CHASE AFTER A WOLF WHEN CARRYING OFF A LAMB. 119
well as ill our superstitious idea of a seventh son's son, some ))eciiliar properties,
anti is often ealletl up to represent any number. Thus ihe woman whose
husband was killed by bears, at Tcrgong, counted seven ; though I sliould have
tliouglil, from the state in which we found her, that her arithmetical powers
might have passed for nought at thai time.
Two oflleers, who were proceeding in a gig to llie artillery practice-ground,
near Jaujinow, saw a wolf put his liead forth from a millet field as ihey passed.
One of them very imprudently alighted, and went back witli the whip in his
hand ; and made a cut at the wolf, whicli ran at liim, and scarcely allowed
time for liis jumping at random into the carriage, against which the wolf sprang
with considerable force ; luckily, however, missing his object. The horse being
instantly in motion, the wheel passed over the wolfs loins, and disabled him
from renewing the attack, as he doubtless would have done but for the imi^edimenl
happily opposed to his future exertions.
I confess I do not perceive any merit in such conduct. 1 should have scrupled
to fire at a wolf under such circumstances, unless I were certain of killing him
outright. Such temerity reminds me of a very rash act which look place some
few years back at Calcutta. Captain James Collier, of the Bengal artillery, had
a remarkably fine mastiff, of an immense size, and very handsome. île was
a noble dog both in temper and appearance ; and though very fierce at night,
•when he was chained by his master's bed, which no soul would venture lo approach,
yet during the day he was perfectly familiar and playful.
Two friends who had called upon Captain Collier, at his small house in the
country, had got into their gig to return, when he who drove, and who admired
Liou as he lay at the gate wagging his tail, very gently drewliis whip over the
dog's back. No sooner did Lion feel himself, as probably he thought, attacked,
than he sprang at the gentleman's arm. Happily, instead of succeeding in his
attempt, he snapt away the wing of the gig. He was not, however, content, on
seeing the geutleinan drive away, but followed, and made an cflort to ¡ump into
the gig. He fell short, but recovering liiniself nin forward, and seizing the horse
by the nose, shook the ])oor animal fairly out of the harness. There is no saying
what might have been the con sequence of this unintentional provocation, had not
Captain Collier made haste to secure Lion, and prevent farther mischief.
I really think, if some of our stage coachmen and others, who, in driving
ihrough towns, &c. pay more attention lo culling at dogs, cats, ifcc. than they
do to the safety of their passengers, were now and then to be served in this
way, thoy would only reap the due rewards of their very dexterous skill in
putting harmless animals lo pain.
In the annexed Plate the wolf is seen bearing away the lamb which he has
thrown over his shoulder, and the shepherds and peasants are described asfloing
all that they in general attempt tovvanls a rescue. The shepherds arc usually
very old; they are armed only with a bamboo latty. They ordinarily wear a
black blanket, whicli being tied together, by collecting the edges, over the head,
equally serves to repel the heat in summer, to throw off tin- rain in the wet
season, and to keep them warm tluring the winter. The ploughs are seen al
work and a boat is tracking up the river by means of small cords made of the
moonje, or silky grass, of which each dumh), or boatman, lias a distinct coil,
•ivhicli he can lengthen or curtail according as ihe water, being <leep or shallow,
renders it necessary lo keep the boat more or less from the shore. At the end
of each cord, the respective dandy has a short thick piece of bamboo, whicli rests
on his shoulder. The whole of the cords unite to one strong rope near the
masl iiead, which passing through a block enables the people on board to veer
out as much line as may be necessary. Jiu(ljivu:s are in general tracked by a
single rope, of about two inches in circumference, If) which each danily makes
fast by means of a short stout line, and thus ail track with tolerable ease. It is
j-eally surprising lo observe what this class of people undergo. Dandies are of
all religions and sects: ihc profession is one of the few that can be re.sorted to
b y either Hindoos or Mussulmans. Though lliey are in general little belter
lhan common thieves, and steal their provision as they proceed, yet on many
occasions they give great j)roofs of atlaehuient and courage.
Some general idea may be formed of the bridges throughout India, from
that pourtrayed in the Plate. The arches are generally Gothic, standing on very
substantial piers, with heavy buttresses both above and below. Their great
fault is that, like London bridge, ihcy hold iij) the water above them too much,
and often occasion it to rise so high as to blow up the arches, it has often
happened that this evil has increased to such a height as to occasion the rivers
rising so as to inundate the country. Jitanporc bridge is very high, yel owing
to the bulk of the piers, and the narrowness of its arches it has happened more
than once within the memory of the inhabitants, that the stream has passed
over and carried away the ¡¡arapeU. To took at ihe bridge one would tfiink
this impossible. But the ])eriodical rains sometimes come on so heavily and
suddenly as lo occasion all the lesser rivers to rise in a wonderful manner. It is
common for many of them to be nearly dry at night, and in the morning to he
nearly overflowing ; though their bed is perhaps twenty-five or thirty feet deep.
This often happens in the Cossimbaxar river, Ibruierly noticed under the designation
of the Baug-rutiij, which depends entirely on the Ganges for its supply,
and forms the most western branch of its delta.