The Lamar register., 1893-05-20
TANNING ELEPHANTS.
HOW THE GREAT ANIMALS ARE
CAPTURED.
Entangiing the Feet In Loop. which
Are Dragged Along the Ground
Great Caution Displayed by
the wild Elephants

I
contributions to ethnography. is now
In this city, says the New York sun.
he was long in the service of Cen
eral Gordon in the Egyptian Soudan.
and OF late years he has been explor-
ing in the virgin field between An
nam and the great Mekong river,
where he has brought to light four
/ tribes whose existence was barely
known before he made them a study
DIR. Rosset contributes this account
of wild elephant catching as prae-
ticed by one OF these tribes in Indo-
/ China:
The Benongs live about midway
between the Mekong river and the
Annamite coast in mountainous,
wooded regions. They hunt the ele-
phant TO obtain ivory and also to
capture and tame the young animals.
A great deal has been written about
elephant hunting, but nothing, / be-
lieve, about the methods of the
Benongs. among whom | was the
first European to live for any consid-
cradle time.
'.On March 80. 1891, was in the
Benong village of Pumpia. making
chronological collections and treating
a Cambodian mandarin arrived for
elephant hunting.
although the natives protested
that the presence of Christian
might render the hunt unsuccessful,
the Cambodian, influenced no doubt
by some presents ! made him, at last
consented TO my participating in the
hunt
Ten aged and completely tanned
elephants Lwere loaded with the i'm
plements for capturing their wild
relations and with baskets of provis-
ions An adequate nnmber of men
were got together. We then started
for region where wild elephants are
numerous.
Our animals moved along in In
dian file. and the finest of the lot, on
which the mandarin and | were
seated. brought up the rear. The
other elephants had to clear the way
for US, which they did by breaking
off the branches of the trees with
their trunks.
.'On we went over hill and dale
and rivers until we found a fresh
elephant trail, recognizable by the
recent breaking of Of branches and
the trolden hcrbage-
~ halt was made. The animals
were unsaddled and the baggage was
taken OF and left in charge OF a
number Of men. The rest OF us were
then ready for the hunt. There was
nothing left on the elephants except
a cane about the thickness of finger,
which was wound round their bodies
to give the riders some hold during
the violent and irregular motions of
the animals.
ut was only with difficulty that
colld prevail upon the mandarin to
allow me to take with me my ele-
phant rides. Wrapped up in OK hides,
these rifles were fastened to the ele-
phant | rode.
Each elephant was ridden by two
men. One, who was called the cap
turer. rode or stood on its back. The
other man was the guide. and he sat
right behind the neck of the animal.
The capturer had long bamboo
stick. which reached TO the ground,
and to the lower end OF which was
attached loop made of twisted, coco
fiber.
This loop was attached to q long
line made OF hide and held by the
capturer at about the middle, and by
the guide at its other end
I'VE advanced with all speed on
the trail. Every moment | was in
danger of being hurled to the ground
by the branches OF trees. The cap
turers. the guides and the mandarin
knew how to keep out of the way OF
danger.
Often | saw our guide lie fiat
down behind the neck of his animal.
and ride on the launches OF the ole-
phant so as not to be scraped off.
Il expected every moment to be
knocked to the ground. | managed
to keep my seat, however, and at last
we reached an open, where we found
about twenty wild elephants, young
and old. which gave vent to their
surprise and fright By violent trump,
etings.
1--WE rode with the utmost speed
right into the herd. The guides. in
order to spur their animals to the
utmost speed, knocked upon their
skulls with iron spikes, which drew
blood. The purpose was to separate
one of the young elephants from TIE
herd.
II wish to say here that wild ele-
plants in fighting with tame ones
ave no towards. but they behave with