.•iS S H O O T I N G A T IGE R FROM A MOYCHAUN, OR PLATFORM. S H O O T I N G A T I G E R FROM A M O Y C H A U N , OR PLATFORM. 59
woliiul. U may be easily nndersLooc], llial, no small degree of circumspection
is iiHlis|ieiisal)le for condticling liiis part of the |)roce!?s \vi(h safely, and to insure
tlie victory. An iiijiulicious step at lliis crilical moment would ruin all.
A calm, sleadv prcscvorancc; rarely misses its object. Many of (ho sliccarrics
|)osscs.s that qiialiiicalion iu an eminent degree, apparently borderingon apathy.
Experience renders thcin so cautious, and gives tliem so coinj)lele a knowledge
of llieir biisinc.'^s, as to cause iheir whole proceedings to be reniarkahio for
judgincut and propricly. The very placing of their platforms is worlhy of
admiration. This part of the concern nuiy appear extremely easy to such as
are nol fully accpiainted with ihe delicacy re(|uircd, and who do nol consider
the keen sense of smrlliug wilh which all wild animals are eiulucd. It is lo be
remcmbercid, lhat the shccarric has not only a sum, lo hun of considerable magnil
lule, al .«take ; bul, lhat a wani of due precaution might endanger his personal
safely It is true, lhat, so long as he may remain up in his liiding place, he may
be saiil lo be sufliciently secure : it has however happened, that cither where
the tiger has escaped injury, or that he has received but a slight wound, he has
attempted to climb up into the 7noijch(iun. When this lakes place, the strength
of the structure is put Lo a severe trial; and, perhaps but for the tulisar, which
in such emergencies becomes highly serviceable in culling the paws of the
enraged animal, and consequently bereaving him of the means of ascent,
the ¡ihccarrie might lind himself under the necessity of jumping down from his
station, and be exj)osed lo the greatest danger.
The shecarries are however extremely careful, previous to mounting the
platforms, to ascertain, as far a.« prudence may admit, the environs, so as to form
a tolerable judgment in regard to their operations, in case of Jjeing under the
necessity of follouiug tlie tiger. In some few instances dogs, of the common
couulrv breecl, called paria/is, of which ihe reader will have already fouiid an
ample deseri))lion in ihe various Numbers composing the series of hog-hunting,
aro kepi by the xhccnrries, and are under the most j)erfect command. These,
like ihe jackals, retire before the tiger, bul on liearing the report of ihe gun,
steal back lo llie carcase wilh proper ilillidence, when they observe the tiger
narrowly, and in case of his retiring, follow at a safe distance, and by their
accents guide the sJiecarrie to his prey.
The lirsl discharge announces to the villagers and lierdsmen, that the tiger
has returiuMl to the carcase ; creating in all the most sanguine hopes of speedily
viewing iiis breathless frame ! Perhaps a few, armed as well as iheir means
may allow, ilraw towards the scene of action; nol, liowcver, adventuring too
far. lest they might fall in wilh the tiger, whose coursc, under such circumstances,
must ever be uncerlain. If the shecarrie has been completely successful,
his ejaculatoiy thanksgivings, uttered vvitli no small veliemence, pleasure, and
])rido. soon intimate to the impatient multitude that they may safely resort to
ihc platform.
The news of llie tiger's death gladdens every heart; a loose is given to
e x u l t a t i o n ; and such is the relief aflbrded lo the minds of the neighbouring
villagers, lhat llie day is spent in mutual congralidation. Eacii on his uri-ival
])arlakes of the triumph, and vents' a million of execrations again.st ihe fallen
enemy; probably recapitulating a long string of depredations, all ailedged
against him individually; as if no other tiger had parlicipated iu the plunder.
After some lime has passed in this way, an<l in the most animated commendations
of ^[ic shecarrie s skill, the animal is slung upon a band)oo, oi- polo, and tlie
eager crowd, vying for the honour of sliaring at least in the toils, though not
very ambitious of joining in any shape in the dangers of the day, becomc candidates
in bearing the grim burthen from the scene of its destruction towards the
village; where, being met by those who, whetiier from business, delicacy, or
other causes, were unable lo quit their homes, ihe shecarrie is lialf smothered
wilh embraces, and is treated in every respect as their preserver. Being well
feasted, and provided wilh smoking apparatus, he deals forth largely in the
marvellous; recounting not only the events recently passed, but the labours of
former occasions ; summing up the whole of his exploits with many additions,
and filling his attentive auditors with astonishment at liis unequalled prowess !
The day, and oftc n the nigbt, is passed in this way; the shecarrie deeming
himself to be no small man, and considering all the hospitality he experiences
as barely a suilicient acknowledgment of his merits! The poor calf, goal, or
other animal, which for some time, probably, had been each niglit mistaken for
iJie tiger, is now viewed without dread ; and the whole village, as though
suddenly regaining their liberty from a state of bondage, appear reanimated,
resuming their labours and pastimes without restraint, and free from apprehension
of being disturbed by the tiger's visit. The intercourse with neighbouring
villages, for some time suspended or diminished by the vicinity of the desolating
power, is now resumed, and the shecarrie, laden -with small contributions,
perhaps of little value, but indicative of the donor's slate of iniiul, prepares to
r e t u r n to his home.
T h e skin being stript, is either exposed to the sun, which soon <lries it, or
being steeped in a strong solution of salt and allum, with perhaps some galls, or
some cutch powdered and boiled therewith, it is ordinarily sold on the spot,
as well as the claws and the teeth. The tongue and liver are su))posed to
possess wonderful medicinal properties; and are, for the most part, bought up
b y the choomyncs, or mid-wives ; Avho retail them again after being cut into
small squares, like dice, and being duly prepared according to methods known
among tliemselves only, but of little importance to be understood elsewhere.
However, tliey do not, according to the old saying, " buyanti sell lo live by the
loss." Hakeems, or medical men, not only refrain from the least interference wilh
the sage professors of the obstetric art above mentioned, but are comi)letely
ignorant in what relates thereto, in fact, the physicians of India, as well as lh«i
barl)er.s, who sometimes altem[)t surgical operations, are nothing but ignorant
q u a c k s ; possessed perhaps of a slight knowledge in ehemislry, suilicient only to
provide them wilh a few very powerful medicines, chiefly mineral ¡¡reparations,
wilh which they deal forth destruction wilh almost as much certainty as
Doctor Sangrado, though by very diilerent means ! It must at the same time
b e confessed, lhat some of the hakeems have been remarkably successful iu the
cure of chronic and acute complaints, which had apparently ballled the skill of
our European practitioners : but it would not be allogelher correct lo conclude,
that, such adventitious circumstances resulted from superior skill: we should
probably be safe in attributing the success either lo nature, or lo the ellicacy of
former remedies; which might have been retarded in llieir operations by the
violence of the disease, or by other concealed causes. No belter poiiUeil critique
could be urged, regarding llie slate of so important a branch as that of
medicine, than the eihcacy imputed to the tongue and liver of a tiger. Perhaps
the imposition, or fancy, originaled with the shecarries themselves; who,
wishing lo turn their labours to as much prolit as possible, made the good
folks believe what they chose; thus extracting all they could from one village,
e r e they departed for'ihe same purpose lo some other, where fame had already
prepared the most favourable reception.
Knowing lhat several tigers are often found in a very small cover, indeed
that two have been shot at one moment, iu the same bush, we may rea.sonably
suppose thai two or more occasionally partake of the same prey ; or, at least, that
a competitor will at times appear, and create a similar controversy to thai which
we frequently observe between two eats, when one of tlicm has killed a mouse.
" Dead men" tell no tales;" else we might receive some ioleresting narratives
of occurrences, whic^h, being rather Loo dangerous to investigate, are al pre.scnl
involved in mystery; and, inilcss tigers should change llurir dis|)0>ili(in» gn'ally,
or that kind partiality shewn by the .spirits of deceased p.-rsons lo some highly
favoured individuals, in the Norlh especially, become liberally enlarged, >,uch
occurrences will, no doubt, remain among the arcana to ihe end of lime.
A shecarrie, who had long practised in the Rujcmah! di.slricl. informed mo of
Iiis having, some years before, shot a tigress which had two cubs of aboul four
months old, both of which remained wilh her, and were successively killed by
himself. This was an e.Kcellent harvest lo tlu^ shecarrie ; who, no doiibl, in tuie
way, or other, gut nearly a hundred rupees by his day's work : a sum suilicient
to maintain him in comfort for a year, and lo provi.le him wilh ainmunilioti
also. Gunpowder is manufactured to great perfection, though nol glazitd,
throughout India. Lead is, however, scarce an<l dear : on this account, as well
as because they do nol ilatlen, iron balls are chiedy used. The ojierations of lh<-
shecarries being tedious, and dependant on various circumstances, of course it
cannot be supposed that they kill any great number of tigers within the year.
They are not able lo .search for game, and lo meet it in the op<>n held ; therefore
i h e i r u t i l i t y m u s l , of necessity, be very coniined ; and by no means allow of th.-ir
being classed with ihc German PAUI., who once killed five tig(^rs in ihe same
d a y : four of them were shot in less than an hour, in a patch of gntss not
exceeding ihrce or four acres, where only one was supposed lo be concealed !
f!