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460 
and even while he was tying- in the outlet, appeared 
equally wild and fierce as the bolded elephant then taken ; 
fo that he was not even fufpeCted of having been for¬ 
merly taken, till he was conducted from the outlet. The 
moment, however, he was addreffed in a commanding 
tone, the recollection of his former obedience feemed to 
rufli upon him at once ; and, without any difficulty, he 
permitted a driver to be feated on his neck, who, in a 
few days, made him as tradable as ever. Thel'e, and 
feveral other inftances which have occurred, clearly 
evince, that elephants have not the fagacity to avoid a 
fnare into which they have, even more than once, fallen ; 
nor that, if domeftic females were fuffered to (tray into 
the woods in queft of the males, they would ever return, 
at the' call of their cornack, to fiavery again. Befides, 
in what part of thole immenfe forefts ffiould he go to 
find them } 
“ The general idea that tame elephants would not 
breed, has doubtlefs prevented trials being made, to af- 
.certain whether, under particular circumftances, this fup- 
pofed reludance could be got the better of. I was how¬ 
ever convinced, from obfervation, as well as from fome 
particular faffs,‘that elephants had their feafons in which 
they were in heat; I (hall, therefore, firft mention the 
circumftances which induced me to attempt breeding from 
tame elephants, and then relate the fuccefs of the expe¬ 
riments inflituted for this purpofe. The circumftances 
to which I allude, happened in January, 1790, at a ked- 
dah near to Comillah, the capital of Tiperah. Meffirs. 
Henry Bnller and George Dowdefwell, of Chittigong, 
being then on a vifit at Comillah, accompanied me and 
feveral others, to fee a herd of elephants which had been 
lately taken. Our vifitors then propofed a trial being 
made, of tying the wild elephants immediately, in the 
keddah, in the manner prattifed at Chittigong, inftead 
of w-aiting till they, were enticed, one after another, into 
the narrow outlet, there to be fecured, and led out in the 
ufual manner. This mode they recommended fo earneft- 
ly, from a conviction of its fuperior utility, that Mr. 
John Buller, to whom the keddah belonged, aflented to 
the trial being made, and gave orders for the trained 
females, and proper alliftants, to go diredly within the 
enclofure. Having but few trained females prefent, it 
was judged advifable to fend in a fine male elephant, 
taken many years before, and thoroughly broke in, to 
affift them, as well as to keep the herd in awe. He had 
no fooner entered the enclofure, and been brought near 
the herd, than, difcovering one of the females to be in 
heat, impelled by defire, and eager to cover her, he 
daftied through the herd, regardleis of the orders and fe- 
vere difcipline of the driver, and had nearly accompliftied 
his purpofe. The driver, being alarmed for his own fafe- 
ty, exerted in vain all his ftrength, to turn him, and bring 
him from among the wild elephants ; but the drivers of 
the trained females, coming fpeedily to his affiftance, foon 
furrounded this furious animal, and feparated him from 
the herd. In refentment, however, of his difappoint- 
ment, he attacked a fmall koomkee, with luch violence' 
as completely overturned her and her rider ; and, had he 
not been of the fpecies* called mucknah, which have not 
the long tulks, he mod probably would haVe transfixed, 
and killed her on the fpot: fortunately, neither (lie nor 
her driver received any confiderable hurt. This accident 
prevented the trial being then made, to tie the wild ele¬ 
phants in the manner propofed. 
“ Reflecting on the difobedience fhown by an elephant 
remarkably docile, and which had been domefticated for 
many years, when his paflions were excited, and recol¬ 
lecting alfo, that a wild elephant had covered a female, 
in February, 1778, before many fpeCtators, juft after the 
herd had been fecured in the enclofure, I was affiured in 
my own mind, that it was not from any fenfe of modefty, 
either wild or tame elephants did not gratify their pailions 
in public ; but no opportunity offered of profecuting this 
enquiry, till 1792. Having then taken upon myfelf the 
management cf the elephant hunters, a very fine male 
was caught in November : he was both young and hand- 
fome, and alfo of a mod docile difpofition; I therefore 
promifed his driver a confiderable gratuity, if he would 
get him into high order, fo that I might "have an oppor¬ 
tunity of bringing his procreative powers to trial, with a 
tame female'. 
“ In March, 1793, the driver of a favourite female 
elephant informed me, that (lie had then figns of being 
in heat; and that, if the male and (lie were kept toge¬ 
ther, and highly fed, an intimacy would probably foon 
take place. They were therefore, ihortly after this, 
brought near to Comillah, where a fpaciouS fhed was 
erected for their accommodation. In the day they went 
out together to feed ; they alfo brought home a load of 
luch fucculent food as their drivers and attendants Could 
colleft. After their return, they flood together, dept 
near each other, and every opportunity was granted them 
to form a mutual attachment. It is always a good lign, 
when an elephant lies down to deep, within a few months 
after he is taken ; as it (hews him to be of a good temper, 
not fufpicious, but reconciled to his fate. Elephants, 
particularly goondahs, have been known to (land twelve 
months at their pickets, without lying down to deep ; 
though they fometimes take a nap (landing. In this way 
a partiality took place, as was evident from their careffing 
each other with their trunks ; and this without ceremony, 
before a number of other elephants, as well as their at¬ 
tendants. Near the end of June, I was fatisfied the male 
would not, even to regain his freedom, quit the objeCt of 
his regard ; I therefore ordered the keepers to picket 
the female, by one of her fore-legs only, in the houfe 
where they flood, but to leave the male at full liberty. 
Fearful, however, of hurting their fuppofed delicacy, 
and thinking the nearnefs and fight of the attendants 
might poflibly give umbrage to their modefty, I defired 
them to remain quiet in a little hut, ereCled on the out- 
fide of the building appropriated to the elephants, where 
they could fee equally well as if nearer. 
“ On the evening of the. 28th of June, 1793, the male 
was let loofe from his pickets ; and, foon after, he covered 
the female without any difficulty, although before this 
fhe never could have received the male, being taken 
when very young, about five years and a half prior to 
this period. The male was then led quietly to his (fall; 
but, early in the morning of the 29th, he became fo trou- 
blefome, that the drivers, in order, as they faid, to quiet 
him, but partly, I fufpeCt, to indulge their own curio- 
fity, permitted him to cover her a fecond time ; which 
he readily did, before the ufual attendants, as well as a 
number of other fpeCtators. About two in the afternoon 
of the fame day, I was delired to repair to the place 
where the elephants flood, as the male had been trying 
to get nearer the female. On this, I proceeded to the 
fpot, with captain Gregory; when we arrived, I ordered 
the male to be freed from his (hackles ; and, after fome 
time toying, and a few mutual carefles, we had the fa- 
tisfadlion to fee him cover the female. She remained 
perfectly (till during the coitus. When the male had 
finiftied, he flood >quietly by her fide, while (he carefled 
him with her trunk ; and, as they then appeared well 
pleafed, and gentle as ufual, I went up and patted them 
both, as I had formerly been accuftomed to do, without 
the ('mailed apprehenfion. In the evening, they were 
both brought home to be fed ; and, though only a few 
hours had elapled (ince his lad embrace, the male feemed 
inclined to make another attempt; to which I would 
have confented, to gratify a croud of people then pre¬ 
fent, had I not learned, that he had covered the female 
in the open plain, about ten in the morning, when going 
out for food, in fpite of the exertions of the drivers and 
attendants; at lead fo they alleged, in excufe for having 
permitted it, contrary to my orders. As he had already 
covered four times in about fifteen hours, I was afraid a 
further indulgence might be prejudicial, and therefore 
2 would 
