New-York daily tribune., 1851-05-29

|
20 ,;,b ,be monsoon. which blows from the South
ves, from April to September, and from the North
| ,as, frorn November 70 February The elephants,
bo urefer the rainy season, range IN the tnlcH Jun
Gle covering the tableland and hills around the oase
ofthe mountain chaln following the rains from one
| SIDE Of the island TO the other
With guide, Interpreter and number OF native
assistants Nj June started for the haunis OF the ele
rhants in the jungles northwest ofKandy while MI
Nutter explored the southern part Of the island lhey
were Obliged to leave the travelled road and trust them
selves TO the Wild Jungle paths leading through the u
cultivated districts freQuented by the animals TheSe
regions are covered with growth Of shruhbery and
small trees so thicky matted together with vines,
| that it is impossible to force the body through Here
and there out Of this ofyegetatlon rise the trunks
! Of enormous trees, growing more frequent IN 'he
neghboThOod ofthe mountains, where they frequent
II form forests of the grandeSt character In hunting
elephants the paths made by the natives cannot al
| wavs be followed but new ones must be cut, which
is very slow and tosOme work. The elephants,
however find the jungle no obstacle to their progress,
but with their heads lowered, crash through 1t at full
! speed The noise Of a herd in motion can be heard
at a great distance
Mr. June had the greatest success in the low lands
IN the northern part ofthe island near Anaraahpoora
The method OF catching elephants, as described by
him. must be avery exciting kind of business. The
first step is to make a kraal. or pen, IN some spot
where the animals abound. This IS constructed o
heavy posts set upright in the ground, closely bound
together with withes and made firm by other posts
resting against them on the outside, as stays Inc
Eraol forms three sides Of square having aper-
tlre on the fourth for the entrance Of the elephants,
from each side of which extends a long palSade,
| l-o4 N # 2
all is completed. the natives lay in wait TIL fine
herd has wandered near the opening of the trap then,
surrounding them, they urge them forward with
shouts and firing of muskes, TIL the frightened ami
mais rush through the entrance and are safe within
the krqai
Now comes the work of catching and securing
them. which would BE- difficult and dangerous task
were it not for the assistance rendered by tame ele-
phants trained for the purpose. One of these ami
mails viii gradually entice of the imprisoned herd
TO little distance from his fellows, and engage his
attention by gentle caress. He rubs his ears strokes
his trunk softly and mumbles phrases of eephantne
endearment, until the susceptible beast IS completely
beguiled by these tokens Of affection. Presently a
second tame elephant comes up on the other SIDE ana
repeats the process, till the most complete confidence
is established Then at the right period, they de1-
texouslv twne both their trunks around the trunk Of
the victim. and hold him IN vice. These ele-
phants wear collars around their shoulders to which
stout ropes are fastened While the trunk Of the wild
animal held two or three natives busy IN fasten
ing these ropes TO his hind legs and he is thus incapa
bic OF moving either forward or backward except as
his loving friends allow He is then taken and made
fast TO tree where he is suffered to remain three or
four days without food drink At The end of this
time the tame elephants brought up again and
after being secured, he y takendQgn to stream and
watered. lie is approached very cautiously at first,
but in the course of ten days or two weeks becomes
docile enough to be driven at large with the tame
beasts.
The natives have another way of taking them, but
it is not often practised The elephant, like all gen.
temen living the tropics is fond of a siesta during
the heat Of the day. Occasionally he Will rest his
huge bulk against some convenient tree, and take an
hours doze with great satisfaction Some of the
Cinealese are daring enough, at this hme to creep
sealthily through the jungle till they reach his very
| feet Notwithstanding his thick hide, the elephant
Is very sensitive to touch The native provided with
rope the other end Of which is made fast 10 tree,
tOut very gently the nnu reg OF the animal, who
lifting his foot to shake off the supposed hy instantly
gives opportunity for moose to be slipped under
The same process IS repeated with the other foot,
and the elephant wakes up and finds himself caught.
GERS stationed Ceyon, who appear to enjoy sporting
on such gigantic scale A cool head and "a aim
are all that is required. slight hollow in the ele-
plants forehead just between and above his eyes is
penetrable by musket ball, and single shot Is gen
orally sufficient to bring him down.
The Ceylon elephants are divided into two classes
the uskar, or tusked elephants and the altar, who
| are destitute Of those appendages The former are
much more valuable than the latter, and are princi-
paly caught for the priests, to be employed in the
service OF the temples
Among the Wild elephants, one Is occasionally
found who, from his mschieyous or unsocial DISPOSE
tion is banished from the herd and becomes sort Of
outcast These are called rogue elephants. Mr..
June succeeded in capturing one OF them, which gave
him great deal of trouble before he shipped at
Point de Gale, but which ne now considers the most
valuable animal IN his collection On one occasion,
while in Handy, he broke from the courtyard in
which he was confined during the night, and after
considerable search, was found demolshing planta-
ton OF bananas He also attempted TO escape while
on the road to Colombo, but happening to a
field Of paddy which had just been irrigated, he sank
to his knees, and was captured.
Mr. June attempted to cross the mountain chain
east of Handy into the country Of the Yeddahs, or
aboriginal inhabitants of Ceylon, but obliged to
return on account Of the rough nature Of the country
which is here primitive wilderness. In addition TO
the almost impenetrable forests and jungles, the
mountains rise in line of sheer precipce, many hun
dred feet in hight and not to be scaled without great
difficulty and danger. The Veddahs who inhabit the
wilderness east of the mountains, about on par
with the Bushmen of South Africa. They divided
into two classes, the village and the forest Veddahs
the former of whom dwell in communities and ex-
hibit some faint glimmenng OF humanity The latter
run wild In the Junges subsistng roots and plants
and climbing into the branches Of trees to sleep Mr.
June saw two of these creatures, who had been cap
tured by the Cngalese, and describes them as being