The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-01-24
AFTER THE ELEPHANTS.
Royal Hunt in India Enjoyed by MAI
from New Jersey.

A ROYAL Hunt in India Enjoyed by Man
from New Jersey.
The following account of royal ele-
plant hunt at Aynthia, India, was writ
ten home by New Jersey man who hap
pened to witness that interesting event:
/ "The stockade in which the elephants
are yearly captured" he says, lis a
qnadrangular piece of ground, inclosed
! by wall some six feet thick, having an
entrance on one side through which the
elephants are made to enter the inclos-
ure. Inside the wall is fence of strong
teak stakes driven into the ground close
together, allowing only sufficient room
between them to permit the passage OF
man. In the center is a small house
erected on poles and strongly supported
and surrounded by stakes, wherein men
are generally stationed for the purpose
of securing the animals, but on this oc-
casion the elephants were let loose upon
! an open plain behind the arena and then
captured. The wild elephants being
then in the bamboo jungle in the vicin-
ity of Aynthia, having been decoyed
from a great distance in the interior and
/ kept in readiness within few hours
journey for the appointed day, and as we
were informed of their near approach to
us we remained and witnessed the wild
beasts being lured by the tame ones.
''The sight to us was novelty. You
see over an immense plain at some dis
lance few tame elephants with their
riders ahead of at least two hundred
wild ones, large and small. You see
them nearing you closer and closer,
until they approach the stockade, when
the tame elephants form front-and
fancy fifteen tame beasts hemming in
some two hundred wild ones in a small
space-when they were pressed forward
through the entrance one by one. Here
we experienced some excitement. Some
go through quietly, others refuse, show
fight, charge the line of front, and on
several occasions broke through, when
off go the tame elephants and bring
them back, and so by patience and per-
severance the whole number is driven
in The gate is then closed and they
remain within the Enclosure to await
the pleasure of the King.
early the next morning the King ar
rived, accompanied by large concourse
of mobiles. At about eleven o'clock he
arrived at sort of grand stand and OPP
erations commenced. The beasts that
had been penned up all night were let
out through another gate opening into
a plain, where such as the King admired
were caught. Here again the scene was
exciting. If an animal which Is admired
escapes, chase is Immediately made
after it by the tame elephants, the driver
of which throws lasso to catch the
fugitive's feet. Having effected this,
the animal upon which he rides leans it.
self with all it's power the opposite way,
and thus brings the other violently on
the ground. It is then strongly bound
and conveyed to the elephant stables.
One large male made it's escape through
the front ranks and was lost among the
ruins and Jungle of the old city. Nat
urallv enough accidents are of common
occurrence, men being killed by the m
furiated animals, which are frequently
confined for two days in the Enclosure
without food. am happy to say that
no accidents of serious nature occurred
OH this occasion. have only to chron-
icle few upsetS of no Importance.
From the two hundred elephants that
were decoyed the King selected some
twenty of the best. The remainder
were driven into the interior to await
the ensuing year" Newark Sunday