The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-05 00:00:00

THE ANTELOPE IN INDIA.

(From Wilkes' Spirit of the Times, New York.)
• " I should be still
Plucking the grass to see where sits the wind."
The antelope is found all over the plains of the Bengal
Presidency above Benares. I believe it is not seen in Ben-
gal Proper. It exists in vast herds in the Hurrianah dis-
trict, north-west from Delhi, as also in the Punjab. The
antelope in Bundelkuud does not attain, I think, the same
size as in the other parts of the Presidency—the horns sel-
dom, if ever, exceeding 22 inches, while, in the north-west
provinces and Bhurtpore territories, 24 inches is not un-
common ; and they have been found reaching even to 27.
The male is called a blackbuck after a certain age, when
his coat assumes a black colour above, the under parts re-
maining white as driven snow. The females and young
bucks are of a fawn colour, with two longitudinal strips of
lighter,tint running along the sides, parallel with the
spine.
Antelopes prefer the open plain, or low scrubby brush-
wood for their midday haunts, visiting the cultivation in
the evening shortly after sunset and quitting it again in
the early morning. The damage occasioned to crops by
these animals when plentiful is beyond calculation. I have
visited some places in our (quasi) protected states, where
game-preserving had been carried to such an extent by the
petty native ruler, that once valuable villages had been
reduced to merely nominal rent, solely on account of their
depredations. The villages are, consequently, as a rule,
glad to affcrd the sportsman every assistance in shooting
them. When the crops are sufficiently high to conceal
them, antelopes remain constantly in the cultivation, and
then the only way to shoot them is to drive the fields
with beaters or dogs. Sugar-Dane plantations are a favourite
retreat, the rustling stalks of the plant affording sure
notice of the approach of a foe. In the open plain many
devices are used for approaching within shot of this wary
animal.
The stalking-bullock is a common dodge of the native
Shikari, but the European sportsman seldom succeeds by
this method ; a well-trained bullock, however, will enable
the shikari to get within forty or fifty yards of the wariest
herd, beyond which distance he seldom thinks of risking
his precious bullet.
The "tattie" is another method of stalking practised by
natives, and sometimes by Europeans. It is a framework
of bamboos, interlaced with the fresh branches of the parti-
cular shrub or tree that grows in the place frequented by
the antelope, and is provided with a hole in the middle,
through which the shikari watches the motions of the
game, and presents his matchlock when within shot. He
moves the "tattie" along in front of him, stopping short
whenever any members of the herd look suspiciously in
his direction. This plan succeeds best on a windy day,
when the motion of the leaves gives the affair a more
natural appearance. In this, as in all other plans of stalk-
ing antelope, the approach must be made up wind, as their
sense of smell is of the keenest description.
Some persons succeed in shooting antelope in thickly
populated districts, where native hunters do not harass
them, by simply wearing a turban and native wrapper, and
sauntering carelessly along as if engaged in innocent pur-
suits until within shot. This plan, however, will only
succeed once or twice with the same herd.
The best of these devices is by means of the common
country cart of the district, which the antelope will often
allow to be driven past within 100 or 150 yards of them.
When near enough, the shooter must slip off, and allow
the cart to pass on, taking his shot immediately it is clear
of his front.
" these plans are, however, at best but poaching de-
Atortsman
viems'anci will never ber adopted by the true sp.
There is something glorious in sallying forth on the open
plain, dotted hero and then' with herds of antelope and
solitary bucks, and with no aosistance save a good rifle
and telescope, matching your ininter-craft against the
wariest of God's crea-
watchful instinct of perhaps the
tures. An intimate knowledge of tho habits of the game
with untiring patience and enduring vi.ind, are the essen-
tial qualifications of the successful antelope stalker. Con:.
siderable skill with the rifle will also be esSontial to suc-
cess, the part to be hit to ensure death being but little
bigger than the palm of the hand. "Here mercy goes to
kill," and the humane sportsman will resist every tempta-
tion to fire beyond 100 to 140 yards ; shots much beyond
these distances, although they may frequently hit, will

rarely bag the animal on the spot, and an antelope, if even
very severely wounded, is nearly certain to escape, to die
a miserable death, and feed the vultures and jackalls.
Moreover, random firing only scares the game, and renders
them much more difficult to approach.
The colour of the clothes must, as nearly as possib:e, re-
semble that of the soil of the district, leather gaiters of
similar tint reaching above the knees; and a leathern glove
on the left hand will render the approach less unpleasant
when it comes to crawling. A skull-cap of the same colour
must be worn, though it will generally be advisable to sur-
mount this by some more solid protection from the rays of
the sun, only to be removed when raising the head to take
an observation or a shot. Should the stalker bo fortunate
enough to have locks of that tint by the possessors called
auburn, and by the vulgar carroty, the inconvenience of a
skull-cap might bo dispensed with ; but farewell to all
hopes of a shot should the owner of a sable "pow" impru-
dently discover so conspicuous an object to the suspicious
glances of an experienced old doe. A sharp hunting-knife
will of ccurso be worn, and this, as also the binocular (the
best of all glasses for shooting), must be fastened so as not
to be in the way while stalking. So much for equipment.
Not few will be the failures and disappointments of the
antelope-stalker at first, but each one will contribute his
modicum of experience and knowledge of the habits of the
game, and at last he will find himself able to ciroumvent
the wiliest blackbuck in Ifindostan.

Abandon all ideas of long range ; because your Enfield
will " kill a mile," it does not allow that you will be able to
kill an antelope with it at even 100 yards. For this reason,
I think that no rifle for this, or indeed any other sport,
need be sighted beyond 150 yards. This is quite far enough
to fire, and a man who will constantly kill his buck at 100,
is far, far above the average of marksmen. Often have I
heard such observations as this from a man who had,
through haste or carelessness alarmed the antelope at a
distance of some 400 to 500 yards, when of course all chance
of a nearer approach was over : "Well ! I may as well have
a parting bang at the brutes ; they can't be more than 300
yards off ;" so up goes his long-range sight ; "ping" spins
the bullet over the plain, and off go the antelope in playful
bounds, till lost on the distant horizon. The gentleman
forgot that ho not only spoilt his own sport by such con-
duct, but also that of other and perhaps better sportsmen,
who might afterwards shoot over the same ground. But
to many men there is something irresistible in these long-
range sights ; the sooner they are knocked out the better.
At first, to acquire steadiness and confidence, it may per-
haps be allowable to fire at every antelope fairly stalked
within proper range ; but afterwards the true sportsman,
recollecting the dictum of the immortal poacher—

He is no woodman that doth bend his bow
To strike a poor unseasonable doe,
will confine his attention to the blackbucks alone. Of these
the solitary bucks are the easiest to get at, and generally
most worth shooting. These are large and powerful bucks,
which, although evidently members of and keeping in the
neighbourhood of some particular herd, except in the rut-
ting season, do not condescend to the society of other ante-
lope. They are often, however, faithfully attended by one
or two does, which maintain the strictest out-looks for the
safety of their lord and master. They aro then hard to
approach, but when entirely alone may often, with a little
care, be stalked and shot. A solitary buck generally lies
with his head down wind, obtaining thus the utmost ad-
vantage from both the senses with the perfection of which
he is endowed. Nevertheless, the approach must be at-
tempted in his very face ; his eyesight may be eluded by
taking advantage of natural inequalities of ground, but an
advance down wind is certain detection. Slowly, and inch
by inch, must the ground be gained, and often when ho
appears suspicions, however uncomfortable a position you
may be in (and just then you are surd to have either a
sharp flint insinuating itself under your fifth rib, or a hooked
thorn button-holeing you by the calf of the leg), so must
you remain until his suspicions are lullen, and he has made
up his mind that you are nothing more terrible than a clod
of earth. The rifle must be pushed on ahead, and crept
up to ; and it will be well to plug the muzzles, not for-
getting to withdraw the plugs before firing. If lying
down, the buck must be raised to expose the fatal spot, the
meeting of black and white just behind the shoulder. This
is best effected by a sharp hiss, their own warning note of
danger, as on hearing this he will start to his feet and look
around for the comrade he supposes to have uttered the
warning. The peculiar tone of this hiss will soon be ac-
quired, as it is uttered by every antelope when menaced by
unseen danger.
The bucks of a herd will seldom be shot by this method
of stalking, and the best plan with them is to watch them
as they pass to and from their drinking and feeding places,
and, by a sort of running stalk, cut in in time for a shot,
which, in this case, will often be a running one. At first
these running shots will constantly be missed, on account
of not aiming sufficiently far forward—six or seven feet at
least must be allowed at seventy yards, and beyond that
distance the chances of killing at all are small. The art of
shooting running with ball is only to be acquired after long
and varied practice, and for one man that becomes first-
rate at it hundreds never rise above mediocrity.
Antelopes drink about midday, and generally at the
same place. This accomplished, they then slowly wend
their way in small parties towards their nightly feeding
grounds, the position of which can always be ascertained
from the villagers. They constantly at this time of the
day lie down for short periods, and, again getting up,
move off slowly in the same direction. Towards sunset
they will generally be found about half a mile from the
cultivation, gamboling about in the most graceful manner,
"fetching mad bounds," as if from sheer exuberance of
health and strength. Thus aro they taught by over-kind
Nature to keep themselves in that tip-top running condi-
tion so necessary to the preservation of their life from the
efforts of their enemies—man and beast. Every now and
then a young buck shoots forth from tho herd, pursued at
full speed by the coal-black leader, who has probably re-
sented sumo too forward attentions to his pet sultanas.
Again, two bucks will meet in full career, their spiral horns
clashing like the lances of the knights of romance. It is a
grand sight, and, when watching at a distance, ono feels as
if ho could scarcely level the rifle at such an embodiment
of grace and beauty ; but a near approach will dispel all
such sentiments of pity, and the ruthless hunter only do-
sires that these matchless horns shall be his.
At nightfall these sportive antics 'cease; the herd, in
single file, led by the master buck, move straight and
quickly to the favoured field, and the work of demolition
commences. It may be easily supposed that, during this
long progress from the water to the feeding ground, many
opportunities offer the sportsman to steal in, and deliver
his death-dealing bullet. Nullahs have to be crossed,
patches of jungle have to be passed through, opportune
boulders present themselves, and a thousand chances of
killing may be obtained by patience and perseverance.
The same style of thing takes place in the morning when
the herd leaves the cultivation and proceeds to the open
plain, there to rust till it is again time to move off towards
the drinking place.
It must not be supposed, however, that the antelope are
permitted to remain at their ease all the night in the fields
eating up the crops of the villagers. All night long
watchers remain in the fields, and their answering cries
have sometimes a pretty effect in the silence of the night.
On moonlight nights, too, many antelopes are shot by the
shikaries ; but, in spite of all this, an antelope killed in the
early morning will generally be found filled, almost to
bursting, with the succulent blades of the sprouting
wheat.
The antelope is exceedingly tenacious of life, and will
go off at a wonderful pace with very severe wounds, and
even broken limbs. Last year I stalked a back, lying in
the centre of a piece of bare black cotton-soil. With infi-
nite trouble, and only after about three hours' stalking, did
I succeed in getting within about 140 yards. On hearing
my hiss "he sprang to his feet ; the rifle, which had been
ready pointed above his body, bore full upon the
proper spot, and at the shot he sunk to the groun
On running up he commenced to spin roundon his side in the most extraordiniahry
oulanner'revo gain-
inglu-
more and more energy
w
y hunting
atinodn,
wtiollualdt lehnagytehrhiseenfa, irwlyhgeon, having
knife three
t on hishtinodnllyevgaesrYauinndgeler
ririfle,l
threw myself on him, and drove rn
yIbI en
nwda
usrt i
al l full r ofut shtlroe tlhi
0,
timeshowever,
t theand
h ilata i nI hisrai
aseidd ern.
ground,en,dv on:iacdtuhotet
oibnf
ragnaikitiseaoaafhe raaoi snssht
streams eihnaegms
pace
ins
fairly threw me to the
for the long grass
with his ragged haoll'ants,gar
intersected the plain. An attendant coming up just then
ran to intercept the buck, and having a stout stick in his
hand, commenced belabouring him about the head. It
was no use, however, and the buck, getting up his steam,
soon outran t
he man, who, after vainly throwing his stick
after him, returned to have a hearty laugh with me at the
absurd figure we had both cut in the encounter. This
buck, although shot through the body, and " knifed" as
related, recovered from his wounds, and was frequently
seen grazing on the outskirts of the grass. I dare say I
might have slkot him had I desired ; but having thus
gallantly escaped me once, I considered ho had a right
to future immunity from persecution, so far as r was
concerned.

With wounded antelope a horse is often of use when tho
ground will admit of his being within reach ; and, could
good and staunch groyhounds bo used, many wounded
bucks mightbe recovered. They can seldom, however, be
taught to take after the right buck, and generally rotaun
from a bootless chase after tho herd, looking exceedingly
foolish. Perhaps tho best assistant in this sport is a
sharp man mounted on a riding camel, who will often be
able to mark down a buck from a long distance, and direct
the stalker to the spot. In some sorts of country, too,
good shots may be got by the sportsman being himself
mounted on a camel. This is a favourite mothod of
shooting in the Ilurrianah ditrict; and I have myself