The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-23 00:00:00

A TIGER HUNT.

When " Blair's" regiment of local horse was first I
stationed at Saeger, a report reached the camp that the
neighbourhood around was greatly infested with tigers,
which had committed the most alarming depredations,
both among the natives of the vicinity, and the cattle
of the bile-wallers, who oceepied the farms there-
about. Three officers of the corps resolved, on
learning the circumstance, to put down this formid-
able nuisance, and, one evening, repaired too a field
contiguous to a dense jungle, in which tigers were
known to harbour ; they ascended a large bannian
tree armed with rifles, having given directions to their
servants to tie a co s to the tree, and tether its calf
to a stake placed in the field, about 30 yards apart from
the dam, also to purchase a buffalo from some rye
Willer, for any other occasional purpose ; they also
gave orders that the mahouts should bring down the
elephants about eleven o'clock at night. The moos
shone exceedingly bright, so that they could clearly per-
ceive any object that might perchance come within fifty
yards of them. The calf continued to bleat inces-
santly for the space of four hours, but no beast of prey
haying shown itself within that time, and the elephants
having arrived, the parties descended from the tree and
repaired to their quarters, leaving- instructions for the
cow and the calf to be led home after them, and the
buffalo to be substituted in the place of the cow.
On the following mereing the gsyc-waller came to the
camp, stating that the buffalo had been carried off by a
tiger. This assertion was not at first credlted, as it was
imagined the cow herd might, most probably, have re-
moved the animal himself to turn it to his own account.
The elephants were, however, ordered to be howdahed,
and the parties set out to the spot, on arriving at which
they discovered that a strong cord, by which the animal
had been bound, was snapped short in twain, the remain-
ing- part being still attached to the tree, a quantity of blood
also lay in patches around the roots of it. One of the ma-
houts observed that he could trace the path in which the
buffalo had been borne away, as ho could trace the line
of blood on the sward some way off. The elephants
were, in consequence, turned round, and the parties
went in pursuit of the marauder. They were passing
through a very heavy jungle when they roused a tigress,
one of the company could only succeed in obtaining but a
very imperfect sieve of her. Here they lost all traces of
the blood of the buffalo. They eventually came to a
deep ravine, over which the elephants, with great
difficulty, effected a transit, and on ascending a steep
ascent, again alighted upon the gore-stained track
of the tiger. They advanced upon the track
for nearly half a mile, when they found themselves on the
verge of a vast plain of"jow"grass. This latter cover is
a very favourite retreat for tigers. The plain was
bounded on the western side by a narrow nnllah, whith
the elephants crossed, and entered the field, ap-
parently conscious that they were within the enesny's
lines, for they uplifted their trunks in the air, and
manifested evident symptoms of impatience. The
three " shilcarries" then drew off about thirty
yards apart from each other, into oats line, and
advanced up the " jow" jungle. When they had
progressed about mid-way, Lieutenant it. came upon
the buffalo, which lay beside him, nearly half devoured.
This circumstance having been communicated to his
companions in arms they were on the alert, as they
were well assured the object of their pursuit was
close at hand. Captain 13's mahout suddenly checked
the elephant, and pointing his band out before him, ex-
claimed, " Sahib, goss bolta !" (literally, " The
grass speaks, Sir I") implying that he could
perceive the grass move, subject to the way-
wardness of some largo animal boring through it.
Captain B. took the hint, and kept a watchful eye on
the motion of the grass till it ceased. The elephant
en marching up to the spot, trumpeted—an infallible
signal that the enemy was winded by his gigantic com-
petitor, and which is invariably sounded as the elephant's
challenge to his foe. Captain 8., standing up in the
howdah, obtained a good view of him as he stood staring
him full in the face, at the distance of about forty yards.
He halted the elephant and let fly both barrels at him,
both balls taking effect ; but the beast was so gorged
that he was wholly unequal to come up to the attack,
but moved away into the grass.
Lieut. R., however, inadvertently came across an-
other tiger, which sprang suddenly upon the Lead of his
noble elephant " Captain," before he was at all prepared
for him. Lieut. C. was also, at the same moment,
blazing away at a tigress, that was bounding off
before him. Lieutenant It. was most awkwardly
situated, for the mahout, in the fright, had slipped off
the neck of the elephant into the grass, and had
crawled away, so that the beast was under no
control. His courage was, however, insurpassable, and
Lieutenant R. shot- the tiger off his hold, both
halls passing through his loins. The elephant now
pinned him to the earth with his tusks. The Lieutenant
called for the mahout, who, when he was assured the
danger was over, crawled forth, and receiving a bog-
spear from his master's hand, which be carried in the
howdah, he was ordered to job it into the heart of the
tiger, the elephant holding him down in a vice which the
combined strength of six tigers could not have resisted.
When he had succeeded in killing him the other parties
came up, and the mahout having resumed his post they
went in pursuit of the monster that the Captain had
wounded. They traversed a groat extent of ground,
but could not come upon him, and were on their return
home, when (Captain B.'s) mahout suddenly cried out,
" Hi, sahib.' (here he is, sir), pointing to the nullak.
The whole of the parties were on the spot, but not one
but the mahout could see the tiger, though, from the
mcde of his directing his finger, it appeared that he
was under their noses. At length he got off the ele-
phant, and wading into the stream, raised up a 5111,111p0l
tion of the Animal's tail, the only visible part of him. The
fact is, after the desperate wounds he had received, he
had endeavoured to cross the nullab, but his efforts
were frustrated by weakness, and he sank in the at-
tempt. lie was found, on admeasurement to be a
little less than eight feet and a half in length,
and presented one of the largest heads of any
tiger that had been seen by the oldest "
shi-
karries." During, the stay of the corps at Saeger,
they contrived to kill thirteen tigers, some of
them very large. The elephants, as hunting elephants,
were invaluable, their foreheads were completely tat-
tooed with the claws of tigers. 'This narrative fully
confirms the statement that has been made, but so often
buffalo,
tandi
such
ii doubted,persntta, tasa
have
er
capability
ascenti y °
'sr p°
doubted will carry
thae
tiger's
ra.sf
1 i witnessed the steepness o
do in • • -
l
havad
t nribtluitiscdcatsoo,ththeetiybeurffaaloweagsrederaor power ar sus-
as what they could °
d, they. would
I cing •
possessed of.
imagine he could b e pessib:y

- _•,-----------_
DUKE OF NORFOLK.--011 Friday last, a very
respectable meeting was held in the Cutler's 'laic
Sh,ll.ld, in pursuance of a requisition for that purpose
presented to the Master Cutler. The object, as stated
by that gentleman in opening the proceedings, was „,
procure by subscription, a full-lcnith portrait of the Duke
of Norfolk, to be placed in the Cutler's Hall, as a testi-
mony of the esteem in which his Grave is held by the in-
habitants of S'aefliold.
TILE MURDERED POLICEMAN.—.The poor
fellow Bailey, %vim met such an untimely end on Monday
evening by a murderer's hand, was escorte,l to his final
resting place yesterday, accompanied by a large body of
his brother officers. He was interred at the Mount Ceme-
tery, and the procession, at the head of which was Mr.
t'' nthNrovile:
Whiny, the head constable, presented_A
Yo.tied the woman he lived)
mournful spectacle.--Liverpool Chronicle. imposing, --
.AthßeEmAa:lZ
Cityll S°Lißsisniojißi,LCEarteßr
with as his wife naked, by the hair of her head until she
was nearly dead, was found guilty, andsentenced to fifteen
months' imprisonment and hard labour
Correction.—Bury Post. in the House of

117
111 E ATHER.---The reports from all parts
of the country, including Ireland and Scotland, agree in
describing the weather now as extremely Cue. -The Prn
vioug drought has been favourable for sowing, *WI" 1,7
mild showers and genial sunshine which have InleiPeade P
give premise of a propitious season.