augmenting the strength of the fence. The part of it in which the elephants are first enclosed, is eighteen hundred feet in circumference; but it communicates with a smaller fold, one hundred feet in length, and forty broad, through which a rivulet passes, five feet in depth, and nearly fills the enclosure. The elephants enter this place of confinement at only one gate; and beyond the water the fence gradually contracts, terminating in a strong passage, five feet broad and one hundred feet long.

We give likewise, in our author's own words, the striking picture of the entrance of the elephants into the first snare.

"All things being ready for driving the elephants into the snare, the governor and his party repaired to the ground about seven o'clock in the evening, ascended the elevated bungaloe by a long ladder, and waited several dark and tedious hours; but the termination of the chase amply repaid their patience. It was necessary that silence, as well as darkness, should reign amongst us; and, in a situation where our eyes and ears were otherwise so attentively engaged, conversation would be particularly irksome. The shouting of the hunters was incessant, muskets and rockets joined in the chorus, and the wild roaring of the elephants was heard at intervals, more distinctly warning us of their approach. At length the forest crashed, and the enormous herd pushed forward with fury, levelling instantaneously every tree which opposed their passage. The following up of the people with the lights and fire-works was truly grand. Every man waved in his hand a blazing torch, formed of a bundle of reeds, the feeble but effectual means of defence against a tremendous foe. The trees were nobly illuminated, and, towering aloft amidst the surrounding darkness, spread their glittering foliage in the air."

When the first enclosure is completely stocked, the four gates are closed, and secured with strong stakes. Then another chain of fire and torches is formed within the enclosure, and the persecuted animals are driven forward in like manner into the smaller fold.

"The line of flame once more began its terrifying movement. The people resumed their tumultuous noise, mingled with the din of trumpets, drums, and arms. The affrighted herd, again annoyed with impending horrors, renewed their tremendous flight; and rushing like an agitated torrent into the water snare, experienced still greater sorrows. As soon as seventy elephants had found

their way into this place, it being sufficiently crammed, the cords were cut, and the barricading gate dropped down. The greater part of those which had entered were so closely wedged together, that many of them were motionless; and even the foremost, which were less confined, saw only a fallacious opening to lead them from this doleful labyrinth. Upwards of one hundred of the captured herd, cut off from their companions, were left for a time to range at greater liberty in the larger prison."

All this took place during the night.

"

"At sunrise," continues Mr. Cordiner, we became spectators of a most extraordinary sight. So great a number of enormous animals crowded into so small a compass, is a spectacle rarely to be seen. Pressing heavily upon one another, incapable of almost any movement but convulsions of distress, their paroxysms of anguish could not be contemplated without emotion. No person could find language to express his feelings. All were struck dumb with a species of astonishment hitherto unexperienced. The most hazardous part of the business remains, that of seizing on the elephants at the end of the long passage, which is the only outlet from the water snare. They are driven in one by one, making furious efforts to regain their liberty on finding themselves prisoners. When they reach the gate at the end, strong beams are inserted across the passage behind, to prevent them from retreating. Men then approach, and bind their hind legs with great ropes, and five or six turns of smaller cordage are passed round their necks. While these ope. rations are going on, a man stands before the gate of the passage, tickling the elephant's trunk, and diverting his attention. In this manner they are secured, yet accidents frequently happen at this time. On the present occasion, one unfortunate man tumbled into the passage, and was instantly trampled to death under the feet of an enraged elephant. They frequently press against one another in the water snare, and the passage, with so much violence, that some are squeezed to death, or drop down dead with fatigue."

When the wild elephant is completely harnessed, two tame elephants, trained to the business, are brought to the gate, and placed one on each side of it. These immediately survey the prisoner whom they have to conduct, feel his mouth to know whether he has tusks or not, and lay hold of his proboscis, to ascertain what degree of resistance he is likely to make. Ropes are passed through the collar of the wild elephant, and made fast to similar collars on

each side of the tame ones. The bars of the gate are then unloosed, and drawn out; and the wild captive darts forward directly between the two tame elephants: he can, however, only advance a little way, as the ropes securing his hind legs still continue fastened to the strong stakes of the toil. In this situation he remains until the riders, mounted on the tame elephants, have drawn tight the cords which bind him to the necks of his half-reasoning conductors.

During this operation he endeavours to undo with his trunk some of the knots which have been made, and often attempts to give a destructive blow to the diminutive creatures so actively engaged in confirming his captivity. But the two tame animals, who are vigilantly observant of all his motions, never fail to prevent him from doing any mischief, by gently lowering his proboscis with their own: if he continues long refractory, they batter him with their heads, and at last produce the most obsequious submission. The nooses of the ropes are then opened, leaving his hind legs at freedom, and himself entirely disengaged from the snare. The two tame elephants press close on each side of him, and proceed, in pompous procession, to the garden of stalls, where they deliver up their charge to experience another species of hardship. The march. ing off this venerable trio is a sight truly magnificent, and exhibits a noble specimen of the skill of man, united with the sagacity of the elephant.

In this manner the prisoner is conducted to a grove, where, if he is of an ordinary size, he is sufficiently secured by being placed lengthways between two trees, to one of which his hind legs are bound, and one of his fore legs to the other. A more complicated apparatus of ropes and stakes is necessary for those which are remarkable for strength and fury. The tame conductors then move away to secure another captive. An elephant may frequently be tamed in eight or ten days, though in other instances months are required. When tamed, they are marched round to Jaffnapatam, there sold by public auction, and thence exported to the opposite

continent.

[Pantologia.

SECTION IV.

Manate or Manati.

Trichecus manatus.-LINN.

THIS Curious quadruped is of the same genus as the morse, seahorse, or sea-cow; and has probably given rise to the fable of mer men and mermaids. The species includes three varieties, the whaletailed, mud-tailed, and siren, or sea-ape.

The fore-feet of the first, or whale-tailed manate, are little more than pectoral fins; they serve only for swimming, and are never used for walking; for it never goes ashore like the walrus and seal. It brings forth in the water, and, like the whale, suckles its young in that element. Like the whale too, it has a horizontal broad tail, without even the rudiments of hind feet. It inhabits the northwest coast of America, the African and American seas.

They live perpetually in the water, and frequent the edges of the shores. In calm weather they swim in great droves near the mouths of rivers. In the time of flood they come so near the land that a person may stroke them with his hand. They live in families, near each other; each family consists of a male, a female, a half grown young one, and a very small one. The females oblige their young to swim before them, while the other old ones surround and guard them on all sides. The affection between male and female is very great; for if she be attacked, he will defend her to the utmost; and, if she be killed, will follow her corps to the very shore, and swim some days near the place it has been landed at. They copulate in the spring; the female brings but one young one at a time, and suckles it by two teats. They are extremely voracious, and when filled, fall asleep on their backs. During their meals they are so intent on their food, generally sea-weeds, that any one may go among them, and choose which he likes best.

Their backs and sides are generally above water; and numbers of gulls are continually perching on them, and picking out a peculiar species of louse, with which their skins are infested. In winter they are so very lean that we may count their ribs. When struck with a harpoon, it requires the united strength of thirty men to draw one of them ashore. When a manata is struck, its companions swim to its assistance; some attempt to overturn the boat, others press

down the rope to break it, and others strike at the harpoon with their tails, and often succeed in forcing it out.

They are of an enormous size; some are twenty-three feet long, and weigh 8000 pounds. The head is small, oblong, and almost square; the nostrils are filled with short bristles; the gape is small; the lips double; near the junction of the two jaws the mouth is full of white tubular bristles; the lips are also full of bristles, which serve instead of teeth. In the mouth there are no teeth; only two white flat bones, one in each jaw, with undulated surfaces, which serve in place of grinders. The eyes are extremely small, not larger than those of a sheep; the iris is black: it has no ears, only two very small orifices: the tongue is pointed and small: neck very thick; the head hangs down. The circumference of the body near the shoulders is twelve feet; about the belly twenty; near the tail only four feet eight: the head thirty-one inches; the neck seven feet. Near the shoulders are two feet, or rather fins, which are only two feet two inches long, and have neither fingers nor nails; concave beneath, and covered with hard bristles. The tail is thick, strong, and horizontal, ending in a stiff black fin, like the substance of a whalebone.

The skin is very thick, black, and full of inequalities, like the bark of oak. It has no hair on it; but is so hard as scarcely to be cut with an axe. Beneath the skin there is a thick blubber, which tastes like oil of almonds. The flesh is coarser than beef, and will not soon putrify. The young ones taste like veal. The skin is used for shoes, and for covering the sides of boats.

The round-tailed manate has thick lips; eyes as minute as a pea; and two very small orifices for ears. Its neck is short, and thicker than its head: it is thickest at the shoulders, and tapers gradually to the tail, which is quite round, lies horizontally, is thickest in the middle, growing thinner to the edges. The feet are placed at the shoulders; beneath the skin there are bones for five complete toes; near the base of each foot, in the female, is a small teat. The skin is very thick and hard, having some few hairs scattered over it, Dampier measured some of these animals in the West Indies ten or twelve feet long; their tails twenty inches long, and fourteen broad. Some of the largest weighed twelve hundred pounds. Clusius examined one sixteen feet and a half long; and Gomora speaks of them of the length of twenty feet.

The manates which entirely inhabit fresh waters, according to