The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-07-26

The elephant, in Ceylon, Is, in Its
wild state. marauder. the dread o..
the cultivator. 1t Is necessary to thin
the herds out by capture, either to
tame or to kill. This leads To q grand
hunt every year, in the dull season,
when the rice fields, rapidly advanc-
ing to the harvest, enable numbers OF
the peasantry to he drawn off.
At the appointed time, vast num-
bers gather together to put up stock
AIDES, and cut through the jungle, In
some part much frequented by the
animals.
The corral includes o stream, and IL
cleared; trees and bushes are left in
their natural state. The fence Of the
corral is made of trees ten or twelve
inches in diameter. sunk three feet in
to the ground lashed together by
transverse beams, and supported by
props. A corral will be five hundred
feet long by two hundred and fifty
broad. The corral completed, the
natives spread around in vast circle.
aud begin cautiously narrowing in,
keeping close watch, and building
fires at short intervals, the elephants
always retreating from fire.
At sunset says an eye-witness) the
scene was Of extraordinary interest;
the low fires, which had apparently
only smouldered In the sunlight,
assumed their ruddy glow amidst the
darkness and threw their tinge over
the groops collected around them,
while the smoke rose in eddies through
the rich foliage of the trees. The
crowds of spectators maintained pro-
found silence, and not sound was
preceptible beyond the hum of an in
sect. On a sudden the stiffness was
broken by the roll Of a drum, followed
by discharge of musketry. This
was the signal for renewed assault,
and the hunters entered the circle
with shouts and clamor; dry leaves
and sticks were flung upon the watch
fires till they hlazed aloft, and formed
II line of flame on every side except In
the direction Of the corral, which was
studiously kept dark; and thither the
terrified elephants betook themselves,
followed by the yells and racket OF
their pnrsuers.
The animals approached at n rapid
pace, trampling down the brushwood
and crushing the dry branches: the
leader emerged In front Of the corral
paused an instant, stared wildly
around, and then rushed headlong
through the gate, followed by the rest
of the herd.
As If by magic, the entire curcuit Of
the corral, which to this moment had
been kept in profound darkness. now
hlazed with thousand lights, every
hunter on the instant that the ele-
plants entered rushing forward to the
stockade with torch kindled at the
nearest watchfire.
The elephants fret dashed to the
very extremity Of the enclosure, and
being brought up by powerful fence
started back to regain the gate, bat
found 1t closed. Their terror was sub
lime; they hurried round the corral
at rapid pace, hut saw It now girt by
fire on every side; attempted to force
the stockade, but were driven back
by the guards with spears and fam
beaux; and on whichever side they
they were repulsed with
shouts and discharge Of musketry.
into one groop, they would
pause for moment In apparent be-
then burst off in another
as If it had suddenly occur
ed to them to try some point which
they had overlooked; but again repuls-
ed, they slowly return to their forlorn
resting place in the center Of the cor