"The Government has recently expended a great deal of money in repairing some of the ancient tanks. In 1867 they restored the old regulations of the kings of Ceylon relative to the use of water, the preservation of the embankments, and the settlement of disputes that are liable to arise. The English law-makers who examined these regulations said it would be very difficult to improve upon them; and as they were suited to the wants and habits of the natives, they were re-enacted in a body. "So much for the tanks of Ceylon. Another novelty that we might enjoy in the journey to the coast would be the possible sight of a troop of wild elephants, as we should go through the region over which these great animals wander." [Illustration: ELEPHANTS AT HOME.] "That would be a sight worth seeing," one of the boys answered; "but the subject of elephants is not a new one, as you know we visited the elephant hunting-ground in Siam, and heard all about the mode of catching the game." "Quite right," replied the Doctor; "but, while we are about it, I may as well tell you some things about elephant-hunting here that we did not learn in Siam, because they are peculiar to Ceylon. In Siam they hunt by driving into the corral, as we saw, but in Ceylon they not only have the corral system, but a mode of hunting by _Panickeas_." The boys opened their eyes, and asked what the Panickea was. Was it something to eat or wear, or was it a weapon to be used in killing the game? "You are wrong in each guess," said Doctor Bronson; "the Panickea is a professional elephant-hunter, and his people have followed the business from time immemorial. He has the skill and cunning of the North American Indian or any other wily savage, and possesses a great deal of bravery, which is frequently called into use in his profession. The Panickeas live in the northern and north-eastern parts of Ceylon, and when not engaged at their time-honored business they devote themselves to fishing, or the pursuit of other game than the elephant, or they hire out as guides and servants to foreigners. "Two of these men will go on an elephant-hunt armed only with a few strong ropes of different sizes. They track the elephant through the forest or in the long grass of the open plain, and steal up to him with the agility of cats, and without being seen. The elephant has a habit of swinging one of his hind-legs when standing still; they take advantage of this circumstance to slip a noose over his leg; and if he is not swinging it they tickle him, as though a fly were biting, and thus induce him to make the desired movement. [Illustration; TYING UP AN ELEPHANT.]