Ii«
T H E C H A S E A F T E R A HOG.
12
• 1 , f „¡n,. I„ i-orclvc llic shafl, wl.lcl. is only fixed h, l.y pitcl., or dmmmlh.
t E , : - five,,.... »r a, „.ict ; „ , „ i c , a , e .
, ,l , i „ „ , . r U.c poii.l, bu, p. - c . . v , „ g .U a„cc „11
: ; neck, vvhicl, sl.oul.l bo ,-o,„k1, and wiU.out onnunenU. The» spc.«
, e „ o . a . o IVoely, and n.ako desperate ,vo,n„k. They arc also easdy shaken out
bv ll„. 1.1 r i inning; wl.ich on many ocea.slons, espeeially to persons lu.nUng
sinRle, is a very nnporlani advanLage. sinee enables ihen, 10 make a fresh
H k I li-.ve seen several genlleinen lose spears that had shoulders, by the
¡„.g-s running against Ire.-s, &e. and breaking Uie slaves ; earrylng off the blades,
10 " h e great miirlillcallon of llielr owners.
ShouKlen-d blades, however, are on some oceaslons nsefal. They serve in
heavy grass ¡angles lo mark a hog very .lisline.ly, so as .o leave lutle ehanee
„ r e^e.™. 'l!ul il rarely happens lhal a hog is lost where the party have
l.unt'ed often together, or that the gronnd is good. Hogs do sontet.mes take
s , r n , . . e tarns and oeeasionally vanish, , .hen it is extremely d.tl.cnlt to aeeonnt
ibr tbeir disappearanee. They have a triek of stopping short at speed, when
they lind a l.orsen.an gaining fast npon then, in grass eover; and then they
e i t h e r s,,aat p>.-IVetly .ptiet, or steal baek into some ihiek tuft, n, wlneh ihey
will lie, thottgh the heaters apply their la,ties foreibly to rouse what may lay
eoneealed. If however one should chanee to toneh, the hog generally darts
forth an.1 nps,.ts all he ,„ay lind in his way. At the outset they ordn.ardy lake
a direct eonrs.- but change it as eireuinstances oeeur. A eunons nic.dent took
place near Moughyr, where two gentlemen were purs,ting a large boar, winch
ran down a wa.er-eonr.se lea,ling to a «»Hah, or rivulet. One, who wa.s prelty
close al his hcds, folloive.l ; and the hog, ,lisappoi„ted of his drink, reaseended
the bank a little ,0 the .-ight of the way by which he Ita.l gone , low„, an<l then
t n r u i n - a-ain to his ,-ighl, proceede.l through the grass across Ins former track,
and leLed over the ravine he Inul gone th,-ough, as the other gentlemat, was
g a l l o p p i n g tlowu it. The hog just passe,l between the horse's ears and the
gentleman's head, and occasionci his hat to tly over with hnu.
VVhta-e the party is small, and especially ivheii a gentleman hunts singly, dogs
are of great use. Many keep greyhonntls of the common country breed, which
are nine iu ten of a bark colour. They are remarkably savage, and frequently
will approach none but their thormhs, or keepers, not even allowing their
own master's touch ! Some arc very lleet, hnl arc not to be depended npon in
coursing, as they are apt to give np in a hard chase ; and indeed will at limes
p r e f e r a sheep or a goat to a hare. However, in hog-hunting they sometimes
prove very serviceable. It seems to suit their tempers; and they appear to enjoy
t h e snapping and skipping incident to that species of sport, more than an
arduous run after an animal which makes no resistance. Many affect to treat
the idea of degeneration in (piadrupeds with ridicule ; but all who have been
any time resident in liiilia must be completely satisfied, that dogs of European
breed become, after every successive generation, more and more similar to
t h e / ) o ™ / i or indigenous clog of that cottntry. Hounds arc the most rapid iu
their decline ; and, except in the shape of their cars, arc very like many of the
village curs, both in colour and form. This is to be understood as relating lo
t h e fox-hound. Indeed, if my memory be correct, Bull'on terms that class of
hound in such way as might lead us to suppose the breed to have originated in
I n d i a , sincc he designates it de Bengal. However, the ;Kino/i has not
any one of the distinguishing properties of hounds. Greyhounds and pointers
decline also greatly, but with occasional exceptions. Spaniels ami terriers
preserve their race with less deviation than the other breeds. I have indeed
seen spaniels of the eighth or ninth generation, without a cross from Europe,
b r e e d dogs not only as good, but far mor e beautiful than any of their ancestors.
Mtistifi's have been taken to India, but the climate is too severe for them. They
d o not possess speed for the chase; but a gent leman who obtained a breed half
mastiff and half country greyhonml, found Ihem invaluabl e in hog-hunt ing; the
situation in which he resided being distant from communicat'ion with Europeans,
and rendering every aid in tin: chase a most acceptable actpnsttion.
Such dogs as seize by the ear, as many at first are apt to do, though they
assuredly impede Ihe hog greatly, arc often much in the way, and prevent
s p e a r i n g : an experienced dog getterally attacks the hind quarters, whereby he
is in less danger of being ripped.
PLATE IV.
HUNTERS COMING BY SURPRISE ON A TIGRESS AND CUBS.
I t has happened in various instances, that gentlemen while chasing hogs have
roused tigers. In fact, the greater portion of such as are killed by sporting
parlies, arc discovered either in beating covers, or in following the game. In
t h e former way, the tiger' s presence is generally announced by an attack on one
of the foot followers ; for horses, as well as elephants and camels, are extremely
alarmed when they smell one, and never fail to express the most marked apprehension.
As to a horse, nothing can force him to approach a living tiger;
and it is not imiced without extreme difficulty that he can be induced to vent
u r e wi thi n sight of a dead one. All animals that have oiicc wi tnessed the spring
of a tiger, which is usually accompanied with a most unpleasant bark, or event
u a l l y a snarl, such as freezes the blood of those around, become peculiarly
averse to every object which reminds them of tlie occurrcnco, or in the least
resembles the tiger's form and colour. I knew a horse that being once in
the field when a tiger was roused close by him, could not afterwards tolerate
t h e presence of any brindled animal, but would, when approached by one,
rear and kick in the most violent manner. To remedy this, a large brindled dog
was procured, and kept in the stable with the horse, which gradually became
reconciled, and lost his fears so far as to be tolerably quiet; though he never
could entirely banish them, but w ould betray considerable uneasiness on entering
a grass jun g lc, ill ^^•\nch even the sUu-ting of a hare made him tremble all over.
I should, however, except one instance of an oflicer now in the Bengal cavalry,
wlio had a horse on wliich he sometimes approached both bufialoes and ligers
so near as to throw his spear ; a measure, generally speaking, of no utility, hut
replete with danger. This must be taken as a very rare instance; and it prob
a b ly depended chiefly on the horse's inexperience as to llie peril, and on his
rider, w h o was remarkabl e for liis feats on the saddle, having brought hiiu under
absolute subjection.
Anothe r gentleman, who has for some time retired from the service in conse-
(]uenccof a violent fall dur ing a chase, had a small grey Arab, on which he occasionally
ventured to spear bulValoes; but I d o not believe his rashness ever induced
him lo attack a tiger in that way. The horse was uncommoidy vicious ; as indeed
1 have remarked all lo be which, like him, never lie down to sleep, but
kcpl incessantly rocking from side to .side. 1 cannot call to mind more lhan
three liorses possessing this curious habit; lliey were all grey, and as remarkable
for their excellence when jnounted. as for ihe i)recunlions they rentlered
necessary either in gaining or (piitling the saddle. In the .sUble, only their
respective st/ccs or grooms «hired approach them.
Although it is impossible lo say where tigers may or may nol be found, yet
a l particular sporting places lo which parties generally resort, succeeding eacli
other (luring the hunting season in rapid succc,ssion, in general a prelly correct
knowledge is obtained as lo their iimnediate presence in some one or oth<T o I
the neighbouring covers, which on such occasions are prudently avoided. It i.s,
however, by no means rare to find a liger far from hi.s up posed haunt: for the
males are, like he-cats, much given lo ranging, and the females make wide
circuits when they have cubs, for the purpose of procuring subsistence. This
induces ihem to frequent the borders of large grass-jungles, and to lurk in the
shorter kinds, such as the mooiijc, which grows very thick and soft, whe r e they
Iny concealed in covers which, even in the couchanL state, barely sufTite to
conceal them. Nature has implanted such an instinct in the liger, that, like
the cat, it covers its excrements, and if practicable will choo.sc its ambush to
leeward of the usual resort of cattle; by which means it obtains an earlier
notice of the approacli of prey, whi l e its own rank scent is concealed and carried
away from its unwary victim.
Sucli covers arc not only selected by wild hogg, but as they afford the easiest
means of pursuit, they ever become the choice of the hunter ; especially during
the early part of the morning. When ihe day is more advanced, the tiger, e.v-
Ireinely impat ient of great heat, though passionately fond of comfortabl e warmth,
and anxious to avoid the flies, which are attracted both by his colour, and by the
eiJluvia proceeding from his skin and respiration, seeks a more iui|)en ious cover,
p r e f e r r i n g such umbrageous bushes as are devoid of thorns. Under these he will