Capturing Elephants, from Gleason's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion

Boston: Frederick Gleason, 1851. Engraving with hand-drawn borders on cream wove paper, laid down to board. 7 3/4 x 10 inches (197 x 255 mm), trimmed margins, lacking text. Scattered light soiling, and toning, with a dog-eared lower left corner. An illustration from the June 21 & 28, 1851 edition of Gleason's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion. The Pictorial featured artists such as Winslow Homer, and authors such as: Giddings H. Ballou, Susan H. Blaisdell, Alice Carey, Sylvanus Cobb, Jr., Sophronia Currier, Mrs. S.P. Doughty, Francis A. Durivage, Aglaus Forrester, Mrs. H.C. Gardner, Joseph Holt Ingraham, Grace Lee, Mary A. Lowell, Mary L. Meany, Ellen Alice Moriarty, Arthur Morton, Frances P. Pepperell, Mary E. Robinson, M.V. St. Leon, Frederick Ward Saunders, Sue M. Scott, Maurice Silingsby, Frederick Stanhope, Horace B. Staniford, John Thornberry, Winnie Woodfern, and Joseph Wolf.

The accompanying text added below for context.

Mr. Stebbings June and Mr. Nutter, of Boston, who undertook the voyage to Ceylon, for the purpose of procuring elephants for Mr. Barnum's Traveling Menagerie, have furnished us with some curious descriptions of their adventures in the interior of the island. On their arrival at Point de Galle, early in October last, they were disappointed in their expectations of procuring tame elephants, either from the government authorities or from the temples which own large numbers of them. They then proceeded to Columbo, the maritime capital of Ceylon, on the western coast, and afterwards to the city of Kany, in the interior, but without succeeding in their object. Very heavy rains had fallen just before their arrival, and the elephants were required to assist in mending the roads. In this dilemma, the elephant seekers determined to go into the jungles, among the wild herds, and endeavor to capture a ship load of the animals. This was considered a dangerous undertaking, as the rainy season had just set in, and the country necessary to be traversed was a dense tropical wilderness, with no other roads than the foot-paths from one native village to another. Ceylon is divided nearly into two equal parts by a range of mountains running north and south, which divide the periodical rains, so that the rainy season changes from one side of the island to the other, and the elephants follow it. Mr. June captured the greatest number of his elephants in the northern part of the island, near the town of Anarajahpoora. The first process toward capturing the elephants is accurately represented in the engraving below. The natives, having ascertained the spots most frequented by the herds, construct in the neighborhood a kraal, or pen. This is shaped like three sides of a square, having an aperture on the fourth side for the entrance of the elephants, from each side of which extends a long palisade slanting outwards like the mouth of a funnel. The kraal is made of heavy upright posts, planted at a short distance from each other, and lashed together by withes.* To make them more secure, they are stayed by slanting posts set against them on the outside. When the kraal is finished the natives surround a heard, and by shouts and the firing of muskets alarm the animals, who are urged forward toward the entrance, and at last are all secured within the enclosure. In capturing these animals, the natives evince much skill and tact. Our artist had thrown much life and spirit into this scene. Another way of taking elephants is sometimes practised. The animals, during the heat of the day, will sometimes rest himself against a tree, and take an hour's doze with great satisfaction. Some of the natives are daring enough, at this time, to creep through the jungle till they reach his very feet. Provided with a rope, the other end of which is made fast to a tree, the hind leg of the animal is touched gently, and being very sensitive, he lifts his foot to shake off the supposed fly, and a noose is instantly slipped under. This is repeated with the other foot, and the elephant, waking up, finds himself caught. -Gleason's Pictorial Drawing Room Companion, June 21 & 28, 1851.