8
In any case those placed in charge of elephants should be kind but firm,
and very even tempered. No animal has a more ready perception of such
qualities than the elephant.
Indian keepers are a most difficult class of men to deal with, but if carefully
selected and justly treated, a marvellous amount of work can be got out of them
I think that it is too often the case that an officer in charge of mixed transport
devotes all his attention to the mules and ponies, leaving the other animals to
the care of a Transport sergeant, often a temporary hand, who, through inexperi-
ence and want of knowledge of the language, does not go the right way to
obtain work out of such men.
Elephant-keepers are born pilferers ; they cannot help it. The appropriation,
for sale or their own use, of part of the grain ration, and the submission of false
and exorbitant bills for drugs in very urgent cases, are common offences. The
former can be avoided by weighing the ration and seeing the animal get it, the
latter by keeping in stock the drugs usually ordered or preferred by mahawuts.
Their dishonesty is of the most flagrant description, and though prejudicial as it
must appear to good discipline, unless such peculation be carried on to such an
extent as to directly affect the health of an animal, severe punishment, such as
dismissal, should not be enforced: good management is the remedy. One point
should never be overlooked—that is, that a good keeper is the exception rather
than the rule, and that an animal placed in the hands of a succession of keepers
is often subjected to treatment such as not to prove beneficial. It can also
be readily understood that elephants are most troublesome in the hands of new
attendants.
The offences for which mahawuts should be dismissed or severely punished
are, unkindness due to ill-temper and want of patience, want of concern regarding
the prosperity of the beasts in their charge, evidenced by making the immediate
wants of their animals subordinate to their own ; and for a perverted standard of
duty, viz., in entertaining the idea that the animals being Government property, it
matters little what may happen them.
A good keeper thoroughly understands the peculiarities of his charge. This
knowledge can only be obtained by long experience and close observation. He
looks after the animal at and off work ; when driving he has to be on the watch
for means of economising the animal's strength, and saving him from avoidable
exertion and exposure.
After work he looks out for shelter, good drinking-water and food, examines
all parts exposed to irritation, notes the state of the appetite and excretions,
and reports anything wrong to the person in charge. As a rule he has a good
knowledge of approaching, catching, subduing, and fettering unruly beasts, and
such men cannot readily be replaced ; hence the expediency of making light of the
more ordinary offences of these men.
It is necessary that every keeper be allowed a cooly or kawardie, as on the
march he is useful to go in front of his animal, to point out sharp stones, sharp
stumps of trees,—in fact, to guide the animal along the easiest and safest route.
After work he goes out to assist in collecting forage, and in camp keeps the
standing clean. It is in this capacity that a mahawut usually serves his appren-
ticeship.
Gear.— Elephants being employed for two purposes, two kinds of gear are
used vis.,—(a) dragging gear; (b) that employed for riding and travelling.
Many kinds of the former are in use, the merits and demerits of which can-
not be considered here.
With regard to the latter, this being a country where elephants are not, as
a rule, specially trained for baggage work, it is not surprising to find the gear
employed very simple and roughly made. The howdahs are invariably baskets
of different sizes and shapes ; there is no regular pattern—each man builds his
kah to suit his fancy or requirements. They consist of a framework of stout
cane ; if for carrying grain, they are covered with raw hide, but for ordinary work