Lesson 61 Catching wild elephants in ceylonIn catching wild elephants in Ceylon, the natives choose a place near to the forest, and make a fence round it,each post in the fence being the trunk of a tree.Sometimes the space enclosed is so great that the fence extends for several miles!The space inside the fence is called a corral. There are openings like great door-ways left in it,by which the elephants are to get in when they come rushing towards it.When the corral has been made ready, the elephants begin to see blazing lights all around them.These are the fires that the natives have made to frighten the elephants.The fires seem at first a long way off.But they come nearer and nearer, until the poor elephants are hemmed in by fires on all sides but one.Behind the flames are crowds of men, with white shining sticks and spears in their hands.The men knock these sticks about, and brandish their spears, all the time making a great shouting noise,to frighten the elephants as much as they can. The elephants look about, to see how they can escape.Only one way is left open, and the whole herd sets off down it with a furious rush.That one way leads them to the corral! As soon as they are in the corral, the natives bar up the door-ways,and the poor elephants are penned in, as securely as if they were in a prison.
