The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1898-08-10
TRAPPING ELEPHANTS.
how WILD ONES ARE REDUCED
TO CAPTIVITY.
D-,vAn to Gigantic Corrals, Then Fettered
with the Help of Tame Animals of
Dangerous Work.
Dangerous w Ork.

4 an indispensable beast or burden, as
hnoI, as a valuable adjunct in war and a
bictoresoue addition to many religious
ceremonies. Elephants are not gener ally
bred in captivity; wild ones are caught
Ind tanned The method of trapping
kbem in India, which is much the same
l. that employed elsewhere, is as fol-
follows:
An elephant trap or corral is styled a
lkbeddah. For such a corral site is
chosen in the midst of a thick under
Growth or high canes, which generally
BORN the animals lairs, and to which
they are consequently more easily driven.
A space is cleared in the thicket, then
trees are felled, cut to lengths of % feet,
planted three deep around the space to
be enclosed. The corral is roughly cir
sCuar, with diameter of about 70 feet.
4 A gap of about 16 feet is left, from
which extends for about 500 yards an
over widening inclosure of funnel shape,
BIT the mouth some 250 yards broad. The
Jungle is left standing in this funnel.
and when all posts have been planted
Ethe fences are dressed" that is, COM
Pletely covered with branches, to re-
kemble as nearly as possible naturaI5su"-
Aoundings, 4 gate is next erected over
fhe l6,foot gap. 1t swings upwards,
bnd when closed is the weakest part Of
he st0ckade. AS soon as the wild ami
pals are within it is dropped and
strengthened with ropes.
Before commencing a drive several
RfrdS arc surrounded and confined in
great mountain gorges where food is
plentiful, Until a herd has been ma
peuveTed into the funnel the drive is
conducted in silence. Then, at a signal
given by a man in a tree, who beats a
gong, perfect pandemonium of noises
Rnd HE ID let hose behind the animals.
Hunters with picks and natives with
om-toms follow the herd closely, and as
0on as the herd has passed into the tun-
Pc rows of fire are lit at intervals across
II Ih9 first row is at the mouth. the
PsVolo ABOUT the center, and the third
u7"T the gate. The rush in the funnel
IS the most dangerous part OF the drive.
as the eYer-narrowing space causes
HVIVouSneSS-Soon amounting to fear
ana madness-to take possession of the
elephants.
IN the day after a herd has been
1I"ea begins the work of tying up each
'vPnant separately and pickeung them
'u'S'oe in the "ield-camp." This is
"Den tame elephants are first broueh
u'o USE The most powerful fighting
'9u"utS are pat to guard the entrance
u'ou5n the gate; other tame elephants
NC Vnen ridden inside. and SO maneu
''eo as to form line with their tails
'a'oS The Wild ones. Pressing back
aus they squeeze the wild elephants
w neap against the walls of the
l'uuan' The 'mohouts," or elephant
,u''S, are armed With spears in case it
tbay '' p'''e'
'Ien with hobbies now slip in through
OoTraI walls and hobble the forelegs
''Vn wild animal in turn. no render
''S'er' Two or three tame elephants
p''"'e or cut Out' each wild one in
f. 40; II Is the business of the drivers
'1O '"he ones to protect the men dur
~" operation, and the subsequent
IVY ~ fastening hawser around the
"SS' The loose end of this hawser
Passed BY the tame elephant back
su Tue corral wall, so that the cap
n I'' 'e tied up from the outside
,ai. '"'' operation inside the enclos-
aob ~ pass moose round the neck of
psn, %@p'!Ve, the other end being subse-
~ g'Tthe9 round tame elephant:
,tbs5 same time the leg-hawser is
ant 9o round second tame one. The
t h.. are them marched out and lied
Ibsot ' ., IN the field camp. They NAV
re ~ b, IKE tue little fellow in the pict-
sn Yp' they have 70 go all the same.
scnt ' elephants do not need a rear
hem neck N ropes being sufficient for
oun,. one tame elephant can escort >
ep So u small ones, whereas verv larpe
ans ., take sometimes six or eigbt
ben ,h spnants to move them. and even
bapt - assistance of fghting ele-
'S be needed. Calves follow