DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.643#0213
ISLAND OF CEYLON, 193
work, they bring him more meat, otherwife they moot him in
the night.
After this account of the loweft of the human race, I fear Elephant.
I mall injure the half reafoning elephant, on putting him on a
level with fuch of our own fpecies as have fcarcely any of the
reafoning particles left. This ifland was celebrated by Pliny,
lib. viii. c. 9, for its race of elephants, which were larger, and
more adapted for war, than thofe of India. He alfo gives the
methods of capture*. They are, at prefent, taken in different
manners, and after being tamed, are fent to the great annual
fair at Jaffanapatam. The merchants of Malabar and Bengal,
have notice of the numbers and qualities of the elephants to be
fet up to fale; fdmetimes a hundred are fold at one fair. A full
grown beaft, twelve or fourteen feet high, will be fold at the
rate of two thoufand dollars.
The manner of taking thefe huge animals is thus defcribed
by Doctor Tbunberg, iv. p. 240, who undertook a journey up the
country to fee what the Dutch call an Elephant-toil, or Jnare,
" which ferved for capturing and inclofing a great number of
elephants. The toil was conftrutted of front cocoa trees, almofh
in the form of a triangle, the fide neareft to the wood being very
broad, and augmented with flighter trees and bufhes, which
gradually extended themfelves into two long and impercepti-
ble wings. The narrower end was ftrongly fortified with
flakes, planted clofe to each other, and held firmly together
by ropes, and became at length fo narrow, that only one fingle
* Lib. viii. c. 8.
Vol. L C c elephant
work, they bring him more meat, otherwife they moot him in
the night.
After this account of the loweft of the human race, I fear Elephant.
I mall injure the half reafoning elephant, on putting him on a
level with fuch of our own fpecies as have fcarcely any of the
reafoning particles left. This ifland was celebrated by Pliny,
lib. viii. c. 9, for its race of elephants, which were larger, and
more adapted for war, than thofe of India. He alfo gives the
methods of capture*. They are, at prefent, taken in different
manners, and after being tamed, are fent to the great annual
fair at Jaffanapatam. The merchants of Malabar and Bengal,
have notice of the numbers and qualities of the elephants to be
fet up to fale; fdmetimes a hundred are fold at one fair. A full
grown beaft, twelve or fourteen feet high, will be fold at the
rate of two thoufand dollars.
The manner of taking thefe huge animals is thus defcribed
by Doctor Tbunberg, iv. p. 240, who undertook a journey up the
country to fee what the Dutch call an Elephant-toil, or Jnare,
" which ferved for capturing and inclofing a great number of
elephants. The toil was conftrutted of front cocoa trees, almofh
in the form of a triangle, the fide neareft to the wood being very
broad, and augmented with flighter trees and bufhes, which
gradually extended themfelves into two long and impercepti-
ble wings. The narrower end was ftrongly fortified with
flakes, planted clofe to each other, and held firmly together
by ropes, and became at length fo narrow, that only one fingle
* Lib. viii. c. 8.
Vol. L C c elephant