Sketches of field sports as followed by the natives of India : with observations on the animals ...

.^

\

THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA

PRESENTED BY

PROF.CHARLES A. KOFOID AND
MRS. PRUDENCE W. KOFOID

SKETCHES

OF

FIELD SPORTS

AS FOLLOWED BY

of

WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THE ANIMALS.

ALSO

An account of some of the customs of the Inhabitants,

and natural productions, Interspersed with various

Anecdotes.

LIKEWISE THE LATENAWAB VIZIER ASOPH UL DOW-
LA II S GRAND STYLE OF SPORTING AM) CHARACTER.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE

ART OF CATCHING SERPENTS,

As practise/! by people in India, known by the appellation of
Cunjoors, and their method of curing themselves when bitten.

WITH REMARKS ON

tj Animals.

BY DANIEL JOHNSON,

FORMERLY SURGEON IN THE HONORABLE EAST INDIA COM-
PANY'S SERVICE AND RESIDENT MANY YEARS AT CHITTRAH IN
RAMGHUR.

-*H&HP^

Utilissimum saepe quod contemnitur. Phsed.

LONDON:

PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY LONGMAN, HURST,

REES, ORME, AND BROWNE, AND THOMAS FOWLER,

GREAT TORRINGTON, DEVON.

1822.

Printed by T. FOWLER,

Great Torrington,

DEVON.

ft

DESCRIPTION OF TI1K FRONTISP1CK.

In the front, is represented a mad Jackal,
attacking a Tiger : the Tiger appears alarm-
ed, and is in the act of rising. — Behind, on
the right., a Native is seen firing at the Tiger,
from a common michaun, or platform without
any covering, (see Page 18.) — On the left, is
represented a small bird on a tree, with its
wings quivering, being fascinated by a cobra
de capello. — A little farther back, is a well,
TOtft the common apparatus for drawing wa-
ter. — In the back ground, is a Bungalow such
as Officers arid other Gentlemen in the inte-
rior of the country reside in. — In front of
which appears a Charbutrah or terrace, on
which they sit evenings to smoke their hook-
ahs, — The out houses are to the right of the
Bungalow.

*

A

Printed by T. FOWLER,

Great Torrington,

DEVON.

3T4

DEDICATION.

TO THE HONORABLE

COURT OF DIRECTORS,

OF THE
EAST INDIA COMPANY.

dedicating this little work
to you, arises from my being1
" Nimuc Allol ", an expression in
frequent use by the people whose
amusements, customs, and occu-
pations, are the principal subjects

iv DEDICATION.

of consideration in this book ; and
who have the happiness of living
under your protection and go-
vernment. The phrase conveys
more than I can express, and the
best interpretation I can give
you, is, " that I have not eaten
your salt ungratefully " ; In con-
firmation of it, I hope this will
be received as a small token, and

a tribute of profound respect,

*
From,

Honored Sirs,
Your Obedient Servant,
D. JOHNSON.

PREFACE,

J_ HE wide extent of the British Empire
in India, and the great number of Euro-
peans residing there, have contributed to
render that portion of the globe an object
of particular interest to the Inhabitants
of this Island. To gratify the natural
curiosity respecting so important a part of
our Dominions, various publications have
from time to time issued from the press,
giving copious and detailed accounts of
the country and its Inhabitants, with their
manners, customs, and habits. These
have for the most part been very expensive,
some of them being printed on hot press'd

VI PREFACE.

paper, and with a fine type, to enhance
the profit of the Author or Publisher; while
others by their prolixity and from combin-
ing much matter with various political
considerations are rendered dull and un-
interesting to the common reader. — I be-
lieve I may venture to say, that no cheap
publication has yet appeared containing
any description of the country with its
animal and vegetable productions, or of
the customs of this singular people. Un-
der this impression I have undertaken to
write this book, (which will be of a mode-
rate price,) with the hope of affording some
entertainment during a winter's evening
to such as have relatives in that part of
the world, or who take an interest in field
sports.

The Inhabitants, their customs and the
whole character of the country differ so
widely from every thing that is seen in

PREFACE. Vll

Europe, that any true description will
necessarily wear the garb of fiction or
exaggeration. I should not therefore have
ventured to offer this to the public on my
own credit, had not others before me pub-
lished books on similar subjects. All per-
sons who have not been in India would
naturally doubt rny veracity, and even
those who have visited that country only of
late years would imagine that my account
was exaggerated, in as much as most of
the. sporting which I shall describe, I saw
about 26 years ago and before that
period.

In those days the Prince of Lucknow
and all the great Zemeendars of the coun-
try were much more opulent than at pre-
sent. No Zemeendars of consequence,
then ever quitted their houses, without a
retinue of at least a hundred or more per-
sons riding and running before them, some

Vlll PREFACE.

carrying silver sticks, spears, guns &c,
and others proclaiming their titles and
riches. When I left India in 1809 the
same personages often appeared with a
single Harcarrah* or Peon -f carrying an
iron spear, and precefded by a few half
naked and ragged slaves or peasants.
Such has been the change in a few years,
to which hundreds can bear testimony;
and with this change, their pastimes and
amusements have fully corresponded. Mr.
Wm. Blane formerly Surgeon to the Na-
waub Vizier Asoph Ul Dowlah of Luck-
raw;, published an account of that Prince's
method of sporting, as well as I can recol-
lect about 27 years ago, which book I then

* Harcarrah is an attendant on a Gentleman or person
in office, to go messages, carry letters &c. and bears a
ipear or ornamented stick.

f Peon is also a servant to carry messages letters &c.
but is not so regular in attendance on his master, and
does not always bear a badge of office.

PREFACE. IX

saw, but have not been able to procure
since my return to England. Captain
T. Williamson has also published a very
elegant and expensive work on the wild
sports of the East, but in this he describes
the sports principally as followed by Euro-
peans, which partake of the customs of
Europe and India, whereas, my account
of sporting will be confined to the methods
pursued by the natives. To the last men-
tioned author we are also indebted for a
Yade Mecum, a work of considerable me-
rit, comprising a perspicuous and detailed
description 6f the native servants in India
and their customs ; and is in proportion to
the fund of information which it contains,
the cheapest publication of the kind that
I am acquainted with : yet the price of this
book is now, one pound and eight shillings.
I may find it necessary to refer frequently
to that Gentleman's publications, and I
shall do it with much gratification, being
truly sensible of their great merit.

X PREFACE.

Unaccustomed as I am to composition,
I readily admit that the critics may find
much to censure in the inelegancy of iny
style, and perhaps in the inaccuracy of my
language. I have not the vanity to think
that I am capable of communicating my
observations and ideas with perfect cor-
rectness, and while I endeavour to give my
narrative in as plain a manner as possible,
my only claim from the public is their
belief in the truth of what I describe. I
entertain no view of any emolument what-
ever from the present publication, on the
contrary all my wish is, that the reader
may derive as much amusement from the
perusal of this book as my private friends
have expressed themselves to have received
from my relation of the Anecdotes which it
contains.

INTRODUCTION.

ALTHOUGH there are very few natives in In-
dia who sport often for amusement, there are
a great number whose profession or business
is solely to catch or kill animals and game ;
by which they gain their livelihood: these
men [whose , forefathers have followed the
same profession,] are brought up to it from
their infancy, and as they pursue no other bu-
siness through life, they become surprizing] y
expert. Many of their contrivances are ex-
tremely curious ; some of which I shall endea-
vour from recollection to describe. In many
parts of India, animals of prey are numerous,
and in other parts those only are found which
destroy vegetation ; wherever either or both

B

2 INTRODUCTION.

kinds are found, it is absolutely necessary that
the farmers or villagers should have some con-
trivance for their destruction,, in order to pre-
serve themselves, their cattle, or their grain.
In almost every district of India, different me-
thods are used for catching or destroying the
same kind of animals, but those which I shall
notice will be chiefly such as I have seen used
in the Jungle districts of Ramghur, Rogo-
nautpore and Bundbissunpore.

CHAP. I.

DESCRIPTION OF THE JUNGLE PART OF THE
COUNTRY THROUGH WHICH THE ROAD
FROM CALCUTTA TO BENARES PASSES.

To premise a short description of these
Countries will enable the reader to form a just
idea of the sport. — A Military road, known by
the name of tjie new road,, was cut through
these districts by Captain Charles Ran kin,
during Mr. Hastings's Government, by which
the distance to Benares from Calcutta is redu-
ced one hundred and fifty if not two hundred
miles; it is cut through parts of the country
which were generally unknown and consider-
ed impassable. The accomplishment of it
therefore redounds much to the credit both of
the projector and executor. This new com-
munication affords very great accommodation
to the country at large, and is particularly
beneficial to the government, enabling it

DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY.

to forward troops from the Presidency to the
upper countries in a much shorter time., and
at a much less expence than could have been
done before.

All native troops are now sent by this route,
but European regiments still go by the old
road, which follows the course of the river
Ganges, partly in consequence of the great dif-
ficulty of procuring supplies for them on the
new tract, and partly for the sake of the acco-
modation afforded to the sick, of transporting
them by water. This new road for upwards
of two hundred miles, from Bundbissunpore to
Sheherghautty continues the whole way
through one of the wildest forest countries im-
aginable. Captain Charles Rankin, and after
him his brothers, were allowed by government
a sum of money annually for keeping the road
in repair, and also a large sum for cutting down
and destroying the jungle, to the distance of
fifty yards on each side of it, without which, it
would have been dangerous in the extreme for
any small body of people to have traversed

DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY. 5

that road, the tigers being so numerous. In
Bundbissunporc there are a greater number
of villages, and of course more cultivation
than in Rogonautpore, and in Rogonautpore
far more than in Ramghur; the two first
countries in comparison with the latter have
but few hills, less jungle, and uneven ground.

The Ramghur Rajah's country consists
almost entirely of hills and dales covered with
jungle: soon after you enter it from Calcutta,
you have to ascend the Chittro Ghaut, a wild
terriffic pass into the mountains, which extend
their range on each side at right angles, from
the new road, from Monghier on the bank of
the Ganges on the right of the road, to small
Nagpore on the left ; a distance greater than
the jungle part of the new road. By rny say-
ing that the country is made up of hill and dale
it must not be understood that they are in
continual succession without any plains; on
the summits of many of the hills are plains of
many miles in extent, intercepted now and
then with small ravines, and hollow ground.

O DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY.

The villages throughout the greater part of
country are from six to twelve miles distant
from each other; the land around them be-
ing cultivated only for a small space in pro-
portion to the number of Inhabitants: in the
line of the road the villages are inhabited chief-
ly by persons who supply provisions to travel-
lers, and the cultivation there does not extend
above a quarter, or half a mile. All the in-
termediate parts are covered with forest trees
and underwood., in some places quite imper-
vious, and into which the eye cannot pene-
trate even for a few yards. In other parts the
trees are smaller and more scattered, and the
underwood thinner: near the foot of the hills
the trees are largest and the underwood thick-
est. The country is here and there intersected
by deep ravines, caused by the heavy rains
rushing down from the mountains towards the
rivers; the channels of which are for the most
part dry in the hot and cold seasons, but in the
rainy season are generally full and the streams
run \uth great rapidity. The ravines often
cross the road,, and afford excellent shelter to

DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY. 7

animals of prey. It is generally near them
that they commit their depredations, and par-
ticularly at the foot of every ghaut, where the
ravines are of a tremendous size. Sometimes
the road winds about in a serpentine direction
and the traveller is astonished and delighted
by the great variety of picturesque views
around him. On either side are seen detached
clusters of Seeso [Delbergia,] and Saul [Sho-
rea Robusta,] trees, tall, straight., and hand-
some in their growth, looking like artificial
plantations, with other large spreading trees
scattered amongst them, the whole presenting
the beautiful appearance of a Gentleman's
pleasure grounds. In the month of April, nearly
*H the shrubs and many of the large trees, are
covered with blossom of various tints, delight-
fu to the eye; whilst the organ of smelling is
no. less gratified by the fragrant perfume
vrhch impregnates the whole atmosphere;
andis often too powerful to be pleasant . At
other times a straight road may be seen for
many miles with a thick wood on each side,
cut down to the distance of fifty yards, forming
a most magnificent and regular avenue.

8 DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY.

Sometimes you pass through hollows, drea-
ry and dismal, exciting in the traveller sensa-
tions not the most pleasing. The idea imme-
diately occurs of their being the haunts of ti-
gers, the prints of whose feet he will actually
see in the sand, yet rarely have a view of the
animals themselves as they are rerrarkably
wary, and on hearing the least noise skulk into
the thick cover, or behind some bush or rock,
where, being themselves concealed they see
every thing which passes, and from this their
hiding place, often rush unexpectedly on the
weary traveller.

At every village near the ghauts are statior-
ed Ghautwars who accompany traveller
through the ghauts. They have a strange jp-
pearance being generally covered with the
skin of a tiger, leopard, or some other aninal,
and carry with them a bow and arrows crna-^
men ted with peacock's feathers, or a cow's tail,
a large shield also ornamented, a spear or a
Match-lock-gun and Sword. These peopb
give the travellers confidence, but very little

DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTRY. 9

protection, and although they have land for
nothing, as well as an allowance from the
Rajah, they get much more by presents from
people passing on the road . There are four
ghauts to be passed, first the Chittro, then
the Dungy e : both of which you ascend, the
next are the Kutkumsandy and Kendy, by
them you descend into the low country. The
distance from each is nearly the same, and the
average to the best of my recollection is about
twenty two Miles. From this delineation of
the features of the country we may clearly
judge how great is the improbability that the
race of tigers should ever be annihilated.

t
To pass the different rivers on the new road

from Calcutta to Sheherghautty, there are no
boats at any of the ferries, excepting at the
Damoodah river. All the other rivers are
dry in the hot and cold seasons, and any
boat would be destroyed from one rainy sea-
son to another by the heat of the weather.

10 METHOD OF PASSING RIVERS

To convey travellers across the rivers
they have a carious contrivance. A lattice
work of split bamboos is made, through which
the necks of about thirty earthen pots, [each
of them capable of containing about a gallon
and half] are inserted and fastened,, they are
then nearly half filled with sand, and mats are
fixed over them . This raft they cal 1 a gurrara
which two men with a pole and sometimes
with their bare hands and feet conduct across
those rapid streams, often carrying on it a Pa-
lanquin and ten or twelve Men. Merchandise
is also transported in the same manner. Over
rivers that are very narrow the raft of pots is
pulled from side to side by ropes. The Men
who conduct them are excellent swimmers,
and to a European who had never seen such
people, they would almost appear amphibious.

It is astonishing how very few accidents oc-
cur, particularly when it is considered that
were the raft to meet with any hard substance
in its passage, to which it is very liable from the
number of rocks in the beds of the rivers, and

ON THE NEW ROAD. 1 1

trees and roots floating down them, or even
were it to strike against a sand bank it would
be dashed to pieces : breaking a few c-f the pots
when laden, would put it off its equilibrium
and cause the others to fill with water and sink
the raft.

Many travellers and also cattle are lost eve-
ry year in crossing these rivers when nearly
dry; they fall suddenly, and become beds of
quick-sand ; it sometimes then happens that
travellers and cattle are stuck in them, at the
time when they fill again, which is often so ra-
pid, that the people have no warning or time
to escape; it has very much the appearance of
the bore of the tide coming into a river. A
great number of people chiefly pilgrims are
destroyed on this road in the hot season for
want of water to allay their thirst. It is much
to be lamented that more wells are not dug
and reservoirs formed near this road through
the jungles. I am satisfied that our Indian
Government is not aware of the necessity
which exists for them, or they would cause

12 METHOD OP PASSING RIVERS.

some to be made,, which might be done at a
small expence. It might induce people to
settle and establish villages near them, which
would be very beneficial to the government
and the country

CHAP. II.

A DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAH * OR THE
ANNUAL DRIVING OF ANIMALS OF THE
FOREST INTO NETS.

THIS sport was formerly carried on with con-
siderable spirit in the countries of Ramghur,
Rogonautpore, Bissunpore, commonly called
Bundbissunpore f, to distinguish it from other
places of the same name, and by some of the
minor Rajahs and Zemeendars whose territo-
ries abound with jungle J and animals.

* The word Hunquah is derived from the verb hunkna
to drive.

t Bund signifies heavy cover, but this word is seldom
used, unless the cover is very extensive.

J Jungle signifies thick cover, either of large trees,
underwood, grass, rJiar [a species of vetch] &c. &c. and
the name of one or more of them being added'to jungle,
forms the distinguishing appellation, as grass jungle,
rhar jungle, &c. &c.

14 DESCRIPTION OP A HUNQUAH.

Of late years it has seldom been followed,
except by the Rajah of Bundbissunpore, and
by him on a reduced scale. The other Rajahs
although they have not adopted it as an amuse-
ment,, have sometimes had recourse to it in or-
der to rid their countries of the tigers that were
troublesome,, whole villages being often en-
tirely depopulated by them. It is wonderful
to see the number of villages [or rather the
sites where they once stood,] in Ramghur,
wholly uncultivated and deserted. About
the end of May,, or early in June,, when all
the grass,, and a great part of the under-
wood becomes dry, and water every where
scarce; it was the custom to set the jungles
on fire* for the sake of new grass, and to drive

* Many an evening I have been amused for hours with
looking at these fires, burning in every direction ; some-
times most furiously ; at other times the flames proceed-
ing calmly over the lowlands for miles in extent, whilst
the mountains were burning with rage and violence.
The whole producing one of the grandest sights imagina-

DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAH. 15

off animals of prey from the neighbourhood
of their villages,, into the impenetrable covers
on the mountains,, or into the ravines border-
ing on large rivers. Without this precaution,
it would have been almost impossible for any
one to have lived in many parts of those
countries.

When the Rajah purposed to have a Hun-
quah, his intention was made known to the
inhabitants sometime before, and no fires
were kindled within his Zemeendary or Raja-
ship,, until within a day of the appointed time.

A jungle having been selected into which
the animals were to be driven, the fires were
then all lighted together for the distance of

ble, rendering the air throughout that country intolerably
hot. Sometimes when the wind is high the jungle on the
hills takes fire spontaneously in consequence of the fric-
tion produced by two bamboos crossing, and rubbing one
against the other. The fire from which falling on the
grass then dry, like tinder, soon kindles into a flame
and spreads rapidly on all sides.

16 DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAH.

from ten to twenty miles around it in every
direction where there were rivers, or plains to
intercept the progress of the fire,, and prevent
its immediate communication with the reserv-
ed cover; the consequence was,, that nearly
all the animals in the neighbourhood were
compelled to take shelter in the reserved jun-
gle.

The day before the hunt or driving com-
menced, several hundred people were sent to
the leeward* extremity of the reserved cover,
where they fixed on a proper place, and set
the nets, which extended about a mile, not in
continuation, but at intervals. They required
four or five elephants and twenty or thirty bul-
locks to carry them. Each net was about forty
feet long, and seven feet high, the cords be-
ing of the size of a man's little finger, lightly
twisted, with meshes about eight inches
square, made without any knot whatever,

* The wind at that season seldom yaries.

DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAH. 17

simply by twisting* the cords into one another,,
by which they were rendered more elastic,
less visible to the animals, and not so cumber-
some and heavy., as if made with knots.
Sometimes three or four nets wrere placed
in succession touching or over lapping one
another, but more frequently,, they w^ere inter-
sected by jungle., which was made almost im-
penetrable by stakes driven down in the midst
of it, and thorns twisted between them.

For the following description of their me-
thod of fixing their nets, I am indebted td
Cap. Williamson's book of wild sports, p. 32.
{C Holes being (Jug about a foot deep in the
<c ground, two small cavities are made in the
t( sides, near its bottom and opposite to each
" other. A strong pin, to the middle of which
tf the rope is fastened is then buried in the
fe hole, having each end in one of the burrows,
ff thus lying horizontally and at right angles
c( with the point where the rope is to be drawn
" tight. The earth being returned to the
" excavation, renders it utterly impossible to

C

18 DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAIT.

€< force up the pin even in loose soil. The
" bottom, or ground line of the net is drawn as
" tight as several men can strain it, but the
" upper rope is left somewhat slacker ; it being*
" required to deviate considerably from its
" right line, by the height to which it is raised
" by the distending poles, which should be as
" few as possible. These are all fixed on that
" side of the net which is next the game.
" The sudden jerk occasioned by an animal
" rushing at speed against the toil, gives a
" spring to the upper line, and relieves the
" poles sufficiently to allow the net to fall to
<f the ground, where the upper and lower ropes
" collapse, and prevent the game from retreat -
" ing. Such as attempt to run along the
" net become more and more entangled espe-
" dally deer with horns which are necessa-
tf rily more straightened than others.

When the nets were all set, platforms were
raised near each extremity of them, in the fol-
lowing manner. Four poles of about twenty
three feet long, were firmly fixed in the

DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAH. 19

ground, at each corner of a square of five or six
feet ; on the top of them was formed with mats
a small house ; to which one or two persons
ascended by notches cut in one of the poles,
and there sat : the height of the houses not al-
lowing them to stand erect.

These houses are sometimes made on trees,
and not unfrequently, the sportsmen remain in
holes dug in the ground, somewhat like a
grave, but wider, and just deep enough for a
man to look out of it.

Two bamboos are placed lengthwise, one
on each side within the pit, a little below the
surface, and have their points inserted into the
ground at each extremity ; strong thorns are
then bent transversely over the pit, with their
ends fixed in the earth, and are fastened on
the inside to the bamboos, by slips of bark or
cord. A small opening is left, through which
the person or persons enter, and at this part the
thorns being fixed at one end only are drawn
down by the person within, and afterwards

C2

20 DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAfl.

fastened as the others. The thorns are both
long and sharp, and are so firmly bound that
it is impossible for any animal to remove them.

Loop holes are made for shooting through.
In these places, and sometimes on elephants
[but not often as it requires very well trained
animals to remain quiet at such times] the
Rajah and his friends station themselves.

At the time I was out,, they were on plat-
forms and on an elephant to see the sport, and
to shoot at the animals which either passed on
the outside of the nets, got through them, or
leaped over them ; and although it was not
right, many were fired at as they approached.

The night before the sport commenced the
Nagarrah* was beaten at the Rajah's resi-

* Nagarrah is a large drum most times made of baked
clay with a skin at each end, — they are raised on the
highest trees and then beaten; and are heard at a consi-
derable distance

DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAH. 21

dence and from ten to twenty thousand peo-
ple assembled before morning at the spot ap-
pointed.

At day break about a hundred were sent
off to set fire to the sides of the reserved jungle,
and the main body, consisting of men 3 women,
and children, many of them carrying all sorts
of noisy instruments, match-lock-guns, bows
and arrows, spears, fire works &c. proceed-
ed to the extremity of it, where they ranged
themselves in a line of some miles in extent.
They then raised a most hideous noise, con-
tinuing it as they advanced towards the nets,
which they tried to do as well as they could
in the form of a crescent, but it was impossible
to proceed regularly on account of the uneven-
ess of the ground, and the thickness of the co-
ver in many parts. Numbers were left far
behind, and yet none of them were injured.
It seldom happens that any are killed or
taken away by tigers on such occasions; the
animals are all too much alarmed to think of
any thing but their own safety, and naturally
C3

22 DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAH.

run from the noise; the only part where there
is danger,, is near the nets, the tigers seeing
therr, and not knowing which way to escape,
become enraged, and sometimes a poor fellow
in their way feels the effects of their fury.

When they had arrived within about a
mile or a mile and half of the nets, which occu-
pied many hours to accomplish, they increased
their pace and noise, and were then joined by
the party sent to set fire to the sides of the
jungle ; who constantly let off fire works and
guns, which assisted them much in urging the
animals on to the nets. When they approach-
ed ; such confusion arose as is past all descrip-
tion. Balls and arrows were flying in all di-
rections, some of the party were screaming,
others shouting, drums and other noisy instru-
ments beating ; many animals were caught in
the nets, but a far greater number escaped,
either by leaping over them, or not becoming
entangled, and so passing over them after
they had fallen.

DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAH. 23

Unfortunately, the day on which I was out,
no very large animals ; or animals of prey were
taken. The Rajah was very angry, and at-
tributed this ill success to their neglecting to
keep their line properly, so that the game had
escaped by retreating to the rear. I was given
to understand that had a tiger been caught, he
would have drawn all the attention of the Ra-
jah and his friends, and that the Rajah most
certainly would have given him his death
wound.

The excessive heat of the weather, and the
constant noise, gave me a violent head ache,
which added tp the sensations arising from
the danger to which I was exposed from the
balls and arrows flying in all directions, and
from which no exertion or skill could protect
me, determined me never again to be present
at a hunquah, a sport which afforded me no-
other amusement than what was derived
from its novelty. It was such a scene as I
believe very few Europeans have ever wit-
nessed. If any credit could be given to the
C4

24 DESCRIPTION OF A HUNQUAH.

assertions of the people, there were very few
of them who had not seen tigers, leopards,
gours, [a species of wild bullocks] and all
sorts of wild animals in the course of the day.

CHAP. m.

SHECARRIE'S METHOD OF CATCHING
QUAIL,— PARTRIDGES,— JUNGLE FOWL,—
AND ALL SORTS OF BIRDS,— INDIAN
METHOD OF TRAINING AND KEEPING

PIGEONS, SHECARRIE'S METHOD OF

CATCHING HARES, DEER, — DISTURBED

BY A BANDITTI OF THIEVES,— KOONDAH
RAJAH'S METHOD OF KILLING DEER.

SHECARRIES are generally Hindoos of a low
cast, who gain their livelihood entirely by
catching birds, hares, and all sorts of animals;
some of them confine themselves to catching
birds and hares, whilst others practise the art
of catching birds and various animals; another
description of them live by destroying tigers.

Those who catch birds equip themselves
with a frame work of split bamboos, resem-
bling the frame of a paper kite, the shape of

26 SHECARRIE'S METHOD OF

the top of a coffin, and the height of a man,, to
which green bushes are fastened, leaving two
loop holes to see through, and one lower down
for their rod to be inserted through. This
frame work which is very light, they fasten
before them when they are in the act of catch-
ing birds, by which means they have both
hands at liberty, and are completely conceal-
ed from the view of the birds. The rod which
they use is about twenty four feet long, resem-
bling a fishing rod, the parts of which are inser-
ted within one another, and the \vhole con-
tained in a walking stick.

They also carry with them horse hair nooses
of different sizes and strength, which they fas-
ten to the rod; likewise birdlime, and a variety
of calls for the different kinds of birds, with
which they imitate them to the greatest nice-
ty.* They take with them likewise two lines

* Many times when I hare been shooting, hearing the
call at a distance, I have gone to it expecting to fiud a co-

CATCHING BIRDS. 27

to which horse hair nooses are attached for
catching larger birds, and a bag or net to car-
ry their game.

Thus equipped, they sally forth, and as they
proceed through the different covers, they
use calls, for such birds, as generally resort,
there, which from constant practise is well
known to them, and if any birds answer their
call they prepare accordingly for catching
them : supposing it to be a bevy of quail, they
continue calling them, until they get quite
close, they then arm the top of their rod with
a feather smeared with bird-lime, and pass it
through the loop hole in their frame of am-
b;ish, and to which they continue adding other
parts, until they have five or six out, which
tiiey use with great dexterity, and touch one of
tae quail with the feather, which adheres to
tnem; they then withdraw the rod, arm it

yey of Partridges, and to my great mortification found it
to be a Shecarrie

28 SHECARRIE'S METHOD OP

again, and touch three or four more in the
same manner before they atiempi to secure
any of them.

In this way they catch all sorts of small birds
not much larger than quail, on the ground and
in trees. If a brown or black partridge an-
swers their call, instead of bird-lime,, they fas-
ten a horse hair noose to the top of their rod,
and when they are close to the birds, they keep
dipping the top of their rod with considerable
skill until they fasten the noose on one of
their necks, they then draw him in and go on
catching others in the same way. It is sur-
prising to see with what cool perseverance
they proceed. In a similar manner they catch
all kinds of birds, nearly the size of partridges.

There are five different species of partridges
in Ramghur, the common brown partridge in
appearance is very like the English partridge ;
they occasionly fly into trees and always roost
in them. The long legged partridge is some-
what like the French partridge. The black

CATCHING BIRDS. 29

partridge is a beautiful bird of a jet black co-
lour with white spots on the breast. The
long tailed partridge is of a dark brown colour
and has two long spurs on each leg: and the
speckled partridge is also a beautiful bird but
rare, I have only seen a few of them. They
have the appearance of a mixture between the
rock pigeon and black partridge. 1 believe
there are seven, if not eight different kinds of
quail in the hills ofRamghur I have killed six
distinct species in one day.

To catch peacocks and jungle fowl [a spe-
cies of wild fowl that are to be met with
throughout the country of Ramghur in great
abundance,, and are very like our domestic
ones, but rather of a smaller size and always of
the same colour, the cocks are of a black red
with large combs and joles, and the hens of a>
dark brown, somewhat speckled.] Two or
three Shecarries go together and proceed in
the following manner. A line of thirty or for-
ty yards long, is fastened to the ground with
wooden pegs at each extremity, which is then

30 SHECARRIE'S METHOD OF

elevated by props to the height of about eigh-
teen inches; to this line, nooses of horse hair
are fixed at a distance from each other of about
two feet, and when the birds pass under the
line, they are caught in the nooses by their
necks.

Sometimes a similar line is fastened to the
ground, and left lying there with all the
nooses spread, and as they pass over them
they are caught by the legs : this line is never
laid where there is much jungle. When the
line or lines are ready, they go off to a conside-
rable distance and beat the bushes in a directi-
on towards them.

The corn in india is never put into ricks, or
threshed as in this country. As soon as they
cut it, it is collected into heaps in the same
field, on an even piece of ground, and a spot
of about eight cloth yards diameter is smooth-
ed and plastered over with clay, cow dung and
water. In the middle of it a post is driven
into the ground, to which two, four, or six

CATCHING BIRDS. 31

bullocks are linked,, according to the opulence
of the cultivator; a man supplies the spot with
fresh corn as the bullocks tread out the grain
from the ears,, by being driven round the post.
They are always muzzled to prevent their
eating the grain. The grain is carried off and
put into large hampers made of split bamboos,
some of them holding a hundred bushels or
more, the hampers are plastered on the inside
with the same composition as is used for the
ground ; and over the grain 3 reed is put,, being
plastered in the same manner, thus it is kept
from one season to another.

t

To these places paroquets and wild pigeons
resort in large flights,, and when they are va-
cated by the farmers, the Shecarries com-
mence their harvest. They use two nets, each
about twelve feet long, and five wide, which
they lay on the ground where the bullocks
were linked, and fasten them down lengthwise
on one side. On the other side of each net a
split bamboo is inserted into the meshes and
fastened to two others inserted in like manner

2 SHECARRIES METHOD OF

at each end,, they are then laid on the ground
at such a distance from one another,, that
when they are turned over they meet exactly ;
the space between them is strewed with grain ;
a line is fixed to each frame which is first run
through a loop or ring in the opposite frame;
at a little distance they unite into one string,
which is held by a Shecarrie, concealed with-
in green bushes, at the distance of thirty or
forty yards from the nets ; when he sees a great
many birds between the nets, he pulls the
string which turns the nets over, often inclos-
ing twenty or thirty birds at a time.

They also have another method of catching
birds at such places. A line is fastened to the
ground, to which a great number of horse
hair nooses are fixed, so near, that when they
are spread, they almost touch one another.
This line for some distance is curved, and the
nooses are spread out on the ground ; some
grain is then thrown over them ; the Shecar-
rie holds the line in ambush, as on the former
occasion, and when the birds are eating the

CATCHING BIRDS. 33

grain, he gives it a sudden pull, and catches
several at a time by the legs.

They sell their birds in the markets and vil-
lages to rnahometans, and a few to the low
casts of hindoos, for the value of a halfpenny
or a penny each. These people buy them for
food, and the higher casts of hindoos frequent-
ly buy paroquets, solely for the pleasure of let-
ting them loose, which I believe is considered
by them to be pleasing to the Almighty.

It is extremely wonderful to see to what
perfection the natives train their tame pi-
geons, of which there is a great variety in
India, scarcely a village being without them.
In the middle of their market places, may be
often seen families living in huts, riot much
larger than pigs houses, yet each family keep-
ing forty or fifty pigeons in boxes, or cages.
They take them out to fly, regularly two or
three times every day ; as soon as the box or
cage is opened the pigeons ascend into the
air, and when their owner thinks they have

D

34 SIIECARRIE'S METHOD OF

had exercise enough, he calls them by whist-
ling loudly; upon which they immediately de-
scend, and fly straight into the cage or box.
They are sometimes allowed to run about the
streets to pick up grain strewed by the market
people, but they return to their houses when-
ever called. Many of them have brass bells
fastened to their legs, which tingle as they
run about; I believe they are put on chiefly for
ornament, yet I think it probable that they
keep offkites and hawks from darting on them.

The natives are not only expert at training-
pigeons, which the wrealthy often Jiy for large
sums of money, but they are equally adroit in
stealing them. I had a couple of the Viziers
large pigeons given to me, which I valued as a
curiosity; in less than a month they were sto-
len, with several other rare and pretty ones ; the
common pigeons that were kept in the same
place all remained, so I concluded that they
did not think them worth the trouble and risk
of taking away.

CATCHING BIRDS. 35

Wild blue pigeons are plentiful through-
out India and in the upper provinces they may
be met with in such very large flights as few
would believe without seeing. Green pigeons
are also common in India they never light on
the ground; are always in trees and most
commonly in the wild fig, which is their prin-
cipal food, where it is very difficult to discern
them,, their colour being so exactly like the
leaves.

In the lower parts of Bengal wild ducks,,
widgeon, and teal, are often taken by means
of earthen pots; A number of these pots are
floated amongst vthem in the lakes where they
abound, to the sight of which they soon be-
come reconciled and approach them fearlessly.
A man then goes into the water up to his
chin with one of these pots over his head in the
centre of which, two small holes are made for
him to see through, and when he gets into the
midst of the birds, he pulls them by the legs
under water, fastening them to a girdle round
his waist.

D2

36 SIIECARRIE'S METHOD OF

The Calcutta market is well supplied with
wild fowl taken chiefly in this manner. It is
also well supplied with snipes. Their method
of catching them I have not seen,, but have
been told they catch them in nooses,, and with
nets, probably much in the same manner as I
have before described.

The variety of wild fowl in Bengal is very
great. Mr. Taylor the commercial resident
at Cojnercolly had a collection of more than
thirty different kinds of wild geese widgeon
and teal, there are a species of widgeon or teal
very common throughout India, that roost
and build their nests in trees, and are known to
Europeans by the appellation of whistling
teal.

To catch hares requires three people ; fre-
quently an old man his wife and child, [a little
boy or girl,] compose the three. They carry
with them four or five nets, each of them
about sixteen feet long, and eighteen inches
high ; these nets when set extend forty or fifty

CATCHING HARES. 37

yards according to the ground and other cir-
cumstances. If there are 110 bushes growing
in the intervals between the nets, they cut
some, and insert them into the ground ; The
manner of setting the nets is the same as before
described for catching large animals, but for
hares, they are generally laid in hollow places
leading to thick covers to which they generally
run when disturbed, [hares are found in the
greatest number in covers near cultivation.]

One person is left concealed near the nets
to \vatch them, the other two go off to the dis-
tance of about a quarter of a mile, and com-
mence beating the underwood with sticks,
making as much noise as possible by striking
on the large leaves, and as soon as a hare is
seen or heard to start from his form in the
bushes, the person near it makes a shrill noise,
which is well understood and answered in the
same manner by the other at a considerable
distance; they then run towards the nets, ap-
proaching nearer to each other as they proceed,
Continuing the noise with their voices and
DS

38 SHECARRIE'S METHOD OF

sticks. It is wonderful to see how they drive
the hares to the exact spot where the nets are
set, being surrounded on every side by cover.
After they have beaten one side of the nets,,
they beat the other in the same manner, and
sometimes catch six or seven hares in a day ;
they however,, more frequently leave off after
catching three or four,, which is sufficient to
supply them with food for that and the next
day, and also with as much spirit as will make
them all drunk; for they sell the hares to the
natives at about the value of three-pence each,
but riot to Europeans under seven-pence or
eight-pence, their usual price being four annas
which is a quarter of a rupee ; a rupee is the
value of half a crown.

If they see a hare in its form in a place where
they can run round it, and approach near
enough to take it up, they commence running
in a circle of about eight yards diameter, keep-
ing up an incessant shrill noise, dwelling as it
were on the same note, and lessening their cir-
cle gradually, with their eyes stedfastly fixed

CATCHING HARES. 39

on the animal, whose eyes are fixed on them,
and in fact it becomes so fascinated as to allow
itself to be taken up deliberately by the ears,
when it commences a disagreeable melancholy
cry.

I have often gone close to them when fright-
ened as above described, and turned them out,
for myself or others to shoot at while running :
it was always difficult to get them to move;
sometimes I have absolutely been obliged to
toss them out with the muzzle of my gun.

A Gentleman with myself hired two Shccar-
ries during the hot weather at three rupees a
month each, to kill game, and they supplied
our tables every day with some kind or other.
1 often accompanied them and had an op-
portunity of seeing all their methods of catch-
ing it. I usually took my gun with me; my
servants carrying a chair and my hookah, and
I sat down near the nets or nooses and fired at
all that flew over, or passed on the sides ; it
astonished me to see how much game three or
D4

40 INDIAN METHOD OF

four of them would drive out of the covers,
more I am certain, than twenty common peo-
ple would have done not being professed she-
carries.

Some danger attended these excursions; it
not unfrequently happening that shecarries
were taken away by tigers ; and on these oc-
casions, their apathy from a thorough belief
in predestination was seldom if ever surpas-
sed; although a father mother or brother
should be carried away by a tiger, the rest of
the family would follow the same business at
the same place the next day.

There are a great variety of deer in Ram-
ghur, — Saumers, a species of Elk — Nylgaus,
[Picta antelopes] — The common red deer, —
Spotted deer, — The common Antelopes, —
Deer with four horns, and a very small kind
of deer, not larger than the English hare,
with long ears, exceedingly active and deli-
cately formed, they are very common through-
out the country ; and other kinds may be oc-
casionally met with.

CATCHING DEER 41

Deer are either caught in nets placed as I
have already described,, or on a smaller scale ;
they are also caught in nooses, or are shot from
michauns, [platforms] or pits, by Shecarries
and villagers ; to catch them in nooses, a strong
line is fastened to trees, and extends across the
cover fifty or a hundred yards. At all the
openings, or paths, strong nooses of thong or of
the bark of a tree are suspended to the cord
and kept open by a little wooden pin at the
top, which on the least force being applied
readily gives way. They are kept expanded
on the sides by bushes, if any are growing near
enough, or split sticks inserted into the
ground ; they drive the covers towards the line,
and the deer are caught by their necks.

Sometimes they set nooses in the path-ways
to catch them by the legs. Two strong ropes
with loops made at the time of twisting the
cord, and lined with a bit of horn on the inside,
to make them slip easily, are fastened to
branches of trees, if there are any near
enough; if not, to pegs firmly fixed in the

42 OF CATCHING DEER.

ground. To these cords a small twine or silk
thread is fixed, which is passed across the path-
way, and suspended by two forked sticks,
about the height of the breast of a deer.
When the deer run against this line, it draws
together the nooses, at the same time elevating
them a little, which being placed immediately
under the twine, catches them by the legs.
The cord on the ground is kept from view by
being covered with dry or green leaves.

When deer are known to destroy gram, a
kind of vetch of which they are very fond they
erect platforms as before mentioned, which sel-
dom have houses on them, but simply a place
to sit on, secure from the tigers, where they
wait to shoot them when they come to feed at
night. Sometimes the platforms are made in
trees, and often the people wait in holes made
in the ground, as I have before described.

A very curious circumstance happened to
me when I was sitting in a pit for the purpose
of shooting Nylgaus, near the village of Pin-

BANDITTI OF THIEVES. 43

darchoon* on the new road . When out shoot-
ing, a villager informed me that some of those
animals came every night to feed in a gram
field about half a mile from my tent ; as there
were not any large trees near the spot, and
I could not conveniently get a michaun erected
for want of some of the materials/ 1 had a pit
dug as before represented,, and took with me
an Harcarrah, two guns, one single and one
double barreled, and a spear., at twelve o'clock
at night I had a shot at a Nylgau, which
I severely wounded. It was found dead the
next day at a considerable distance from the
pit. About half an hour afterwards we heard
a murmuring of voices, and presently saw a
number of men armed with match -lock-guns
spears, bows and arrows, and swords; al-
though I understood the common hindoo-
stanee language tolerably well yet I could not
comprehend a word they said, but the Harcar-
rah told me that they were debating whether

* It takes its name from a hot spring near it,

44 BANDITTI OF THIEVES

or not they should plunder my tent; they re-
mained near us a considerable time and then
went off in a direction towards it. Very soon
after, we saw the village of Pindarchoon in
flames.

At day light we quitted our hiding place,
and to my great joy when I returned to the tent
I found every thing safe, without a soul having
been disturbed. The thieves set fire to the
village and plundered it of all the carriage-bul-
locks they found, which they loaded with every
thing they could lay their hands on ; the whole
was not of much value, the village being small
and the people who lived in it poor.

Whenever a number of thieves enter a vil-
lage for plunder, it is termed dakka, the very
sound of the word will drive all the inhabi-
tants, men women and children, from thier
village, leaving the thieves i n quiet possession
to ransack it at their will. It seldom happens
in such cases that any resistance is made.

RAJAH'S METHOD OF KILLING DEER 45

The Koondah Rajah has a peculiar method
of killing deer. He keeps a particular breed
of dogs, differing from any of the common dogs
of India, larger, and possessing an exquisite
sense of smell. These dogs are trained to
hunt deer, and although it is reasonable to
conclude that scent will soon evaporate and
die away in very hot weather, I have heard the
natives assert that they take on the scent of
deer many hours after they have passed. In the
hottest season of the year, when water is eve-
ry where scarce, the Rajah early in the morn-
ing sends some of his people with eight or ten
of these dogs to the covers bordering on water,
where they seldom fail of getting on the scent
of deer, they worry the poor animals about
the covers, until when almost dead with heat
and thirst they are obliged to go to the water
to drink and cool themselves; there the Ra-
jah and his friends are stationed on platforms,
or concealed in some kind of ambush to shoot
them.

CHAP IV

A SHORT ACCOUNT OF HAWKING,— GREY-
HOUNDS,—WILD HOGS,— WOLVES, WITH A
PECULIAR METHOD OF CATCHING THEM
IN PITFALLS,— HYENAS, WITH AN IN-
STANCE SHEWING THE POSSIBILITY OF
THEIR BEING TAMED,— SURPRISING QUA-
LIFICATIONS OF A SH EC ARRIE,— DHOLES,
OR QUIHOES, A SPECIES OF ANIMAL NOT
DESCRIBED BY NATURALISTS,— BADGERS

— GOURS,- — BUFFALOES, BEARS, AND

ELEPHANTS.

ALL the native Gentlemen of India who are
in the least degree fond of sporting, keep
hawks of various kinds,, and never travel with-
out some of them. The largest kind are
trained to kill deer,, by pitching on their heads
and picking out their eyes: they also kill large
water fowl somewhat like the heron, a sport
affording considerable amusement. Some
are very small., and are only used for killing

HAWKS, AND GREY-HOUNDS. 47

small birds. Others are trained to hover over
ponds of water in which there are wild fowl,
which on being fired at, rise immediately,
when the hawk darts on them and obliges them
again to drop into the water, by which means
the sportsmen get many shots and kill a great
number.

They also have grey-hounds, which al-
though not fleet, are naturally extremely sa- ,
vage, and are rendered more so by being kept
without food the day before they are used.

A Rajah in Bahar received as a present a
brace of large Persian grey-hounds which he
took out on a sporting excursion with a party
of gentlemen, with a view of exhibiting their
perfections. He slipped them after a jackal,
and rode off himself in the direction of the ani-
mal, hallooing the dogs, who mistaking the
object intended for them, attacked the Rajah's
horse, and obliged him to ride into a neigh-
bouring river, up to the horses back, in order
to escape from their attack, to the great amuse-
ment of the gentlemen present, and the Ra-
jah's mortification.

48 HOGS.

As Captain Williamson observes., it is very
true that the native Gentlemen of India are
rarely ever expert at any active sport; they
consider it beneath them, to use any exertion
to which they are not compelled. '

Wild hogs are plentiful in every part of
India \vhere there are covers near water in
which they may lie undisturbed. For a de-
scription of hunting them by Europeans on
horse-back with spears [a noble and manly
sport] a copious detailed account may be seen
in Captain Williamson's book of oriental
sports. The natives kill them from platforms,
and catch them in nets when they come to
feed on their sugar plantations. They lay the
nets at the places where they are known to
enter the cane/ which is easily seen by the
fences being broken down. They drive them
in the night time with dogs and noisy instru-
ments, out of the plantations into the nets.
They also catch them in nooses made with
ropes, and shoot them from elephants.

* This is the term used in India for a plantation of sugar.

WOLVES. 49

Wolves are found in all parts of India, but
I have remarked that they are most numerous
where there are no tigers panthers or leopards ;
in Ramghur they are very scarce. In the up-
per provinces ; at Cawnpore, fbttyghur Agra,
and Muttrah, they exist in great numbers; the
method by which they are caught is very
curious. A deep pit is dug,, and over it a kid
or lamb is suspended in a basket, with a pot
of water hanging above, having a small hole
in it, through which a drop at a time falls on
the kid, and makes it cry. The sound attracts
the wolves to the spot, and when they make
their spring at the bait, they fall into the pit
beneath; which is kept from their view by
being covered with loose green leaves. A
good drawing- and description of it may be
seen in Cap. Williamson's book.

When I was stationed at Cawnpore, a wolf
had young under a Gentleman's pleasure
house in his garden, about a hundred yards
from my house. A child two years old be-
longing to one of my servants, was carried

E

50 WOLVES.

away by it. I made application to the Gen-
tleman for leave to dig out the wolves, which
lie refused, observing* that I should undermine
and throw down his house. I then contrived
to fix a noose, made with wire and strong cord,
twisted together, over the hole, and placed
above it a tin cannister, partly filled with
stones, which falling down when the wolf pul-
led the noose frightened him and gave the
alarm to my people. It was caught the first
night, and secured in a box ; the next day, se-
veral Gentlemen assembled, when we procu-
red many large mastiffs, and let them loose
together in a compound, surrounded by a wall
about nine feet high; but the dogs were afraid
to attack the wolf.

A Gentleman present of his Majesty's 73rd
Regiment had a number of terriers which he
sent for: These worried and obliged it to
scamper round the enclosure, making the
company caper about in all directions to avoid
i* ; so that it was difficult to say, which was
most frightened. At last the wolf made a

HYENAS. 51

spring at the wall, and fairly leapt on the top of
it and ran away to the gratification of most of
the party, who where more annoyed than
pleased with the sport.

Hyenas are common on all the South side
of the river Ganges ; I believe they are also
to be met with on the North, but I have never
seen any there. Their natural history is de-
fective, in as much as they are described to be
so fierce as not to be tamed.

A servant of Mr. William Hunter's, by
name Thomas Jones, who lived at Chittrah,
had a full grown hyena which ran loose about
his house like a dog, and I have seen him play
with it with as much familiarity. They feed
on small animals and carrion, and I believe
often come in for the prey left by tigers and
leopards after their appetites have been satia-
ted. They are great enemies of dogs, and
kill numbers of them.

A Gentleman at Chittrah who kept a pack
E2

52 HYENAS.

of hounds, lost a dog; every night for several
nights successively ; the dog-keepers reported
that they were carried off by hyenas, the truth
of which could not be ascertained, but it ap-
pears likely. The dogs were accustomed to
be tied down separately every night; and af-
ter it was ordered that they should be all loos-
ened, none disappeared.

The natives of India affirm that tigers, pan-
thers, and leopards have a great aversion to
hyenas, on account of their destroying their
young, which I believe they have an opportu-
nity of doing, as the parents leave them during
the greatest part of the day. The inhabitants
therefore feel no apprehension in taking away
the young whenever they find them, knowing
the dam is seldom near. Whether it is true as
the natives say, that they have a great aversion
to hyenas, or that it is one of their many fabu-
lous stories, I shall leave to the judgement of
my reader, having never had an opportunity
of ascertaining it. Hyenas are slow in their
pace, and altogether inactive ; I have often

SURPRISING QUALIFICATIONS. 53

seen a few terriers keep them at bay, and bite
them severely by the hind quarters; their
jaws, however, are exceedingly strong, and a
single bite, without holding on, more than a
few seconds, is sufficient to kill a large dog.
They stink horribly, make no earths of their
own, lie under rocks, or resort to the earths of
wolves, as foxes do to those of badgers, and it
is not uncommon to find wolves and hyenas in
the same bed of earths.

1 was informed by several Gentlemen of
whose veracity I could not doubt, that Cap-
tain Richards of the Bengal native infantry
had a servant of the tribe of Shecarries, who
was in the habit of going into the earths of
wolves, fastening strings on them, and on the
legs of hyenas, and then drawing them out;
he constantly supplied his master and the
Gentlemen at the station with them, who let
them loose on a plain, and rode after them
with spears, for practice and amusement.
This man possessed such an acute and exqui-
site sense of smelling, that he could always
E3

54 OF A SHECARRIE.

tell by it, if there were any animals in the
earths, and could distinguish whether they
were hyenas or wolves. What makes it the
more extraordinary, is, that the mans nose was
depressed to a level with his cheeks, either
from lues, or accident, which I should have
thought would have injured the powers of that
organ.

In the Ramgkur hills there exist some ani-
mals which I believe have never been fully
described by any naturalist. Captain Willi-
amson has given some account of them, cal-
ling them Dholes, a name by which / have
heard them called, but more frequently by the
name of Quihoes; they are extremely shy,
and seldom approach any villages.

In all my rambles through the jungles I
have only seen them three or four times, and
then there were always a number together,
never appearing within shooting distance.
They are between the size of a wolf and a
jackal ; slightly made, of a light bay colour,

DHOLES OR QU1HOES. 55

w ith fierce eyes, and their faces sharp like that
of a grey-hound. I have heard it said that
their claws are retractile, if so, they may
be considered as belonging to the feline spe-
cies.

They hunt their prey in packs, and kill
large animals, it is said even tigers, panthers
and leopards ; but this as well as many stories
related of them I consider as fabulous. I can
however affirm, that there exist such animals,
and I have known them kill wild hogs. It
may therefore be believed that they some-
times kill larger animals, for as they are armed
with talons and generally keep together in a
body they must be very formidable.

A young one was sent by Rajah Futty Nar-
rain to Mr Archibald Seton at Gyah, which
was so extremely fierce and shy, that it lived
but a short time. Badgers are scarce but are
occasionally to be met with in the hills. In
their nature they very much resemble the
bear, and what is singular they are called by
K4

56 BADGERS.

the natives of Ramghur Badger-Ball, — Ball
being the Hindoostanee word for Bear. Cap-
tain Williamson calls bears,, balloos, which I
believe is a corruption.* Badgers in India
are marked exactly like those in England, but
they are larger and taller, are exceedingly
fierce and will attack a number of dogs ; I
have seen dogs that would attack an hyena or
wolf, afraid to encounter them.

There is also another species of animal in
Ramghur called Gour, a kind of wild bullock
of a prodigious size, not \vell known to Euro-
peans. I have never obtained a sight of them,
but have often seen the prints of their feet, the
impression of one of them covering as large a
space as a common china plate. According
to the account which I received from a number
of persons, they are much larger than the lar-
gest of our oxen, are of a light brown colour,
with short thick horns, and inhabit the thickest
covers ; they keep together in herds, and a

* Quere! are not both these English words derived
from the Hindoostanee ?

GOURS. 57

herd of them are always near the Luggo hill.
They are also in the heavy jungles between
Ramghur and Nagpore

I saw the skin of one that had been killed
by Rajah Futty Narrain. Its exact size I
do not recollect, but I well remember that
it astonished me, having never seen the skin
of any animal so large. Some Gentlemen at
Chittrah have tried all in their power to pro-
cure a calf, without success. The Shecarrics
and villagers are so much afraid of those ani-
mals, that they cannot be prevailed on to go
near them,, or to endeavour to catch any of
their young. It is a prevailing opinion in
that part of the country, that if they are the
least molested, they will attack the person or
persons molesting them, and never quit them
until they are destroyed; and should they
get into a tree, they will remain near it for
many days.

Rajah Futty Narrain resided at Norunga-
bad and was the keenest native sportsman I

58 BUFFALOES.

ever met with. He shot remarkably well with
ball, and sometimes used English rifles, but
he could not shoot so well with them as with
a match -lock-gun.

Wild Buffaloes are plentiful in many parts
of Bengal,, and also in some parts ofBahar. I
have never seen how they are destroyed by
the natives, but I believe their only method
is, shooting them from platforms, trees, boats,
or elephants. They are too powerful to be
attacked openly or in any other way.

Female Buffaloes are not naturally inclined
to attack men unless they have calves with
them, then, they are fierce and should be
avoided. The Bulls are at all times fierce,
particularly so, when in company with a sin-
gle female, and they often attack men without
any provocation whatever; many natives are
killed by them, and some few Europeans have
shared the same fate.

An officer of the Bengal army had a most
miraculous escape from one, by having the

BUFFALOES. 59

presence of mind to pull offhis red jacket and
throw it at him when he made his charge ; the
buffalo received it on his horns and continued
tossing it about ; which gave the Gentleman
an opportunity of climbing up into a tree, by
which he escaped unhurt to the great joy of
the rest of the party who despaired of his life.
It is a well known fact, that, to the showy co-
lour red, buffaloes have a particular aversion,
for they always attack a person wearing that
coloured cloth, in preference to any other.

Mr. William Down, who now resides in
this neighbourhood, was one of a party shoot-
ing, when they saw a Bull-buffalo ; they fired
several balls at him, and wounded him in one
of his hind legs; Mr. Down pursued him across
some water, when the animal attacked him
and threw him into a ditch, fortunately it was
so narrow that the buffalo could not bring his
horns to bear on him, they were so long and
lay so much in a direction over his back that
he could not get their points under, or against
his body; After trying a long time in

60 BUFFALOES.

vain, he trod and stamped on him with his
fore feet, broke several of his ribs, and
bruised the calves of his legs in such a manner
as to leave severe marks, \vhich are not yet
effaced. He then treated him with such con-
tempt as large dogs often do smaller ones,
sprinkling him well with his water; and then
decamped into a plantation of Indigo, leaving
the poor Gentleman almost dead; however,
after a short time, he recovered sufficiently to
creep towards the boat, where he was met by
some of the boat-men, who were all the time
at some distance observing what passed.

Black Bears are common throughout the
hills, and are very numerous in Rogonautpore
and Geldah. They are caught in nets, or
killed from Michauns, or pits, and are consi-
dered by the inhabitants of these countries not
as the enemies of man ; being innocent in
comparison with some other large animals.
They live chiefly on bulbous roots, fruit and
ants ; of the termites [white ants] they are
particularly fond, and 1 have been informed

BEARS. 61

that they are sometimes caught when feeding
on them in this manner ; a strong noose being
placed around the hillocks in which the
ants are imbedded is drawn over the neck of
the bear,, by a person in ambush, at the time
he is lowering his head in order to draw up
the ants with his breath through his nostrils.

I never heard of more than one person be-
ing killed by a bear, and that was an old man
who was cutting wood at the foot of Muckan-
gunge hill, about two miles from Hagaree-
bang cantonments, when a female bear ha-
ving two cubs, being disturbed by him, at-
tacked, and killed him.

They are often met by travellers on the
new road ; the carriers of palanquins are so
accustomed to see them, that they take lit-
tle notice of them, unless they think they are
carrying a person unaccustomed to the coun-
try, whom in that case, they endeavour to
intimidate by pretending that there is great
danger in going on. This they do with the

62 BEARS.

hope that a reward will be offered them to
proceed; but if they find that the person is
aware of their tricks, they try to get a present,,
by amusing him with a song, in which they
imitate the bear.

Bears will often continue on the road in front
of the palanquin for a mile or two, tumbling
and playing all sorts of antics, as if they were
taught to do so ; I believe it is their natural
disposition, for they certainly are the most
amusing creatures imaginable in their wild
state. It is no wonder that with monkeys
they are led about to amuse mankind. It is
astonishing as well as ludicrous to see them
climb rocks and tumble, or rather roll down
precipices. If they are attacked by any per-
son on horse-back, they stand erect on their
hind legs, shewing a fine set of white
teeth, and making* a cackling kind of noise :
If the horse comes near them, they try to
catch him by the legs, and if they miss him
they tumble over and over several times.
They are easily speared by a person mount-

ELEPHANTS. 63

ed on a horse that is bold enough to go near
them., which however, few will do, unless they
are much accustomed to it.

Elephants are numerous on the north side
of the river Ganges near the mountains from
Chittagong to Hardwar. The principal Keel-
dah for catching them is in the district of Tip-
perah. They are caught in Napaul and at
many places near the mountains in pits and
by phauns, [nooses made with slip knots,]
which are thrown over their heads, and are
at last brought round their necks, by people on
large tame elephants. The elephants thus
caught are not considered so valuable as those
caught at Tipperah, Chittagong, and Sylhet.
1 believe there are no wild elephants in any
of the English territories on the South of the
river Ganges. I have known eight together,
in a wild state, pass through part of the town
of Chittrah ; one of them had a brass ring
round one of his tusks, I imagine therefore,
they were all elephants that at some time or
other had escaped from their keepers into the

64 ELEPHANTS.

jungles. Their natural history is so general-
ly known, that it would be presumption
in me to enter into a detail of it. Two extra-
ordinary instances of their wonderful sagaci-
ty (or reasoning faculty,) came within my
knowledge, which strongly corroborate the
statements given of their general character.

An elephant belonging to Mr. Boddam of
the Bengal civil service at Gyah, used every
day to pass over a small bridge leading from
his master's house, into the town of Gyah ; he,
one day refused to go over it, and it was with
great difficulty, by goring him most cruelly
with the Hunkuss, [Iron instrument] that the
Mahout [driver] could get him to venture on
the bridge, the strength of which he first tried
with his trunk, shewing clearly that he sus-
pected that it wras not sufficiently strong;
at last he went on, and before he could get
over, the bridge gave way, and they were
precipitated into the ditch, which killed the
driver, aud considerably injured the elephant.
It is reasonable to suppose that the elephant

ELEPHANTS. 65

must have perceived its feeble state when he
last passed over it. It is a well known fact,
that elephants will seldom or ever go over
strange bridges, without first trying with
their trunks if they be sufficiently strong to
bear their weight, — nor will they ever go in-
to a boat without doing the same.

I had a remarkably quiet and docile ele-
phant which one day came home loaded with
branches of trees for provender, followed by a
number of villagers, calling for mercy, (their
usual cry when ill used;) complaining
that the Mahout had stolen a kid from them,
and that it was then on the elephant, under
the branches of the trees. The Mahout took
an opportunity of decamping into the village
and hiding himself. I ordered the elephant
to be unloaded, and was surprised to see that
he would not allow any person to come near
to him, when at all other times he \vas per-
fectly tractable and obedient. Combining
all the circumstances, I was convinced that
the Mahout was guilty, and to get rid of the
F

66 ELEPHANTS.

noise, I recompensed the people for the loss of
their kid. As soon as they were gone away,
the elephant allowed himself to be unloaded,
and the kid was found under the branches as
described by the people. I learnt from my
Sarcar, that similar complaints had been
made to him before, and that the rascal of a
Mahout made it a practice to ride the elephant
into the midst of a herd of goats, and had taught
him to pick up any of the young ones he direc-
ted ; he had also accustomed him to steal their
pumpions and other vegetables that grew
against the inside of their fences like french
beans, which could only be reached by an ele-
phant. He was the best Mahout I ever knew,
and so great a rogue, that I was obliged to
discharge him.

The very day that he left my service, the
elephant's eyes were closed, which he did not
open again in less than a fortnight,, when it
was discovered that he was blind. Two small
eschars, one in each eye, were visible, which
indicated pretty strongly that he had been

ELEPHANTS. 67

made blind by some sharp instrument, most
probably by a heated needle. The suspicion
was very strong against the former keeper,, of
whom I never heard any thing after. The
elephant I frequently rode on shooting for
many years after this,, through heavy covers,,
intersected with ravines, rivers, and over hol-
low and uneven ground, and he scarcely ever
made a false step with me, and never once
tumbled. He used to touch the ground with
his trunk on every spot where his feet were to
be placed, and in so light and quick a man-
ner, as scarcely to be perceived. The Ma-
hout would often make him remove large
stones, lumps of earth, or timber out of his
way, frequently climb up and down banks,
that no horse could get over; he would also
occasionally break off branches of trees that
were in the way of the Howdah to enable me
to pass.

Although perfectly blind, he was consider-
ed one of the best sporting elephants of his
small size in the country, and he travelled
F2

68 ELEPHANTS.

at a tolerably good rate,, and was remarkably
easy in his paces. On my returning to En-
gland I sold him to Mr. Wemyss of the Ben-
gal civil service.

CHAP. V.

A DESCRIPTION OF TRAPS FOR CATCHING

TIGERS. METHOD OF KILLING THEM

WITH POISONED ARROWS FROM CAPTAIN
WILLIAMSON'S BOOK, WITH OBSERVATI-
ONS THEREON.— SHOOTING THEM FROM
PLATFORMS.— EXULTATION OF THE NA-
TIVES AT THEIR DEATH.— AN ANECDOTE
OF AN OWL, WHOSE APPEARANCE WAS
CONSIDERED OMINOUS OF THE DEATH OF
A FAVORITE SERVANT.— PROOF AGAINST
THE COMMON NOTION OF THE TIGER'S
PROVIDER.— THE MEETING WITH TIGERS
WHEN SHOOTING.— WHY TIGERS PREFER
FEEDING ON MEN TO ANIMALS.— GREAT
DESTRUCTION MADE BY A TIGRESS, WITH
ANECDOTES.— AN INSTANCE OF GREAT

FEROCITY. EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPES

FROM TIGERS.— A FATHER AND SON KIL-
LED BY THE SAME ANIMAL.— SUPERSTITI-
OUS CEREMONY PERFORMED TO ENSURE
F3

70 TIGERS.

SAFETY FROM TIGERS.— REFLECTIONS ON
THE FORMATION OF A TIGER'S FORE LEG
AND FOOT.— CAPTAIN WILLIAMSON'S RE-
MARKS ON THEIR METHOD OF KILLING
THEIR PREY, AND MY OBSERVATIONS
THEREON, - AN INSTANCE OF THEIR
GREAT STRENGTH AND FEROCITY.— AN
ACCOUNT OF A VIOLENT HAILSTORM.
THE FLIGHT OF A DEER TO A REGI-
MENT OF SOLDIERS FOR PROTECTION.
AN ACCOUNT OF A GENTLEMAN'S HA-
VING KILLED 360 TIGERS.

are caught in nets as I have already
described. They are likewise caught in
traps, but rarely,, being extremely wary.
Shecarries kill them with poisoned arrows:
they also shoot them from platforms and pits.
The villagers do the same; and they are kil-
led by opulent natives from the backs, of ele-
phants.

One kind of trap for catching them is made
of wood, and not unlike a common rat trap,

TIGERS. 71

twelve or fourteen feet in length, and about
five in breadth, with both ends open, and two
doors, one at each end ; which are elevated
by levers on the top, and kept suspended by
an iron rod passing over the end of them,
which rod communicates by a tongue with a
board on the inside at the bottom of the box.
A kid or goat is fastened in the middle of the
box, and when the tiger seizes it, and steps
on the board, he disengages the tongue from
the iron rod, which flies up, allowing the
doors to fall down through groves so strong-
ly made that he cannot force them open, so
that he is caught.

The traps are sometimes made with only
one door, and an open grating at the other
end. Another kind is made by driving stakes
into the ground and fastening bamboos to the
top of them, with doors similar to those alrea-
dy described, and which are let fall much in
the same way; they are made considerably
larger, and are immoveable ; covered all over
with green bushes, and so well hidden, as not
F4

72 TIGERS.

to be easily discovered from the natural cover.
Whenever tigers are caught in these traps,
they are driven into others prepared to receive
; in which they are carried off.

The following description of a Tiger killed
by poisoned arrows is taken from Captain
Williamson's book of Oriental Field Sports.
ec The construction of the apparatus for shoot-
fc ing tigers with arrows,, either poisoned or
(f not, is extremely simple. There are various
' c modes ; but that in general use is as fol-
" lows. The bow is fixed at the middle by
f( two stakes,, distant enough to allow the
' c arrow to pass freely without touching, and at
' c about eighteen inches, or two feet from the
<c ground, according to the size of the animal
ff to be killed. The great nicety is, to fix the
" bow so that the arrow may fly quite horizon-
' ' tally ; or, at least as much so as the princi-
<e pies of projectiles will admit. The cord
<c should be parallel to the road frequented by
<e the tiger. The string being drawn back so
(f as to bend the bow sufficiently, is kept at its

TIGERS. 73

<f stretch by means of a stiff piece of stick,, cut
" just the length, so as to pinch a wedge
fc against the inside of the bow. This wedge
ff comes down six or eight inches,, and at its
(e lower end has a strong line fastened to it;
fc which, being carried across the pathway, for
ff perhaps twenty or thirty yards, and strained
({ moderately tight, is there fastened to a
(f strong stake driven into the ground for the
(f purpose, if no sufficient bush be at hand.
" This being all done, the arrow is gently de-
" posited in its proper place. To give it the
fe requisite position before the cord was
4C stretched would be dangerous; as in setting
" the latter tfght, the wedge might be drawn,
" and the arrow be discharged at the operator.

" The reader will, from this description un-
"" derstand, that the bow is firmly fixed; and
" that, the wedge introduced between the in-
Cf side and the extended string of the bow, ope-
(f rates as a lever; for when any power, such
tf as the step of a tiger, presses against the
<e string, and causes it to depart from its right

74 TIGERS.

ee line,, the wedge must nessesarily give way to
ff the force, and turn the extending stick
(f downwards; thereby setting it at liberty,
" and occasioning the bow to act instantane-
<l ously. !

te Such is the velocity of the arrow, and so
ec quick does this simple contrivance act, that
" tigers are, for the most part, shot near the
" shoulder. But even were it less rapid, we
ce might naturally conjecture, that the tiger,
' c feeling his leg obstructed by the line, would
fc pause, and afford ample time for the arrow
" to take effect, before he could completely
' ' pass its range. Generally, tigers fall within
fc two hundred yards from the fatal spot, they
ff being most frequently struck through the
ff lungs, and sometimes straight through the
fc heart. If the arrow be poisoned, as is most
cc frequently the case, locality is no particular
cf object; though without doubt, such
fe wounds as would of themselves prove effectu-
" al, unaided by the venom, give the Shecarric

TIGERS. 75

rf least trouble. The poison never fails to kill
ff within an hour. It is not always necessary,
(C but it is usual., for one or more persons to be
" at hand, in the nearest trees, or in some se-
ef cure situation, commanding a view of the
(C spot, to watch the event, as well as to caution
c ' travellers who might inadvertantly be pro-
fe ceeding towards the snare, and be liable to
ff its mischief.

" The bows are, however with little deviation
ff laid in places not much frequented, and
''•' mostly at a time when all the surrounding
" villagers, understanding that some tiger has
Cf committed^ ravages, expect the bows to be
(c laid near his haunts ; which in consequence
ce are carefully avoided.

ff When bows are fixed in grass jungles, for
ff which indeed they seem peculiarly cal-
" culated, the tops of the grass are cut away
' e with a sickle so as to form a narrow vista for
" the passage of the arrow. The string, which
•".passes across the path, is however carefully

76 TIGERS.

" concealed ; the grass being brought over to
tf meet,, and cover it from the tigers observati-
" on. It is not that the force of the arrow
" would be sensibly diminished in so short a
" course ; but that, some rather stiff reed, or
" stick might touch, and divert it from its pro-
" per direction. For the bow is ordinarily so
(C very substantial as to require the whole
fc force, of a strong well accustomed man, to
f( bend and draw it properly. The Paharias,
fe or hill people, who may be said to be the
ec only persons practising this part of sporting,
" are, as already observed, quite a distinct race
ff from the rest of the inhabitants of Bengal ;
ec and from every circumstance, may be with
" reason considered as the aborigines.

' c The arrows used for shooting tigers have
(f generally but a moderate barb; I have seen
" some without any. The poison is for the
" most part a liquid, in which thread is steep-
ff ed, and wound round at the back of the barb.
£f We are not acquainted with the real nature
*e of the poisons in general use, but we are

TIGERS. 77

" certain of their deleterious effects. Some
" pretend that only one kind is infallible;
ff namely, litherage of lead, poured hot on
" some bruised herbs. This may probably be
ff in part true. Litherage appears to be the
e ' basis of the poison ; but, assuredly it is
" blended with some other stimulant, or ac-
" tive body, else it would fail of sufficient
<r powers to operate so very suddenly as poi-
(f soned arrows often do."

The method of killing tigers with poisoned
arrows is so curious and interesting that wish-
ing to give my reader as clear an idea of it as
I possibly can, I have extracted the foregoing
account from Captain T. Williamson's book
of Oriental field sports, which although de-
tailed in a perspicuous manner, is, in many
points incorrect. That Gentleman's book
conveys an exceedingly good general idea of
the different kinds of sporting, but it cannot
be expected that he should be personally ac-
quainted with them all. He must have gain-
ed a great part of his knowledge from the in*

78 TIGERS.

formation of others, consequently not always
to be depended on., which I think has been
the case respecting tigers killed by poisoned
arrows.

He observes that the mechanism of their
bows is very simple. In this, 1 cannot agree
with him; to me, it appears a complicated
and ingenious apparatus ; the different uses of
the number of strings attached to a bow
would puzzle any one; although I have seen
them often set, I am certain that I could not
set them myself: of course I cannot well des-
cribe how it is done, and I am confident that
it would require a considerable time for any
person to understand its principle sufficient- ,
ly to be able to set them without instruction.

Captain Williamson says that the Shecar-
ries remain in trees, or some where near, so as
to enable them to see the bow and string,
where they can also apprize people going
that way, of their danger. This is not often,
if ever, the case. The Tigers are generally

TIGERS. 79

shot with poisoned arrows during the night,
and in the midst of some thick cover, or in the
dry beds of small rivers. They lay their bows
and arrows before sun set, and then go to
some village where they sleep the night;
early the next morning, they visit the spot to
examine their bows, and if an arrow has been
discharged, they are certain that some animal,
most probably a tiger has been wounded,
and consequently is dead.

They then trace him by the blood, or if
they cannot follow it, they look about in all
the thick covers near; being well acquainted
with their haunts, they know the direction
he will most probably take, and seldom fail
of finding him in a few hours. Some Shecar-
ries take a dog with them which being trained,
hunts them out in a few minutes. They do not
take the dog with them at the time of laying
the bow, for fear of disturbing the tiger, or of
his smelling the scent of the dog, which might
induce him to go another way, tigers having a
great dislike to dogs. I do not think the

80 TIGERS.

Shecarries would consider themselves safe in
trees,, nor do I see of what use it would be : On
the contrary, it might prevent so wary an ani-
mal as a tiger from approaching the line ; nor
do I consider it probable that villagers would
frequent such places in the night. Whene-
ver their bows are laid in the day, or in the
night, across public roads, pathways, or any
places were people often travel, they lay two
other strings, passing them across the road or
pathway, communicating with the tongue
that lets the arrow fly, as the one already
described by Captain Williamson. These
strings cross the road or pathway, one on
each side of the former, at about six yards
distance, and are raised from the ground a-
bout four feet and a half, allowing a tiger to
pass under them, but a man or any large cat-
tle would run against them, and the arrow
would be discharged before they arrived with-
in its direction.

The centre line is raised about two feet
from the ground and strikes against the tigers

TIGERS. 81

breast; the arrow generally enters behind the
shoulders. According to the account given
to me by the Shecarries, they seldom live half
an hour after receiving the wound.

The Captain observes that this method of
shooting arrows, is exclusively followed by
Pahariahs or hill people. In this, he has
been misinformed; I believe the only people
who practise it, are a race of men, inhabitants
of the district of Dinagepore, East of the river
Ganges, who travel all over Bengal, wherever
tigers are to be met with, for the sole purpose
of killing them, in order to obtain the reward
given by government, often rupees for every
tiger. Something more they receive as pre-
sents from the inhabitants, and gain a little
by the sale of their teeth and claws, which
are worn by the natives as charms.

I believe it frequently happens that they are
paid twice by government for killing the
same animal, by producing the head of a tiger
to a collector of one district, and the skin to

G

82 TIGERS.

the collector of another. They travel about
killing tigers nearly all the hot and cold sea-
sons,, and if they are successful,, return to
their families,, with a sufficiency to maintain
them for a year or two; when it is nearly
expended, they commence another excursion.
They are extremely fond of spirits,, and of
smoking intoxicating herbs; and live a horrid
life, independently of the danger they incur by
searching for tigers, and in setting their
bows, in the act of which, they are often taken
away by the very animals whose destruction
they are preparing.

With respect to the poison, Captain Willi-
amson has also been misinformed. They use
only one kind, which is extracted from the
roots of a large tree, the bark of which is
smooth like the ash, with very large leaves,
and is known to the natives, by the name of
Boglcar, which signifies tiger's poison. An
incision is made in the large roots, and a gum-
my liquid oozes out, which soon inspissates.
They mix it with litherage, and apply it whilst

TIGERS. 83

moist, around the extremity of the iron of the
arrow, at its insertion into the wood, where a
hollow is left for the purpose: It is then
wound round with a few turns of fine silk to
prevent it from cracking, and then exposed to
the sun ; by which, in a short time it becomes
as hard or harder than the wood. The iron
point is very short, made with a small barb,
and the arrow is discharged with sufficient
force to bury the poison in the animal.

It is rather a strange circumstance, that the
same poisonous substance which they fix to
their arrows, is used by the native distillers to
lute their stills. I had a young tree of the
Boglear, transplanted into my garden, but
I quitted that part of the country before the
tree had attained a sufficient size to try any
experiments with.

Whenever a bullock is killed by a tiger
and the people of the village can find the
dead carcase, they erect a Michaun in a tree,
or on poles, or dig a pit in the ground near

84 TIGERS.

it; and if there are no people in the village
bold enough to remain in it, to shoot at the
tiger when he returns to feed at night, they
send for some from the next village., or em-
ploy Shecarries ; neither of which have they
occasion often to do, there being scarcely a
village in Ramghur without people who are
accustomed to shoot tigers in this way.

Whether Shecarries or villagers undertake
the business, they conduct it in the same
manner. Villagers seldom remain alone, a
companion generally accompanies the marks-
man, and sometimes they are both marksmen.
Shecarries from being more accustomed to it,
are not afraid, and often sit in Michauns
alone, with hopes of receiving the whole re-
ward. They arm themselves with match-
lock-guns, swords, and spears. It is necessa-
ry that they should possess patience, and a
considerable degree of coolness, and be per-
fectly silent. The tiger having glutted his
appetite on the bullock not long before, can-
not be very hungry, therefore the least noise

TIGERS. 85

would prevent him from returning to it. If
he should return, they generally wound him,
and most times mortally ; yet it seldom hap-
pens that he falls dead on the spot.

Captain Williamson says, that the Shecar-
ries when they have wounded a tiger, fre-
quently dismount from Michauns and follow
him through the jungles. This I have never
known to take place ; however, it may have
happened. Whenever it has occurred, I
should think it must have been before dark,
or after day light in the morning. I cannot
think that any man would be so fool-hardy
as to be searching about in the dark through
thick cover for a wounded and enraged tiger,
for even in moon light, the eye cannot pene-
trate the thickets on account of the shade.
These animals are so tenacious of life, that
they often require many balls to enter them
before they die. I knew an instance of a
tiger's receiving eighteen balls before he fell.
Like other animals of the feline species, their
vision in the night is much more perfect than
G3

86 TIGERS.

that of a man, and if the Shecarries or villa-
gers dismount from their Michaun, and
should be seen by the tiger., they would be
attacked, and could have no chance of escap-
ing. I believe that they generally remain on
the Michaun until day light, when they des-
cend, and if they have fired at a tiger during
the night, they collect from the village or
neighbouring villages a number of armed

O O O

people. With these, and a few dogs, they
search all the covers, and if any blood is seen,
they follow it, and often succeed in finding
the tiger wounded or dead. Although it may
require more resolution to sit in the Michaun,
the searching for the tiger, is really the most
dangerous part of the business, however,
being a number together they encourage one
another, and are not apparently aware of
their danger, though they are frequently
carried off in the pursuit.

If a tiger kills, and carries away a man or
woman, and the body should be found not
half devoured, none of the Shecarries 01*

TIGERS. 87

villagers, will ever sit up to kill the tiger
when he returns to feed on the remainder.
They are more afraid of the apparition of the
dead person, than of the living tiger. On se-
veral occasions I offered to sit up with them,
and to give them a present if we did not suc-
ceed in killing the tiger, but I could not pre-
vail on any of them to accompany me.

I have often seen large tigers brought to
Chittrah in the Ramghur district, by ten or
twelve men, on poles, from the most distant
parts of the district, frequently a distance
of a hundred and twenty, to a hundred and
sixty miles, to obtain the reward often rupees.
Sometimes in the hot weather the carcasses
on their arrival were so exceedingly putrid,
that it was almost impossible to approach
them, without being made ill by the stench.
It may in some measure be conceived what
joy their having killed them must have occa-
sioned, to induce them to carry the animals
such a distance, with such a horrid smell im-
mediately under their noses, when they might
G4

88 TIGERS.

have obtained the reward just as well by carry-
ing only the head, or skin. No commander
of an army ever felt more elated after a victo-
ry, than these poor creatures experienced at
the success of their prowess in destroying,
perhaps, the pest of their neighbourhood.
When any person praised them for their va-
lour and dexterity, their countenances shewed
what pleasure they felt; It might also be
plainly seen, how gratifying it was to them
merely to hear it said, that it was a large ti-
ger. On receiving the reward, they generally
got gloriously drunk, and no doubt returned
to their villages, determined to risk their
lives on a similar exploit, the first opportuni-
ty that might offer. *

* These poor ignorant men often receive only half
the reward, the remainder goes into the pocket of the
J)ewan or his assistant. The English Gentlemen, for the
most part are aware that such peculation is common, and
much to their credit, make it a point of paying the re-
ward themselves.

TIGERS. 89

Many of the natives of India believe in the
doctrine of the metempsychosis or transmigra-
tion of souls ; as soon therefore as a tiger or
leopard is killed, they light a fire and burn
off the long whiskers that grow near the
mouth; by doing this they have a super-
stitious idea that they shall not be turned
into tigers in another world.

A Tailor at Chittrah went out with the
Gentlemen of the station and a number of
natives to kill a tiger, that had taken shelter
in a plantation of sugar canes near the town.
He happened to be the fortunate man who
shot the tiger, and in the excess of his joy,
vauntingly exclaimed that he would shoot a
tiger at any time. Mr. Mathew Leslie who
was then the Judge Magistrate, and collector
of the district, promised to call on him for his
assistance the first opportunity. Not lorig
after, a tiger killed a bullock about a mile
from the town ; the tailor was sent for, whose
courage was considerably abated; however,
he consented to sit up in a Michaun, which

90 TIGERS.

was soon erected, and he took with him a
young man or rather stout boy.

In the dead of the night, the tiger came to
feed on the carcase. The gloominess of the
place at such a time, with the fierce horrid
look of the tiger, had an instantaneous effect
on poor Snip's nerves, and threw him into a
fit; the noise it occasioned, made the tiger
carry off the bullock into thicker cover in-
stead of feeding on it where it was. The
boy seeing the tiger go off with the bullock,
tied his master to the Michaun, descended,
and ran to the nearest village, and gave the
alarm that his master was dead; but when
the people came to the Michaun, they found
him perfectly recovered; protesting- that he
would never sit up again in the night to
shoot a tiger, — for he had seen the Devil.
The truth of the whole story I will not vouch
for, although I have often heard it related. It
happened before I was stationed at Chittrah*

TIGERS. 91

Being informed that a number of deer
came every night to feed in some fields of
grain adjoining a thick jungle, about a mile
from my house; I had a Michaun erected,
and on a moon light night, took with me a
Classic named Dildar Kaun, who always had
the charge of my guns, cleaned them, and
accompanied me whenever I went out to shoot,
unless his services were wanted for the tent ;
the management of which was his particular
business. He was a favorite servant, and had
Jived with me many years. The Michaun
was erected higher than they usually are, we
therefore ascended it by a ladder, which was
then carried away and brought again at day-
light for us to descend. About midnight an
owl pitched immediately over our heads, and
commenced hooting; presently after we
heard at a distance the Pheall [commonly
called the Lion or Tigers provider] which is
a jackal, following the scent of the tiger, arid
making a noise very different from their usual
cry; which I imagine they do for the pur-
pose of warning their species of danger, as

92 TIGERS.

Small birds often do when they are flying
after a hawk, kite, or owl.*

The Classic felt a little alarmed when the
owl began hooting, but as soon as he heard
the Pheall, he tremblingly put his hand on
my shoulder, [a liberty no native would pre-
sume to take unless actuated by excess of
fear or danger,] and begged for God's sake,
that I would not fire at the tiger, observing,
that if I did, one of us would certainly be kil-
led, and that the owl's hooting over us was
ominous. The excessive gloominess of the
place, and the dead silence that prevailed,
unless when interrupted by the dismal cry of
the single jackal, or hooting of the owl, made
me feel uncomfortable, yet I determined to
fire at the tiger, if I should see him within
a short distance, confiding in our security,

* Tigers and other animals of prey are often discoYer-
cd by the screeching of lapwings, or the croaking of
crows, or ravens. The former are numerous throughout
the jungles, and they often follow a tiger for hours.

TIGERS. 93

having two guns and other weapons for our
defence. The tiger passed within a few
yards of us, and although we heard him dis-
tinctly purring as he went along, like a cat
that is pleased, we could not see him, in con-
sequence of his keeping in the shade of the
bushes. In a minute or two after he had pas-
sed, we plainly saw the jackal and heard him
cry when very near us. No deer came there
to feed during the night.

About a week after sitting in this Michaun,
Mr. William Towers Smith, of the Bengal
civil service, and myself, were going seven or
eight miles from Chittrah, to spend a few
days in a tent, to shoot and course. My tent
was sent off on four bullocks conducted by
a bullock-man, the same Classic, and two
servants of Mr. Smith's. We remained be-
hind, took our breakfast, and then followed.
Between ten and eleven o'clock, when we
were within sight of the party, we heard a
horrible roar followed by a shocking scream ;
we then quickened our pace and joined our

94 TIGERS.

servants just as the tiger ran over a small hill
formed of large rocks interspersed with un-
derwood,, with my poor Classic in his mouth.

The bullocks had all thrown off their loads
and were running away in different directions,
the men were so panic struck,, that it was
several minutes before they could articulate.
When they had recovered a little,, they
informed us that they were all within a few
yards of each other, and that, as the Classie
was driving the hindmost bullock through a
hollow place between two banks, the tiger
sprung from behind a bush on him and
knocked him down; but from the situation of
the ground he passed over him a few yards,
after giving the blow. He then returned,
took him up iiys mouth by the thigh, and ran
off with him at full speed, with his head dang-
ling on the ground. The Classie and all the
men were armed with spears and swords, but
the attack was so sudden and unexpected,
that no resistance was thought of; In fact,
they were all so much frightened, that they

TIGERS. 95

were incapable of giving the poor man the
least assistance. We galloped off to the near-
est village as fast as possible, assembled as
many people as we could collect, with drums
and other noisy instruments, and then with
our guns loaded on horseback, we followed the
track of the tiger, by the blood of his victim
and the locks of hair which caught the thorns
as he was dragged along, for more than a
mile. I then saw something under a large
banyan tree that was surrounded by bushes;
It had not the appearance of the tiger
though I expected he was there, and with
more madness than prudence I galloped
through the bushes with my gun presented to
the object ; fortunately for me, it was only the
remains of the poor man. The tiger I sup-
pose hearing the noise we made as we ap-
proached, and having glutted his appetite, had
skulked away into the deep ravines that were
near.

He had devoured the whole of the poor
man's entrails, and the flesh of one leg and

96 TIGERS.

thigh. The horror I felt can be better ima-
gined than described. All my servants and
the natives who knew the circumstances firm-
ly believed that the owl was an omen of the
poor Classic's death. All the particular cir-
cumstances of the foregoing event, were so
forcibly imprinted on my mind at the time,
that although it took place upwards of 28
years since, it appears but as yesterday.

It is remarkable that during the first three
years I resided at Chittrah, although I was
shooting on foot almost every day, through
the thickest cover, sometimes in company
with Mr. Smith, and often alone, I never saw
a tiger; and then, within the space of a month,
I met with five or six, in places where I had
been constantly in the habit of shooting.

I have often heard it said that the Phedll,*
or provider as it is commonly called, always

* Pheall I belieye was the original, and is now the
proper name, but they are better known in Ramghur

TIGERS. 97

goes before the tiger; In the instance I have
related, he followed the tiger,, which I have
also seen him do at other times. Whether
he is induced to follow the tiger for the sake
of coming in for part of the booty, or whether
it is from instinct, as small birds follow a bird
of prey, I cannot say. Evidently his cry is
different from what it is at other times,, which
indicates danger being near, particularly, as,
whenever, that cry is heard, the voice of no
other jackal is, though at every other time of
the night, they are calling in all directions :
nor is that particular call ever heard in any

by the name of Phinkarr, which in my opinion ii more
appropriate, as it explains what it is. Phinkarr signi-
fying crier, proclaimer, or warning giver. The former
word I imagine was first used from its resembling the
cry they make, and I believe many names of animals
owe their origin to the sound they bear to the calls of
«uch animals, — for example, — Cowah a crow, — Chieel
a kite, — Hooloo an owl, — Bahaare a sheep, &c. &c.

This strongly impresses the mind with the probability
of its being a primitive Language.

H

98 TIGERS.

part of the country where there are no large

animals of prey. Dogs are not of much use

for shooting in the Ramghur district; they
more frequently drive the game from, than
towards you. The method I generally fol-
lowed was nearly the same as I have before
described for driving animals into nets. I
took with me from ten to a hundred people,
according to the size and thickness of the
covers I intended to beat ; always stationing
myself at some open place., and the people
beating the cover in the direction towards me ;
by which arrangement most of the animals
and birds came near to me, and I was enabled
to kill large quantities of game ; but it was
attended with considerable danger, as the fol-
lowing circumstances will evince.

A young gentleman named Barret, one
day accompanied me, and as we%v ere beating
a small cover for hares, not above half a mile
from my house, a hare passed me, and ran
into an adjoining cover, which was not ex-
tensive. In hastening through it, in order to

TIGERS. 99

reach the opposite side and shoot at the hare
as it carne out, I stepped into a bush., where
a tiger was lying asleep; it awoke him, he
looked at me grinning horribly, but did riot
move, my situation at the moment cannot be
depicted. Had he sprung at me, I could not
have made any resistance; as soon as I had
recovered a little from the fright, I retreated,
walking backward with my gun presented to
him ; In a few seconds he arose but appa-
rently with considerable reluctance; when he
was on his feet he began stretching himself,
and then I saw Mr. Barret, who was about
fifteen yards from me, in the act of firing at
him with shot. I called loudly, that if he
fired at the tiger, one of us would certainly be
killed; on which he immediately dropt his
gun,

He had not seen the animal distinctly, and
had no idea that it was a tiger, until he heard
what I said; I joined him, and immediately
put bails over each load of shot. The tiger
moved off in an oblique direction from us, at

H2

100 TIGERS.

a slow pace, and passed close by a servant of
Mr Barret's, who actually fell down from
fright: A few yards further on, he met with
our servants leading our horses, which he also
passed without molesting. As soon as I
thought he was clear of all our people, in or-
der to prevent his lurking about near us, I
fired my gun in the air, at the sound of which
he gave a most tremendous roar, which he re-
peated several limes as he went down the
valley. About thirty yards from the spot
where he was reposing, we found the carcass
of a small bullock, nearly half devoured; am}
to the circumstance of the tiger's being glutted
with his prey, and being in consequence
in an inactive lethargic state, I entirely attri-
bute my preservation.

An occurrence nearly similar happened to
me soon after, which put an end to my shoot-
ing on foot. From that time to the period of
my leaving Chittrah, which was many year*
after, I always went out to shoot on an ele-
phant. The circumstance I allude to was as

TIGERS. 101

follows. — Fifty or sixty people \vere beating
a thick cover as before described ; I was on
the outside of it, with a man holding rny
horse,, and another servant with a hog's spear ;
when those who were driving the cover called
suerl suerl which is the Hindoostanee name
for hog; Seeing something move the bushes
about twenty yards from me, and supposing
it to be a hog, I fired at the spot, with ten or
a dozen small balls ; instantly on the explo-
sion of my gun, a tiger roared out, and came
galloping straight towards us. I dipped
under the horse's belly and got on the oppo-
site side from him; he came within a few
yards of us, and then turned off growling into
the coyer.

When the people came out, they brought
with them a dead hog partly devoured.
These two cases, I think, shew clearly that
tigers are naturally cowardly. They gene-
rally take their prey by surprise, and whene-
ver they Attack openly, it is reasonable to
conclude that they must be extremely hun-
H3

102 TIGERS.

gry, which I believe is often the case, as their
killing animals of the forest must be very
precarious. It is the general opinion of the
inhabitants* that when a tiger has tasted hu-
man blood he prefers it to all other food. A
year or two sometimes elapses, without any
one being killed by a tiger for several miles
round; although they are often seen within
that space, and are known todeslroy cattle;
but as soon as one man is killed, others
shortly after share the same fate; this, I
imagine is the reason, why, the natives enter-
tain an idea, that they prefer men to all other
food, I account for it otherwise. Tigers
are naturally afraid of men, and in the first
instance seldom attack them, unless compel-
led by extreme hunger. When once they
have ventured an attack, they find them much
easier prey than most animals of the forest,
and always to be met with near villages, and
on public roads, without the trouble of hunt-
ing about for them through the covers.

A tigress with two cubs, lurked about the
Kutkumsandy pass, and during two months*

TIGERS. 103

killed a man almost every day, and on some
days two. Ten or twelve of the people be-
longing to government, (carriers of the post
bags,) were of the number. In fact, the com-
munication between the presidency and the
upper provinces, was almost entirely cut off.
The government therefore was induced to
offer a large reward to any person who kil-
led the tigress.

Michauns were erected in different places ;
still she continued her depredations. A Gen-
tleman was travelling post up the new road
at this time, carried by eight bearers, accom-
panied by two link-men, and two others carry-
ing baskets containing cloaths and provisions ;
early in the morning when they came to the
Ghaut, the tigress was seen by the bearers,
and they informed the Gentleman of it, who
doubting what they said, urged them to go
on; at which, they put the palanquin down,
and ran away, leaving him to shift for himself;
he was therefore obliged to return on foot to
II 4

104 TIGERS.

Hazaree Bang, a military station about eight
miles in his rear; at a time when it was ex-
tremely hot. On another occasion, a Jemidar
(a native Lieutenant,) with about forty soldi-
ers, were marching to Chittrah from Hazaree
Bang, for treasure to pay the Battalion ; when
they arrived at the middle of the Ghaut, the
tigress before mentioned, was lying in the
road . The Jemidar having received no orders
to fire on such an occasion, marched back to
the cantonments for orders, what he should do.
The commanding officer, could not help smil-
ing at the circumstance, ordered him with
the soldiers to return immediately , and if they
found her still lying in the road to fire a volly
at her, and charge with bayonets, and destroy
her if possible.

On their return, the tigress had shifted her
quarters, and was not to be seen. A few days
after this, the Rajah had a Hunquah to kill or
drive the tigress away; she was seen by some
of the people, and fired at, and was never
heard of after; from which \i may be pre-

TIGERS. 105

sumed she was wounded. It is fortunate for
the inhabitants of that country, that tigers sel-
dom survive any wound ; their blood being
always in a state predisposing to putrefac-
tion, a consequence of the extreme heat, and
their living entirely on animal food.

A grass, called by the natives Churaunt,
grows plentifully throughout the jung-les.
The seeds of it are ripe about April. They
have a serrated beard with a sharp point, bar-
bed, and adhere to almost every thing they
touch. This grass annoys the tigers exceed-
ingly during all the hot months; it grows
about the height of a tiger's belly, where they
tease him much by adhering to his hinder
parts in clusters. This is given as a reason
for their being more troublesome during the"
hot months, then at any other season, the
grass obliging them to quit the heavy covers,
and the pursuit of animals of the forest, for
the easier prey of men and cattle.

Major General Sir Dyson Marshal, com-
manding a Battalion at Hazaree Bang, receiv-

106 TIGERS.

ed information that a tiger was lying in an op-
en field of barley not far from the cantonments.

The General accompanied by the Surgeon
of the battalion Mr. Law,, mounted his ele-
phant and went in pursuit of the animal; the
barley was thin, so that they could see the
tiger as he lay at a considerable distance from
them. When they approached within about
a hundred yards of him, he rose up and ran
furiously towards them, roaring, and just as
he was crouching to make a spring on the
elephant, they both fired at the same instant.
Both their balls took effect ; one in the breast,
and the other in the head. The tiger must
have been off the ground when the balls
struck him, as he fell close to the elephant's
feet, which alarmed the elephant so much, .
that he set off at full speed, and with all the
driver could do it was not in his power to stop
him until he reached home. This was the
only instance I ever knew or heard, of a
tiger's attacking an elephant unprovoked;
and on examining the body of the tiger, the

TIGERS. 107

cause was discovered. Not long before this,
he must have struck at a porcupine, as several
of the quills were still remaining between the
joints of one of his fore feet; which was swoln
greatly, and must have given him excruciating
pain. This I suppose made him quit the
covers for the open country, and accounts for
his being so furious.

Of the few people that I have knovf n sur-
vive after having been wounded by tigers, the
two following were the most extraordinary
cases.

Two Biparies* were driving a string of
loaded bullocks to Chittrah from Palamow ;
when they were come within a few miles of
the former place, a tiger seized on the man
in the rear, which was seen by a Guallah
[Herdsman] as he was watching his buffaloes

* Bipar signifies merchandise, and Biparies are people
who buy grain and other articles, which they transport
from one part of the country to another on bullocks.

108 TIGERS.

grazing. He boldly ran to the man's assis-
tance, and cut the tiger severely with his
sword; upon which, he dropt the Biparie and
seized the herdsman : the buffaloes observing
it, — attacked the tiger, and rescued the poor
man ; they tossed him about from one to the
other, and to the best of my recollection killed
him, but of that I am not quite positive.
Both of the wounded men were brought to
me; the Biparie recovered, and the Herds-
man died.

An elderly man and his wife, (of the
lowest cast of Hindoos, called dooms, who
live chiefly by making mats and baskets,)
were each carrying home a bundle of wood,
and as they were resting their burdens on the
ground, the old man hearing a strange noise,
looked about and saw a tiger running off
with his wife in his mouth. He ran after
them and struck the tiger in his back, with a
small axe: the tiger dropt the wife, who was
soon after brought to me. One of her breasts
was almost entirely taken away, and the

TIGERS. 109

other much lacerated: she had also several
deep wounds in the back of her neck; by
which I imagine the tiger struck at her with
his two fore paws ; one on the neck, and the
other on the breast — this, if I may judge from
the number I have seen wounded., is their
usual way of attacking men. The old wo-
man was six months under my care, and at last
recovered.

As an old mahometan Priest was travelling
at mid-day on horseback within a few miles
of Chittrah, with his son, an athletic young
man walking by his side, they heard a tiger
roaring near. them. The son urged his father
to hasten on; the old man continued at a
slow pace, observing, that there was no dan-
ger,— the tiger would not molest them. He
then began counting his beads, and offering
his prayers to the Almighty. In the act of
which he was knocked off his horse, and car-
ried away by the tiger; the son ran after
them and cut the tiger with his sword; he
dropped the father — seized the son, and car-
ried him off. The father was brought to

110 TIGERS.

Chittrah and died the same day ; the son was
never heard of afterwards. In this instance
I think the tiger must have been ravenously
hungry, or he would not have roared when
near his prey; it is what they seldom or ever
do, except in the very act of seizing.

Whenever a tiger has carried off a man
near a public road or path-way, a stick is
erected with a piece of coloured cloth at the
top of it, as a warning to travellers ; and every
person passing that way throws a stone near
it, by which in a short time a large heap is ac-
cumulated. Such heaps are to be met with
throughout the Ramghur district, and iu
great abundance in the Ghauts, and at other
dangerous places near their accustomed
haunts.

At the time when the tigers infest any par-
ticular road or pass, SiBuoyeah * erects a tem-

Buoyeahs are a low cast of Hindoos^ inhabitants of

TIGERS. Ill

porary hut near, and remains in it every day,
from morning, until sun set. The travellers
assemble at this hut, until ten or a dozen are
collected together . The Buoyeah then kills a
fowl, over which he says a prayer, offering it
as a sacrifice to the Deity in behalf of the pre-
sent company, that they may not become food
for tigers; for which, each person gives him
something, according to his circumstances,
from the value of a few cowries, [shells] to a
rupee. They then travel on with perfect con-
fidence, and should any one of them be killed
by a tiger, the Buoyeah says that his sins were
too great for-the Almighty to admit of any
intercession for him.

The formation of a tiger's fore leg and foot,
is so exquisitely contrived for the purpose it is
intended to answer; that, I cannot imagine
any thing more worthy the contemplation

the hills, most of them are supposed to become tigers
in another world, and to possess the power of charming
them in this.

112 TIGERS.

of an Anatomist, Artist, or Philosopher. It
combines beauty and elegance of proportion,
with immense strength and intricacy of me-
chanism, beyond the power of human contri-
vance. Each claw has a tendinous communi-
cation with strong muscles, and is kept in a
retractile state, that its sharpness may not be
injured by walking. Whenever a tiger
strikes at any animal, not only the claws enter
it, but the toes often follow ; I have frequently
probed wounds, made by them, to the depth
of at least five inches.

It should be observed that the claws and
toes together, are rarely, if ever, of that
length ; but the force of the blow, compresses
the soft parts, and although they do not pene-
trate deeper than three or four inches; yet
when the parts compressed resume their natu-
ral state, the wounds appear much deeper.
With what force they are capable of striking
may be judged from the following circum-
stance.-—A Battalion of Bengal native infan-
try was marching up the new road, on its

TIGERS. 113

return from the Carnatic, and as it was passing
through the Chittro Ghaut, a tiger made a
spring at one of the loaded camels, and with
one blow broke the thigh bone. He would
have immediately commenced devouring it,
if the rear guard, and a number of camp fol-
lowers had not been at hand. The force re-
quired to break such a large bone must have
been very great, and the tiger extremely hun-
gry to venture an attack at such a time.

Once when I wras on a visit to Captain
John Ranken at Sheherghautty, about twen-
ty eight miles from Chittrah, below the
Ghauts; my return was suddenly required.
It was in the month of June when the weath-
er was extremely hot, and the palanquin carri-
ers at Sheherghautty were all engaged, so
that I was compelled to travel on horseback.
I left Captain Ranken's house about eleven
o'clock at night, accompanied with a Syce
and Link-man — another Link-man^ — and two
men carrying my cloathes and hookah, two
Khedmutghars, and a Hookahburdar , follow -

I

114 TIGERS.

*

ed at a short distance. Just before I arrived
at the village of Lucina near the foot of the
Ghaut, in a close part of the road bordering
on a deep ravine, where the bushes were very
thick, I was suddenly alarmed by a hideous
bark or grunt of an animal close to me,
which 1 could not see, from his keeping behind
a very thick bush. I instantly spurred my
horse to get on, but he would neither go for-
ward or backward, and when urged, began to
rear; The animal still remaining behind the
bush, grunting quicker and quicker, as if on
the point of charging. 1 had the presence of
mind to direct the link-man to pour more oil
on his link, with hopes that a larger flame
would keep him off, unfortunately he threw-
on so much as entirely to extinguish the
flame, and every moment I expected that he
would spring on one of us, from which I think
he was deterred, by hearing the near approach
of our second division.

As soon as I heard them near us, I called
out for them to make a loud shout, in which

TIGERS. 115

we all joined; which drove the brute oft'
grunting and growling1 horribly. I have
since heard tigers make the same kind of
grunt, therefore 1 now believe it was a tiger;
Though at the time the circumstance hap-
pened I supposed it to be a bear, which was
the cause of my being less alarmed than I
should otherwise have been. — It was a cau-
tion to me never again to ride on horseback
at night on such a road.

One day when I was driving a small cover
for game assisted by the natives with some
terriers and grey -hounds; more with the inten-
tion of coursing than shooting, the dogs came
out of it, running towards me, with their tails
between their legs, as if they had been fright-
ened, and when urged again to go into the
cover, they came closer to me, and I could not
by any means induce them to quit my heels ;
which clearly indicated that some large animal
of prey was there. I therefore, ordered all the
people to be instantly called out of the cover,
and to be assembled on the plain. On mus-

12

116 TIGERS.

teririg them, a boy about twelve years old was
missing, we called loudly to him for a conside-
able time, and no answer being returned, I felt
alarmed for his safety ; however, after waiting
at least a quarter of an hour, he made his ap-
pearance running out of a small ravine straight
towards us, one of the completest spectacles of
terror that can possibly be imagined. It was
several Minutes before he could articulate a
word, and not until he had been relieved by a
copious flood of tears, [nee urinam coritinere
poterat,] He then informed us that he had
been knocked down, and ran over by a tre-
mendous large tiger, which he met as he was
passing through the ravine ; the animal had
not at all injured him; but the boy could
not describe how long he had lain on the
ground, or which way the tiger was gone.
To prevent his doing us any mischief, I dis-
charged my gun several times in the air, and
the people made a general shout, which had
the desired effect of driving the tiger out of the
small cover, and we saw him as he crossed a
plain, leading to deep ravines and heavy jun-
gle.

TIGERS. 117

1 imagine that the tiger must have been
considerably alarmed by the dogs and peo-
ple, or the poor boy would not have escaped
so well.

Captain Williamson's remarks (in his book
of wild sports page 52) on the Tiger's fore
paw are so very extraordinary, that I shall
here insert them,, not that I think any sensi-
ble person will be induced by reading them
without comment, to think that the talons of
a tiger are of no use to him in killing his
prey, but there are many who may have ec-
centric ideas as well as Captain W. and
others who credit any thing they read in
print, without using their own judgement, and
who would probably believe all that he has
said. fc The tiger's fore paw is the invariable
ct engine of destruction, — most persons irna-
(c gine that if a tiger were deprived of his claws
tf and teeth he would be rendered harmless ;
fc but this is a gross error. The weight of the
rc limb is the real cause of the mischief; for the
ff talons are rarely extended when a tiger
13

118 TIGERS.

" seizes. — The operation is similar to that of
(( a hammer; the tiger raising his paw and
te bringing it down with such force, as not on-
" ly to stun a common size bullock or buffa-
<c lo, but often crushing the bones of the scull !
ff I have seen many men and oxen that had
fc been killed by tigers, in most of which no
ff mark of a claw could be seen ; and where
ec scratches did appear, they were obviously
(c the effect of chance, from the paw sliding
f ' downwards and not from design !

My opinion is, that, whenever there are
scratches, it is owing to the claws meeting
with resistance from some bone ; and not pe-
netrating deep, sometimes it may be in conse-
quence of the hinder part only of the paw ha-
ving struck the animal, the talons having gone
beyond it, and when the limb was retracted
came in contact with the animals body, and
scratched it.

During a residence of nine years at Chit-
trah I never saw a man or animal killed by a

TIGERS. 119

tiger, that had not the marks of talons ; yet I
admit that the force with which a tiger gene-
rally strikes, is sufficient of itself without the
aid of his claws, to kill men or large animals,
and I believe that it occasionly takes place in
the manner I have described, but never from
its weight like the fall of a hammer. That
their talons are their destructive weapons, 1
think any one will be convinced, who will
give himself the trouble to examine their for-
mation, or if he will look at the foot of a cat,
which is in appearance a tiger in miniature, he
will observe the same, or nearly the same
wonderful contrivance and proportions ; and
does not thafanimal use his claws when he
strikes at a rat or mouse? It is absurd to
suppose that the remarkable fine muscles in a
tiger's fore leg connected as they are with the
talons, were intended for no purpose.

In the month of April, when the weather

was extremely hot, I was travelling between

Ramghur and Belleah. Soon after I had

passed the ghaut, a black cloud appeared in

14

120 VIOLENT HAIL STORM.

the sky, from which some hail fell, so large as
to compel me to take shelter under a tree.
The shower passed off in a few minutes,
when I pursued my journey, and had no(
proceeded above a mile., lie-fore I perceived
that the hail had fallen very thick, nearly of
the same size, making impressions on the
road, as large as the prints of musket ball,
weighing an ounce each. On my arrival at
a village two or three miles in advance,
where rny tent was pitched, I learnt from the
inhabitants, that the hail had fallen there so
thick, as to blind many of their cattle. The
vegetables on the ground were all beaten
down, and two hares were brought to me that
had been killed by it. I had no sooner taken
my breakfast, than I heard a great noise of
instruments and men, and on enquiring the
cause, was informed, that the villagers were
gone to drive a tiger from a deer that he had
just killed near the village. Soon after, I
heard the roaring of the tiger, which contin-
ued for a quarter of an hour, with very little
intermission ; and from the sound it appeared

TIGERS. 121

that he was going towards the Ghaut. The
people brought the deer to me as a present;
It was a large buck., and the tiger had only
devoured a part of his inside.

A Battalion of Sepoys were exercising on
the parade at Chittrah, the commanding offi-
cer now Major General Sir Dyson Marshal,
with Captain Kelly the adjutant being pre-
sent ; when a large buck carne from the jungle
straight towards them, and took his stand
with his Tail against a tree, about sixty
yards, distant, looking stedfastly at them.
The General ordered some of the soldiers to
advance and~ fire at him ; they approached
very near, and killed him ; this they might
have accomplished with their bayonets,, for
the poor creature came to them for protection,
having recently received several scratches in
his side from a tiger, and his wounds were still
bleeding-.

Some idea may be formed how numerous
the tiger's must have been at one period in

122 TIGERS.

Bengal, from the circumstance that one Gen-
tleman is reported to have killed upwards of
three hundred and sixty. I heard Mr. Henry
Ramus at the time he was Judge of the cir-
cuit ofBahar, declare, that he had killed that
number, and I was told that others fell by his
hand before his death. He kept a particular
account of every one which he killed; of
which I suppose his friends are now in pos-
session. Having charge of the Company's
elephants for many years at a time \vhen the
Cosumbazar Island and Patellee jungle were
over run with tigers, he enjoyed better op-
portunities of killing them, than has fallen to
the lot of any other man, even of the German
Paul; of whom Captain Williamson has said
so much.

CHAR VI.

LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS. — A CIRCUM-
STANCE SHEWING THEIR WONDERFUL
STRENGTH AND AGILITY. — ANOTHER
EXHIBITING THE FOLLY OF ATTACKING
SUCH ANIMALS ON FOOT. A SHORT DES-
CRIPTION OF CHEETAHS AND SEEHAR-
GHOOSHS* [HUNTING LEOPARDS] AND
THEIR METHOD OF CATCHING DEER.—
FOXES AND PORCUPINES.

LEOPARDS and panthers are numerous
throughout the jungles; they are caught and
destroyed much in the same manner as tigers,
but more frequently in traps, owing to their
being less wary, and more accustomed to
prowl about villages. They feed chiefly ou
deer and smaller animals; such as calves,

* Seehar or Seer signifies head, and Ghoosh theft,
meaning I suppose head Thief

124 LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS.

hogs, goats, sheep, and now and then they
are known to kill bullocks. Like timers.
are supposed never to eat any animal they do
not kill. I have never heard of their attack-
ing men, unless first irritated by them. I have
frequently seen them in the covers, when they
always appeared alarmed, and fled as fast as
possible. In proportion to their size, they are
as strong as tigers, and more active. In proof
of which, a circumstance occurred whilst I
was at Chittrah, which is almost incredible,
but I pledge myself for the truth of it. Mr.
Hunter the Judge and Collector, had about
a dozen curious and rare deer confined in a
compound, surrounded by a wall about seven
feet high.

During the absence of himself and family,
a servant who had charge of his house inform-
ed Mr. Smith and myself, that a panther or
leopard had leapt over the compound wall, two
or three nights in succession, arid had killed
and carried offa deer each night.

LrEOPARES AND PANTHERS 125

On going to the spot, we saw (he print of
the leopard's foot in many places within the
wall, and a part of the carcass of a deer that
he had carried off, on the outside. We
therefore determined to sit up the next night
and try to shoot it, and accordingly took our
station in a small house that had a window
looking into the compound. About midnight
we heard and saw the deer running about as
if they were much frightened; and at last we
got sight of the leopard on his retreat,, at the
moment he leapt on the wall.

Our guns at the time were pointed through
the Venetian blinds of the window, in a direc-
tion to shoot at any thing on the ground, or at
the height of a leopard, and when we saw him
on the wall, we could not elevate them suffici-
ently, or we might have killed him. It was a
moon -light night, and he kept in the shade
all the time he was in the compound. He
continued his depredations every night, and
the last deer that he carried off, which we saw
on the outside partly devoured, was a very

126 LEOPARDS AND PANTHES.

large buck, of the full size of our forest deer.
It surprised us to think how he could possibly
have carried it over the wall ; and upon exa-
mining the place minutely,, we at length dis-
covered the marks of his claws, fresh and dis-
tinct on the stalk of a mango tree; by which
it appeared that he must have ascended the
tree with the deer in his mouth,, and sprung
from it upon the wall ; the distance of which,
from any branch of the tree sufficiently strong
to bear such a weight, must have been seven
or eight feet.

As we could discover no old marks, he
must have carried the others by a direct leap
over the wall, an effort requiring extraordinary
strength and activity. I have called it leopard
but I rather think it was a panther, an ani-
mal larger than a leopard.

On another occasion a native Doctor in-
formed me that a tiger had just killed a year-
ling bullock close to his house, and that he

-

LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS. 127

was still in a Rhar* field at the back of the
town, and eagerly solicited me to go and kill
him. I went to the guard house,, & four soldiers
immediately volunteered to accompany me.
A number of people with arms and noisy in-
struments were already assembled at the
place, to drive him out of the field. We took
our station, on a bank between the field and
jungle, and I directed two only of the soldiers
to fire at him when I gave the signal, and the
other two, to reserve their fire, lest he should
attack us; which precaution together with
rny second barrel, I thought sufficient to en-
sure our keeping him off, if we did not kill
him. The people beat through the field twice,
without seeing him, and were all inclined to
give up the search, concluding that he must
have gone off to the jungle which was near,
but the Doctor persisted in asserting that he
must still be there; I therefore desired them
to beat it a third time, observing that theijr

* Rhar is a kind of vetch, a speices of Lupin that
grows on a shrub from four to six feet high.

128 LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS.

numbers being now considerably increased,
they might keep so close to one another,, that
if he were there he must come out. Before
they had traversed half the field, we observed
something creeping by the side of the Rhar,
not apparently larger than a jackal,, which
we conceived it to be; It at last quitted the
Rhar field, and we instantly discovered that it
was a leopard : he would have passed about
fifteen or twenty yards from us, if we had not
interrupted him, by firing at him, when at the
distance of fifty yards.

As soon as the report was heard, we saw him
drop, rise again immediately, and run straight
towards us; on looking round, I found that
all the soldiers had fired, for they were all
four reloading their guns ; this being the case,
I determined to keep my second fire until he
came quite close to us ; however, he changed
his course, and made off towards a hill that
wras near, formed of large rocks and loose
stones; when he had fairly turned his back, I
discharged my other barrel at him,, mounted

LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS. 129

my horse as quickly as possible, and rode
round to the opposite side of the hill., to see if
he passed over it, and into the jungle; not
seeing- him,, I was certain that he had stopped
in the hill. By this time, there were at least
five hundred persons present, who went over
the hill, which did not cover more than an
acre of ground, without seeing the leopard ; I
insisted that he was there, and they ascended
it a second time ; at last, we heard a man cry
out, as if wounded; which was presently fol-
lowed by a general shout; we soon found
that the leopard was killed.

One man came on him suddenly, where he
lay between two rocks, upon which the leo-
pard sprung at him, and seized him with his
mouth by the thigh ; another man close by,
seeing it, cut at him with his sword, and made
him quit his hold ; he then instantly seized
the man who cut him by the neck, but a num-
ber quickly coming to his assistance, disen-
gaged him, and literally cut the leopard to
pieces. On examining his body, two balls
K

130 LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS.

had entered; one near the heart, the other
near the hip.

I have inserted this account, as a warning
to others, shewing how imprudent it is, ever to
attack such animals on foot. The men were
severely wounded but recovered.

There are two kinds of animals, whether of
the panther or of the leopard species, I cannot
say, that are kept by the opulent natives,
trained to kill deer, and kno\vn by the name of
cheetah and secharghoosh. I saw two of the
former when they were led out with leathers
over their eyes by a servant belonging to the
Rajah of Furruckabad. They w ere beauti-
ful animals, in form very like grey-hounds,
and just of their general size, with small
black spots over their bodies. Two of the
latter kind I also saw that once belonged to
Tippoo. They were sent to England in the
Earl Howe Indiaman as a present to his late
Majesty. They were rather of a brownish
colour and nearly of the same make and size

LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS* 131

as the cheetahs, and are now I believe in the
tower. I saw them on board the ship when
they were very dirty, but could not discern
any spots on them, which perhaps might have
appeared when their skins were clean,

It is distressing to see them catch the deer;
they are led out in chains with blinds over
their eyes, and sometimes they are carried
out in carts, and whenever antelopes or other
deer are seen on a plain, should any one of
them be separated from the rest, the chee-
tah's head is brought to face it, the blinds
removed, arid the chain taken off.

He immediately crouches, and creeps along
with his belly almost touching the ground
until he gets within a short distance of the
deer, who although seeing him approach,
appears fascinated, and seldom attempts to
run away. The cheetah then makes a few
surprising springs and seizes him by the neck*
If many deer are near each other, they often
escape by flight; their numbers I imagine

132 LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS-

giving them confidence, and preventing their
feeling the full force of that fascination which
to a single deer produces a sort of panic, and
appears to divest him of the power or even
inclination to run away, or make any resis-
tance. It is clear that they must always
catch them by stealth, or in the manner I
have described, for they are not so swift even
as common deer.

Antelopes are the swiftest of all deer. The
keeper carries with him some carrion, com-
monly bullocks liver, which he gives the
cheetahs when they have caught a deer to
induce them to surrender it. They are then
allowed to satisfy their hunger and are again
blinded and chained. I believe they seldom
if ever kill more than one deer with each
cheetah or seeharghoosh on the same day.
Two are often loosened after the same deer,
but more frequently, after two, or a herd.

Foxes are numerous in all parts of India.
They are about half the size of the English

LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS. 133

fox, of a greyish colour, with large black
brushes to their tails, which are most times
tipped with white. They are beautiful ani-
mals,, and live chiefly on rats and mice, and
other small animals : afford excellent amuse-
ment to sportsmen, by being coursed with
grey-hounds.

They having the power of turning remark-
ably quick, often baffle the dogs, and escape
to their earths, of which there are generally
three or four beds, \vithin a couple of miles ;
and for this reason they afford no sport in
being hunted with hounds. Jackals are the
game which English Gentlemen generally
hunt with hounds in India.

Porcupines are common in most parts of
India, and live chiefly in earths, often under
old mud forts, or other ruins, and feed on
bulbous roots and herbs. I do not think
they ever afford any amusement to sports-
men; but they are sometimes, dug, or smo-
ked out of their earths; in doing which, there
K3

134 ClHEETAHS & SEEHARGHOOSIIS.

is some danger of being wounded by their
quills when they rnsh out. But the general
idea of their having the power of throwing
their quills, is erroneous. They can only
erect them as a defence, and sometimes in the
act of doing this quickly, they fall out, but
not with sufficient force to cause any serious
injury.

On reading the 8th. Vol. of Asiatic Re-
searches, since the preceeding sheets have
been printed, I have met with an account of
Gayals, by H. T. Colebrooke Esqr. which
appear by his description, to be animals of the
same species as the gour noticed at page 56,
but not of so large a size, or so vicious. The
animal described by a Bengal Officer, and in-
troduced by Mr. Kerr, in his translation of
Linnaeus's Systema Naturce, under the appel-
lation of Bos Arna appears to me to be the
gour of Ramghur, which Mr. Colebrooke
thinks should be rejected from all systems of
Zoology, merely from his supposing that they
have mistaken the wild buffalo for it, owing

GOUR. 135

perhaps to their using the word arna. Arna
being the Hindoostanee name for wild buffalo.

The wild buffalo is very common in Bengal
and is always of a black colour with very long
horns, whereas the gour has short horns, and
is of a bay or reddish brown colour. The for-
mer inhabits low marshy ground, and the
latter the hills and forests. If any doubt re-
mains of the existence of such animals, a true
history of them may be easily procured. —
Gour is the name they are known by in Ram-
ghur, but it may not be the proper Hindoo-
stance name of the animal.

CHAP. VII.

PEOPLE BREAKING UP A MARKET AND DE-
SERTING A VILLAGE IN CONSEQUENCE
OF THE ARRIVAL OF MY ELEPHANT
WITH A TENT.— JOY EXPERIENCED BY A
NATIVE ON RECEIVING A COMMON
KNIFE AS A PRESENT.— THEIR EXTRAOR-
DINARY METHOD OF ASSEMBLING AND
SPORTING. AN ACCOUNT OF THE PRIN-
CIPAL INHABITANTS OF THE HILLS.— QF
IRON MANUFACTURERS, AND THEIR SIM-
PLE METHOD OF MAKING THE IRON.—
OTHER SPECIMENS OF THE SIMPLICITY
OF THE PEOPLE, SHEWING HOW THEY
RESEMBLE THESE MENTIONED IN OUR
SACRED HISTORY.— THEIR METHOD OF
BREAKING IN BULLOCKS FOR PLOUGH-
ING.—AN ANECDOTE THAT OCCURED ON
A HOG HUNTING EXCURSION.

HAVING an Iron concern at Pitturea in small
Nagpore, I had occasion to go there. My

EXCURSION TO FIXTURE A. 137

elephant loaded with a tent arrived at the
place a short time before me; it happened
to be on a market day, and I was informed
that three or four thousand people were as-
sembled, when my elephant appeared; at the
sight of it, they all decamped, so that at the
time of my arrival, there was not the least ap-
pearance of a market; the head man of the
place came to me and begged that I would
not be alarmed at the circumstance, observing,
that they had ran away from the supposition
that a battalion of soldiers were approaching,
and that he could not persuade them to the
contrary ; that he was obliged to send off an
express to the Rajah at Palcote about sixty
miles distant, to explain the particulars, or
the market people would give him false infor-
mation and drive him from his residence into
the thickest jungles ; for such was his dread
of the English Lascar [troops] that he had
made a vow to his father never to see an En-
glishman ! the cause of it was well known to
the inhabitants and commonly talked of, but
as it is not my intention to enter into any poli-

138 EXCURSION TO PITTUREA.

tical disquisition, I shall only observe that our
jurisdiction did not then extend to this coun-
try,, which was considered only tributary to
the English.

I requested the head man to procure me a
few people the next morning to beat the
covers, as I intended to amuse myself with
shooting. In the evening I heard the Nag-
arrah [great drum] beating on a high tree;
and I was surprised in the morning to see five
or six hundred people assembled around rny
tent, armed with bows and arrows, spears and
swords; two of them only having match-lock-
guns. They all accompanied me to the sport,
but I had not the least controul over them, in
fact, they were too anxious to kill the game
themselves to listen to my directions, taking
it for granted that all I wanted, was to have
game killed; and indeed had they attended
to what I said, I do not think they would have
understood my language, as I could not under-
stand theirs. Although I saw several deer, I
could not fire at any through fear of wounding

INHABITANTS OF THE HILLS. 139

the people. They killed with their arrows
several small animals,, a peacock, and an
owl of large size, and most beautiful plumage.

To one of the young men who was extreme-
ly active, I gave an English sixpenny clasp
knife, and when I shewed him how to open it,
he was so delighted that he fell on the ground
salaming, [the most submissive obeisance]
and I could not prevent his accompanying me
two days march on my return.

The inhabitants of the hills near Monghier
and Bauglepore called Pahariahs; are of
short stature, with large flat noses, and their
hair is like wool; altogether they resemble the
Africans on the coast of guinea. In small
Nagpore the people are much of the same sta-
ture, with the same kind of hair, and are cal-
led Coles and Daungers. * In the interrne-

* Daungers in a body of fifty to a hundred, leave their
own country in search of work and go to Gyah, Patna^ or
Penarcs., or wherever there are large works going on, as

140 INHABITANTS OF THE HILLS.

diate part of the same range of hills forming
the district of Ramghur, the inhabitants ap-
pear to be a mixture between the before
mentioned people, and the inhabitants of the
lower part of Bengal ; their hair being long,
and their noses not remarkably flat or sharp.
The greater part of them are known by the
appellation of Buoyeahs and Bouctas, who
according to their tradition were the abori-
gines of that country, but from appearences, I
should judge that they descended from an
intercourse between the hill people with wool-

cutting water courses, digging tanks &c. &c. and as soon
as they have saved a few rupees, they always return to
their native hills, where they live on it a year or two.
Rice their chief article of food, being there very cheap.
A Daunger may be hired at Chittrah to go to Calcutta
which is upwards of three hundred miles, and return with
a heavy load carried on a bargy for three rupees, eight
annas, which is eight shillings and nine pence. — Their
usual load is 18 Bottles of wine, I have often known
them to carry two dozen. — most of the wine drank at
Chittrah whilst I was there, was conveyed thither in this
way.

INHABITANTS OF THE HILLS. 141

ly hair and flat noses [who I imagine were
the aborigines of that country] and the Ben-
galees.

These are Hindoos, and probably their
casts go by other names in the S/iaster or
Barren Sunker. They have a great venera-
tion for Brahmins, but eat of almost every
kind of animal food, and few of them object
to drink spiritous liquors. They have always
been accustomed to decide their disputes by
punchite, which is an assemblage of a num-
ber of their own cast, to whom all injuries as
well as quarrels are referred for decision.
They have a thorough belief in witch-craft.
A very curious circumstance happened while
I was at Chittrah, during Earl Cornwallis's
Government.

A man accused a woman of witch-craft, on
which,, a punchite assembled, and condemned
her. She was stoned to death,, and her father
or brother [I do not recollect which,] threw
the first stone. Several people, among whom

142 INHABITANTS OF THE HILLS.

were some of her near relatives, were appre-
hended by the Magistrate, tried for the murder,
and condemned by the circuit Judges, who for-
warded a representation of the whole affair to
the Governor General, by whom a special de-
putation was sent to inquire into the particu-
lars of the prevailing custom. The conse-
quence was, the criminals were forgiven, but
a proclamation was issued, forbidding the pra-
ticein future, on penalty of death.

Whenever a woman had been found by her
cast, guilty of witch-craft it had been the cus-
tom from time immemorial, to suspend around
her neck, two earthen pots, half filled with
sand or stones, and then to throw her into the
water. If she sunk, they considered her in-
nocent, and endeavoured to save her, but if
she floated, they stoned her to death. *

* Exodus, Chap. 22, V. 18, " Thou shall not suffer a
« witch to live."

Formerly it was a common practice in England to nail
a horse shoe to the threshold of the door, to prevent

INHABITANTS OF THE HILLS. 143

Throughout the jungles every here and
there,, may be seen a collection of large
stones, from twenty to a hundred ; raised six
or eight feet above the ground, and from
eighteen inches to two feet diameter; some
standing perpendicularly,, others obliquely,,
and some lying flat on the ground between
them.

There was a collection of these stones near
my house,, and in taking out some of them for
steps to my front door, we found under one of
them an earthen pot; the mouth of which
was well closed with a resinous cement;
I expected that it contained treasure, but to
my great mortification, it proved to be a wo~

j *******************************

witches from entering. Even to this day it is sometimes
used by the illiterate in many parts of this country. In
India the same idea prevails, and horse shoes may be of-
ten seen nailed to their thresholds. This, with many
other old customs, being alike in both countries, indicate
that there must have been a communication formerly with
the Inhabitants of this Island, and the Hindoos.

144 INHABITANTS OF THE HILLS

man's brass ornaments weighing at least three
or four pounds; under it some human bones
were dug up,, which induced me to conclude
the spot to have been a place of burial, and
I imagine, the stones were intended as a de-
fence of the dead bodies against animals of
prey.

Such a method of burying the dead was un-
known to any of the people of whom I made
enquiry, nor had they any tradition by which
they could account for such collections of
stones, which however, were supposed to be
marks where there had been villages, inhabi-
ted by Bouctas.

There are other casts of Hindoos who in-
habit the district of Ramghur, and gain their
livelihood by manufacturing iron, with which
the whole country is more or less impregnated,
and it is the chief article of exportation.

The first class of these people I shall des-
cribe are known by the name of Augureeas,
and are of the very lowest description of human

AUGUREEAS. 145

beings. In the hot months they are all naked
with the exception of a small piece of leather
or rag hanging from their middle ; but in the
cold and rainy season,, most of them have the
skin of some animal thrown over their bodies.
Their huts are loosely made with greetj
'branches of trees, thinly covered with grass,
not sufficient to shelter them from any incle-
mency of weather.

The only cattle they keep, are a few goats,
and they do not cultivate the land. Their
method of manufacturing iron is the most
simple that can possibly be imagined. Having
cut down wood and burnt it into charcoal,
they collect at the bottom of the hills the
stones which, as being good judges they know
are much impregnated with iron ore, and af-
ter every heavy fall of rain are found in such
abundance on the surface, that I believe they
seldom if ever dig for any. These stones with
the charcoal, they carry on bangys* to the

Bangy is a split bamboo, or other elastic piece of
L

146 MANUFACTURING IRON.

spot where they have erected their chimnies,
for smelting. The chimriies are formed of
clay., on a ground work of stones, about four
feet and half high, and eighteen inches
diameter., with the funnel about nine inch-
es wide; two openings are made in each
chimney; one at the bottom through which
the lava or dross runs off, the other a little
above, through which, by removing a stone
or two, the iron is taken out.

On a level with the top of the chimney, a
stage is erected, covered with leaves or mats,
on which are deposited the stones containing
the ore, pounded as small as nutmegs, and
the charcoal is also broken small. For bellows
they use two circular wooden, or earthen
bowls, with flat bottoms, about fourteen inches
diameter; into each of which a hollow bam-
boo, of about two feet and a half long is fixed ;

wood carried across the shoulder, to which two strings
or nets are fastened, and to them the burdens are fixed.

MANUFACTURING IRON. 147

the other ends of them being inserted into
the chimney; the bowls are covered \vith
the skins of animals,, arid in the middle of each,
a small slit is made ; the skins are kept al-
ways wet, and it is the business of the
females to stand on them, and by their rest-
ing on each leg alternately, the bowls act as
two pair of bellows, or rather as a blacksmith's
forge bellows, keeping up a constant stream
of air on the fire.

They hold a small wooden shovel in their
hands with which they supply the chimney
with ore and charcoal, and at the same time are
often loaded with a child or two at their
backs. When the lower part is choaked by
being full of iron, they take it out in a lump,
weighing from sixty to seventy pounds. It is
also a part of the female's duty to break the
stones, and charcoal. When good stones
for their purpose, or wood fit for making char-
coal becomes scarce near their huts, they re-
move to some other spot, seldom remaining
at one place more than a month or two.
Li

148 MANUFACTURING IRON.

Sometimes whole families of them are des-
troyed by tigers. — The lumps of iron which
they make, contain a considerable quantity of
dross,, they therefore sell or barter it to a class
of people denominated Loharias, whom they
also supply with charcoal, arid whose busi-
ness is solely con lined to purifying* and manu-
facturing the iron into pegs, about thirteen
inches long, weighing seven or eight pounds,
which they sell or barter again to Biparics,
who bring tobacco, course clolhs, cow-tails,
and a variety of articles from the low coun-
tries to exchange for it.

The cow-tails are very large and bushy,
full of fine silken hairs, and come from a par-
ticular breed of bullocks in Asam of a white
colour. By opulent natives and many Eu-
ropeans they are put into silver handles for
the purpose of keeping off flies. They are
also used as ornaments to their shields, bows,
and to a variety of things. The princi-
pal marts for them are Benares and Patna,
and they are sold by weight. From these

MANUFACTURING IRON. 149

places, they are sent to all parts of India; a
great number to Ramghur to exchange for
iron and other merchandise, from thence,
most of them are again transported into the
Marhatta country where they are much va-
lued. The iron is sold at the places where
it is thus made, at the rate of about a penny
per pound. The principal place to which it
is carried is the city of Patna ; It is convey-
ed there by Biparics, on the backs of bul-
locks, each bullock carrying about three
hundred pounds weight, — a distance from
where it is manufactured of a hundred and six-
ty, to a hundred and eighty miles. From
thence it is transported to most parts of India
by water.

The head residence of the Loharias is cal-
led Belleah, and is about forty miles from
Chittrah, in the direct road to Ramghur.
At that place the Sardar or chief of the Lo-
harias always resides, who regulates the
price of iron throughout the country, and
decides all disputes relating to the manufac-
L3

150 MANUFACTURING IRON.

tnry, between the Augurecas, Lohars, and
Loharias; and on extraordinary occasions,
assembles a punchite, of which he is always
the president. It therefore seldom happens
that any disputes amongst these people are
carried to the Judge of the district for his
decision.*

* I was at BeMeah during the vernal festival of the
iy and was much gratified to see several old men, at
least sixty years of age, dcincing on the green and throw-
ing Habbear [pink powder] over one another with as
much cheerfulness and glee as if they had been chil-
dren. It is a strange coincidence that at this festival,
which generally finishes about the end of March or be-
gining of April that they should have the custom of mak-
ing Hull fool [as we have of making April fools on
the 1st. of that month] by sending letters and making
appointments in the names of persons who are known
to be absent from their homes, and the laugh against
the fool, is proportionable to the goodness of the plot. —
They have another vernal festival named Bhuviya on
the 9th. of Baisach) exclusively for such as keep horn-
ed cattle for use or profit, when they erect a pole and
adorn it with garlands, and perform much the same rites
as used to be adopted by the English on the Ist^ a(

MANUFACTURING IRON. 151

There is also another class of people resi-
ding; in the hills,, who manufacture iron,,
known by the name of Lohars, * not so res-
pectable as the LokariaSj nor so indigent as
the Augur eeas. They smelt the iron from
the stones, and manufacture it into pegs, but
not of so pure a quality as that made by the
Loharias. The Lohars have fixed habita-
tions, cultivate some ground, and sell and
barter their iron to Biparies. In some parts
of the country towards Monghier, they smelt
the iron from sand, collected from the rivers
after heavy floods; which is considered of
the best quality.

It is extremely curious to observe with
what simplicity most of their manufactories
are carried on. The Shepherd as he looks
after his flock,, may be seen having a small

May, which is another strange coincidence in the cus-
toms of the two countries. With the Hindoos these
are very ancient festivals.

* Lohah is the Hindoostanee word for iron.
L4

152 MANUFACTORIES.

stick with a reel at one end and a weight at
the other, twisting worsted as he wralks about ;
the wool he cuts off the sheep's back as he
uses it. His wife or children, out of doors,
and sometimes in the same field where the
flocks are grazing, weaving it into course
blankets which are sold at about two shillings
or half a crown each.

The Palanquin bearers [or carriers] in
Calcutta, whilst they are waiting for their
master or mistress at shops, or gentlemen's
houses, may be frequently seen twisting
twine from flax or hemp, whilst others of the
same set, are knitting it into nets to fish with
when they return to their villages, which they
do as soon as they have saved a little money ;
when others repair to Calcutta to supply their
places.

The method of manufacturing sugar is
equally simple. The canes are cut, and the
juice ground from them on the same spot
where they are cultivated; and the dry stalks

MANUFACTORIES 153

of the canes, after being* expressed, serve for
fuel to evaporate the juice to sugar, which is
done also in the same place.

I have often contemplated *«t the simplicity
with which every thing is carried on in India,
and I really think, that no person of the least
observation can reside long in the interior of
the country among these people, and read
our sacred history without being* forcibly
struck with a similarity in the simplicity of
their manners and manufactories. — For in-
stance— "Ordering the oxen not to be muz-
zled when treading out the corn.'* The na-
tives of India, as the Jews, have the custom of
treading out all their grain by means of oxen ;
but I am riot aware that they strictly follow
the injunctions of the law in allowing the oxen
always to remain unmuzzled.

"The Sick to take up their beds and walk,"
which was the command of our Saviour at the
time of his miraculous cure; is forcibly
brought to our mind by the prevailing habit

154 MANUFACTORIES.

of this people carrying their beds with them,,
which are so very light that men are often
met in India with them on their backs, and at
the same time carrying all the little property
they possess with them, consisting of a few
brass or copper cooking utensils.

In the Bible it is often enjoined to build
and take care of wells, water courses, and
plantations. There is a physical cause for
this, which operates the same in India as in
the holy land, namely the scarcity of water
in the hot season, and to defend travellers
from the oppressive heat of the sun's rays;
which in India is the cause of trees being
planted, wells, tanks, and water courses dug,
at the expense of the proprietors of the villa-
ges, for the accomodation of all.

So general is the idea of their being neces-
sary ; that it is common with most of the rich
Hindoos to bequeath a large sum of money
to dig a well, or tank, and to plant a tope,
[which is a plantation of mango trees] close

MANUFACTORIES. 155

to it, as a memorial of their benevolence to
their fellow creatures.

It is also frequently inculcated in the Bible
to be kind to Bondsmen,, and to be frequent in
ablutions to keep the body clean. Wherever
bondage or any other species of slavery is so
common as in India, it becomes good policy
to treat them with kindness and humanity;
which I believe is generally practised in India.
The Hindoos every morning before they offer
their prayers to the almighty, undergo abluti-
on, and seldom partake of any meal without
doing the same, (if they have the means)
which they repeat after having eaten.

In hot climates frequent ablutions have
been found from experience to be beneficial
to health, as well as a comfort to the people,
and is therefore wisely enacted in the divine
code.

The various superstitions of the Hindoos,
with many of their forms of religion such as

156 MANUFACTORIES.

frequent offerings of animals sacrificed — divi-
sion into tribes or casts — their method of
cultivating their land — having but few fences
— following the same business as their fore-
fathers, and a variety of other customs, all
coinciding to show that India,, even now, re-
presents a country peopled by such as are
mentioned in our sacred history.

Doctor Prichard i tikis learned researches in-
to the Physical history of man, makes the fol-
lowing observations. (f We set out in the
fc historical inquiry which has occupied the
fc last chapter, with the observation that the
tf traces of connexion which we have marked
<( between the Indians and Egyptians are so
" full and extensive, that they can be accoun-
(C ted for in 110 other way than by supposing
" these nations,, though distinctly separated at
' ' the period of authentic history, to have for-
" med in an earlier age but one people.

cc In the days of the patriarch Abraham two
<c great monarchies existed in the world, the

HINDOO CUSTOMS. 157

Cf Empfre of Elam and the kingdom of Egypt.
tc The dominions of the former bordering on
<c the territories of the latter. The subjects
Cf of the first were the Indo — Persians of Hin-
<c dus ; the inhabitants of the second were
cc the Egyptians."

It is wonderful to think that their manners
and customs have not changed during such a
long period of time. On my return to Eng-
land from India after an absence of but a few
years comparitively speaking, I found such
an alteration in the appearance of the people
as far surpasses,, according to my idea, the
change the Hindoos have undergone from the
time the sacred history was written to the
present day.

It was not my intention to enter into any
disquisition on the religion of the Hindoos,
or to vindicate in the smallest degree any of
its absurdities; yet I cannot help looking
with consideration on the poor Hindoo, who
adopts them punctiliously from a conviction

158 HINDOO CUSTOMS.

of their being essential to his salvation. In
describing a few of their customs and manu-
factories I have been led on to make these
general observations, which were strongly im-
pressed on my mind, and having written thus
much, I shall further observe that I am fearful
of the consequences of missionaries and others
interfering with their religion, lest in their
anxiety to remove some of their long esta-
blished customs, they should go too far, and
cause the whole country to revolt; even
should they succeed in dissuading them from
their religion, the question is, will they be
able to persuade them to adopt another ? and
if in this latter case they should not succeed,
I conceive they would deprive them of the
greatest comfort in this life, — Faith in their
religion.

We should not hastily condemn the cus-
toms of the Hindoos because they are riot
agreeable to our own way of thinking. It
would ill become a man who is fond of hunt-
ing and shooting to condemn as a foolish pre-

COMPARED WITH THE ENGLISH. 159

judice, their not liking to take away the life of
any animal.

Let us but place ourselves for a moment in the
situation of the Hindoos, how many customs
have we which must appear to them ridicu-
lous, for example. — What must they think of
our dress varying- every year. At one time
wearing- wigs made with the hair of others,
both living and dead. At another time, clog-
ging our hair with grease and flour, sufficient
to feed a Plindoo. Removing teeth from one
living person to another. Distorting our bo-
dies into ail manner of shapes by our dress.
At one time making- ourselves appear to have
very long waists, at another, remarkably
short. At one time making ourselves appear
as -if we had no necks; at another, making
them appear as long as possible with stiffen-
ings, which almost prevent our heads from
moving. In fact, — we cannot ourselves look
back for centuries on the costumes of our an-
cestors without smiling at the folly of those
who adopted them. Whereas, their customs

160 HINDOO CUSTOMS.

and dress have always remained the same,
and in consequence of its simplicity, a deform-
ed person is seldom seen amongst them.

Zealous Christians may blame me for dis-
approving of our interfering- with their reli-
gion, with the view of converting- them to
Christian ity, but I believe there are very few
who have been long in India who do not on
that point agree with me; and also think w ith
me, that the natives known by the appellation
of Kalla Feringees [Black Christians] are
the worst race of people inhabiting that part
of the world.

It is, however, the duty of every Christian
who has it in his power, mildly to dissuade
Hindoo Widows from burning themselves,
Parents from destroying their offspring, and
others from inflicting on themselves horrid
penances and self destruction; but I hope
no coercive measures will be resorted to, even
for this, being well convinced that it will have
an effect directly opposite to the one intended,

HINDOO CUSTOMS. 161

Mr. Colebrook in his account of the duties
of a faithful Hindoo Widow, in the 4th. Vol.
of the Asiatic Researches, remarks that a Sati
is of rare occurrence,, and I should think his
observation just, for during upwards of 18
years residence amongst these people I never
had an opportunity of witnessing the cere-
mony.

From the accounts lately given by Missio-
naries and others, it appears now to be very
common, which I attribute to the great notice
that has been taken of it by Europeans, if not
owing to their interference. In my opinion,
good example,' and the gradual enlightening
their minds, will in time do more than any
exertions of Missionaries and Priests towards
changing the religion of the Hindoos.

Sir Wm. Jones in his account of the Gods
of Greece, Italy, and India, makes the follow-
ing observations." We may assure our-
<c selves, that neither Musslemans or Hindoo?;
M

162 HINDOO CUSTOMS.

(( will ever be converted by any mission from
ff the Church of Rome or any other Church,"

The natives of India have a very strange
method of breaking in their bullocks for
ploughing. The cattle with which they
plough the ground are in general small, yel
they are strong enough for the purpose, the
earth being only turned up a few inches deep.
The larger cattle are selected for carriage,, or
for drawing hackeries [carts.] They are
first yoked to an experienced bullock,, and as
most of them are of an obstinate restiff dispo-
sition., they soon lie down. To make them
rise, the men twist their tails, and if that does
notsucceed, a man throws a tiger's or leopard's
skin over his head, and runs towards the bul-
lock, which never fails of making him get up
immediately. After three or four repetitions
of this, they seldom ever attempt to lie down.
It has the same effect on bullocks which have
never been in a country inhabited by tigers or
leopards, and therefore they could never
seen a skin of the kind before.

HINDOO CUSTOMS. 163

It is remarkable that horses which are bold
in disposition, and quiet in management
when first they come into the hilly country,
should soon become timid, and frequently
start at trifling objects. I can account for it
in no other way, than their having at some
time or other smelt a tiger or leopard, and
natural instinct causes that fear.

Previously to my being at Chittrah, a Mr.
Archibald Keir had resided there on a mining
speculation, I was informed that he found
silver, copper and tin in small quantities, also
coal, and a large vein of lead, from which he
made a considerable return, notwithstanding
which, he sustained great loss in the concern,
more I believe from not meeting with the pro-
tection and encouragement he deserved, than
from any other cause. Gold abounds in that
country; and in Tomar there is a hill called
Sonah Pahar, [golden hill] at the foot of
which large quantities of gold maybe collect-
ed. Two Gentlemen had entered into an
engagement to invest a large sum of money
M 2

164 GOLD.

in the speculation of collecting1 and manufac-
turing it, but the death of one of them frustra-
ted their plan. Gold dust may be seen in
all the beds of the rivers after heavy falls of
rain, and diamonds are occasionly found in
them*

Talk is also plentiful in Currucdea, which
is a part of the same range of hills towards

* A Gentleman residing in Ramghur was informed
that a petty Rajah, who resided on the borders of the
English territories, possessed an immense diamond, of
considerable value. For a long time the Gentleman
used every art in his power to procure a sight of this
diamond with the hopes of purchasing it, but without
success. The Rajah declared that no European should
ever see it ; however, at last, by repeated entreaties he
was prevailed on to visit the Gentleman ; he carried the
diamond with him, which being produced, caused consi-
derable mortification to all parties, it proving to be a cut
glass stopper of a decanter, which most probably had
been dropped in one of the beds of the rivers by some
Officer's servant; where it was found by one of the 7?*7-
jah's people.

DIAMONDS. 165

MuHghicr. Gum Lac and Dammah a kind
of resin are produced in most parts of Ram-
ghur, and are articles of exportation. Kino
is also produced in large quantities throughout
the hills; it is extracted from a tree called by
the Natives Kyre, in the following manner.
They cut down the trees and hew them into
small pieces, which by boiling gives out the
kino,, they then evaporate it to an extract.
This with areca nut and betle leaf, is chewed
by all the natives of India.

A course kind of silk known by the name
of tussar, is produced there in large quan-
tities. The insects are much larger than the
common silk worm, the coocoons or chrysalis
being full double their size, and the butterfly
is one of the most beautiful creatures imagi-
nable.

The silk is manufactured in many parts of
the country into pieces which are chiefly worn
by the women as petticoats. In some manu-
factories it is mixed with fine silk, and in oth-

M3

166 WILD SILK.

ers with cotton. I believe that the Insect may
be met with there in its wild state. The silk
is obtained with very little trouble. The
people who make it their business to propo-
gate the insect,, prepare a number of large
trees in the jungle [called by the Natives As-
sen] by burning grass and wood under them
to drive away all other insects; they then
smear part of the stalks of the trees with a
sticky substance consisting of petroleum or
dammah and oil, which prevents ants from
ascending them,, or they would soon destroy
all the caterpillars. The caterpillars are then
placed on the trees, and when they have
eaten all the leaves,, they are removed to
others, and so kept, until they begin to spin
the silk, when they are carried to their hou-
ses, and in proper time they are sold to Bi-
paries; keeping a sufficient quantity to
breed from.

In travelling through the country, great
numbers of those trees may be seen with their
foliage thus destroyed. Quere ? If those in*

WILD SILK. 167

sects were fed on mulberry leaves, and kept
in houses, if it would improve the texture of
the silk.

A very ludicrous circumstance occurred
when I was hog hunting in the district of
Bahar, with two Gentlemen; one of them a
keen sportsman, and dexterous in the use of
the spear; the other a spruce sort of a man,
wrho would now be styled a Dandy, though
very fond of accompanying sportsmen, talked
a great deal of the sport, but w as not famed
for killing. It so happened that two hogs
came out of a sugar plantation at the same
time, and at the side where the keen sportsman
and myself were stationed : the Beau was on
the other side of the plantation, but it was
sometime before he learnt that \ve were gone
off in pursuit of the hogs. As he rode round
to the opposite side of the sugar cane, he had
to pass over some opium ground, in which an
old woman was then sowing the seed ; in gal-
loping up to her, to enquire the direction we
had taken, his horse started at a white cloth,
M4

168 ANECDOTE.

laid out on a bank with seeds on it, and threw
the Gentleman into the liquid mud, with
which he was completely bedaubed, to the
ruin of a fine pair of new buck skins ; as soon
as he got up,, he ran to horse-whip the old
woman for leaving her cloth there, when the
poor creature seeing him in such a miserable
plight, hastened to meet him, and began to
wipe away the mud from his cloaths. Whether
lie was frightened at the old woman's run-
ning to meet him, or that her kindness soft-
ened his anger I cannot say, but when we re-
turned, it was evaporating in a volley of
abuse, but as his language was a mixture of
English and Hindoostanee, she fortunately
could not understand a word he uttered : a ser-
vant present explained to us the whole affair,
and on our return to dinner, where a large
party was assembled, it may be easily sup-
posed, the Beau was well roasted.

CHAP. VIII.

NAWAUB VIZIER ASOP-UL-DOWLAH'S ME-
THOD OF SPORTING.

THIS Prince took the field at all seasons of
the year, but more frequently in the months
of March, April, and May; at these times the
best sport was expected, the covers being thin,
and the animals of the forest in the greatest
abundance, where cover and water could be
found together, or near to each other. The
excursion was talked of, and preparations
made during many preceeding months. All
the court, great part of his army, and seraglio,
accompanied him ; a guard only being left for
the protection of his capital. About ten
thousand Cavalry, nearly the same number
of Infantry, thirty or forty pieces of Artillery,
and from seven to eight hundred elephants,
attended. The number of bullocks, camels,
carts &c. for the tents and baggage were innu-

170 VIZIER'S

merable. For himself, his women, Ministers,
European Gentlemen of his suit, and visitors,
double sets of tents were sent off, of large di-
mensions. Some with extensive enclosures,
made of cloth and bamboos, about seven feet
high, forming a kind of wall round each tent,
of a hundred yards or more in circumference.

In the rainy season, or whenever the
ground was damp or wet, square wooden ta-
bles with feet about ten inches high, and four
feet diameter, made to fit close to one another,
were placed in the tents, forming1 a floor
which covered the whole space within; on
these, carpets were spread, which made them
perfectly dry and comfortable.

A market accompanied, them supplied with
every article the country afforded, consisting
of from forty to sixty thousand persons, or per-
haps more, * who carried their grain and mer-

* The reader may well be surprised at the immense
number; yet he may be assured that I am not dealing

SHOOTING. 171

chandise on camels, carts, bullocks, tattoos,
[small ponies,] asses, and on men's backs on
bangys. The day before the Vizier sallied
forth, a set of tents, with all their appendages,
were forwarded and pitched on the spot fixed
on for their first day's halt, and another set at
the same time, were sent on to the next stage,
so that by being forwarded alternately, a set
were always ready to receive them.

Most of the bazar or market people travel-
led at night, and exposed their goods for sale
from eight or nine o'clock in the morning, un-
til dark. The route was often towards the
Thibet mountains, and a part of the army ac-
companied the tents and market.

in the marvellous. The number of followers of an army
in India, can scarcely be conceived by any that have not
seen them. A Gentleman had the curiosity to employ
a person to count the number of followers of the 73rd.
King's Regiment as they passed through the gates of the
city of Patna^ and I was informed they amounted to
upwards of nineteen thousand. The strength of the
Regiment at the time, could not have been more than
700 me»3 as the sick were transported by water.

172 VIZIER'S

Early in the morning his Highness l^ft his
Palace at Lucknow, with a number of noisy
instruments playing before him; as soon as
he was clear of the city and suburbs, a line
was formed with the Naivaub Vizier in the
centre, generally on an elephant elegantly
caparisoned, with two spare elephants, one
on each side of him. The one on his left
bore his state kowdah* empty; the other on
his right, carried his spare guns and ammuni-
tion also in a howdah, in which two men were
placed to load the guns, and give them to his
Highness when required, and to take back
others that had been discharged. Several
guns were kept ready loaded with ball and

* This elephant was thought the finest auimal of the
kind in the country : he was a most majestic creature,
and although not the tallest I have seen, he was altogether
the largest, and in every respect perfect; he was so
great a favorite with the Vizier^ that he gave a conside-
rable estate of land for his maintenance, and his atten-
dants.

SPORTING. 1 73

shot, on each of the two elephants. I believe
that I am \vithin bounds,, when I say that he
took with him from forty to fifty double barrel
guns, besides a number of single barrel long
guns,, rifles, and pistols. Behind him were
several beautiful led horses handsomely capa-
risoned. All his private stud, which were
kept solely for his own riding, accompanied
the camp, and for all of them [amounting to
about three hundred] were provided tents
with a very large inclosure surrounding the
whole, both to secure their comfort and pre-
vent their being seen.* On the right of his
ammunition elephant, his adopted son Vizier
Alley,f tookliis station on a fine animal, also

* None but the Vizier's particular favorites were
ever allowed to see them, excepting when taken out for
him to ride, fearing they might fancy any of them ; after
which, according to their superstitious ideas, they would
not thrive.

t Who after the death of the Nawaub, ascended the
throne and was notorious for having massacred Mr.
Cherry and several other English Gentlemen. He died
at Calcutta in the year 1818, after a confinement of 17

1 74 VIZIER'S

superbly caparisoned,, with His prime minis-
ter Ussan Ruza Kawn on the left of his state
elephant. While all the rest of his court.,
arranged to the right and left, agreeably to
their rank; of which they were extremely
punctilious.

The line of elephants on the march,
amounted to four or five hundred; at each
extremity of them were the cavalry; for-
ming altogether a curved line, with the centre
pointing forward. Close before the Vizier
ran two men with bags of money in eacli
hand, of different degrees of value ; and imme-
diately before them several men carrying
hawks of various kinds; on each side of these,
the dog keepers; each holding a brace or
leash of grey -hounds. * The line thus for-
med, proceeded straight towards the tents,
indiscriminately over cultivated and unculti-

* The author was disgusted to see some beautiful
English dogs, coupled with country dogs, ill formed,
and without a single hair on any part of their bodies.

SPORTING. 175

\ated ground, presenting a most distressing
sight; the poor cultivators running behind
the Vizier's elephant bawling out for mercy,
but were seldom attended to ; however to the
credit of the Vizier, I have been informed, that
many thousand pounds yearly, were allowed
for injury done to them ; none of which I be-
lieve, ever found their way into the pockets of
the sufferers.

When any game was sprung or started,
those near it commenced firing: sometimes
a line of firing was kept up, resembling a feu
de joie, at a poor diminutive quail, and when-
ever the bird Tell, should his Highness have
fired, a general shout of approbation followed
Wah\ Wah\ the Vizier killed it! Should a
jackal or fox be seen, the grey-hounds were
slipped, and the fortunate keeper, whose dog-
caught it, brought the animal to his Highness
with great exultation, and received half a ru-
pee, a rupee, and on extraordinary occasions
a Gold Mohur [value two pounds,] in pro-
portion to the amusement the sport afforded.

1 76 VIZIER'S

The same took place, when a poor dove, cur-
lew, or any other bird was sprung-; not consi-
dered game for the gun, but likely to afford
more sport with the hawks, which were loos-
ened after it, and the fortunate keeper whose
bird caught it, received a reward in like
manner.

When their track was over a barren uncul-
tivated plain where no animals or birds were
likely to be seen ; to amuse the Vizier, some of
the native Gentlemen sallied forth, informing
him, that they had agreed for a bet, to ride a
race to a given spot before them. Bets on
the winner were immediately made by most of
the party, and often to a very large amount.
To a European the race was a most ludicrous
one ; the legs and arms of the riders, appeared
in quicker motion than the feet of the horses,
while their knees were almost on a level with
the point of the shoulder. The horses also
being much on their haunches, galloped high,
and being encumbered with a variety of loose
trappings and ornaments, made more noise
than speed.

SPORTING. 177

At other times tumbling boys, girls, and
men, exhibited their wonderful agility and
skill in front of his Highness. — As soon as a
herd of Antelopes or other deer made their
appearance, the line of elephants halted, or
proceeded slowly ; at the same time, the Ca-
valry quickened their pace, and endeavoured
by closing into a circle, to surround them ; If
they succeeded in this, they lessened the circle
gradually, and an opening was made close to
the Vizier, like an inverted funnel; by which
contrivance his Highness and many of his
courtiers were enabled to fire at them as they
attempted to make their escape, without risk
of hitting one another. Grey-hounds were
slipped after such as were wounded, and the
horsemen galloped after them.

Thus the march was passed to the tents,
where they found refreshments ready prepar-
ed, of which they partook immediately after
undergoing ablution; they then reposed until
the evening; at that time the men of conse-
quence met iu a very large grand tent, unless
N

178 VIZIER'S

the weather \vas very hot., in which case it was
under a Shumeeana (awning) where they
were amused with knotching, (dancing) per-
formed by ten or more sets of dancing girls;
each set consisting of from four to eight cour-
tezans, and nearly the same number of musi-
cians, who always accompanied the Vizier on
these occasions.

In this manner, from ten to fifteen, or twen-
ty days were spent, before they arrived at the
spot determined on for their halting place,
where they expected to meet with abundance
of large game : such as tigers, lions, panthers,
leopards, buffaloes &c. &c. Here they fixed
their encampment ; arid from this time their
sporting was conducted on a much more
grand and formidable scale; though to an
European who never witnessed such scenes, 1
consider the line of march equally amusing.
The first day or two was usually spent in ar-
ranging their encampment, market &c. in
making inquiry aftergame, and in preparing
every thing for the field. All the elephants

SPORTING. 179

and camels that were hitherto used for carry-
ing baggage, were now taken with the rest to
join the sport. The Vizier had with him
about eight hundred elephants; while many
of the opulent natives wrere mounted also on
that noble animal, and carried their tents and
baggage on camels and elephants, all their
own property; so that with this addition, and
some of the Infantry, the cavalcade was tre-
mendous, presenting the appearance of a
large army going to a field of battle, rather
than that of a hunting party.

To battle they actually went, not against
men, but against the destroyers of men. It
should also be taken into consideration that
in such excursions in India they are liable to
meet with enemies and are obliged to be pre-
pared accordingly. They remained three
weeks or a month near the same place, occa-
sionly changing their ground, as they de-
stroyed the animals in the neighbourhood,
and then returned to Lucknow, much in the
same manner and style, as they left it, but
by a different route.

N2

180 YIZIER'S SPORTING.

The number of Tigers, Buffaloes, Hogs.
Deer, and other animals that were killed, can
only be conceived, by the prodigious magni-
tude of the force employed for their destruc-
tion, in a country where they abounded.
Notwithstanding this, should I insert the
number of animals killed on one excursion,
as reported to me from the best authority, my
readers would scarcely credit it.

CHAP. IX.

A SHORT SKETCH OF THE CHARACTER OF
NAWAUB VIZIER ASOP-UL-DOWLAH.

IF the foregoing description of the manner
of sporting has interested the reader, he may
perhaps feel a wish to know somewhat more
of the man who carried it on with so much
splendour and magnificence. I lament that
it is not in my power to delineate him as well
as I could wish. The little I knew of him
from personal observation,, with the few anec-
dotes I have heard, I will endeavour to com-
rnunicate, and I hope the account will not be
uninteresting; although I designedly omit
some of his habits, which in my opinion
are better buried in oblivion. Many Euro-
pean Gentlemen resided long with him, and
it is a matter of surprise that none of them
have ever given to the public his history and
character at large. In this observation I may
be mistaken, but I have never seen any thing

Ns

182 VIZIER'S

more than detached anecdotes of him. He
was indeed a very extraordinary man, and
lived in a style perhaps of more grandeur than
any potentate in the world, since the down-
fall of the kings of India.

Being protected by the English, he was en-
abled to dedicate his whole time to amuse-
ment, so that his history, replete with anec-
dotes, would, if well written, probably afford
more entertainment than most novels. He was
of a moderate stature, rather corpulent, w ith
a handsome face, and sharp penetrating eyes,
and possessed much activity of body for a
man of his size. He possessed great quick-
ness of mind and volubility of tongue, with
no apparent want of capacity to a superficial
observer; yet that his understanding was
weak, might easily be discovered by the style
of his conversation, which dwelt chiefly on
frivolous and childish subjects, and by the
tenor of his actions and habits ; the greater
part of his time being occupied with trifles
and trifling amusements. He was very gene-

CHARACTER. 183

rous and affable, and on most occasions hu-
mane; however, the latter qualification may
be much doubted,, for so contradictory were
his actions, that much may be said on both
sides.

I have been credibly informed that he has
been known, to amuse himself with firing
ball from the fort of Allahabad at pots of
water carried on the heads of persons, passing;
to and from the river Jumna. Although an
excellent marksman, he on these occasions,
shewed great want of feeling ; for to promote
his own amusement, he thus shamefully
exposed to great hazard the lives of the peo-
ple who carried the water pots: of this he
himself was sensible, as appears by the obser-
vation which he has been known to make
<e that it was of little consequence if he killed
" any one, having plenty of subjects in his
" country.'*

I once witnessed on the line of march be-
fore described, his stopping at a tank [pond

N4

184 VIZIER'S

of water] and proposing to the Gentlemen of
the party, that they should fire ball with
pistols at a flower of the lotus, growing
in the centre of the tank, to ascertain who
was the best marksman. On the opposite
side, at a distance of not more than forty yards
from the water, was a public road, or path-
way., on which a constant string of his camp
followers were passing at the time, and I am
certain that more than a hundred balls were
fired, many of them rebounding from the
water across the road, — a sight which made
me shudder; fortunately no person was
wounded.

On all occasions he seemed to have little
consideration for the lives of his subjects, par-
ticularly when following his sport in pursuit
of animals; yet it is said that he always pro-
vided comfortably for such as were maimed,
and for the families of any that were killed;
and he seldom, and with much reluctance,
ordered any punishments. He had a strong
attachment to arid friendship for Colonel John

CHARACTER. 185

Mordant, to whom he owed a considerable
sum of money, and whenever the Colonel
asked for it, his answer was always the same —
ec no, no, my dear Mordant ; If I were to pay
( ' you, you would go to England, which must
' ' not be. I cannot part with you ; — every
f( thing in the world that you can wish, you
cc shall have here."

In many points there was much similiarity
in their characters. The Colonel was rather
illiterate, and passionately fond of all kinds
of sport, in most of which he excelled. He
was the life of all parties at Lucknow, posses-
sing a vast deal of ready wit, and inventive
faculty ; . scarsely a day passing without his
having contrived some new amusement for
his Highness. He was a strong man, and
one of the best marksmen with ball in the
country; had good natural sense, and was
generally liked both by Europeans and nar
tives, though the latter were very jealous of
him, in consequence of the great influence he
held over the Vizier.

186 VIZIER'S

The Vizier attended his funeral at Cawn-
pore, the nearest English Military station to
Lucknow, and wept like a child. It has
been remarked that he never enjoyed him-
self after the Colonel's death, as he had done
before.- — Many Europeans resided at Luck-
now, and considerable fortunes have been
brought to this country by those who knew
well the Vizier's love for curiosities and trifles ;
by contriving to supply him with them at an
enormous profit.

Colonel Claud Martin, a Frenchman, made
an immense fortune, chiefly in that way.
How much the Prince was imposed upon, the
following circumstance will clearly show.
The Colonel by some means or other, per-
haps by accident, procured two white mice,
which he placed in a beautiful silver cage,
and exhibited to the Vizier, who as usual,
wished immediately to possess them, and
asked the Colonel if he would part with them.
The sly Colonel knew the man he had to
deal with, and refused, being well convinced

YIZIER'S 187

that his Highness would not be easy until he
possessed them. After having withstood all
entreaties for several days, he consented to
sell the cage and mice for ten thousand
rupees, [1250,£] and I heard, that the Vizier
offered him five or six thousand rupees, which
he declined. The whole sum would have
been given, had not the Vizier's Minister
persuaded him to wait a few days, and see if
they would not be surrendered at the price he
had offered. In the mean time whilst the
negotiation was pending, a man brought a
cage full of these white mice, which his High-
ness bought for a few rupees; to the great
mortification of the Colonel.

Whenever his Highness purchased any
piece of mechanism, or other curiosity, Mar-
tin forthwith searched the world for something
superior of the same kind; which he was cer-
tain of selling to him at an immense profit.
His Highness could never bear to hear that
any person possessed any thing superior to
his own ; an instance of which may be seen

188 VIZIER'S

in the following anecdote. He had a large
room filled with mirrors, amongst which were
two of the largest size that could be made in
Great Britain and which he had lately receiv-
ed. The Colonel seeing them,, immediately
wrote to France, where plate glass is cast of
larger dimensions than in England, and pro-
cured two of the largest size., which he sold to
the Vizier at a very extraordinary high price.

He had an immense room filled with all
sorts of curiosities,, forming such a ridiculous
museum,, as perhaps could not be met with
elsewhere in the world. Toys of all descrip-
tions,, China, Dutch, and English, huddled
together with some of the finest pieces of me-
chanism ever made by man.

Some of the finest paintings by the first
Italian masters, hanging promiscuously with
profane China daubs. His own picture paint-
ed by natives, by Zophani, Renaldi, and oth-
ers, might be seen in different dresses every
few paces.

CHARACTER. 189

When I was at Lucknow he was most de-
lighted with two pieces of mechanism ; — two
boys; one beating a drum, and the other
playing a tune on a fife. At that time, he
had a great rage for Mun ton's double barrel
guns, and application was soon made to me,
to know if I had any in my possession. They
have an idea that all European Gentlemen
will sell whatever they have, if well paid for
it. I had with me a double barrel Probin,
and when they found that money would not
induce me to part with it, Serif Ally Kawn
offered me the choice of a horse out of a large
string, in exchange for it: This I politely re-
fused, giving as a reason — that I had no oth-
er with me, — that I was very fond of shooting,
and expected much sport before I returned to
rny station [this happened on the line of
march before described,] upon this he reques-
ted that I would allow him to introduce me to
the Vizier, which he did the next morning in
the field.

His Highness was on horseback; he dis-
mounted, and I got off the elephant on which

190 VIZIER'S

I was riding'. His Highness then presented
me with a very fine string of pearls which he
took from his own neck : * I touched them,
and made a salam. We then embraced, —
that is, we crossed each others necks with our
right arms; after which he mounted an ele-
phant, and I remounted mine, and joined the
line of march, his Highness having directed
my elephant driver to take his station by the
side of his.

He was extremely affable and conversed
w^ith me very freely; talking chiefly on the
subject of sporting. With the natives who
were near him, his conversation during the
whole morning's march, was solely confined,
to the good qualifications of a new cook, and
the excellent dishes he gave them the day
before. He asked me why I never fired at

* I was much laughed at afterwards for not taking the
pearls, which were of great value : and I was given to
understand that it was expected; and my not having
done it, considered an ill compliment.

CHARACTER. 191

any of the birds that got up ? and when I
answered, that I was too much amused with
looking at what was going on to think of
firing myself, he shook his sides with laughing,
and observed that Serif Ally Kawn had in-
formed him that I was a good shot, therefore
said he,, I wish you to go out with him alone
to morrow, and try if you cannot kill more
game than he can, for he thinks that he shoots
well. The next day I went out with Serif
Ally to a considerable distance from the
general line: we had ten elephants with us,
about fifty or sixty people on foot, and from
twenty to thirty horsemen.

/

When I had killed my first bird, Serif Ally
requested I would allow a Mahometan pre-
sent to cut its throat, that the Vizier might be
able to partake of it, a compliment I thought
intended to rne. Of all the game that was
shot, the throats were cut in like manner, and
all from which blood flowed, wrere sent to the
Vizier. — A circumstance occurred on that day,
that will never be effaced from mv memory.

192 VIZIER'S.

Serif Ally invited me into his howdah to par-
take of some refreshments,, which invitation
I willingly accepted, as I was both hungry
and thirsty, the weather being very hot.

The food consisted of bread (resembling
pan-cakes,) composed of flour, well soaked
with ghee [clarified butter] and baked on an
iron plate; with kabobs, \vhich is meat well
seasoned, cut into small pieces, then stuck on
a wooden skewer and roasted. Unfortunately
I had always a strong aversion to garlic, with
which the kabobs were very much impreg-
nated ; politeness induced me to eat some of
them, much against my inclination, by which
I suffered severely all that evening and the
next day.

A Captain of an Indiaman purchased two
of the largest draught horses he could get in
this kingdom, and carried them to Calcutta.,
where he sold them to some one, who resold
them to the Vizier for the sum [as I was in-
formed] of ten thousand rupees. (1250<£)

CHARACTER. 193

They were fine animals. He took great de-
light in shewing' them to the native Gentle-
men, calling them the English elephants.
Fora long time he amused himself daily in
seeing what a quantity of grain they devoured
at each meal, in fact, they were never put to
any use whatever, and were soon killed by
overfeeding.

The Vizier was supposed to have the lar-
gest and finest collection of pigeons and
doves iu the universe. Their number and
variety were so great, that I should fail in
any attempt to describe them. They were
kept in a large enclosure containing a num-
ber of houses. Some of them were as large
as common fowls, others very small. Many
of the doves were less than the common
thrush of this country.

This extraordinary man, spent the whole

of his time in viewing the different things he

possessed, or in shooting, cock-fighting, quail

fighting, pigeon flying, or paper kite flying

O

194 VIZIER'S

or in witnessing the combats of tigers and
buffaloes, or elephants. In the pursuit of
such kind of amusements a variety of anec-
dotes are related of him

What 1 have written I think will be suffici-
ent to give a tolerably fair idea of his general
character ; in the account of which I hope I
have not been so prolix, as to exhaust the pa-
tience of the reader.

Sometime after having written the forego-
ing description of the character of Asop Ul
Dowlah, and his method of sporting, I met
with the following very interesting account
of him in the English Annual Biography and
Obituary for 1819,, under the head of Vizier
Ally, and as it far exceeds my statement of
his magnificence and wealth, and at the same
time most decidedly corroborates what I have
related of him, I trust the reader will not be
displeased \\ith rny inserting it at large. To
which I shall add an account of Vizier Ally's
magnificent wedding, celebrated at Lucknoi$

CHARACTER. 195

t

in 1795. fe Having succeeded to the musnud
<c [throne] of Oude by the assistance of the
ff East India Company, he professed great
(< partiality to the English. Mild in manners,
f< polite and affable in his conduct, he pos-
" sessed no great mental powers; his heart
fc was good considering his education, which
(( instilled the most despotic ideas. He was
" fond of lavishing his treasures on gardens,
" palaces, horses, elephants, European guns,
" lustres and mirrors.

" He expended every year about two hun-
" dred thousand pounds in English manufac-
" tories. This Nawaub had more than a
" hundred gardens, twenty palaces, twelve
" hundred elephants, three thousand fine sad-
" die horses, fifteen hundred double barrel
" guns, seventeen hundred superb lustres,
" thirty thousand shades of various forms
(( and colours; several hundred large mirrors,
" girandoles, and clocks ; some of the latter
" were very curious, richly set with jewels,
" having figures in continual movement, and

02

198 VIZIER'S CHARACTER FROM THE

(f playing tunes every hour; two of these
" clocks cost him thirty thousand pounds.
fc Without tiste or judgement he was ex-
" tremely solicitous to possess all that was
" elegant and rare; he had instruments and
" machine* of every art and science but he
fc knew none; and his museum was so ridicu-
(C lously disposed that a wooden cuckoo clock
ec was placed close to a superb time-piece
<( which cost the price of a diadem : while a
sc valuable landscape of Claude Lorraine's was
" suspended near a board painted with ducks
" and drakes.

C( He sometimes gave a dinner to ten or
cs twelve persons,, sitting at their ease in a car-
cc riage drawn by elephants. His harern
ef contained above five hundred of the great-
" est beauties of India, immured within high
ff walls, which they were never to leave ex-
(C cept on their biers. He had an immense
cc number of domestic servants, and a very
fc large army, besides being fully protected
(f from hostile invasion by the Company's

ENGLISH ANNUAL BIOGRAPHY 1819. 197

" subsidiary forces, for which he paid five
rc hundred thousand pounds per annum.

<e His jewels amounted to about eight milli-
" ons sterling.-^- A midst his precious trea-
" sure, he might be seen for several hours eve-
" ry day handling them as a child does his
t( toys. He was in the habit whenever he
" saw a pregnant woman whose appearance
" struck his fancy, to invite her to his palace
" to lie in ; and several women of this des-
" cription were delivered there, and amongst
" the number was the mother of Vizier Ally.
re Several children so delivered were brought
tf up and educated in the palace."

The following is a description of the Wed-
ding. " The nabob had his tents pitched in the
IC plains near the city of Lucknow; among
"the number, were two remarkably large,
(f made of strong cotton cloth, lined with the
fe finest English broad cloth, cut in stripes of
fc different colours, with cords of silk and cot-
ec ton. These two tents cost five lacs of ru-
O3

198 YIZIER ALLY'S WEDDING.

ff pees, or about fifty thousand pounds ster-
" ling. They were each one hundred and
" twenty feet long,, sixty broad, and the poles
(f about sixty feet high ; the walls of the tents
(( were ten feet high, partly cut into lattice-
" work for the women of the nabob's seraglio,
fc and those of the principal nobility to see
ff through. His Highness was covered with
Cf jewels to the amount of at least two millions
(f sterling.

' ( The shumeeana was illuminated by two
" hundred elegant girandoles from Europe, as
t( many glass shades with wax candles, and
"several hundred flambeaux; the glare and
" reflection were dazzling to the sight. Un-
ec der this extensive canopy, above a hundred
" dancing-girls, richly dressed, went through
" their elegant but rather lascivious dances
f{ and motions, and sung some soft airs of the
" country, chiefly Persic and Hindoo-Persic.

" The bridegroom was about thirteen
" years of age, the bride ten; both of a dark

VIZIER ALLY'S WEDDING. 199

* complexion and not handsome. The for-
" mer was so absurdly loaded with jewels,
ff that he could scarcely stagger under the
" precious weight.

<( From the shumecana the company in-
ff vited to this festivity proceeded on ele-
" phants, to an extensive and beautiful gar-
" den about a mile distant. The procession
" was grand beyond conception ; it consisted
tf of about twelve hundred elephants richly
" caparisoned,, drawn up in a regular line like
t{ a regiment of soldiers. About one hundred
" elephants in the centre had houdas, or cas-
tc ties covered with silver: in the midst of
tc these appeared the nabob,, mounted on
fc an uncommonly large elephant, within a
(C houda covered with gold, richly set with
Cf precious stones. On his right hand was
" the British Resident at the court of Luck-
" now, on his left the young bridegroom : the
" English gentlemen and ladies and the na-
" live nobility were intermixed on the right
" and left. On both sides of the road from
04

200 VIZIER ALLY'S WEDDING,

(C the tents to the garden., was raised artificial
tf scenery of bamboo -work, very high, repre-
(f senting bastions, arches, minarets and tow-
ff ers, covered with lights in glass lamps,
(C which made a grand display. On each side
(C of the procession, in front of the line of ele-
cc phants, were dancing-girls superbly dres-
" sed, (on platforms supported and carried by
" bearers,) who danced as the company went
ft along. These platforms consisted of a
{( hundred on each side of the procession, all
ec covered with gold and silver cloths, with
f{ two girls and two musicians at each plat--
" form.

<{ The ground from the tents to the garden,
fc forming the road on which the procession
fc moved, was inlaid with fire-works; at every
" step of the elephants the earth burst, arid
" threw up artificial stars in the heavens, to
ff emulate those created by the hand of Pro-
fc vidence, besides innumerable rockets and
" many hundred wooden shells, that burst in
<c the air and shot forth a thousand fiery ser-

VIZIER ALLY'S WEDDING. 201

ff pents. These winding through the atmos-
" phere, illuminated the sky, and aided by
(e the light of the bamboo scenery, turned a
fc dark night into a bright day. The proces-
" sion moved on very slowly, to give time for
' ' the fire-works inlaid in the ground to go off.
" The whole of this grand scene was farther
ff lighted by above three thousand flambeaux
" carried by men hired for the occasion. Thus
ee the company moved on in stately pomp to
" the garden, which, though only a mile off,
" they were two hours in reaching.

f( On arriving at the garden gate about
fc nine in the evening, they descended from
ff the elephants, and entered the garden illu-
ff minated by innumerable transparent paper
f( lamps or lanterns of various colours, sus-
" perided to the branches of trees. In the
" centre of the garden was a large edifice to
Cf which the nabob and his guests ascended,
fc and were introduced into a grand saloon,
Cf adorned with girandoles and pendent lustres
t( of English manufacture, lighted with wax

202 VIZIER ALLY'S WEDDING.

ic candles. Here they partook of an elegant
" and sumptuous collation of European and
" Indian dishes, with wines, fruits, and sweet-
ff meats; at the same time, about a hundred
" dancing-girls sung their sprightly airs, and
" performed their native dances.

ec Thus passed the time till dawn, when
" the English visitors returned to their respec-
ft tive homes, delighted and wonder-struck
fc with the enchanting scene, which seemed to
" realize all the extravagance of oriental ficti-
" on. The affable nabob rightly observed
ce with a little Asiatic vanity, that such a
tf spectacle was never before seen in India,
" and never would be seen again. The
" whole expense of this marriage-feast, which
" was repeated for three successive nights in
(C the same manner, was upwards of £300,000
" sterling."

CHAP. X.

AN ACCOUNT OF CUNJOORS [SNAKE CATCH-
ERS,] AND THEIR METHOD OF CURING
THEMSELVES WHEN BITTEN BY VENOM-
OUS SNAKES, ALSO A SHORT DESCRIPTION
OF THE FORMATION OF THE TEETH OF
THESE ANIMALS, AND SOME ANECDOTES
RESPECTING THEM.

THE immense number of venomous snakes
in all parts of India, are a vast check to the
enjoyment of every person residing there; to
the timorous, apprehension and fear attend
every step ; even within their houses there is
danger of meeting with them ; and the most
courageous and strong minded,, cannot help
often feeling uneasy at the unexpected ap-
pearance of these reptiles.

I had not been long in India, before I most
sensibly felt this, and my thoughts were a good

204 SNAKE

deal occupied with the subject, and when in
Calcutta general hospital in 1790, I took
Pontana as a guide, and employed two men
denominated Cunjoors, or snake catchers, for
nearly twelve months, at four rupees each per
month, to catch snakes for me to try experi-
ments with. The result of those experiments
I have unfortunately lost, but I well remem-
ber that I could find no rne:licine to count M*-
ac£ entirely the effect of the poison. I had
dogs, cats, poultry, and other animals bitten,
and all the cases tended to prove, that the
power of the animal to destroy vitality, be-
came considerably weakened after ev7ery bile.
It required a tolerably large cobra de capei-
lo to destroy a cat; a second cat bitten by
the same snake about half an hour afterwards,
recovered. I shall here remark that a cat
withstood the poison better than any other
animal, excepting the Mungoose [Ichneu-
mon] ; the commonly received opinion that
the latter animal is never killed by the poi-
son, is certainly erroneous, and that it repairs
when bitten to the grass,, and eats of some par-

CATCHERS. 205

ticular herb,, which acts as an antidote, is
also imaginary. I have seen several Mun-
gooses die almost immediately after being
bitten by snakes, and have of Jen observed
them after the bite to appear for a time sick, and
tumble about in the grass, without ever at-
tempting to eat any; perhaps they may some-
times eat grass, but I am confident it is not
of any particular kind, and they do it merely
as do^s, iu order to cause vomiting. As soon
as the sickness and effects of the poison are
abated, they renew the attack, and with more
apparent violence, but with considerably
more caution.

/

It is curious to observe with what dexterity
these little animals conduct the fight, always
attacking the tail first, and by that means
disabling their enemy with the least danger
to themselves; they then approach nearer
and nearer, towards the head, taking off
a scale or two at a time, at last they seize
him behind the head and destroy him. I
have reason to think that the people who ex-

206 SNAKE

hibit the fight, in most cases,, first deprive
the snake of his venomous teeth, as they very
unwillingly allow the Mungoose to attack
a snake fresh caught. I have had a dozen
fowls bitten by the same snake; the first died
in a few seconds, and so on, each in a propor-
tionably longer time, to the twelfth, which
was more than an hour in dying.

The snake catchers always carried off the
bodies to eat, which shews that the poison
does not much affect the alimentary canal,
as Fontana proved on himself respecting
vipers. The professed snake catchers in
India are a low cast of Hindoos, wonderfully
clever in catching snakes, as well as in prac-
tising the art of legerdemain : they pretend
to draw them from their holes by a song, and
by an instrument somewhat resembling an
Irish bagpipe, on which they play a plaintive
tune.

The truth is, — this is all done to de-
ceive. If ever a snake comes out of a hole

CATCHERS. 207

at the sound of their music, you may be
certain that it is a tame one,, trained to it,
deprived of its venomous teeth, and put there
for the purpose ; and this you may prove, as
I have often done, by killing- the snake, and
examining it, by which you will exasperate
the men exceedingly.

It is however, astonishing with what dex-
terity they hide them about their persons,
with very little clothes on ; and it is amusing
to see the manner in which they draw the
attention of the spectators by their grimaces
and volubility of tongue, whilst they secretly
deposit the, snake in a hole, or under wood.
It is almost incredible, and I have known
several sensible men positively insist that
it could not be. I witnessed myself a cir-
cumstance which proved it.

As some Gentlemen were sitting with me
in a bungalow at Calwar ghaut, smoking our
hookahs behind a check [serene,] we obser-
ved a man tumbling over some logs of wood

208 SNAKE

that lay on the plain ; at last,, \ve observed
that he made a stand at one of them, and ap-
peared to deposit something; just at that
time we were called to dinner. After din-
ner it was proposed by some of the party,
[I believe the master of the house] to take a
walk and see the snake catchers charm the
snakes out of their holes; we were led by the
men in the direction of the wood., and after
singing and playing before several holes,
they came to the log of wood at which we
had before remarked the man to make a
stand ; from under it there soon came a large
cobra de capello: whether we enjoyed the
fun to ourselves, or mentioned it to the whole
party, I do not recollect.

Not many days after this, at the same
place, and at the house of Mr. T. Brooke,
who was then making a collection of draw-
ings of snakes, a man exhibited one of his dan-
cing cobra de capellos, before a large party.
A boy about sixteen years old was teizing the
animal to make it bite him, which it actu-

CATCHERS* 209

ally did, and to some purpose, for in an hour
after, he died of the bite. The father of the
boy was astonished, and protested, it could
not be from the bite, that the snake had no
venomous teeth, and that he and the boy had
often been bitten by it before, without any
bad effect. On examining the snake it was
found that the former fangs were replaced by
new ones, not then far out of the jaw, but suffi-
cient to kill the boy. The old man said that
he never saw7, or heard of such a circumstance
before, and was quite inconsolable for the loss
of his son.

The method these people adopt to catch
snakes is as follows. — As snakes never make
holes for themselves, but inhabit those made
by other animals, such as lizards, rats, mice,
&c. In order to ascertain if they are occupied
by snakes, they examine the mouths of the
holes, and if frequented by them, the under
part is worn smooth by the snake passing
over it, with sometimes a little sliminess;
whereas if frequented by any animal having

P

210 SNAKE CATCHER'S

feet, they cause a roughness in the earth.
When they discover a hole frequented by a
snake, they dig into it very cautiously, and
if they can lay hold of its tail, they do it with
the left hand, at the same instant grasping
the snake with the right hand, and drawing
it through with the left, with astonishing
rapidity, until the finger and thumb arc
brought up by the head, when they are se-
cure. I have seen them catch them in the
same manner when gliding fast on the
ground.

They never could catch for me a cobra de
monilo alive, although I offered them a large
reward for one; they said it was too small
and active for them to attempt to lay hold of
it,* their bite being certain death. It is
thought by the natives of India and by
many Europeans, that snake catchers possess

* In general they are about the size of a man's littl*
finger, and from twelve to fifteen inches long.

METHOD OF CURING f ttEMSELVES. 21 1

secrets that enable them to cure the bites of
all snakes : I questioned them frequently on
the subject, both \vhen sober and intoxicated,
and at last, for a small reward I believe they
disclosed all they knew, which I shall relate,
and that they do not know of any infallible
remedy,, their refusing to catch cobra de rnoni-
loes is a proof.

Whenever they attempt to catch snakes>
there are always more than one present, and
a second person carries with him a goor
goorie> which is a smoking machine made
generally of a cocoa nut below, with an
earthen funnel above, containing fire balls;
In this fire they have always secreted, a small
iron instrument about the size of a prong of
a table fork, curved into the shape of a snake's
tooth, tapering from above, and whenever they
are bitten, they first put on a tight ligature
above the bite, then suck the part, and as
soon as blood appears, they introduce this
instrument red hot into the two orifices made
by the teeth, and take some bazar spirits, if

P2

212 VENOMOUS

they can procure any, in which they infuse
a small quantity of bang, [a species of wild
hemp] which mixture by the natives is called
gongeah, but sometimes they use tobacco
instead of bang.

As far as I could learn, these are the only
remedies that they ever adopt, and according
to their account, often succeed. It is a great
many years since I saw F on tana on poisons,
but as well as I can recollect he gives a draw-
ing and description of the formation of a
viper's venomous tooth ; however, as few of
my readers may be acquainted with its me-
chanism, I will attempt a short description
of it.

They are generally two in the upper jaw,
perforated through their centre from the root
to within a, line or two of their point, acting
as a conductor for the poison : these teeth are
extremely sharp and small, the snakes also
have the power of elevating or depressing
them. In a large snake they can penetrate

FANGS. 213

the flesh at least a fourth of an inch, and the
poison is introduced about the sixth of an
inch deep into the flesh of a person bitten:
the glands near the eyes,, which secrete the
poison, have strong muscles attached to, or
rather acting on them, which muscles act at
the will of the animal, forcing the poison
through a cysted conductor into the hollow of
the tooth, and through it into the person bit-
ten ; which in my opinion clearly shews that
any external application* will have little
effect in stopping the progress of the poison.

The apertures made by the teeth are filled
with the ' venom, which being glutinous
chokes them, and prevents any blood from
flowing, so that the person bitten cannot of-
ten discover the exact places of their inser-
tion.

* By external application should be understood^
unaccompanied with incision or burn.
P 3

214 VENOMOUS

There is one kind of snake in India of a
sluggish nature, \vifli beautiful marks on its
skin resembling the eyes in a peacocks tail,
which has four venomous teeth, and is the
only kind that I have ever seen with more or
less than two. * — The hotter the weather the
more deadly their bite; which I conceive is
owing to the poison being more fluid, passing
more readily into the wounds, and being
sooner absorbed, than in cold weather, when
it is in a more tenacious state. It acts I ima-
gine principally on the nervous system, from
the rapidity of its effects, and I think, causes
death by stopping the action of the heart.

In all the animals I opened which died of
this poison, I found the heart and great blood
vessels gorged with blood of a blacker colour
than natural.

* Since writing the above I have met with a viper
with three venomous teeth on one side, and one on the
other, perfect and all surrounded at their roots with the
usual cyst.

SNAKES. 215

The natives of India always ascertain
whether a snake is venomous or not, by the
length of its tail, which., if less than a fourth
of the whole length of the animal, they con-
sider it to be of the venomous kind ; but a more
certain mark is their teeth : none but the ve-
nomous having hollow teeth. I believe all
the snake species that bring forth their young
alive are venomous, and all that are oviparous
are innocent, I only mean that they do not
contain poison ; some of the enormous large
snakes kill by their mechanical powers. Some
people think a particular kind, kill by a blow
with their tail, such effect, I have never seen,
and think it is fabulous and imaginary.

I was once on a shooting excursion with

o

Captains T. Williamson and Hamilton : we
left our budgerows in an afternoon after din-
ner, in consequence of hearing a number of
partridges calling near us; it was on a spot
which had been lately over flowed by the
Ganges; we remained out until near dark,
and in returning to our boat, the dogs were

P4

216 ANECDOTES.

constantly pointing, each time we expected
to see partridges spring, but to our great sur-
prise, it was always, at cobra de capelloes; at
last we became so much alarmed, that we
hastened to pick our way back, as well, and
as fast as wre could, in fear at every step of
meeting with a snake.

We had not reached the boat many mi-
nutes when one of the pointers was seized with
a fit, and died instantly. No doubt was en-
tertained by any of us but that it was owing
to his having been bitten by one of the
snakes, and as long as he continued muscular
action in running about, the venom had not
its full effect, but as soon as that stimulus
ceased it had.

Some months after this, as I was sleeping
on a bed without covering in the open air
under the thatch of a house, I was awakened
by a smart bite in my great toe; on turning
round, I perceived a large black snake on the
bed, I instantly ran into the house, but

RELATING TO SNAKES. 217

there being no light, I could not readily find
any proper medicine. A bottle nearly full
of maderia being on the table,, I laid hold of
it, and drank the whole, and then commenced
running up and down the verandah, which in
a very short time threw me into a violent
perspiration; I continued running until quite
exhausted.

I felt a considerable dull pain all up the leg
and thigh in which I was bitten, which fixed
in the groin, with a slight giddiness, and a
strong inclination to sleep. My servants
called in people that wrere supposed to possess
the power of charming, and to please the ser-
vants, I allowed them to remain and say what
prayers they liked, but forbad their touching
me. On inquiry, I was vexed to find that
they had not killed the snake. They had an
opportunity, and alleged as an excuse for not
having done it, that if they had, there would
have been no hopes of my recovery The
pain after some hours went gradually off, and
I fell into a sound sleep, from which I awoke
quite well.

218 ANECDOTES.

Prom the experiments which I made in
Calcutta, it appears clear, that snakes do not
always possess the same power of destroying1
life It is, however, a doubt with me whether
they expend any of their venomous fluid in
swallowing and digesting their food, as they
do in killing it; if they do, their bite soon
after eating will not be so mortal, as after
long fasting, in fact what ever they do eat
I believe they first kill ; at all events, I con-
ceive the longer it has been contained in
their bodies the more venomous it is, and the
hotter the weather the thinner the venomous
fluid.

I have teized them with a piece of cotton
and made them expend their poison into it,
and then gave them a fowl to kill, which was
a considerable time in dying. It is not fabu-
lous, but true, that they sometimes take their
prey by fascination. I once witnessed it in
company with Captain Trench of the Bengal
Native Infantry. — Sitting on a terrace near
the house, we observed a small bird on a tree

ANECDOTES. 219

at a little distance shaking his wings and
trembling : we could not imagine the reason
of it.

In a few minutes we observed it fall from
the tree, and ran to pick it up ; to our great
surprise we saw a large snake running off
with it in his mouth: He got into his hole
before we could procure any thing with which
to destroy him.

At the time I was trying experiments with
snakes at the Calcutta general hospital,, a
name-sake of mine an Assistant Surgeon Mr.
Johnston^ played me a very foolish though
laughable trick. A large cobra de capello
that was killed in the evening Johnstone
coiled up in my bed; I slept with it by my
side the whole night without perceiving it.
In the morning when I threw off the clothes
I perceived the snake,, and supposing it to be
alive, I tumbled out of bed head foremost,
and ran to Johnstone, and Mr. Ewart an
Assistant Surgeon to inform them of the cir-

220 ANECDOTES.

cumstance; procured a sword, and returned
to destroy the horrid looking creature. I
made a cut at it and not only cut it in two,
but also cut the bed clothes, to the great
amusement of rny mess mates. Such tricks,
however should never be played, as the con-
sequences might be very serious.

Having now related all the principal anec-
dotes I recollect concerning snakes, it may
be expected of me to recommend something
as a remedy for people bitten. On this head
I lament that I have little to communicate
that is not well known in India.

Eau-de-luce is considered by most people
there, to be a specific, but not by me ; I have
no idea that it possesses any peculiar virtues,
or that it acts differently from any other sti-
mulent, nor do I consider it so strong as some
other volatile spirits. I am of opinion that
any volatile alkali will be of service, in fact,
any medicine that will stimulate the heart
to action will be serviceable; and the strong-

ANECDOTES. 221

est the most so. The remedies used by the
snake catchers, may be as good as any, but
since leaving the Calcutta hospital I have
never had an opportunity of trying* them;
unfortunately whenever I have known a per-
son bitten, I have not had an iron instrument
at hand, and it will not admit of delay; per-
haps sucking the part and applying nitric
or sulphuric acid to the bite, would be as
good as any application, particularly if ac-
companied with incision, at the same time
taking carbonate of ammonia, or any vola-
tile spirit. Such things, as also the hot iron,
are seldom ready when wanted.

With the natives I have always used a whip
or stick to oblige them to continue in action,
and when I could get them to move no lon-
ger, I used friction, by rubbing their bodies
with flannel, and I think often with good
effect. It is strange to say that there is scarce-
ly a person in India that has not some parti-
cular nostrum for the bites of snakes. I once
witnessed such a medley of remedies adminis-

222 ANECDOTES.

tered, that they were sufficient of themselves
to kill any person of a delicate const! tution^
and it was doubtful with me whether the per-
son died of the supposed remedies or the
bite.

No person should walk over grass or
through jungle in India without having boots
on, or travel without having some volatile
spirits with him. — It strikes me that a clever
mechanic might invent a machine upon the
principle of a cupping glass and syringe, that
would draw the poison from the wound,
which also might be serviceable for the bites
of mad dogs.

CHAP. XI

OBSERVATIONS ON HYDROPHOBIA AND RA-
BID ANIMALS.

A BITE from a mad dog is more dreaded
than any thing I know; which arises from
the horribleness of the disease, the uncer-
tainty of the animal's being mad, or of the
infection being received: The not knowing
at what period to expect the effects, or to feel
confident of having escaped it, keeps the per-
son in a state of cruel suspence for months,
or even years.

We may thank the Almighty that mad
animals are rare in this country; in hotter
climates they are more frequently met with,
and nothing can be more distressing than
to see a person in the fit occasioned by their
bite. To a medical man attending, it is as
painful a duty as he can have to perform, from
his having but little prospect of affording

224 HYDROPHOBIA.

relief. Although two or three instances are
recorded of recovery from the fit of hydro-
phobia, they are not sufficient to induce much
hope of success from adopting the same re-
medies, which have since so often failed. I
have attended a great many persons in the
fit, and in no instance could I give the smal-
lest relief; such scenes were most distressing
at the time, and now often painfully intrude
themselves on my recollection.

Our forefathers, (could they be told)
would not readily believe that inoculating
with vaccine virus, would prevent the small
pox ; or at least render it so mild as to be of
little consequence ; of which, I believe every
unprejudiced mind must now be convinced, and
feel thankful for so inestimable a discovery.
I wish it were alike in my power to offer to
the public some successful remedy for this
terrific disease : unfortunately it is not, and
I now7 communicate my ideas principally with
the hope of affording some consolation to
such as are unfortunately bitten by mad ani-

HYDROPHOBIA. 225

mals, and who have it in their power to use
preventives. I shall also give a short des-
cription of the fit of hydrophobia as it always
appeared to me, which may help such as have
never witnessed it, to distinguish it from other
fits. For the first I shall copy part of a paper
communicated by me to Dr. James Johnson,
and inserted by him in his medical Chirurgical
Journal for April 1819.

ff The number of persons bitten by mad
dogs, and mad jackals, that came under my
care while Surgeon at Chittrah, [Ramghur,~\
would appear almost incredible, were they
to be stated here. In every instance when
I had time or permission to impregnate the
system with mercury after the infliction of the
bite, and before the symptoms of hydrophobia
had shewn itself, the latter was entirely
prevented. If it be feared that I may have
been deceived in this point, I hope to dissi-
pate such fears by stating that not a year
passed at the station, in which I had not
numbers to attend, bitten by the same

Q

226 HYDROPHOBIA.

animal. Of these there were some, \vho
from religious prejudices, would not submit
to the course of medicine I prescribed, pre-
ferring the prayers of a Brahmin priest.

These regularly perished by the disease,
while the others, bitten by the same animal,
and at the same period of time, were invari-
ably preserved from hydrophobia where sa-
livation was induced. This, which I think
may be fairly called the experimenturn crucis,
I have put to the test so often, with the same
identical result, that not a shadow of doubt
remains on my mind relative to the entire
efficacy of the prophylactic. The proofs,
indeed, are positive, negative, and compara-
tive; and I leave it to the consideration of
the profession at large, and especially of
those employed in our Indian territories,
where the occurrence of hydrophobia is so
frequent, whether or not, to adopt a preven-
tive measure which offers so certain a check to
this most dreadful of all diseases."

HYDROPHOBIA*

The fit of hydrophobia [or Rabies Cani-
iia,] is easily and PARTICULARLY distin-
guished from every other fit, by VIOLENT
CONTRACTIONS of the DIAPHRAGM,
accompanied with a spasmodic affection
of the throat, glottis,, and epiglottis, render-
ing inspiration violent, and suspending for a
time expiration, which at last takes place, in
a spasmodic way, with a kind of stertor,
causing a noise which has often been com-
pared to the barking of a hoarse dog, but is
not much like it. This I conceive is owing
to the closing of the glottis, and the spasms
overpowering the action of the muscles of
the chest, which are unusually stretched by
violent inspiration, caused by the spasmodic
action of the diaphragm.

These muscles I believe are considered
the natural counteractors to the diaphragm,
lungs, and external air. This spasmodic
action, and perhaps the inflamed state of
the glottis, epiglottis, and muscles of degluti-
tion, also accounts for the difficulty of swal-
Q<2

228 HYDROPHOBIA.

lowing, which in the latter stages of the
disease is so great, that, although the patients
are almost famishing from intense thirst,
they cannot bear the sight of liquids; even
talking of them, by associating the idea of
swallowing, instantly brings on, or increases
the spasms; and I imagine death to be the
consequence of their violence; stopping
respiration and BY THAT, the circulation.

Sudden light, noise, the appearance of a
stranger, or a rush of air will bring on the
fit, which indicates great nervous irritability :
tentigo also attend; these are all concomi-
tant symptoms, but the grand characteristic
one, and that which causes death, is I con-
ceive, the spasmodic action of the diaphragm.
Whenever death is occasioned by any sudden
fright, I think it is much in the same way.

On reading Doctor Hutchinson's proemi-
um for January 1821, I was sensibly struck
with the observations therein of Drs. Hutch-
inson, Curson, and Ker, and the experiments

HYDROPHOBIA. 229

of Mr Bourdon, which I think are strongly
and particularly exemplified in a fit of hydro-
phobia. I have long thought that the medical
world has not allowed sufficient influence to
the diaphragm and lungs on the circulation
of the blood, and in a little pamphlet which
I published in 1820, [maxims and remarks
on the pulse for young students] page 27 ,
I particularly remarked that the lungs act
on the heart and circulation, as fire on a
steam engine, or as a spring on machinery,
keeping it in constant motion, — a comparison
that will carry more with it to the mind than
1 can explain.

It may not be thought inopportune here to
suggest a remedy that may possibly succeed
in removing this terrible disease. Were I
again in practice, and had the opportunities
which heretofore occured to me, I would try
the actual cautery to the throat, and chest.
May it not, by causing a strong stimulus,
counteract that produced by miasma of Ra-
bies, and cause a revulsion from the dta-
Q3

230 HYDROPHOBIA.

phragm and glottis ? which may be assisted by
a copious bleeding, and also medicines.

These observations I submit to the medical
world with much diffidence as to their suc-
cess; where no probable remedy is known,
every means ought to be used to discover
something efficacious, and it is a duty incum-
bent on medical Gentlemen to exert their
best endeavours. Little as mine are, they
may have the effect of inducing others better
qualified to take up the subject.

I have already observed that the fit of hy-
drophobia destroys life in the same manner
as sudden fright, and I may add drowning.
In all cases of death from fright, I am of
opinion the same resources should be had
recourse to, as for drowned persons. In
either case, life may only be suspended for
want of the action of the lungs,

I conceive it is of great importance to
people in general, and particularly to such

MAD DOGS. 231

as keep dogs, to be well acquainted with
the progress of this disease in these animals,
and above all things to know the manner
in which they are effected when it first com-
mences, in order to use the necessary pre-
cautions to prevent the propogation of it.
I will therefore endeavour to describe it as
well as I can, from the observations I have
been enabled to make on Rabid animals,

At first they are dull and heavy for a few
days, shewing no other signs of illness ; eating
their food sparingly, but drinking more than
usual ; yet neither to such a degree as to ex-
cite much observation; this heaviness and
want of appetite is soon reversed, and they
become more than usually lively, and eat
and drink rather voraciously, and seem par-
ticularly eager to jump on their master or
keeper, apparently with the wish of being
taken notice of and fondled. Under such
circumstances they should be avoided. This
vivaciousness soon turns to great irritability,
which is the first clear indication of the
Q4

232 MAD DOGS.

disease, and is often shewn by their raising*
the hair on the upper part of their necks,
on the most trivial occasions. In this state
they are never still, but continue running
from place to place, and refuse food,, or if
induced to take a small quantity, swallow
it with much difficulty, and are rather anxi-
ous for water, but lap it with great agitation.
If they chance to see another dog, or a cat,
they instantly fly at it, but with respect to
man, or other animals, they do not in gene-
ral seem inclined to go out of their way to,
attack them. [I have known a few instances
of their deviating: one occurred to myself as
follows. — At mid-day when I was walking-
through underwood, a jackal attacked me
furiously; fortunately I kept him ony andt
escaped to in y tent unhurt.

Shortly after, the same animal attacked
a man driving loaded bullocks, first biting
the cattle, and then the man, who received
a bite in his leg, but succeeded in killing
the jackal, which was decidedly rabid. In

MAD DOGS. 233

consequence of the poor fellow's bullocks
having ran off with their loads, I could not
prevail on him to stay to have any thing
done to his wounds, and I know not what
became of him.] If any living animal inter-
cepts them in their path, they bite at it. At
this period, they are both strong and active,
with lively inflamed eyes, and have more
than a natural secretion of saliva. Their
strength, however, soon begins to fail, and
their breathing from being quick, becomes
laborious, with their tongues hanging a little
out; and as their disorder advances, drop-
ping lower, and at last becoming of a dark
colour^ while the foam issues from their
mouths ; at that period, they appear to drag
rather than lift their hind legs.

Almost the whole of the hair on their
backs and necks stands erect, and their eyes
are bloodshot, emitting a purulent discharge.
The fatal crisis then soon follows, and ac-
cording to my observations, they generally
die on the third day from the time the irrita-

234 MAD DOGS.

bility first shews itself; I have never known
them to eat or lap after having dropped
their tongues.

Whenever a dog is more lively than usual,
particularly if he raises his bristles on trifling
occasions, and seems unusually ready to
quarrel with other dogs, he should be confin-
ed; for these are the principal symptoms in
the early stage that characterize the disease.
It should be observed that dogs are subject
to various disorders like other animals, in
which these symptoms do not commonly at-
tend. As far as my observations go, they
induce me to think, that the communication
of the disease is confined to the canine spe-
cies, [perhaps including the feline] and by
them to men or animals by the insertion only
of saliva into a wound or abraded skin; I
cannot offer any proof of this, but I think it
is fair to conclude so, as no instance is re-
corded that I know of, of its having been
communicated by other animals, or by dogs
to other animals in a different way; but

MAD DOGS. 235

with respect to one another, I arn of a diffe-
rent opinion, for the following reasons, which
were detailed in my communication to Doc-
tor James Johnson.

"It often happens that mad dogs or jackals
get into the kennels or dog houses in India,
and sometimes even mingle with the dogs
in the field while sporting. This is when
they are in the first stage of madness, and
they will go considerably out of their way
to attack and bite all dogs that come in
their sight. In such cases a general ex-
amination should be made, and every dog
that bears the least mark of a scratch or bite
should be put to death. Even this precau-
tion does not always ensure perfect safety,
as the following, selected from several other
facts, will tend to show.

While I was coursing one day with a
leash of grey-hounds and several terriers,
a jackal appeared at a considerable distance
on a plain. The grey-hounds were slipped ;

236 MAD DOGS.

the dogs saw the animal, and immediately1
made direct for him. To my great surprise
the jackal, instead of making off, ran straight
towards the dogs, and I soon discovered
that he was raging mad. It was impossible
to separate them till they had killed him. I
went immediately home, had all the dogs
washed, and examined them myself in the
most minute -manner.

I found four favorite dogs bitten, and
these were instantly hanged. The others
having no marks of the least scratch, I con-
sidered as safe. About three weeks after,
on my march to Calcutta, my dog keeper
came running up to my tent, crying aloud,
and at the same time keeping three terriers,
as well as he could, at arm's length, they'
making all possible effort to bite him.

As soon as he approached, I saw by their
hair erected like bristles, their inflamed eyes,
and foaming mouths, that they were mad ; I
therefore directed the poor fellow to twist

MAD DOGS. 237

their cords round a tree, which he dexterous-
ly effected, and then I caused them to be dis-
patched with a wooden mallet, used for dri-
ving tent pins. The dog keeper was bitten
in at least twenty places; some of them tri-
fling,, others, large bites. To the whole of
these I applied lunar caustic, and put him
into a salivation as quickly as I could.

The ptyalism was kept up for fourteen or
fifteen days. He lived with me several years
after, and remained in perfect health. On
another occasion I had a small pet spaniel
puppy, about six months old, tied up in a
verandah, which one night cried out violent-
ly, as if something was killing it. On the
servant's running to see the cause, an hyena
threw it out of his mouth, and very reluc-
tantly went off. The puppy was washed
and minutely examined, but no injury could
be discovered. The puppy was smeared
over with slime, which must have been the
$aliva of the hyena. No idea was entertain-
ed at the time, that the hyena was mad,

238 MAD DOGS*

though he certainly quitted the premises
with more reluctance than is commonly ob-
served. About three weeks after this, the
puppy came running into a room where near-
ly fifty people were at a notch, or Hindoo -
stance dance, raging* mad. The little crea-
ture instantly attacked every thing that came
in his way, and the whole notch was instant-
ly dispersed in all directions. Several chairs
were broken before the rabid animal could
be killed.

Whether, in these instances, the dogs re-
ceived the poison by some of the saliva of
the mad animals, passing into their mouths,
or by respiring the effluvia arising from them,
I cannot take upon me to say; but I can
confidently assert, that they had no wounds.
The above I hope will satisfy Gentlemen,
that after a dog has been worried, or has come
in contact with another that is mad, he
should be tied up for a month to see the
event. I may here state an important fact
which I had ample means of unequivocally

MAD DOGS. 239

ascertaining; namely, that in no one in-
stance, did a dog become mad, after remain-
ing well for a month after the bite. The
usual period in India, at least, as far
as came under my observation, was from
fourteen to twenty five days after the recep-
tion of the poison. There is a generally
received opinion in India, that dogs and
jackals become more frequently mad there,
in consequence of the number of putrid
human carcass which they have to feed on.
But this idea, I think is erroneous; because
at Chittrah, rabid animals are as common
as in any part of India, or perhaps more
so; yet in that place, no human carcass is
to be seen, in consequence of the abundance
of fuel to be procured for nothing, which
enables the inhabitants to burn their dead, —
a ceremony from which the Hindoos are in
any place prevented only, by a scarcity of
fuel.

I may remark another curious circumstance
which I have repeatedly and invariably ob-

240 MAD DOGS.

served, namely, that the animals above men-
tioned are most frequently mad at the time
when the jungle fever is most prevalent, and
vice versa. "

Another remark I shall make which I think
not unworthy the consideration of the faculty,
namely, that nulla animalia praeter canes et
alia ejusdem generis initu facto, inter se ma-
nent conjunctae, and never shew any evident
marks of perspiring through their skin ; wheth-
er the feline, which are nearly allied to
the canine, should be included in this last
observation, I shall leave to others to deter-
mine. I have never seen an instance of their
communicating hydrophobia, but many ca-
ses are recorded of their having done so. If
my observations are just, respecting dogs per-
spiring or rather discharging the perspirable
fluid chiefly through their mouths; may
not that have an influence in confining the
communication of the disease, to such ani-
mals. ? With respect to the first cause of
this disease, I fear we shall ever remain in
ignorance.

CHAP. XIL

INDIAN CUSTOMS,

THE following observations on the customs
of the Natives of India, is part of a commu-
nication from rne to Doctor James Johnson,
and published by him, last year in a very
valuable medical book f( on the Influence of
Tropical Climates on European constitutions'*
the remaining part being on particular dis-
eases of that climate, I shall not insert, as
it may not be interesting to the general
reader, and should any person wish to pe-
ruse it he can refer to that book.

•< The Climate of India not being salutary
to European constitutions, it is highly neces-
sary for those who are doomed to reside
there great part of their lives> to do all in
their power to counteract its baneful influ-
ence ; for which purpose, I recommend to them

R

242 INDIAN

particular attention to the prevailing- cus-
toms of the natives., which have been handed
down to them by their forefathers, who were
more enlightened than the present inhabi-
tants., or even, perhaps, than we can have
any idea of, from their present state; and al-
though Europeans in general look down on
them with contempt, I am persuaded much
may be learnt from them, by any one who
will give himself the trouble to observe them
narrowly.

When a European first arrives amongst
them, he is sensibly struck with their strange
appearance, their dress being so very diffe-
rent from what he has been accustomed to see
in Europe, where fashion and elegance of
appearance are studied in preference to ease
and usefulness. In India the same method
of dress has continued for centuries, and is,
in fact, a part of their religion ; and I imagine
was first adopted from physical principles,
as being the best suited to that hot climate.
The rich natives have every thing on them

CUSTOMS. 243

loose, except their vumtierband (that is a
cloth bound round the lower part of their
loins), which is of great use in supporting the
belly, and thereby preventing ruptures. The
poorer classes go almost naked, and besmear
their bodies with oil, to prevent the direful
effects of a burning sun on their naked skins.
The females dress very like the men, all loose
except their breasts, which are tightly suspen-
ded in cloth or silk, to prevent their falling
down from their weight and relaxation.

They ornament their persons in a variety
of ways, which, though considered by them
as adding to their charms and beauty, is at
first viewed by Europeans with disgust, and
notwithstanding that a residence for some
time amongst them may somewhat recon-
cile such unbecoming decorations, few ever
give themselves the trouble to think much
on the subject, or trace them to their first
principle, physical utility^ from which, 1
conceive, they for the most part origi-
nated.— I will now enumerate a few, which
R2

244 INDIAN

I think, will be sufficient to elucidate my
observations; and, although I do not ap-
prove of all their customs, many of them 1
can account for, very differently from the
generally received opinion, and can excuse
them for adopting them. The few I shall
notice, I think will clearly show that we
ought not to condemn them all hastily, for
we should recollect that length of time and
experience have established them.

I shall begin with observing the custom
which females have of colouring the palms
of their hands, soles of their feet, and nails,
red; which they do by pounding the leaves
of mindy or hinnah (a species of myrtle),
mixing it with lime, and applying it to those
parts, where it remains some hours. This
is considered an ornament, but I imagine
it was first used to check the inordinate
perspiration in the hands and feet, which
prevails to a great degree with the native*
of India, giving their hands a very disagree-
able cold clammy feel, like the sensation

CUSTOMS. 245

produced by handling a frog, and which
the application alluded to, entirely removes.

The next I shall remark is their blacking
their eye lids \vith powdered antimony:*
this custom, must be of great antiquity, as
it is mentioned in the bible, f It produces a
strange contrast to the whites of their eyes,
which arc exceedingly clear. This, also,
I conceive not to have been first used for
ornament, but to cure or prevent the op)t
thalmia tarsi, and it is one of the best reme-
dies I know for it.

Again, females, after they attain a certain
age, or get married, use an application to
stain their teeth black. This, I also believe,
was, and is used to destroy the tartar, and

* The Hindoostanee name for Antimony is Surmeh^
but they often sell a sulphuret of lead in the bazars,
under the same name and I believe many Gentlemen's
horses have been destroyed by taking it, instead of anti-
mony.

f Ezekiel Chap. 23rd. V. 40.
I! 3

246 INDIAN

preserve the teeth and gums, which it cer-
tainly does. The time of life at which they
first begin to use it, is when tartar collects
most, and were it used solely for ornament,
the young would all have their teeth black,
which none of them ever have. This appli-
cation is called " Micee" and what it is com-
posed of, I cannot say; — whatever it is, it
destroys the tartar, hardens the gums, and
makes the teeth of a jet black, without
destroying the enamel.

The next custom I shall notice, is their
chewing pawn, which is a betle leaf enclos-
ing a small quantity of areca nut, Cardamom
seeds, a clove, some gum: Rub: Astring:
and a small portion of lime. The poorer
people use it without spices. This is uni-
versally chewed both by men and women,
and is offered to all strangers, as a compli-
ment. It is a fine aromatic, acts as a
stimulus to the fauces and stomach, and
sweetens the breath. It causes the saliva to
flow, and reddens the mouth, giving it an
appearance not pleasing to Europeans.

CUSTOMS. 247

Another custom, is their sitting- always on
the ground with their knees up to their chins,
which I know not how to account for, unless
it is by bringing the extremities more on a
level with the heart. Europeans in India
cannot sit long with ease, without using a
morah (a kind of stool to put the legs on) ; if
they have not got that, they put their legs on
the table, and it is not uncommon to see a
whole party after dinner with their legs on the
table. A restless uneasiness, occasioned by
languid circulation, in the feet and legs, cau-
ses this, which I attribute to the heat of the
climate causing great exhaustion, and relax-
ation; /or Europeans after having resided
long in India, do not feel the same inclina-
tion on their return to their native coun-
try.

Tattooing and Shampooing (that is using
percussion and pressure) have also the effect
of assisting the languid circulation, and the
relief experienced from it after fatigue, can
only be judged of by those who have experien-
R4

248 INDIAN

ced it. Smoking is another custom in gene-
ral, throughout India, and I firmly believe,, is
of salutary effect, particularly if riot indulged
in to excess, m or poisoned by the introduction
of intoxicating ingredients. Smoking pure
tobacco acts as a gentle stimulus to the intes-
tines, and causes regular evacuations; with-
out the use of which, recourse to medicines
would be often found necessary. I can vouch
from experience, that the first pipe of a morn-
ing always causes a desire to go to stool, and
such as are in the habit of smoking, and are
deprived of it any morning, seldom have an
inclination to visit Cloacina's temple that
day, and are generally troubled with head-
aches in consequence.

The remaining salutary customs I shall
here notice, is their daily habit of bathing
in cold water, washing out their mouths
after every thing they swallow, and cleaning
their teeth every morning. Their sacred
book enjoins a Brahmin under the penalty
of losing the benefit of all rites performed

CUSTOMS. 249

by him,, to rub his teeth every morning
with a proper withe. It is so particularly
inculcated as to specify the racemiferous
fig tree as the best kind of twig, which is
of a soft fibrous nature, and by being bruised
between two stones, makes a good brush
for the teeth, containing a mucilaginous
fluid which readily unites with the oily
particles on the teeth and gums, and is
therefore well adapted for the purpose. A
fresh twig must be used every morning.
These are customs much to be commended
in every country, particularly in a hot one,
where animal and vegetable matter soon be-
comes putrid under any circumstance. I
shall here digress a little and remark that
Europeans too often accustom themselves
to wash their feet many times a-day, in
hot water. Although pleasing at the time,
and apparently of trifling consequence, it
is, I am convinced, a serious evil, by in-
creasing the secretions which were before
too copious, and if persevered in for a length
of time, will add considerably to other un-

250 INDIAN

wholesome practices,, which together with
the heat of the climate will soon wear out
an English constitution, and bring on pre-
mature old age.

I began this chapter with observing that
the customs of the natives of India ought to
be attended to by Europeans,, and I shall
here remark that they did follow them in
many instances on their first settling there,
which they have now foolishly left off. One
in particular I shall mention, and that is —
their dressing with cool and light apparel
during the hot weather. When I first arri-
ved in India, a broad cloth coat was scarcely
ever seen in the hot months, except on for-
mal visits. At that time the Governor-Ge-
neral, Earl Cornwallis, always set a good ex-
ample at his own table, by taking off* his coat
at dinner time, which was generally follow-
ed by all the company. When I left India
in 1809, broad cloth coats were worn at din-
ner in the hot months by almost all the Eu-
ropean inhabitants; which I conceive was ow-

CUSTOMS. 251

ing- to the examples set them by the heads
of the settlement. Also throughout the ar-
my, they were worn at all times. In this —
etiquette, and fashion, have prevailed over
good sense, in not adopting that which con-
tributed both to comfort and health, and I
hope, if properly noticed, as adding consider-
ably to the many other causes in that hot cli-
mate, tending to impair European constitu-
tions, that the heads of Government will
take it into consideration, and be induced
to set an example to the contrary; and al-
so, that when discipline and duty do not
absolutely require it, commanding officers
will do the same, and not oblige officers
and men to wear warm clothes at those times,
when they are panting with heat, and per-
spiring at every pore, to the great injury
of their constitutions, and eventually to the
Government by whom they are employed.

The inhabitants of India have a curious
method of discovering theft, or any kind
of concealment by means of chewing rice.

252 _ INDIAN

A Brahmin is sent for, who writes down
all the names of the people in the house
or who are suspected; the next day he
consecrates a piece of ground, by covering
it with cow dung and water, over which
he says a long prayer; the people then
assemble on this spot in a line facing the
Brahmin, who has with him some dry rice,
of which he delivers to each person the
weight of a four cornered rupee, or that
quantity weighed with the sacred stone
called Salgram, which is deposited in a leaf
of the pipped, or banyan tree ; at the time
of delivering it, the Brahmin puts his right
hand on each persons head and repeats a
short prayer, and when finished, he directs
them all to chew the rice, which at a given
time must be produced on the leaves, mas-
ticated.

The person or persons whose rice is not
thoroughly masticated, or exhibits any blood
with it, is considered guilty. The faith they
all have of the power of the Brahmin, and

CUSTOMS. 253

a guilty conscience operating' at the same
time, suppresses the natural flow of saliva
to the mouth, without which; the hard par-
ticles of the rice bruise and cut the gums,
causing them to bleed, which they themselv es
are sensible of, and in most instances confess
the crime.

A Gold Mohur that had lain a long time
in an open writing desk being missing. I or-
dered a Brahmin to be sent for to find out
the thief; he came, and wrote down all the
names of my servants, as a preliminary step
to their undergoing the rest of the ceremony,
however it became unnecessary, for in the
morning the Gold Mohur was replaced in the
box.

At another time a large glass mortar was
broken, and none of my servants would con-
fess having done it, I therefore threatened
to deduct from all their wages the value of
the mortar; my head bearer, [who in India
is often a kind of house keeper and considers

254 INDIAN

himself answerable for every thing under his
charge] thinking it a reflection on his inte-
grity,, sent for a Brahmin, who went through
all the ceremony to the delivery of the rice,
\\hentheculprit acknowledged. It is much
to the credit of the native servants in India,
that the before mentioned theft is the only
instance that I know of, of any servant's at-
tempting to steal any thing from me, during
such a long residence there.

Having met with Sir John Shore's [no\\
Lord Teign mouth] account of the trial of
three men of Ramghur for the murder of
five women for being witches, which account
is taken from official records, and is in itself
very curious, at the same time corroborates
strongly the description I have given of the
ignorance and superstition of the Inhabitants
of that country, that I shall here insert it.

This is the same trial I have given a short
description of in page 141, and although
it differs in some particulars, the material

CUSTOMS. 255

points are alike. It happened upwards of
thirty years since: I was stationed there
at the time, but was not in court during
the trial., or present at the investigation
which took place soon after, [in consequence
of a special deputation from the Governor
General] which I trust, will be some apology
for my not having a perfect recollection of
all the circumstances. I had an idea that
more than one woman was murdered, but
not recollecting the number, I stated it only
as one.

The custom which I have related of their
throwing women suspected of being Witches
into water, might not be mentioned in court
on that trial, if not, I am confident it was
in some former case, and I have repeatedly
heard the natives assert that it was a pre-
vailing custom with some of the Inhabitants
of that country.

C( The judicial records contain a case of
great enormity, in which five women were

256 INDIAN

put to death for the supposed practice of sor-
cery. I shall submit the circumstances of
this transaction, \vith some detail, before
the Society,, premising that it happened in a
district of Ramghur, the least civilized part
of the Company's possessions, amongst a
wild and unlettered tribe denominated Soon-
taar, who have reduced the detection and
trial of persons suspected of witch-craft to a
system. J>

" Three men of the cast of Soontaar, were
in the year 1792 indicted for the murder of
five women; the prisoners without hesita-
tion confessed the crime with which they
were charged, and pleaded in their defence
that with their tribes it was the immemorial
custom and practice to try persons notorious
for witch-craft. That for this purpose an
assembly was convened of those of the
same tribe, from far and near, and if, after due
investigation the charge was proved, the sor-
cerers were put to death, and no complaint
was ever preferred on this account to the ru-

CUSTOMS. 257

ling power. That the \vomcn who were
killed had undergone the prescribed form
of trial, were duly convicted of causing the
death of the son of one of the prisoners
by witch-craft, and had been put to death
by the prisoners, in conformity to the sentence
of the assembly.

The prosecutors, who, agreeably to the
forms of the Mahommedan law, were the re-
lations of the deceased women, declared
they had no charge to prefer against the
prisoners, being satisfied that their relations
had really practised sorcery.

The custom pleaded by the prisoners was
fully substantiated by the testimony of a
great number of witnesses, who recited spe-
cific facts in support of it, without any de-
nial or disagreement; and from the collec-
tive evidence exhibited in the course of the
inquiry, the following curious and extraor-
dinary circumstances appeared:—

258 INDIAN

That the successive demise of three or four
young people in a village, led to suspicion
of sorcery as the cause of it; and the inha-
bitants taking alarm, were upon the watch
to detect the witches. They were generally
discovered dancing naked at mid-night by
the light of a lamp, with a broom tied round
their waists, either near the house of a sick
person,, or on the outside of the village.

To ascertain with a greater degree of
certainty the persons guilty of practising
witch-craft,, the three following modes arc
adopted.

First. Branches of the Saul tree, marked
with the names of all the females in the
village, whether married or unmarried, who
have attained the age of twelve years, are
planted in the water in the morning, for
the space of four hours and a half; and the
withering of any of these branches is proof
of witch-craft against the person whose
name is annexed to it.

CUSTOMS. 259

Secondly. Small portions of rice enveloped
in cloths, marked as above, are placed
in a nest of white ants; the consumption
of the rice in any of the bags, establishes
sorcery against the woman whose name it
bears.

Thirdly. Lamps are lighted at night; wa-
ter is placed in cups made of leaves, and
mustard-seed and oil is poured, drop by drop,
into the water, whilst the name of each
woman in the village is pronounced; the
appearance of the shadow of any woman
on the water, during this ceremony, proves
her a witch.

Such are the general rules for ascertain-
ing those who practice witch-craft. In the
instance which I have quoted, the witnesses
swore, and probably believed, that all the
proofs against the unfortunate women had
been duly verified : they asserted in evidence,
that the branches marked with the names of
the five women accused were withered ; that
T

260 CONCLUSION.

the rice in the bags having their specific
names, was devoured by the white ants,
whilst that in the other bags remained un-
touched; that their shadows appeared on
the water, on the oil being poured upon it
whilst their names were pronounced; and
farther, that they were seen dancing at mid-
night in the situation above described.

It is difficult to conceive that this coinci-
dence of proof could have been made plausi-
ble to the grossest ignorance, if experience
did not shew that preposession will supersede
the evidence of the senses, f

A preface is given to most books to in-
form the reader what he has to expect.
A concluding paragraph is seldom thought
necessary. In this book there are many
faults. All such as are in the printing, I hope
will be Overlooked, under the consideration
that the greatest part of the book was com-
posed by a child not more than eight years

CONCLUSION. 261

and half old,, Caroline Fowler, a daughter of
the printer. EGO may be thought, too con-
spicuous throughout. To describe what I
have seen and felt, — what I have heard, —
what I knew, — and what I thought; it was
necessary to have frequent recourse to the
monosyllable /; but I hope it will not be
thought that I have used it in any instance
from vanity. I have borrowed occasionally
from other books, but I have done it en-
tirely with the view of corroborating, or elu-
cidating my own observations. My sole
motive for writing the book, has been to
wile away a few of the many tedious hours
during a long sickness, with an anxious de-
sire to amuse the public, and to fulfil the du-
ty of a professional man, by exerting the
little ability I possess, for the good of my
fellow creatures.

Quicquid ad Eoos tractus, mundique teporem
Labitur, emollit gentes dementia cocla.

LUC.

F I N I S.

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