Lesson 61 Catching wild elephants in ceylon
In 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,