The Wild Elephant and the Method of Capturing and Taming It in Ceylon

by J. Emerson Tennent

"During my residence in Ceylon, I had on two occasions opportunities of witnessing the operation on a grand scale, of capturing wild elephants, intended to be trained for the Government service in the establishment of the Civil Engineer and Commissioner of Roads; - and in the course of my frequent journeys through the interior of the island, I succeeded in collecting so many facts relative to the habits of these animals so interesting in a state of nature, as to enable me not only add to the information previously possessed, but to correct some of the fallacies popularly entertained regarding their disposition and instincts." - Sir J. Emerson Tennent, Bart. (1867)

228 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1999

About the author

James Emerson Tennent

Reviews

[Royce Ratterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read and an historical treasure trove. Besides the topics of title, this work is filled with information regarding the genetic diversity of varied elephants... tucks, ears, habits, etc., including the effects of 'western nation' greed upon these creatures: "The annual importation of ivory into Great Britain alone, for the last few years, has been one million pounds; which, taking the average weight of a tusk at sixty pounds, would require the slaughter of 8,333 male elephants."
In many/most areas the footnotes equal, if not surpass, the text - I especially enjoyed this. It has been decades since I was privilege to such extensive footnotes from works from this time period.
Chapter appendixes abound and the index is quite adequate.
Read for personal research. I found this work of immense interest.
This work is one of my resource sources for ghost authoring the novels of E.MH Ratterman.
I found this book's contents helpful and inspiring - number rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs.
Overall, this work is also a good resource for the researcher and enthusiast.