10
T H E CHASE AFTER A HOG.
l l rro,M„...lly is laiJ by l.ii,-l. "iiuls, of wlllcl. I.roccling sows fail not lo lake
•ulviuila.'e I'.y formiug ¡l.cir ..csls, ,mJ co..ccali..g their young tinclcr ll.c prostrate
„OSS. TI.ese slionl.l l.c avoidcl i,. iu.nting, as Ll.e length and substance of
M„. slen,s fre<|uc,.lly eause borses lo trip or fall. A speeime,, of this kmd of
„nss wbelloe a smv disturbed by llic chase is bolting, is given in ihis I late ;
EuV fiir a more particular display'of il, tbc render is referred lo the description
of a bnltlc behvceii ihc rhinoceroses and a herd of elephants.
T o scarel, grass for a hog, or a liog-dcer, ihe persons employed should be cxlended
in a lu.e, dislant from each other according lo the lieight of the grass;
bnl in general, four or live Yards. In ibis liiK! elephants, canicls, led hoi-scs,
and'Ihe hiinlcrs mix. The lalier dividing ibeniselves e.pially, and, al all events,
occupying Ihe Hanks, ihe whole proece.l through the grass wilh silence, so that
Ihc game°may not be roused loo early, and steal oil'nnpereeivcd. As soon as a
h o " is roused, Ihe Iwo nearest to him shoul.l follow. If the ground be good,
and the cover of a moderate hcighl, ibey will in general suffice : if the number
cxceed lliree, Ihcy do more harm lhan good. Besides, it often happens lhat
Iwo or more hogs, or deer, lurk in the same gra.ss ; consequently, unless the
circuuistances be iirgenl, ihe fewer good hands follow, the heller chanee will
exist of killing addilional game.
Willi regard lo ihe mode of managing hogs at bay, an accurate description
will be found in ihc Plate under that title.
Bnnils, ivhieh are covers of brambles, underwood, and grass mixed, and
occasionally growing among lopes, or plantations of mango, and other trees, arc
heat niucli in ihe same manner as grass plains ; only thai the horsemen cannot
in general penclralc llieiii; and indeed if they could, it would he very improper,
as iheir posls should be on ibe onlsides, for ihe purpose of seeing ami following
ihe game as soon as il may boll. To cffect ihis, one should move on in a line
willf the beaters, on each Hank; others should be stationed at the covcrs
towards which ihc healers arc proceeding, and from which quarter the hog
may he cxpecled lo start: for, as in ihis kind of cover the more noise the
heller, it generally happens Ibal he will, on the first alarm, retreat before the
line, ''rhe pamiht, or village (logs, which ordinarily altend their masters on such
occasions, soon di.scover by their yel|)ing lhat game is in the humi; and having
in general excelleul noses, ihey seldom fail 10 trace Ibe hog, long before be can
gel through Ihe winding |ialhs leading to Ihe plains. Hogs arc far less lenaeioiisof
4»«</.< than ihc/arc of sugar canes ; parlly because ihey afford no food;
and thai ihey cannot .so easily creep hack between ihc beaters. The case, however,
is widely differenl when a hog lhat has been chased, and c.spccially if
wounded, gains a b/mfL For then be will lay under the bushes, rushing out
when a man approaches, ihough llllle heeding a dozen 0f;)0)V0As; which, though
they w ill surround and bark furiously, rarely venture iipon a close attack. When
a hog becomes ibns obsliuatc, Ihe beaters shew proportionate dilHdenec, and
keep a respeclable <listancc from the placc where he is known to lie. It then
becomes nccessary lo clear away all ihe party from one particular quarter, and
one of ihc hunlei-s, alighting, lakes a gun from his attendants, and proceeding
lo a spot whence the hog may be seen, or his exaet situation ascertained,
taking eare that the beaters, &c. be removed from ibe line of bis lire, he
aims either at the heart, or head, as may happen to be most convenient.
Gentlemen in India, who lake lo shooting, find such abundance of game, that
often in one season, a pcrfect novice becomes a complete adept. Henec, on such
occasions, they rarely iail lo kill a hog al llie first shot: if, however, tlie hog
be nol disabled, and lhat lie make a eharge, tlie sportsman must rely on a
spear, previously placed at hand lor his defence. Were he lo depend on llie
exertions of the natives, he would sland but a bud chance ; as they, in general,
secure themselves by ilight, wherever a liog shews the least ineiinalion to
pnrsne. This often produces the eflect of encouraging a hog lo altack, when,
perhaps, he would otherwise remain in his luutnt, or endeavour to steal away.
Let it not however be conlcuded, that ihe nalives altogether want courage;
on ihc contrary, many evince nol only much delight and spirit, hut often perform
feats whicli none but persons possessing the most manly qualiiicaltons
•would attempt. It should furliu-r be adduced in their favour, lhat tliey are
generally called forth by the jcmmadars, or chiefs of villages, at the rccjuisition
of geollemen ; and that the remuneration lliey receive for their aid is very
trifling, rarely above two pice, equal to about one penny each; for tiiis they
often toil from day break to eleven or twelve o'clock. Five or six pice are the
usual pay of a day labourer.
Bunds are sometimes very extensive; some may cover from fifty to a
hundred acrcs ; others, though small individually, yet being numerous, form in
the aggregate an immense cover, detached by small breaks, of perhaps from
one to live hundred j^ards, from each other. Large bunds present the greatest
didiculty ill the oiilset; the more so if they be not long and narrow, so as lo
alVord easy means of beating them from one end to the other : such iiulced is
their general form. Detached insulated hunds roipiire, as in hunting among
canes and rhur, not only fleet horses but active hunters. It has before l>ccn
observed that hogs do not remain in this species of cover when canes, &c. are
standing; and that during the hot months they fall ofl" in .(lesh greatly. Their
diet is poor, l)eing foi- the most part roots of the jungle-grass, or cussaroos; i. e.
pig-nuls, wliich arc annually sown by the nalives in all tiur puddles, and stagnant
waters, created by the rains. Tbc sun exhaling ihe waters during the hot
season, leaves their beds nearly dry, of whicli the hogs as Avell as those who
]>lantcd the cussaroos, as also siyighmruhs, fail nut lo lake advantage. These
however arc not so nourishing as canes, nor are they so easily ohUuned, nor in
such (luanlities. This, added lo the great lieal of ihe atmosphere, eileeLs a
wonderons changc ; and we no longer see the |)ainpc.Ted l)oar, but a meagre
tall looking beast. whos<; dirty sides indicate his lale wallowings Lo refreshen,
and whose speed is now as much improved as his bidk is reduced.
At this season, when a hog gains a bund, he will in all probability repair Sold ScptTI leoS I^ E^Ont.cilMiiU'llrr lo Il>'> ¿9 Bond Suc-c.Uod^ii
a m