B B g a a
Vi
from ihc liger's opposition ill lllc cnti-a
gon.lcl U
opporli
A BATTLE BETWEEN A BUFFALO AND A TIGER.
of i
lo lllfl c
danger,
11,
ile or
pressurL' oflon
iiig Uial tlnly.
has in soaif insta
h . . givn, .vay. ..
all \hv. rabl.le la
and caiisc even ll
such ii respccUil)U
tiger from liis ¡¡ri
lie cagc is opeiicfl, ami llie liger
....arils liie apcrliirc. Souic> avail Lliemsclvcs iiislanlaneoiksly of the
ily 10 range more al large ; l)iil. ihe major pari, \villi tlial poniliar aim
on ami sulkiiiess so strongly marked in llie \vliolo race, from llie liger
I, hang i)ack\vrtrds, and have recourse lo every device lo avoid tlial
rhicli one would almost believe ihey had ihe gift of foretelling. As,
such cauMOl he the case, wc nuisl conclmle lhatlheir alarm is generated
lisc and hustle inseparably allendanl on all such spcctac/cs. The crowd,
•y precaution, llock round ihe cage, and absolutely by their
revent the persons employed lo liberate the liger, from perform-
When all authority may have proved abortive, a sudden alarm
jcos proved iunuedialely successful. A rumour ibal the cage
(I tbal. the tiger is about lo etleet his escape, in a inomeiiL puts
l i g l i t ! lu^ar will from lliat time render ihein more cautious,
e most arduous, if ihe farce be properly supported, to preserve
distance, as lo allbrd ample spaee for the keepers to urge ihe
As soon as the liger has entered ihe area, the gates are closed, and a short
lime is allowed liini to look round aud examine his new situation, ll is remarkable
that ai thi.i time llie cowardly animal very rarely (piils the palisades, but
creeps along close lo ihem, wistfully looking «]> al their lops, as if intent on
" r over ihein, and occasionallv grintling his teeth at the host of people
•round the area. cliud>ing up lo llic summit of the enclosure, or peeping
through ihe narrow intervals between ihe timbers or bamboos of which il is
conslrucled. As soon as the tiger appears somewbal reconciled to ihe place, and
•oceeded to a sullicieni distance from the gale, so that it may be
safelv, ihe biillalo is introiluced.
escapi
may tun
opened ^
N o t h i ng can surpass ibe animalion displayeil at this moment! The buffalo
on enlering the area smells the liger, and becomes iuslanlly agitated Avilh
eagerness. His eyes sparkle with fury, as they quest around for the skulking
enemy; which is generally attacked the iuslant il is distinguished. The bulfalo
shaking his head and raking the ground for a few seconds with his foot, places
himself in the posture of attack, and wilh his face brought parallel to the surface,
his horns pointing forward, and his tail indicaling bolh his delermination, and
his vigour, rushes forward at bis full speed. It lias happened that at such
moments, bulFalos have nol been able lo check themselves, but have run np
against the enclosure wilh a tremendous force, shaking some of ihe holds aloft,
and wounding the lower ranges of ihe more forward of ihe speclators. Bui the
caulious liger rarely fails lo shift his ground as the builalo approaches, lluis
causing tlie latter lo bend in his course, and consequently diminishing the
force of the atlack, as well as rendering the aim less cerlain.
However formidable ihe horns of a buiFalo may be, still experience shews that
tlie liger's skin is sufficiently strong lo wilbstand such thrusts as the spectator
would deem irresistible. 1 have befor e s tated, that what wi t h the gloss of the thick,
though short coaling of fur, and the natural pliancy of the liide, it requires a
smart ball lo penetrate wilh eftecl. So we find that a liger is more bruised than
goi-ed by the buffalo's horns, unless in some cases wliere they have proved more
than usually sharp at iheir extremities ; or where they have been accidentally
pointed against such parls as were less capable of yielding, so as to break the
force of the charge.
From the manner in whieb the horns are placed, as well as from the position
in whicli the buftalo in common carries his head, that is, wi t h ihe nose raised,
so as lo have ihe face nearly iiorizonlal, -whence the tips of ihe horns lie far
below the level of ihe back-bone, one would be apl to conjecture that they were
not calculated lo do much mischief, aud mighl })e easily avoided; bul such is
b y no means the case. The bnlTalo, perhaps at ihe distance of thirty or forty
yards from the object, inverts his whole position, bringing his nostrils between
his fore legs, and carrying the horns, pointed forward, probably not more than
an inch or two from the ground. In tins manner he proceeds al full speed, his
eye sternly bent, according lo his aim, which is for ihe most part so correct as
to leave lillle doubl of the issue, were the opportunity given for the charge lo
lake eiTeet: a quick removal, hoMCver, lo the right or left, when the buffalo is
within two or three yards, is sulhcient to ensure safety. The motions of buiFalos
are so rapid, and their fury so very urgent, that a second chargi
ably be expected, followed up wilh olhers, which
lo become the more
keen iu proportion as the animal becomes more irritaled either by 1:
dism
a]>poinlmeuls, or by any wounds he may have received from his antagonist. The
natives assert that a buffalo, not absolutely defealed, will never (piit a tiger
until ils death may proclaim his viclory ; and that even when the subdued
opponent may l)e breathless, the buffalo will amuse himself, as it were glutting
his revenge, by tossing the liger about. Such I can easily suppose to be invariably
ihe case; for I think the buffalo is, like the rhinoceros, of the most implacable
disposition. It should be remarked that any red object, especially
blood, seldom fails to invite the buffalo's attack.
After a battle, it is not the safest thing in the worl d lo venture into the area.
The buffalo being in a state approaching to madness, aud smarting with llie
scratches probably iuflicled by the tiger's claws, or eventually having received
a sharp bite, makes no distinction between friends and foes. It is prudent to
leave him to cool, and then to approach him wi l h water, or wet grass, ofwiiich
h e will generally ])artake with avidity. When his violence may have subsided,
h e is generally relumed lo his house, the way being previously cleared from
passengers, to prevent accidents.
95
P L A T E XXV.
THE BUFFALO AT BAY.
.mmonly understood that Providence has allotted to eveiy animal a
I T
climate suited lo its nature;
and a general review, throughoul the universe, will
add no small weight to lliis ,
1. Whether il be fi'om the original order of
things, as arranged hy tlie great Foimder of the World i or, that, supposing
some chance lo exist, such animals as were not ill ihcir lialiils or eonsliliilions,
suited lo particular soils, or temperatures, necessarily perished and hecame
exlincl ill such silualions, wc find the most marked alleutioii to lliat syslcm.
Bul to this general rule we have lo plead one exception; namely, thai the
bulfalo of India is, by no means, suilcd to the cliuiale of tlic eouiilry.
That
animal nol only delights in the water, liiit will not thrive unless it have a f
waiiip
lo wal low iu. There rolling lliemsclvcs, llicy speedily wor k deep liollows
,vherein
t h e y lay immersed. No place seems lo dclighl tin
verdure on the confines oijeels, ami inarslies
grass, so as to allbrd concealment and shade, •
water. In such silualions llicy seem to enjoy :
n o t h i n g above the surlace but llieir eyes ami i
eribcd in the preeceding Chapter, kept low
hidden from view.
I biillalo more than the deep
. esjiecially if surrounded by tall
.vliilc the body is covered by the
1 perfect exlaey, having ill general
islrils, the horns being, as desdou
n, and consequently entirely
Frequently nothing is perceptible but a few black lumps in the water, appearing
like small clods; for the bulValos being often fast asleep, all is (|uiel; and a
pa°ssengor would scarcely cxpecl lo see, as often happens. Iwciity or thirty great
beasts suddenly rise. I have a thousand limes been uuexpcelcdly surprised iii
this manner by tame buflalos, and once or twice by wihl ones. The latter arc
very dangeron's, aud ibe former are by no means to bo cousidercd as innocent;
Iheir dispositions arc extremely savage, aud ibey arc very prompt to atlack any
t h i n g which causes much attraction, cs]5CciaUy every red object.
A cow bulfalo, having a sucking calf, is ever lo be sliuiincd; as are also such
single males as may l)c frequeully seen straggling wide from the herds, whcnce
tliey have probably been driven by males of superior ,.rowe8s, in the same
manner as ,<»»« eleplianls, described in Plate IX. The bauks of the Gauges
abound wilh bnlTalos in their wild state, as docs all the country wliere long
grass and spacious jceh are to be found. On the Cossimbazar Island tjiey were
at one lime very numerous, but their numbers have hcen greatly diminished in
thai quarter by the extensive improvements that have taken place within the last
twenty years. Many anecdotes arc related regarding liair-hreaillh escapes, of
which I think the following to be as cxlraorilinary as any I ever beard. In
going towards Daudpore one morning, I met Doctor Kiiiglit, then Surgeon of
the Berliampore station, who had been out to shoot hogs and deer. A bulfalo
bull, which was at a consideralilc distance, after shaking his head and stamping
wilh liis fore fool, al length fairly made at the DocliSr, who was fortunately
provided wilh an excellent riOe, of a large bore.
The Doctor, knowing what sort of a business it was likely lo prove, if he
awaited the buffalo's arrival, mounted a smart mnian, or hill pouey, which was
led by liis Sl/ce, or groom, and made off towards a very lieavy cover ; the sgce
running by liis side, aided by a hold on the stirrup leather. Fortunately the
man •'ol into the cover and had Lime to conceal himself; the buffalo pa.ssed on
after the Doctor, who did not fail to give Punch, which was the horse's name,
every provocation lo exertion. His speed did nol however equal that of his
pursuer, which, ihougli appearing lo labour much, took immense strides, and
was coming up fast: the Doctor finding it impossible to escape in this way,
reined up suddenly, aud dismounted. He had scarcely time to turn his horse's
flank, aud lo level his rifle over llic hack of the saddle, before the buffalo, being
within the usual distance, lowered liis head and commenced the charge. The
Doctor, who was a remarkably good shot, fired, aud happily lodged the ball
between the horns of the animal; which, though killed outright, did not, however
drop, until within three or four yards of Punch' s side !
A few weeks after the above oceurreuce, as I was hunting wilh a party al the
same place, a liog which we were chasing, led us tlirough a heavy cover, into a
plain thiuly overspread with water after some very heavy rains. About an hundred
yards to the left, as we cleared the high grass, we saw a herd of wild bun'alos.
48