74 A T I G E R SPRINGING ON AN ELEPHANT.
precise age. BiiL, 1 believe, all niiiy be considered as equally entitled to contempi :
ilio l a d is, thai I never yet could obtain ihe least satisfaction in this parlicnlar;
tlioiigh every one oi" the many I conversed with on the subjccl \voMld liave convinced
ine of llie perfect infallibility of his calculation. Doubtless some criterion
exisis, whicli marks the arrival of every animal at some particular age ; but, 1
apprehend, thai, in regard to elcplianls, as well as with dogs and cats, we must
judge by appearances, or ascertain by impiiry among such i)crsons as may know
the time of their birlh.
Willi regard to the age of a tiger. I kuow not of any mode by which a judgment.
can be formed. We may l)c able lo ascertain when it has arrived at its
full powers; bnt there is a certain term from lhal, to its beginning to seal over
the eyes, and to become more uniform in its colour, which may be longer or
shorter, and of which we are noi as yet genendly informed. All thai we can
say on the subject is, that liger-cubs are mottled rather in a gross and confused
manner ; that, as liiey proccfd towards their full growtli, their colours gradually
assume a more vivid anil peculiar appearance ; while iheir decline is equally
nuu-ked, by a falling oiV of that glo.ss which indicates their period of vigour.
An old tiçer acquires a most venerable appearance ; and, when much burthened
•with years, becomes hollow over the eyes, lank in the cheeks, hangs his lip, and
displays very obvious tokens of iniinnity. It is very remarkable, that the
jnnctiou of each grinder to its neighbour, in the back pari of the jaw, invariably
forms, as far as 1 have seen, an excellent profile for an old woman's face!
Voirions ciiTumstances, which will ever be found to diversify every species of
the chase, obtruding themselves rapidly, and often contrary to all expectation,
necessarily give rise to many varieties, both in the proceedings and in the result.
Thus, although a tiger will, in all jirohability, either endeavour to steal away,
or will openly attack tiie hunters, and meet bis fate with the utmost resolution ;
yet many will have recourse to crouching in the cover, not caring to charge,
but hoping either to escape by lying close, or to obLiin some advantage by
suddenly assailing such as may unwarily fall in iheir power. These are peculiarly
<langerous; especially if they attain a situation suilable lo their plan of
concealment. A curious circumstance,
occurred to a very worthy oflieer, Ca|
since. He was one of a numerous party
liunting, and was mounted on a very fine
timiil, was very rem
of prudence. This
grass
hit upon the tigei
the li
rking animal, occ;
lalies of the sport,
(tied some years
purpose of tiger-
• from being
istrative of the :
.1 .John Rotlon, who
asseml)led for the
lale elephani, that, fat
irkable for a courage scarcely to be ke|>l witliin the bounds
singularly fine animal having, after iiuich healing a thick
! situation, uttered his roar of vengeance, which roused
ioning hiiu to rise so as to be seen distinctly.
No sooner did the tiger shew himself, than Captain Rotton, witli great readiness,
beniling his l)odya litlle to the left, took aim at hiui as he stood up, crosswise
almost close to the elephant's head. The elephant no sooner espied his
enemy, than he knell down, as is common on sudi occasions, with the view to •
strike the tiger through with his tusks. At the same time the tiger, sensible of
the device, as suddenly threw himself on his back ; lherc])y evading the intended'mischief,
and ready to claw the elephant's face with all four feet; which
were thus turned upwards. Now, whether Captain Rolton had not been in the
habit of joining in such rapid evolutions, or that the elephant forgot to warn
liim to hold fast, we know not ; but, so it liappened, that the delicate situation
in which he was placeil, while taking his aim, added to the quickness of the
elephant's change of height forward, combined to project him, without the
least obstruction, from his seat, landing him plump on tlic tiger's belly ! This
was a species of warfare to which all ])arties were apparently strangers. The
elephant, however fearless in other respecl45, was alarmed at the strange round
mass, the Captain being remarkably fat, which iiad shot like a sack over his
shoulder; while the tiger, judging it to be very nngentlemanlike usage, lost no
time in regaining his legs, trotting off at a round pace, and abandoning the
field to the victorious Captain.
I was not present at the scene just described, but I joined the party the same
evening, when all seemed to vie in rallying Ca])tain Rotlon on the very ludicrous
and dangerous occurrence of the day. lie did not seem to relish it, and
asserted that his situation had not given rise to the least apprehension. A few,
however, pressing him hard on that point, his displeasure was rather excited;
and the imprudence of continuing the disagreeable theme might have induced
some more unpleasant consequences, had not PAUL began to twirl his thumbs,
and called our attention to one of his favourite German songs, so highly admired
by himself in particular, and which he volunteered in most audible
strains.
From all that has been .said upon the topic, the reader will be suiTiciently apprised
of tlie very great danger occasionally inseparable from this manly diversion
; and he will have observed, that uuiny qualifications are indispensable in
order to form a complete adept in this branch of sporting. As I have before
mentioned in regard to hog-hunting, that it .speedily gives its votaries a good
seat, or evinces the expediency of relinquishing the field lo such as are better
calculated for the sport ; so in tiger-hunting, he who feels deficient in coolness,
and whose aim is not tolerably correct, should avoid, at least should nol engage
as principal, in such parts of ihe chase as must render him liable lo
arduous exertion, or cause others to depend on him for individual or general
support.
Where tiger-himling is practised within certain bounds, it may Ikí consiíU'red
as .salutary as any exercise with which we are acquainted. But where, as in hoghunting,
people are totally regardless of hours, and pay no attention lo the
powerful warnings of a brilliant sun, being lolh to return unsuccessful from the
field, then most assuredly the coii.stitution will gradually sailer. The keen
sportsman too often, like a failing merchant, fears, or at least neglects, to
examine how the account between health and his favourite pleasure may stand ;
A T I G E R SPRINGING ON AN ELEIMIANT. 75
and in spite of the repeated admonitions of his mcdical friends, as well as of the
frequent returns of bilious complaints, or nol a little afraid of being classed,
among his associates in debauch, as one beneath them in stamina, continues to
figure in the field till, by an accumiilation of disease, the hearty, robust young
man is changed into " a knight of the sorrowful countenance." I have seen loo
many corroborating instances, in every respect, of the truth of this assertion ; aud
have, indeed, myself been to such a degree the victim of my own infatuation, as
to convince me, that, unless sporting of every kind be followed with great selfcommand
in all hot climates, the most pernicious conse(|uences will arise. Tigerhuntiug
is less under command than any other; because, as soon as the alarm
is given, the hunter must sally forth, regardless of the sun's influence, his feelings,
or his constitution. Besides, it may be considered that he is labouriug in a
greater degree, for the safely and benefit of mankind, than when pursuing a
boar. Farther, when on such occasions, the object is attained, either by the
tigers' death, or his ascertained escape, the sportsmen generally return to their
quarters. Not so in hog-hunting, where each triumph ordinarily renders the
party more eager in the search for fresh game, and banishes all consideration
either for themselves, or their cattle.
Of all the diversions which most certainlj--, and I may say most speedily, sap
the constitution, none can, in my mind, compare with snipe-shooting. In India
snipes lie best during the mid-day heats; and, for the most part, being found
in broad quagmires, and abounding chiefly on the flat borders oi jeeh, or perhaps
among the small islands in their interior, compel those who delight in this recreation
to wade probably up to the waist in water ; being alternately wet and
dry, while a burning sun keeps the head and upper parts of the body in a slate
exactly the reverse of w hat the lower parts experience. The short time required
lo boil eggs suspended in a cloth, and dipped repeatedly into boiling water, may
ser\'e to give some idea of the infallible result of such a couibined attack on the
principles of life. I could enumerate at least an hundred of my acquaintances,
who have sacrificed the most vigorous health
who, strange to say, never could shake ofl' tlu
they neither were, nor could be, ignorant wa
merly, it was not considered sulliciciit lo
alone custom had joined to it thi
•y mode of preparation. Su
very destructive sport; but
3f ¡™l„lgi„g i,, ivliat
destroying them by iiich<'.-s ! |-'orlululgc
iu this rcpiilcd diversion
di wi
excess was tl
shortest. 1 cannot give
of twenty years ago, th;
ing sixteen in number,
Ber ham pore,
had not seen
:d, that the mos
better idea (
by observiii;
10 met lo dii
1790 ; wheji, hap])eiii
ce occnpyinw the same
lly bancful practi
s the hcight to wh
inlimate l'riendshi])
the state of .society
that, I was oiic of i
with a. friend in ih
; to meet Avith s
ith the
but w
irten
mentioned our old comrades at the same place
^vind up our retrospective details with, " All
The frequent repetition of the aposLro|)he ind
paper; wheu, one reckoning up ihosc among o
the North, and the other recording ihc obituary of tli
that, in the space of little mol-e than twenty years,
of drinking spirits
;h every species of
was generally the
n Bengal upwards
party, not exccedsoulli
barracks of
le friends, whom we
in 1782, we casi
.ally
generally fouii
! poor fellow, but iu- s dead!'
iced two of us to take |)en and
r lost friends who had occupied
uth Rangers we found
had lost one hundred
and sixty-three in one list, and one hundred aud fifty seven in the other! It is
worthy of remark, that our record was confined to such ofllcers and stafl", as
had occupied the cantonments during three years only; and that more than
three hundred ofllcers had never been (piartered at any one tiuic at the station !
^Vhat adds to tlie wonder of such an occurrence is, that, for tlie greater j)arl
of the time very little change took place; the same corps being fixed for several
years! With the exception of a few prudent men, whose irioderation rendered
them contemptible' in the opinion of the major part of us, who were greatly attaclied,
not only to sport, but lo every species of ilebauchery, I believe few
quitled Bcrhamporc in those days untainted by disease, or wilhout some serious
injury done to their constitutions. Happily an entire reform has long since taken
place throughout India.