Travels in India (Tavernier) 39.3.2

39.3.2

At this reply he treated us kindly, and having observed that he regarded us as Dutchmen, we said we were not of their country, but were Frenchmen. The captain not having any previous knowledge of our nation, detained us a long time in order to acquaint himself with our forms of government, and the greatness of our King. While he kept us in this way the sufra was spread, and then all the idolatrous nobles withdrew, as they do not eat anything cooked by Muhammadans. Having ascertained that we had not the same scruples, he invited us to supper, but we declined, because it was late, and we wished to rejoin our people. But we had scarcely arrived at our tent when we saw three men, each with a large dish of pilláu on his head, which the captain had sent us. Before we left him he begged us to remain for the following day to enjoy elephant-hunting, but as we did not wish to lose time we excused ourselves, and told him that our business compelled us to proceed. Six or seven days previously they had captured five elephants, three of which had escaped, and it was these which they were pursuing, and ten or twelve of the poor peasants who assisted in capturing them had been killed. We informed ourselves of the manner in which they hunt, and this is what we then ascertained. Certain passages are cut in the woods, which are hollowed out into holes, and covered with branches with a little earth on top.