“They had been in the habit of killing tigers with only one elephant, on which being mounted, they one day roused a tiger of a very fierce disposition. The animal, after doing some mischief among the dogs, which baited him very courageously, at length darted at the elephant’s head, and, though foiled in the attempt to get upon it, nevertheless scratched her trunk severely. No sooner did she feel the tiger’s claws penetrating her proboscis, than she turned round, and set off at full speed, roaring most vehemently. She seemed to have lost her senses, and to be bent on mischief; for whenever she saw a living object, she pursued it, totally heedless of the mahout’s endeavors to guide or restrain her. She was at length, by fatigue and management, brought into a governable state; but she was spoiled for tiger-hunting.”
The same author chronicles a narrow escape for both elephant and riders from a tiger:—
“The tiger had satiated himself upon a bullock he had killed, and lay lurking in the grass,—which was as high as the backs of the elephants, and very thick,—not far from the remains of the bullock. He was extremely cunning, and crouched so close as to render it, for a long time, doubtful whether he was in the jungle, or not. The symptoms displayed by the elephants, on approaching the place where he lay concealed, induced the party to persevere in their efforts to rouse him. One gentleman, particularly, urged his mahout to make his elephant beat the spot where the scent was strongest; which being done, in spite of the tremendous tones of the agitated animal, the tiger, finding himself compelled either to resist, or to submit to being trodden upon, sprang upon the elephant’s quarter, and so far succeeded as to fix his claws in the pad; his hind-legs were somewhat spread, and their claws were fixed into the fleshy membranes of the elephant’s thigh. Actuated by the excess of fear, occasioned by so sudden and so painful an attack, the elephant dashed through the cover at a surprising rate; the tiger holding fast by its fore-paws, and supported by its hinder ones, unable, however, in consequence of the rapid and irregular motions of the elephant, either to raise himself any higher, or to quit the hold he had so firmly taken with his claws. The gentleman, who had much ado to keep his seat, was precluded from firing at his grim companion, as well from his unprecedented situation, as from the great danger of wounding some of the numerous followers, who were exerting the utmost speed of their respective elephants to come up to his assistance. The constant desire felt by the elephant to get rid of his unwelcome rider, which produced a waving and irregular pace, gave the opportunity for those who were mounted on light and speedy animals to overtake the singular fugitives. Another gentleman of the party, coming up close, was enabled to choose his position; when, taking a safe aim, he shot the tiger, which fell to the ground, and required no further operations.”
An elephant has been known to fling a tiger twenty feet through the air, and well-trained animals will catch a leaping tiger upon its tusks. This, however, is rarely done, perhaps from lack of opportunity. Much preparation is required in training an elephant for tiger-hunting. A stuffed skin is generally thrown to them, and they are taught to kneel and crush it; and, when thoroughly familiar with the appearance of the big cat through the dummy, they are taken into the field.
In India the elephant has often been used as a public executioner. Shah-Jehan terrified the Portuguese at Hoogly some years ago by announcing, that, if they did not renounce the Christian faith, he would throw them beneath his elephants’ feet. Knox, in his account of Ceylon, states that “the king makes use of them for executioners,” and that the animals would run their tusks through the bodies of the victims at the word of command. These elephant executioners were provided with sharp iron spikes with a socket with three edges, which at such times were fitted upon their tusks. This custom was kept up until the British conquered the island.
Bishop Heber says, “I preached, administered the sacrament, and confirmed twenty-six young people, in the audience-hall of the late King of Kandy, which now serves as a church. Here, twelve years ago, this man, who was a dreadful tyrant, and lost his throne in consequence of a large party of his subjects applying to Gen. Brownrigge for protection, used, as we were told, to sit in state to see those whom he had condemned trodden to death and tortured by elephants trained for the purpose.”
In very early times the elephant formed an equally important factor in the hunt. Marco Polo has recorded the manner of the Grand Khan’s proceeding to the sport:—
“On account of the narrowness of the passes in some parts of the country where his Majesty follows the chase, he is borne upon two elephants only, or sometimes a single one, being more convenient than a greater number. But, under other circumstances, he makes use of four, upon the backs of which is placed a pavilion of wood, handsomely carved, the inside being lined with cloth of gold, and the outside covered with the skins of lions,—a mode of conveyance which is rendered necessary to him during his hunting excursions, in consequence of the gout, with which his Majesty is troubled. In the pavilion he always carries with him twelve of his best gerfalcons, with twelve officers, from amongst his favorites, to bear him company and amuse him. Those who are on horseback by his side give him notice of the approach of cranes, or other birds, upon which he raises the curtain of the pavilion, and, when he espies the game, gives direction for letting fly the gerfalcons, which seize the cranes, and overpower them after a long struggle. The view of this sport, as he lies upon his couch, affords extreme satisfaction to his Majesty.”
PLATE XV.