Storia do Mogor 206.4

206.4

Among these animals is one stronger and taller than the rest which bears the title of ' General of the Elephants.' When he appears at court he is very richly caparisoned, and attended by a number of other elephants, by flutes, trumpets, cymbals, and flags, all of which makes a grand show. The chief elephants have every day for their ration each one hundred and sixty-five pounds of food-stuff — namely, flour, rice, meat, butter, fine spices, and thirty pounds of sugar-cane. This is in addition to straw, grass, and leaves, for which they have twenty-five rupees a day. To wait on each elephant there are ten servants — that is, two drivers to ride on and direct him ; two to fix on his chains ; two men with spears ; two for the fireworks and to assist the others, if necessary ; one to remove the dung, and another to give him water for drinking and cooling himself. All these men are paid out of the twenty-five rupees a day allotted to the elephant, and these attendants have each four rupees a month, besides what they can steal from the elephant's food.