8 S T I G E R KILLED BY A POISONED ARROW.
Willi ux Ihe miJJIe »"J "' " I " . "" ' " » ' ' l y f"" P" ! ' " ' '
„ h c c afl,T being slnii.,cil; lh»l, entl, cml l>c equal ly strong; else ihe arrow
L n k i .leviale i„ propor t ion; and ,ln„ ,vl,en lil.era.cl fron. tl,e siring .1,0 bo,v
e n r v c Inek iiilo an opiJOsilc ilireclioii f rom llral in wluch it a p p e a r e d n Jicn bent;
tirns oansing tl,>- inside to appear onlward ; giving tim t o w the appearance of a
i l o u l j l e steel truss, and rcseiuMing tile figure of a C.
E v e n these hows are rcinarUahly strong, ami it takes some force to string
lliein which is easiest, and most commonly, done by placing one end under the
h am and with both hands bringing the olher lo its due position; when the
„ ' r i l l - ' i s eiusily slipped into the g r o o « made for its rceeption. Thirty inches of
s t r i n g is a conmioii length, though some are longer. It re(piires a very strong
. , rm 10 d r a w the arrow li], to iho head with a new bow ; though the generality
o f the natives can, from early habit, do so wi t h case, 'riicy ].h,cc the left band
o p p o s i t e the riglil breast, just far enough from the body 10 al low a clear actlou
to the weapon ; ami having the butt of ihe arrow pressed to the string, tltey
w i t h ihe fore iiiid iniihllc lingers of the right hand draw steadily, until the
h e a d of Ihe ar row come near to the forelillgcr of tiie left hand ; which serves
a s ' a rest for the arrow in that part. The bow is always held perpendicularly
b y the natives, ivho ridicule the European method of levelling it horizontally,
o r of lilacing it before the body.
T h e precision willi which liiaiiy natives, and indeed some few gentlemen
w h o have practised, take an aim', is admirable I 'riiey will rarely miss au
o b j e c t , about ihc size of a lea cup, at sixty or seventy yards. I have seen a
sJiccarrie, who was in the employ of the ever memorable Col. John Mordaunt
a t Lm.kno^v, repeatedly lodge an arrow in a common walking stick, at about
l h a l distance, lint the most surprising feat of this kind I ever witnessed,
w a s thai of the poor ilinerant so >vcll known in Bengal, who was bom witllollt
a r m s , hiiviiig only a tluiinh at one shoulder, but who, fixing the bow with his
f e e t , and drawing the string with his teeth, laying on his back of course, can
d i r e c t liis a r row with more certainty than most Europeans I
Til . o.xtrcmely fond of basking in the snn during the cold season, and
may be often seen asleep, or licking themselves, or sretcbing as it were in
e x t a e y , upon some large stone, or other open space that has been wanned by
t h e solar heat. In this part icular tliey bear a wondrolls affinity to cats; wllicil
h a v e a great partiality for such situations as retain a comfortable degree of
h e a t ; but avoiding an excess; of which both cats and tigers are b y no means
f o u d . The tiger, however , has to endur e ver y great transitions from beat lo cold,
a n d vice versa ; nearly four m o n t h s of the year being ext remel y wet , four months
e q u a l l y hot, and the nights during the other four very cold.
M o s t persons, conclude the elimato of India to be invariably sultry, and
s c o r c h i n g ; whereas the months of December and ,Ianuary, are often so cold as
to prodncc a coat of ice on the puddles ; and, very commonly, a substantial
f r o s t on Ihe grass and vegetation in general. I have known it freeze, or at
l e a s t the ice to remai n compact , dur ing Ihc whol e day ; but such was ver y extrao
r d i n a r y . Cricket, lives, &e. form a par t of Ihe diversions of B e n g a l during the
w i n t e r mouths. But, although the air is certainly so mueli cooler during the
e v e n i n g s and mornings, the sun f reqnent l y shews his power s during the mi d day.
I t is a rare thing to see the thermometer under sixty at that hour, \\hile it
f r e q u e n t l y falls below the treezing point in the night lime, especially towards
d a v break. On the whole, we may consider the average diHereiice, between
t h e heat of Ihe day and night, in the winter season, to b e from twent y lo twentyl
i v e degrees.
I t is usual to place a small, white, triangular Dag, fixed lo a bamboo stall', of
t e n or twelve feet long, at the place whe r e a tiger has destroyed a man. It is
c o m m o n for the passengers also, each to throw a stone, or hrick, near the spot,
so, that, in the course of a little lime, a pile equal to a good waggon load is
c o l l e c t e d . This custom, as well as the fixing a rag on any particular thorn
h u s h near the fatal spot, is in use likewise on various accounts. Many brambles
i n a v be seen in a day' s j o u r n e y completely covcred with this motley assemblage
o f "remnants. The sight of the Hags and Jiilcs of stones imparts a certain
m e l a n c h o l y ; not perhaps altogether devoid of apprehension. They may he said
l o he of service, in pointing out the places most frequenlcd by tigers. In some
p l a c e s , many of these superstitious insignia are to be seen nearly together;
t h o u g h probably the accidents which occasioned them were more distantly
d i v i d e d in resjiect lo date.
T h e haunts of tigers, as before remarked, arc by no means certain. The y are
n o t of a settled disposition, hut roam from place to place ; often to appearance
i n a very fickle manner. No doubt, however, ihey have their reasons. But
w e may perhaps he correct in attributing their sudden removal, from places
w h e r e ihey have committed depredations, to the appearance of the lings, which
s e r v i n g as a beacon, though not intended solely as such, cause the neighbouri
n g villagers to avoid that part of the cover, and occasion passengers to wait
u n t i l sufficient n umb e r s arc collected to jirocced with tolerable safety.
I n a former N umb e r it was, observed, that tigers ^vould frequently crcep for
some time parallel to their object, until an opportiiiiily might oiler for seizing.
T h e following fact, well known in the olil twelfth battalion of Sepoys, occurred
w i t h i n my own knowledge, in the year 1791. A sepoy, who was marching
w l l h a sii'iall delachmeiit lo escort the pay of the regiment from ChiUmh to
Httzari), observed lo his comrades, that a tiger was stealing through Ihc jiingic,
a n d had set him, as it is well known they sometimes will do, when dcteruiined
o n making a prey. He accordingly divesteil himself of his arms and every
i n c u m b r a n c e , proceeding wi t h a d rawn tulwar, or broad sword in his hand. The
t i g e r at lengt h come forth, and made bis spring, which the sepoy avoided, at
t h e same time giving the tiger a cut over the loins, such as at once depr ived him
o f the means to escape. He was promoted for his intrepidity.
P L A T E XXIII.
SHOOTING A LEOPARD IN A TREE.
T h e partiality of the leopard to ascend into trees, especially wlicn pursued, is
w e l l known ; indeed it is to this propensity it owes the name it bears in most
p a r t s of India, viz. the " lackree baug," literally implying the " tree-tiger." The
n a t i v e s , however, in some places are apt lo confound the hyaena and leopard
v e r y promiscuously under this desigtiation. Leopards will not ascend into trees
w h i c h have not some underwood growing near them : in fact, though they will,
w h e n driven to extremity, avail themselves of any shelter, their usual haunts
a r e found in those close woods, of which the intervals are grown up with
t h o r n s , &c. and especially w h e r e there are old trees wi t h low houghs, favouring
t h e i r access to the more iimhrageous parts of the foliage. It is probably at
t h e junction of the principal branches with the main stem, lhal the leopard
Avill secrete himself. But it appears from all we can collect on the subject,
t h a t such recluse situations are selected more with a view t(t privacy and
c o o l n e s s , than as affording any particular advantages in respect to the seizure
o f prey.
T h e leopard rarely prowl s bv day, and is seldom seen abroad. His disposit
i o n s and habits seem lo be more similar to those of cats, than even the royal
t i g e r . Leopards are more shy, more subtle, anil far more ravenous than any
o t h e r of the feline species. They seem lo be more intent on small game ; and,
t h o u g h when hungry they have been known to attack cattle, they do not
a p p e a r much inclined lo attack the luimau race. I have remarked that all
s e r i o u s depredat ions, which have occur red wi thi n my own knowledge, have been
p e r p e t r a t e d by tigers, and that the losses sustained among the sheep, goats, and
e v e n in some instances among poultry, have been attributed to leopards.
W e are not to conclude that the leopard foregoes all the advantages he may
possess in a competent elevation above his object : on the contrary, we must
e v e r expect, that, when suitable prey may otVer, the leopard will freely avail
h i m s e l f of the opportunity, and attack his unwary victim without scruple.
U p w a r d s of twent y yeai-s ago, itwouUl have been extremely imp r u d e n t to wal k
t h r o u g h Plasscij tope, which was then infested wi t h leopards. This wood, I have
b e f o r e stated, was called Lack Pcenj, from the hyperbolic assertion that it cont
a i n e d a lack, i. e. one hundred thousand mango trees; but by the computation
b e f o r e offered to the reader, it wi l l be found that thirty thousand we r e as many
a s Lack Pecnj could boast, even when in its most flourishing state. That
p e r i o d is long past, and we may safely conclude that, what with decay and
d e p r e d a t i o n , its numbe r s have been reduced within half the original plauting.
Plasseij tope is situated near the banks of the Baugraihj, e. the tiger's
r i v e r : it was formerly surrounded by large grass jangles, teeming with tigers,
b u f f a l o e s , &c. and was besides completely grown up with underwood. The
i m p r o v e m e n t s which have taken ])lace in the Cossimbazar Island, in general
o w i n g to the many speculators in indigo, have annihilated many of the grass
c o v e r s , they being converted into arable lands, and as the population increased,
t h e underwoods, with perhaps many of the trees, wer e cut for fue l ; and P.\cl,
w h o s e exertion in the hunting of tigers, &e. has been amply described in
.several of the preceding Chapters, dealt forth destruction in such an unprec
e n t e d style as, in the course of a few years, absolutely cleared the country
w i t h i n twelve or fifteen miles of his s tat ion at Daudpore. It seems to be unders
t o o d among the natives that leopards are fearful of water ; and they entertain
a n opinion, thai, when once au island is freed from them, no danger exists of
t h e i r return; unless at the time of inundation, when in common with other
a n i m a l s they m a y b e floated from thei r former haunt s . Tli us m u c h seems certain,
t h a t although many tigers may be occasionally found on the large islands, of
p e r h a p s one or two miles in lengtii, which abound in the course of all the great
r i v e r s in Bengal , yet leopards are seldom or never seen there, be the cover ever
so thick, and cattle, &c. ever so abundant . While we attribute this singular circ
u m s t a n c e to their aversion to swimming, we may with propriety add another
c a u s e for their avoiding these islands; namely, that being formed during a
f e w years, antl swept away perhaps in the course of eight or ten seasons, after
a c e p i i r i n g their greatest extent, trees have not time to g row to the size sufHcient
f o r a cover: and being but few in imoiber, the leopard's eye is not sufficiently
a t t r a c t e d to cause his passing the s ^ e a m Lo take possession.