The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-04-08 00:00:00

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A GRAND TIGER HUNT.

The Special Correspondent of The Timos, writing from
Bahmni Tal, March 3, gives the following description of
a grand hunting expedition, at whicn the Prince of Wales was
present :+-4, t;
The district around Jumao having been swept clear
, tigers, the Prince's camp was struck at 10 a.m, on
the 24th of February, and was transferred to a "lodge
in a vast wilderness," stone eight miles east and by
south of Junuao, which is called Mahulleea, as well as
I could make out, in virtue of some reed huts,, and our
tents weie pitched on a windy prairie, .girt with saul
trees and jungle, at the foot of low wooded spurs
of the Nepbulese mountain chains. Sir Jung Baha-
door's camp was moved also. The Civil camp and
Residents' tents of course were included in the general
exodus. The appearance of the country to the east of
Jumao can be compared to nothing to be seen
in Europe. A great expanse of level plains
covered with high grass and reeds reminded one
of the fens of Lincolnshire, with the saving clause
that they were fringed with covert, and that
on the left hand rose the distant Himalayas.
Over this, marching in independent lines, were endless
strings of camels, columns of elephants, and an in-
credibly large army of camp followers. It was
incredibly large; for no one in camp had seen them out
in the open, and without having seen no one could
have believed that there were actually several thousand
men around the Princes camp. An estimate that I
made that the camps contained 9,000 or 10,000 people
was challenged, but if Sir Jung Bahadoor has 1,400
infantry, a battery of six guns, 600 r lephantg, and many
camels and horses, it will, not be an exaggeration to
put the Nepaulese at 6,500. The Prince's followers,
&c., are 1,800 odd. Then there are the followers of the
Residents and the Civil camps, so that my estimate
does not err on the side of excess. It was evident
that there was an immense cordon round the camp,
or that there had been. There were traces along the
route marked by camel and elephant through the
jungle of a regular chain of posts, and the soldiers
who had been stationed in the woods were to be made
out on the march in little groups. These posts were
formed of "lean-toe," made by cutting saplings nearly
through and about a foot from the ground, and then
bending them at an angle of 45 degrees to a line of
uprights, to rest on cross poles at the top of the
uprights. A thatch of reeds, branches, and leaves is
placed on this slanting framework, and the house is
roofed, the front being faced by a blazing fire of
logs and dry grass. When the guards move in the
morning they generally set fire to, these huts, the
fire spreads, and columns of black and white smoke
arise. Then again, to beat back the game the
reeds and grass are fired, and patches of many
acres are thus set ablaze, and the noise of the burning
reeds sounds like distant musketry. There is desolation
in our track, but it is of a very salutary sort, for these
burnings clear out the dense vegetation, and young
shoots spring up at the base of the reeds. The
scorched tree stumps all through the Terai show how
the practice has been carried on for many generations.
The woods, now resounding with innumerable
voices, will soon be left to the birds and beasts till the
next great shikar party. It was nealy 1.30 before the
-Prince came up with Sir Jung Bahadoor and his suite.
;The Nepaulese Minister took leave as soon as he had
-seen his Royal Highness to his tent, and went off to
his own camp close by. An hour later the howdah
elephants were brought, and the Prince started with
Sir Jung and all his paray for a wood within a few
hundred yards of the camp, where the pad elephants
were waiting in a great semicircle. Line was soon
formed:and the usual tumult began, mahouts shouting,
and trees and branches cracking, till tise wood aestessaa
swallowed all up. Presentlyes s the right a
sew class es+ss bugle—" Halt It was answered
from the left.. -The line halted, and just in front of the
elephant on which I was standing the Prince came out.
4ir Jung and the sporting Nawab behind him were at
-.one side, and Sir D. Probyn on the other. The Prince
was standing up, looking down on some thick grass or
,foliage. Presently he aimed and fired, and I could
fsee a movement in the jungle. He fired hgain, and all
• was stilL The elephants closed up, and there lay a'
very beautiful full-grown leopard (or panther) &Ted,
killed by the first shot; the second was \supgreroripliro
The chase was resumed. The relePhasathefoilnYa-'
. There-was, muela bmiipg, by men and trumpeting by
sielephants,ldr thd framed corps of these elephants are
regulated like an army—form on centre or fl inks,
wheel and turn at command. There was a steep'
banked stream in the jungle, which seemed to present
itself in every direction, and crossing it was perpetuar:
trouble, bat the elephants gradually closed in utitil
shout in Er ontannounced that a tiger had been semis"
The ring, however; was not close enough, and some ere.
phants were not sufficiently firm on their legs for '
the tiger broke through and dashed across the nu'llah,
followed closely by the Prince under Sir Jung's direc-
tion. By masterly combined movements the ring was
formed again, and the tiger was once more in the midst
and centre of his enemies: He, or she as it turned out,
tool: shelter in a piece of grass with small saplings in it,
and free from trees. With renewed claniours and
yells the pad elephants were urged on till they fornied
two or three deep in a rapidly narrowing circle, the
howdahs disposed along the inner circumfeeeficd.. At
last the diameter was not twenty yards. 'very one
fixed his eyes on the patch of'grass. ' The Prifice came '
. out ready to fire, with Sir Jung and General Probyn
by his side, on elephants as before. To untrained °Yes
it is difficult to see a tiger in cover, and $.l- Jung
could not direct the Prince's aim by any.pointing or
explanation for some time, till at last, Royal
Highness,.fired, A growl from the gr'asst—fio'fisoye-
men.t—another shot—another growl—no movemept.
But in a secend or two out leaped' the tigiassr4.4a.riiti
retina tines+ fourths of the circle iii'quick adtiVe le4S,
to the great discomfiture of the elephants, which'
dourished their trumpets, and 'behaved' as .sagaeiots
creatures which do not like to have. their snouts torn
or eyes scratched out might be expected ti do. In
twenty seconds or lees the tigress was An )per
hiding-
place again, and two shots ' more failed- to displace
her. She came out a second and a third time, was.
fired at twice or oftener as soon as she was in :cover,
but apparently w.thout effect, and then she ,relapsed
into an attitude of expectancy, and would net stir.
at all. In vain was she addressed in bad language
and hooted at—she refused to come out. At last
an elephant was ordered to go in and stamp her out,
but he declined firmly, and to show he acted on prin.

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