The wild elephant and the method of capturing and taming it in Ceylon . s than three-quarters of an hour. It is strange that in these encounters the wild ele-phants made no attempt to attack or dislodge the mahoutsor the cooroowes, who rode on the tame ones. Theymoved in the very midst of the herd, any individual inwhich could in a moment have pulled the riders fromtheir seats ; but no attempt was made to molest them. As one after another their leaders were entrapped and In a corral, to be on a tame Adigars head was on a level with the elephant, seems to insure perfect immu- back of the wild a
The wild elephant and the method of capturing and taming it in Ceylon . s than three-quarters of an hour. It is strange that in these encounters the wild ele-phants made no attempt to attack or dislodge the mahoutsor the cooroowes, who rode on the tame ones. Theymoved in the very midst of the herd, any individual inwhich could in a moment have pulled the riders fromtheir seats ; but no attempt was made to molest them. As one after another their leaders were entrapped and In a corral, to be on a tame Adigars head was on a level with the elephant, seems to insure perfect immu- back of the wild animals : I felt very nity from the attacks of the wild ones. nervous, but he rode right in among I once saw the old chief MoUegodde them, and received not the slightest ride in amongst a herd of wild elephants, molestation.—Letter from Major on a small elephant; so small that the Skinner. I ^o TJie Wild Elephant. forced away from them, the remainder of the groupevinced increased emotion and excitement; but what-ever may have been their sympathy for their lost cora-. panions, their alarm seemed to prevent them at firstfrom following them to the trees to which they hadbeen tied. In passing them afterwards they sometimesstopped, mutually entwined their trunks, lapped themround each others limbs and neck, and exhibited the Disti^ess. 131 most touching distress at their detention, but made noattempt to disturb the cords that bound them. The variety of disposition in the herd as evidencedby difference of demeanour was very remarkable : somesubmitted with comparatively little resistance; whilstothers in their fury dashed themselves on the ground witha force sufficient to destroy any weaker animal. Theyvented their rage upon every tree and plant within reach ;if small enough to be torn down, they levelled them withtheir trunks, and stripping them of their leaves andbranches, tossed them wildly over their heads on allsides. Some in their struggles made no noise, whilstothers bellowed
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidwild, booksubjectelephants
