The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-10-14
HUNTING Wild ELEPHANTS.
BY DR.. j. II. PORTER.

"The way in which elephants are COM
menly supposed to be caught, !" remarked Maj.
Baker, " is not much like the way they are
really captured; but. of course, / did not
know that until l saw il done. Official re-
poris do not come before the public, and
what we read on this subject mostly consists
of pure fiction, told at second hand for the
purpose of entert lining people.
Sunderland and / met while on leave at
Ootacamund. We were recruiting In that
pleasant spot amidst the central Indian hills.
Sunderland knew all about elephants-the
real animals and also those imaginary crea-
lures of native superstition. Likewise his
fame was great among hunters of big game,
and he had been catching elephants for the
Government during five years.
The drivers. truckers, and scouts belong
ing 10 Sanderland's corps believed, with
pride, that he had supernatural assistance.
Moreover. every sportsman III India re
spected his opinion; therefore, when he
said that in many respects elephants
were stupid creatures, and IN every way
overrated, / began to think my previous
ideas. based, like those of most everyone,
upon common report and current gossip
needed revision, and gladly accepted an
invitation to see keddah operations for
afterwards we had little bungalow built in
southern Mysore, and passed most of our
time riding over and studying the adjacent
rountry.
Elephants are not driven into stockades;
they are manuyered there, because they
have much less good sense than has been
assigned TO them. The contingent OF ma
tives we intended to employ was still at
home. Only Sanderland's small force of
veterans had yet taken the field, and now
that his preliminary work was finished, and
those lines along which any herd entering
this district would almost certainly travel
were known, nothing remained except to
wait for developments.
"These came with the arrival in hot haste
of Baiee Ras, the chief tracksr. This worthy
expressed himself alter the symbolical fash
ion of his country and class. Owing to the
ascendency of our good fortunes, he said, a
herd of elephants was coming the like of
which had not b2en seen even in dream.
All the females were beautiful as dancing
girls. As for The males, they were d~dSdlds
(well-bred animais). That was enough.
Big tuskers abounded; one, especially, was
an immense and conquering lord, who Kept
order like magistrate.
But, instigated by evil spirits, these ele-
plants were making for the broken country
below, where they could by no means be
caught We would, of course, prevent that;
then they should be delivered into our
hands
Now, except for organization and disci-
pline, backed by wide experience Of this
thick-skinned creatures ways, the best catch
made for years might easily have been lost.
Once they were within those wooded defiles
towards which the herd was then tending,
and it would have been impossible to bring
any tactics to hear. Sunderland, however,
sent runners to assemble those parties await
ing orders, and at once threw all his avail
able force into the southern passes; not in
tending them to show their numbers, how
ever, or make any demonstration unless