40                                A TREATISE ON ELEPHANTS.

            kwechee ( ), is a light frame-work, and it appears to
            be a matter of opinion, not unmixed with a good deal
            of feeling, with the workers of elephants as to which
            kind of saddle is the more comfortable for the animal.

      Girths and sling.—The ohn-dones being in place are girthed
            on with a belly-band of woven shaw about 2 ins. broad
            and 15 ft. in length; the sling or gok-see ( )
            is next adjusted. This too is made of shaw-rope
            about 2½ ins. in circumference, and is of such a length
            that when doubled and laid over the back the two loops
            hang down the shoulders to a height rather above
            the level of the chest. Through these loops the ends
            of the breast-straps are passed ; and as the use of the
            gok-see is mainly to keep the strap in position on the
            breast without any undue downward strain on the
            spine, it requires more or less adjustment for each
            elephant. Its " hang" should be adjusted so as to
            bring the chains and breast strap, when taut, in one
            straight line off the muscles of the chest, quite clear
            of the throat and not too low to cramp the free action
            of the legs.

      The breast-strap, which after the chain is the most important
            part of the harness, is made of finely shredded shaw
            twisted up in two strands each about the diameter of an
            ordinary walking-stick, and woven on a rough loom.
            The strap is about 5 ins. in breadth, and finished off
            at each end in a loop, into which iron eyelets are fitted.
            The length varies for different elephants ; it should be
            just sufficiently long to go round the chest and pass
            through the loops of the gok-see clear of the shoulders,
            so that the chain when hooked on and in use does
            not interfere with the free action of the shoulders. The
            breast-strap before use is softened with fat; and as the
            elephant's breast is well greased before work the strap
            soon absorbs enough fat to make it soft and pliable.
            This strap however, even with care, only lasts from
            three weeks to a month. The mahouts make the breast-
            straps for their animals, and usually keep a fair stock.

      Chains.— For tuskers ⅝ - in. and for females ½ - in. rubble chain
            is generally used. The chains are fastened to the breast-
            straps by means of large hooks, or by a swivel-link,
            locked across the loop of the breast»strap. In the
            former ease care is to be taken that the chain is not
            twisted before hooking up, otherwise the rotary motion