P R E F A C E .
cillicr repugnanl lo the .lisposilion »nd nature of t l»l nohlo an.mal, or, from
local circumstances, l.igMy improkAlo. Such as crince notl.n.g
Jodlilv and ,v„„drons discrlnnmUion, may 1« viewed n, general, w.l.o,, -
severe'. scrnLlny : for ll,c Elephant may be said to possess ll,e energy ..1 the
horse, the sagacity of the dog, and a large portion of the monkeys ennnmg
Were it not that these cpalities may be fnlly prove,1 by a v.s.t to the several
nn.setnns, I shonki hardly venlurc to give such a character, lest 1 ,n,ght be
suspected of an Intentiou to impose.
Many of the instances quoted in litis Work are from personal information;
others m-e fro.n the descriptions of those >vhoso veracity could be rehed on. I
may pos.,ibly he wanting in a few particular, ; but I can safely aver, that the
spirit of the facts is given, and that the whole will be found most completely to
support the several circumataiiees to be illustrated, or confirmed. Generally
speikiii"- I have been anxious to keep within the limits of reality; not venturing
on many occasions, to amplify to the e.Meut I should be w arranted by truth.
1 am aware that mauv things by no means wonderful or uncommon ni one
country arc upheld to ridicule in another, as being mm.strous and absurd .
Thus when the sailor hoy related to his father an.l mother, that tbe flymg
fishes'used to drop on board the ship ; they silenced him with a severe rebuke,
for attempting to impose on then, with so palpable a falsehoo.i : but when .lack,
alterin" his tone to make friends ^vilh the old folks, said that in weiglnng their
anchor°whik. up the Re.l Sea. a large carriage wheel, of solid gold and studded
with diamonds, was found hanging to oue of its flukes, they acknowledged h,s
fiction as a truth ; observing, that " I'haroah and his host were devoured there,
and that no doubt it was one of the wheels of his Majesty's ehariot."
1 am sensible that not a few will treat large portious of this Work as a downright
apocrj^iha; however, as it is not intended for the ignorant, but for the
more enlightened circles of the community, 1 have less dlffidenec m venturmg
upon some of the more curious details ; which, happily, may be corroborated
by numbers in the first ranks of society. India has been frequented by many
of that class; its customs and curiosities are becoming daily more known. As
yet no complete description of them has been given to the World, and an
intimate knowledge of the many Interesting natural curiosities of that country
remains among our desiderata.
In a Publication so res)icetably patronized as is the present, and where detection
might, through a variety of channels, easy of access, bo immediately effected,
neUher credit nor profit could result, were the smallest attempt indulged in, to
snhstitute falsehood for truth. That many matters may be considered marvellous,
I freely adirnt. Where the candid reader may find difliculty in accrediting,
he will not pass an illiberal sentence, but by seeking for information
among the many who may have been in India, especially in Bengal, his doubts
will he removed, and his misconceptions he rectified. The issue of such references
must prove satisfactory, and at least preserve me from anathema. It may
be proper to remark, that there are a number of Calcutta as well as London
cocknies: to Slid) I do nol appeal!
Jii'fore I closc lliis Tnlrocliiclion, 1 must answer lo some queries which, I arn
persuaded, the generality of my readers will have in llieir minds. They ^v'iil
ask, " wliy all the characters introduced as sportsmen, are Eui-opeaii?" This
certainly may appear strange, but is nevertheless perfectly correspondent with
facts. The natives of India consider what wc call sporting, to be quite a
drudgery, and derogatory from the consequence and dignity of such as are
classed among the superior orders. Nabobs, and men of rank, often have
hunting parties; but an ignorant spectator would rather be led to enquire,
against what enemy they were proceeding ? The reader will form lo himself an
idea of what sport is lo be expected, where perhaps two or three luindred
elephants, and thirty or forty thousand horse and foot, are in ihe field. The
very dust must often preserve the game from view ! As lo all energy and personal
exertion, except in the case of a few individuals, who, either from vanily,
or a partiality to British customs and diversions, partake of our conviviality
and recreations, more will never be seen : and even such demi-anglified personages
cannot he expected lo do much. In truth, they generally becomc objects
of ridicule to bolh parties: their countrymen ilutest their apostacy, while wc
smile at their aukward attempts, like the bear in the boat, to conduct themselves
with propriety in their new element!
I t will, no doubt, be farther enquired, " Whether such a niunber of
menials as arc described in ihe Plates, can be absolutely necessary ?" A reference
to that copious and admirable display of Indian Costume, published by
Mr. Orm£, ihe Proj)rietor of this Work, will be found lo contain a very com-
])lcte answer to this question. For the present il may besuflicient to slate, that
owing lo the customs peculiar to India, and principally dependent on superperslilious
ordinations, the services of menials are much confined ; cach havmg
but one particular ofRce to attend to, and never interfering in the department
of any other of the household.
Thus much being premised, I consign my labours to ihe consideration of a
liberal and discerning comnninily ; trusting that my endeavours to please will
be favourably received, and that an extensive circulation of my Volume will
establish, beyond a douhl, that those endeavouns have proved successful.
THE AUTHOR.
L I S T OF PLATES.
Hunters going out in the Morning
Beating Sugar-Canesfor a Hog
The Chase after a Hog.
Hog-Hunters meeting by surprise a Tigress and her Ctibs.
The Hog at Bay.
The Dead Hog.
The Return from Hog-Hunting.
Driving Elephants into a Keddah.
Decoy Elephants catching a Mule.
Decoy Elephants leaving the Male fastened to a Tree.
A Rhinoceros hunted by Elephants.
A Tigerpro-^ling through a Villuge.
Shooting a Tiger from a Platform.
A Tiger seizing a Bullock in a Pass.
Driving a Tiger out of a Jungle.
Chasing a Tiger across a River.
The Tiger at Bay.
A Tiger springing upon an Elephant.
The dead Tiger.
Shooters coming by surprise upon a Tiger.
A Tiger hunted by tsild Dogs.
A Tiger killed by a poisoned Arros.
Shooting a Leopard.
E.vhibition of a Battle bctyjeen a Buffalo and a Tiger.
Hunting an old Buffalo.
Peacock-shooting.
Shooting at the edge of a Jungle.
Driving a Bear out of Sugar Canes.
Death of the Bear.
Hunting a lOiftauss, or Civet Cat.
Hunting Jackalls.
Chase after a Wolf.
The common Wolf Trap.
Smokins Wolves from their Earths.
The Gamuts breaking its Banks; aith Fishing, Sfc
Killing Game in Boats.
Doo/vahs, or Dog Keepers, leading out Dogs.
Sifces, or Grooms, leading out Horses-
Hunting a Hog-Deer.
The Hog-Deer at Bay.
Les Chasseurs sortant le Matin.
Battant les Cannes de Sucre, pour trouver un Cochon-sauvage.
La Chasse au Cochon-sauvage. [ses Petits.
Les Chasseurs de Sanglier rencontrant par hasard une Tigresse avec
Le Sanglier en état d'arrêt.
Mort du Sanglier.
Le Retour de la Chasse au Sanglier.
Des El.'phants conduits dans un Keddah.
Des Eléphants dressés, attrapant un mâle.
Des Eléphants dressés laissant le Mule attaché à un Arbre.
Un Rhinocéros chassé par des Eléphants.
Un Tigre traversant un Village en huelant.
Un Tigre tiré <f une Plateforme.
Un Tigre saisissant un Boeuf dans un Sentier.
Chassant un Tigre de sa '¡unière.
La Chasse au Tig-re a travers une Rivière.
Le Tigre en état d'arrêt.
Un Tigre s'élançant sur un Eléphant.
Mort du Tigre.
Les Chasse2irs tombant sxir un Tigre.
Le Tigre poursuivi par des Chiens sauvages.
Le Tigre tué par une Flèche empoisonnée.
La Chasse au Leopard.
Représentation (tun Combat entre un Buße et un Tigre.
La Chasse dun vieux Buße.
La Chasse au Paon.
Les Chasseurs tirant à tentrée dune Tanière
Chassant un Ours des Cannes de Sucre.
La Mort de fOurs.
La Chasse au Kuttaus, ou Civette.
La Chasse au.v Jackals.
IM Chasse au Loup.
Le Piège ordinaire pour attraper le Loup.
Les Loups chassés de leurs Tanières par la fumée.
Le Gagne se débordant ; avec des Pécheurs, S^c.
Chasse au Gibier en bateau.
Les Garde-Chiens, ou Dooreahs, promenant les Chiens.
Les Palfreniers, ou Syces, promenant les Chevaux.
La Chasse au Ceif-Cochon.
Le Cerf-Cochon en état d arrêt.
«F The FrcicJi Inscriptiom which relate lo IIog-hunti„§, on some of Ihe Piales, should be Sanglier, or Cochon-sauvagc, mtead o/Cochoi