The wild elephant and the method of capturing and taming it in Ceylon . us injury on their gardens andgrowing crops. For a similar reason the priests en-courage the practice, because the elephants destroytheir sacred Bo-trees, of the leaves of which they arepassionately fond ; besides which it promotes the faci-lity for obtaining elephants for the processions of thetemples : and the Rate-mahat-meyas and headmen havea pride in exhibiting the number of retainers whofollow them to the field, and the performances of theirtame elephants which they lend for tlie business ofthe corral. Thus vast numb
The wild elephant and the method of capturing and taming it in Ceylon . us injury on their gardens andgrowing crops. For a similar reason the priests en-courage the practice, because the elephants destroytheir sacred Bo-trees, of the leaves of which they arepassionately fond ; besides which it promotes the faci-lity for obtaining elephants for the processions of thetemples : and the Rate-mahat-meyas and headmen havea pride in exhibiting the number of retainers whofollow them to the field, and the performances of theirtame elephants which they lend for tlie business ofthe corral. Thus vast numbers of the peasantry arevoluntarily occupied for many weeks in putting upthe stockades, cutting paths through the jungle, andrelieving the beaters engaged in surrounding and drivingin the elephants. I 12 The Wild Elephant. In selecting the scene for an elephant hunt a position ischosen which lies on some old and frequented route of GROUND PLAN OF A CORRAL. the animals, in their periodical migrations in search offorage and water; and the vicinity of a stream is indis-. METHOD OF FENCING A COKRAL. pensable, not only for the supply of the elephants dur-ing the time spent in inducing them to approach the Mode of constrtiction. 113 enclosure, but to enable them to bathe and cool them-selves throughout the process of training after capture. In constructing the corral itself, care is taken to avoiddisturbing the trees or the brushwood within the includedspace, and especially on the side by which the elephantsare to approach,. where it is essential to conceal thestockade as much as possible by the density of thefoliage. The trees used in the structure are from ten totwelve inches in diameter; and are sunk about three feetin the earth, so as to leave a length of from twelve tofifteen feet above ground ; with spaces between eachstanchion sufficiently wide to permit a man to glidethrough. The uprights are made fast by transversebeams, to which they are lashed securely by ratans andflexibl
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1860, bookidwild, booksubjectelephants
