The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-07-12 00:00:00

TIGER HUNTING IN THE EAST.

The following extract of a letter received by a gentleman in
Liverpool from his brother, dated Bangalore, Jan. 3, gives alively
description of the perils of tiger hunting:—
" I did something, however. yesterday, which was a good com-
mencement of the new year, for I commanded a party of the men
who were ordered out to kill a tiger, which we obeyed, and put in
execution in a very short time. I'll give you a description of the
business. About six o'clock in the morning, when at the riding-
school, I saw something swimming a, rosy the tank (alias lake), a
short distance from my house, and going towards some thick planted
gardens on the other side, I thought it was a large black dog, or a
black man, so went on fitting siumps, but was soon surprized, by
one of our officers running to tell me it was a royal tiger, and that
he was seen to lay down in the rushes, at the edge of the water.
Several officers got ready and went over, but I was wiser than
to follow, until I had got the Colonel to give me a firing party or
sixteen men, with rifle carbines : well, away we went, and had
just got h) the I; ate; of the garden, when a shot was fired inside
(though I had sent to tell them I was eomittg as quick as possible),
and soon after the royal beast galloped across the road, and was
shot at by two of the party, but not damaged. I mounted my
horse, took a carbine from one of the men, and galloped off to try
and keep him in sight, and soon heard he was in another garden
close to us. I dismounted, formed my party in line, and beat down
the hedge. A little dog of Ned's, which 1 ant keepiag for him,
Bruin by name, was with us: when -we got to the corner of the
hedge,-Brain gave tongue violently, and went barking into the
hedge. I said, lam sure Bruin has him, look our,' and nut he
came with a glorious growl. 1 was the nearest to hint, took aim at
his head, and the rifle missed fire; he was first coming to-
wards me, but •altered his route, inclined to my right, receiv-
ing several shots from the party, and leaped right on the top
of a man's shoulder. How magnificent he looked in the air,
with his mouth open, over the man's head ! Down they came, and
he left his hold, made at the hedge, and stuck in it for a short
time, the been blazing at him all the time; another rifle, which
had been given me, missed tire. I took another one, and went
through the gate, and sew my friend laying down close to me, and
staring me in the face. I took aim at his head, and hang me if
the third elle did not miss fire, though he was not five yards off.
He sprarg at me. I leaped tack, but was caught by my spurs, and
came on my —; a lucky shot or two, howevt r, turned my fiend
Write. and I just got up in time to seize another carbine, and send 1
the ball just in behind his shoulder, width finished his business.
The poor fel'ow he had clawed, as t4OOl I as he could get up,
seized a spear, and had the satisfaction to rim it into his neck as
he was struggling. Luckily he has rot received much damage,
as the beast only acalped part of his head, witlinut hurting the.
skull ; he had behaved gallantly all the time, for I had been obliged
to order hint to keep back, for he would go first, and I was a:raid
he would be sprung upon. Titus ended our fight. I had him dead
in the Colonel's compound (garden) in an hour after I was sent out.
Several of the officers came up in time to get shots ; one of them,
who would not have been accused of volunteering his bones, was up
with my party all the time. Bruin, though, was the bravest
person lof the whole, he has inmortalized himself ; for not con-
tent with fe'ching the brute out of the hedge, he stuck to his he:ls
during the who'e engagement, barking and trying to bite, thou;
the thickest -part of Iris body is not larger than the tiger's tern.
The beast struck at him, hut Ned's beloved child, as he often ells
hint, escaped, aced returned to the light. I have gained credit with
the men, tOr leading them up so steadily to the charge, which
proha'tly saved some lives, for they wanted to go in a crowd,
but 1 would not let them, hut brought them up in line ; and
also for being the first to follow him up when is got t rough
the hedge. I tin very glad we escaped so well, and portico.
lady that I had an opportunity of trying my mettle, tier it was the
-first time. Young Alackworth bus gut his skin, as it was he that
find when he was first put up near the water. I have his
head in hot water now, to get the flesh off, and a hind leg also.
Macworth cheated tome of us this morning ; he asked os to
breakfast, and .cave as what he called hare soup, which was 16
rich, we took only a aptionful•or two ; no wonder it is ss, fot at was
made of rbe tiger. 1 dare .say .(our Aldermen, 'who pre p° cele-
' heated 'Cir their turtle scup, would havet,,joyed it, if they had not
knuwu the mixture,"