C H A S I N 66 G A T I G E R A C R O S S A R I V E R .
sliorc. Tlus may prol)al)Iy l)c mviiig lo tlie lalter being so much concealed, and
10 Ihe olcpliaiils being so niulibar with ijie aqueous element. However, it is
nol lo be supijoscd llnit tlic tiger is very easily overcome : he swims with great
«tren-lh his motions are .iniek, ami iiis talons, which, on such occasions, arc
spread, and inllict very deep won.uls wherever they touch, cause ihc elephants to
be very cautious in their approach. Those who discbarge their picecs at the Imie
the elephants arc deep i,i the water, even though not swiutming, shouhl be careful
in their aim both because they may not be able to charge them again, iind that
l,alls often I'akc a direction very »vide fro.n w hat the hunter might expect. The
least thin" in the water turns the ball ; causing it to bound away at random.
An aeeidc°,t which oeeurreil in my own practice, ever after made mc extremely
averse to firing with hall, at any object in the water. Seeing a jackal between
my house and tbe river Goomhj, wliicli passes close under Liwhrnn, I tircil at
bin, with a very long duck gun, of a large calibre. The jackal was shot
through, ami dropped imtue.liately. The ball passed on into the river, hut rose
a"ain° t nearly a right angle, ami, after tripping along the surface for about
live or six hu'ndrcil yards, went through the lliigh of a washerman ; who, accordim
to the mode usual in India, was standing up to his knees in the stream,
hanging the clothes against a hoard. 1 was, of course, obliged to provide every
assis°tance for the ¡.om- fellow, and lo maintain his family until by his perlect
cure, he »» as enabled to resuLue his occupation. I shoidil have bad my doubts,
as lo the fact being as above detailed, had not the position of myself and of the
jackal been so distinctly ascertained ; and, further, that the place fro.n which I
fireil. all the way down to the place where tbe ball was seen to enter the water,
ivas a kind of lane, having high mitd w alls at the sides, whence it was utterly
impossible to have shot the washerman in a direct line !
Tigers not only seek for prey on tbe land, but are often known to swim olT
to boats, especially in the Sl„,d„rt,,mk; which, as has l.cen already stated, may
be dcen.ed their bca<l-(|uarters in Bengal. Many are killed or repelled m tbe
attcLupt, which is nol ahvays made in tbe dark ; indeed an instance is well
known of a tiger that swam olV to a gentleman's lmdgrov>, or travelling barge,
ami in spite of every opposition, which could be made during the burry of such
a surprise, succceded in getting on board. During tile time that ho was
scrambling up the boat's side, sneb of the crew as could make their way into
tbe cabin, obtained shelter there ; others jumped into a small dingetj, or kind
of fishing boat, that followcil the htiilpm, being towed by a rope; and the rest
sought safety in swimming. The tiger look charge of llie deck, but not having
been regularly bled 10 the sea, the builgrow, under his unfortunate system of
navigation, was soon driven .against the shore, to which the disappointed brute,
after many a growl at those who hail put olf in the dingaj, again resorted,
leaving the crew at liberty to resume their functions.
A gentleman who was for many years in the salt department at Cuhmk and
Joi/mgliur, and whose veracity was indubitable, among many anecdotes relating
to tigers, assured mc such was their cunning, that, often previous lo entering
the water, for the purpose of swimming over to attack tbe mohuigies, they
would put in a paw to feel the tide; after which they would proceed at a trot
up or down the side of tbe stream, according as the state of the current dictated,
when, dashing in, they would rarely fail to Unid in the situation most favourablu
to their purpose ! 1 liave lieard that foxes -will tlo the saujc. I see nothing
unnalurdl in such conduct; and, considering it merely as a matter of instinct,
ara of opinion that it by no means equals many traits in the characters of otiier
animals, which border so closely ou reason, as to excite our greatest admiration
and woiuler!
I have already mentioned, that tigers, when in the water, strike with their
claws distended, they do the same generally when attacked, especially when
elephants are their opponents. In a former Number it has been remarked, that,
the scratch of a tiger is higldy dangerous, rarely failing to induce that horrible
symptom the tetanus, or locked jaw. It is, however, very singular, that tlie
wounds they occasionally inOict on elephants, either with their teeth or claws,
do not appear to be more tedious in healing than other lacerations of equal extent,
The tiger commonly wounds elepliants about tlie legs, in which sores are ever
difficult to cure ; both on account of I he great weight they have to sustain, and
owing to the Üesli being so extremely cellular; whereby there is a great discharge
produced from the most inconsideraJjle wounds in'the lower extremities;
especially if they happen to be deep, as is generally the case with a tigers' bite.
The skill of a tiger is extremely tough ; his ribs are very substantial, and
there is a certain pliancy about the animal in general, which greatly abates the
force of a ball. Hence we find, that, in former times, when small calibres
were in vogue, far less execution was done, than since the general adoption of
heavier metal. For general use, I am of opinion, that a luusquet, cut down to
a convenient length, is particularly adapted ; being strong and capable of resisting
such a charge of powder as must give an effectual impetus to the ball,
whicli, being of a substantial weight, cannot easily fail to go through the animal.
The oval balls invented, I believe, by Mr. Rollins, Iiave been found on trial
very superior; I am aware that objections have been made to that uncertainty
which inevitai)ly attaches, more or less, to every deviation from the perfect
.sphere. In answer to this it is proper to state, that, with such rare exceptions
as amount lo almost nothing, tigers are killed within j)istol shot; and, that,
owing lo the cover and other circumstances, one hundred yards is a distance at
which the tiger can rarely be seen.
The great object is, to wound the tiger in so desperate a manner as may
either render his death certain, even if he should at the time, by chance, disappear,
and evade further pursuit; or so to maim as to render him unable lodo
mischief among the hunters, and, consequently, become an easy prey. The
oval balls are sufficiently correct for all the purposes of tiger hunting ; and,
when discharged from a rifle, as is usually the case, seldom fail to make a
dreadful wound, breaking the firmest bones, and occasioning a profuse discliargu
CHASING A T IGER ACROSS A RIVER. 67
of blood. With such recommendations iu favour of their use, it will, no
doubt, require as powerful an argument to supersede their general use, as it
does to oppose their irresistilde impetus ! If any farther argument were necessary
in behalf of the oval ball, it might be adduced, that, although it is so much
heavier than the round one, yet it may be discharged from any sufficiently fortified
piece, of etpial bore, and without iiincli, if any augmentation in l.ho
charge of powder.
The Plate appertaining to this Number will serve to illustrate, in a great
measure, what lias been said on tlio subject; and will, at the same time, afford
an idea as to the appearance of the banks of the rivers in general. The building
seen in the back ground is a Hindoo Mlmt, or place of worship. These are
generally situated on the banks of rivers, or of large ponds, and have long flights
of steps descending into the water, for the eonvenienee of the Hindoos, whose
religious ceremonies may be considered as mnpbibiotis, being eomiected at least
as niueh with the one element as with the other. It would astonish any one not
used to the scene, to heboid the immense crowds which, at particular seasons,
assemble at certain towns on the banks of the Gauges and other rivers, and
above all at AUahabad, whieh stands at the eonlliix of the Gmiges and the
Jiimuii, for the purpose of bathing in tbe holy stream. Persons resort to
Allahabad from all quarters, and with as much zeal as the Gentoo pilgrims
repair to Jaggemaiii, or the Catholics to Loretto.
Exclusive, however, of religious motives, all the inhabitants of India avail
themselves, during tbe hot season especially, of the proximity of a river or e.xtensive
tank, or pond, wherein to bathe and refresh themselves. Indeed, so far
as depends ou ablution, no people in the world can, generally speaking, he more
cleanly; though among the lower classes, the most nauseating filth is often
found. Their vessels for eontainlng water, as also for culinary purposes, are
usually bright and clean ; but tlieir clothes and heds aboun<l with vermin,
whieh, having once found an asylum, mnltiply at pleasure. Those who reside
on the banks of rivers are far more healthy than the inhabitants of the interior;
where stagnant ivators, of ¡mniense extent, which ilry up gradually after the
rainy season, and exhale miasma in profusion, render the air extremely insalubrious.
In many parts of Bengal the marsh fever is very regular in its attacks
on all ages; and never fails to carry oil'a large portion of the iiihahiUuits. 1
have known some villages where, for many years, not a single person escaped
tbe fever, but which might have been averted, by cutting a few drains lo carry
olf tbe stagnant waters in due lime. Such an operation, however, though it
would not have taken more than two or three shillings worth of labour, was
Iicrleeted; it was not tbe business of any one particular person ; so eonse<[Uently
no one would do it. Perhaps, had any zealous and public spirited man attempted
it, he would bave experienced all those impediments and objections,
with which the ignorant, in all countries, are so abundantly stored !