The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-10
carCHINo ,EYhoy ELEPHANTS.
An Exciting Drive Ending IN tho Trapping
Of the Great Beasts.

CALCUTTA, Oct "a. 90 In the interior Of Ceylon
had rather novel experience, that II witnessing
an elephant kraai
Several weeks previously two herds Of elephants
had been surrounded by some $500 native coolies
under the orders 81 tl.cir RatGmnhntmayns, pre-.
paratory u the krralins. The plot II wilderness
anil jungle surrounded by tho coolies extended
over m area Of about three thousand acres
Every night by fnrg blanl; ammunition.
kinllirg frcs. beating tomtoms AMI loud shout.
ing. tic elephants were driven several hundred
yards nearer to mn improvsed stock.
ale Tlis was repeated nightly until the elephants
were half n mile ~ l'Ss from the mouth OF
the stucHndc. This chase sometimes requires more
than two months
The citcl- oi coolies then opens and incloses
within It's ranks the entire stockndr. This stock
ale was built Of stout tree trunks deeply and
firmly mbeddcd in tic ground a; n distance II
two feet apart. ThcSc tree posts projected some
fourteen feet above tho earth and enforced
hy thee parallel lines II l"ryontal crosspi"c"s.
securely tied e. the posts with Wild vines and creep
crs The whole WAS further strengthened by a
srrics Of slanting braces firmly fixed in the ground
and having horizontal! cross pieces also bound 10
them. IN" stocEafe or krral' was about hye
hundred feet SlIArc. AMI built in Jungle with
it, entrance disguised u appear a. the thickcSt
part u the iraElc The entrance 'or the game
Vas from ~ I" 20 feet wide and at the north
Is,yoni the s,ocladc. on the south opposite
its entrance. was "krnal Town" which con
number ot bungalows. built Of ualm leaves and
iiuei inside with White cloth. all trmporaIy Tor
the occasion. The bungalows were Gnyly, dccora,
I'd with bunting on! hscs \ kind Of g,and.
stand had been erected Just outsid. the soceade, on
INC bout sac NJ nC we Ess.n r to the rrandsand
Tho irivcin had already commenced, the
shouts q tho hcH'"TS and she Htins Of .hriI guns
~ and nearer. the r'rcLing trees, vines and jun.
gle growth became terrific a. the rushing elephants
Non, Ma and nd incest t were in,eTsr. Rcp~asiy
some oi tho Elephants made determined attempts
met with yollcys from III" guns and loud cheers
from tho heaters. who rushed toward the hinge
beasts and by their courage and bold front awed
AMI turned them once more toward the stoclia.ic,
Finally the largest AMI most irrocinus elephant
which hal be"n leading the herd made n mad
rush for the patch nf dense green jungle ahead,
which disguised the entrance 10 The s,nckaGc
There followed ucmcniou, crash and crack
Ing Of brcakinr branches vines and jungle growth,
seemingly right about our stand.
The gigantic lea lcr Of ihc herd rushed toward
herd in single III" The coolies swArmcd a-ound
the outside Of the stockndc beneath the ErnndStand
I and with vollcvs frow their guns and with spears
and loud shouting turned the course OF the clc
/ phants and prevented their breaking down or
attacking any portion OF the s,uckade They
frequently had 10 use their spars 10 drive the in,
Co circle about tiny one i'otting around after
/ its mother IN an amusing manner NJ last they
| hmddl"d together in the thickcsi OF the remain.
Immediately after the last elephan, had PASSED
nry r E f"" c S s we vScys a hS S
munition and quickly planted rosts ana supports
bound together thus eiicctually closing the gate
After a short interval the noosirg hogan, /,
being hes, dnnr s'nrtlv after the irs, mad rushing
AMI before III" animals ret uvrr their fright or
! hay" trnddcu down all the Jungle in the stockad~
| Half dozen tame elephants entered the stock
/ adj two natives riding upin zach and dozen
NATIVES following IN foot. armed with SPEARS for
sell defence.
The tame elephants had rope collars and ropc
surciurlc, with Loops or the riders 10 hold on by.
\ tarrcd ropc with running r"oSc ives attached
the rope coa- the herd was7 kept moving about,
nni as opportunity rNrrrd the natives on loot,
slipped the nooars between the hind feet of tho
Wild elephants when raised. This was. rather
/ derCcrnus work, many attempts and failures
| preceding the final capture fr"lucnt kicks oi
The wild elephants sen, natives sprawling
by one hind foo, and then by the other. to n big
tree, where they scrrIm"d, pulled md believed
mc f%G n he FprS w%." then sS e, ss
the wild cl"nhNnts were united from the tree
Then they wcr" marched of betwccn the two tam,
ones, followed by a third tame elephant, which
helped with M occasional push when necessary.
not at all easy 10 SECURE The largest 81 thc eic
phNn;s in tn" krar measured fifteen fecr in height
\tct several months Of cGp,lvity, chained by Q
training ot keeper. they will b. diSpns,d If or
hired out nv their capt"rs 'nl us"l for dragging
the younger ones are sold 10 dealers in animals
whntrHin for them the circus &c
ON the spot they are worth, according to tn
temper displayed, nEr, &c. from 200 10 800 rIr-r
ca ruiec ~ ~ cents in United States money!
-Four months la"r they nrr worth several time
the price At ,hr @rNNl hut in the meantime hav,
nrcessit'tcl cousi iT Ih- expense in reno, ms
and training them. The Government receive
royalty " 10 rupees for each elephant ktanlrd
\ kraal entails considerable hNrdshipS On IN
little army 81 h"ntrr" with more or less loss II III
or limb The heaters are villagers, chiefly Cinca
les, ~ ~ I,llr bV thti "a, lpay
their homes, PERHAPS never 10 return, and assist Il
/ Tho krnalinr, sometimes being absent for month
without compensation and compelled 10 carry 'hri
own provisions 0r 20 hungry, and NIL for no'hno
simut,' in Obedience Ia the old law NJ Rni,kariya
Thrae villagers during the krnNl build smn
| shelter Of lp1vcs anil cook nni live on the spu,
Their shelters are few fest apar ana aevrra
coolies live in each \ minor hcadsmnn H.
charge II AMI guides the men composing his pO
ton 81 this crmv ~ coolies Occasionally III
vagcra srIrrrriti-isly put bullets In their muy
zlr-lnadrrs instead NJ powder, and sometimes Al
elephant is thus wounded,
Taking Down n Mighty Hunter.
| IA. L..