
recollection of the freedom he there enjoyed should 
induce him again to recover his liberty. This obe- 
dience to his conductor seems to proceed partly 
from a sense of generosity, as it is in some measure 
voluntary ; for, whenever an elephant takes fright, 
or is determined to run away, all the exertions of 
the mahote cannot prevent him, even by beating, 
or digging into his head the pointed iron hook with 
which he directs him. On such an occasion the 
animal totally disregards these feeble efforts ; other- 
wise he could shake or pull him off* with his trunk, 
and dash him in pieces. Accidents of this kind 
happen almost every year, especially to those ma- 
hotes who attend the large goondahs ; but such ac- 
cidents are in general owing entirely to their own 
carelessness and neglect. It is necessary to treat 
