The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-01-25
TIGER HUNTING IN THE EAST
INDIES
Extract Of letter containing an account Of
tie death of Lieut.. McMurdo, killed by
Tiger, near Jaulnah, September, 1880.


: Extract of a letter ceEtainiDg an account OF
,, . tie death of Lieut.. McMurdo, killed by a
, Tiger, near Jaulnah, September, 1880.
AS you will probably like to hear the
particulars of McMurdo's death, give
them to you as related by those who were
with him. On Saturday last, the Potall of
, Mallegaum sent in to say tiger had been
marked down, and three officers, NcMordo,
Of the H. A.; Graige, of The 26th, and
Brett, of the 31st, went out 10 kill it. On
arriving at the ground they learned there
were three tigers, and their lair was point
ed out 10y the villagers. After beating for
some time, the tigers were on foot, and
Brett mortally wounded one of them, which
after a short struggle died in bnsh.-
\ They followed the others, and McMurdo
, got view of one of them. about sixty yards
from him, which he fired at, hut missed
the villagers from the hills marked the
brute into clump of bushes, on the edges
OF nullah; the circumference of these
+ bushes was not more than SIXTY or seventy
fees, and though they beatall around thel,,
i and thrust in sticks and nuxzles of their
CANS. the animals never mossd.
i, They then proposed going on further to
look for If, and poor Mem. said, "Stop a
moment till put another ball in my gun
? They were all three close together, and
about yard from the bush. Craigie and
Brett stepped aside to look at the tigers
foot prints, when suddenly they heard u
tremendous roar, and looking round, saw,
the brute with Mem. in his grasp; he fell
instantly. Craigie fred both barrels into
the animal, which rolled over with Mem.
into the nullah. Brett ran up, missed with
one barrel and hit him on the head with the
other. So instantaneous was the spring,
and so close was McMurdo, that he had nc
time to use the gun; intact, it was all over
in few seconds. 'Craigie and Brett had
now to reload. They saw the poor fellow
in the nullah (which was very shallow
making all the resistance that man coult
make his left arm thrust.down tho brute,
throat, his right having been mangled il
vain attempts Ia extrieate himself. Willis
his companions were reloading, bold fell
low, a native, ran in, picked up Mems. gun
and fired the barrel that was primed into
the animal, which then rolled over few
yards from the poor fellow; presently they
heard him cry out, sob God oh God
Craigie, Craigie, he is coming at me againr'
Craigie and the villagers then attacked
and despatched the beast with stones, the
whole of the sad business happened in less
time than the RECITAL can give you an idea
Of Poor MEMS. state was dreadful his
left thigh crushed to atoms, both arms
dreadfully mangled and lacerated, two
: claw marks on his face and his side much
bruised. He was a man of the most i'm
movable nerve, and his courage was be-
yond every thing daring. He had killed
two tigers before, on foot one of them by
a shot which laid the animal at his feet al
most touching him.
When the first tiger on Saturday was
wounded, it was struggling in a bush, and
Mem. went up and finished it, with as much
GOODNESS, as if it had been wounded hare.
When it was pulled out, he gave Jump in
the. air, saying, "By .Jove what capital
sport we shall have if we can but get them
all three" He was constantly out after
wild animals, and meeting with adventures:
; was capital and fearless horseman, and
invariably foremost rider in our long
hunts. He so entirely retained his pres
ence OF mind in the struggle with the tiger,
that he knew every shot that was fired, and
when he spoke of the stones hitting it, the
poor fellow smiled. He told Craige 10 go
and examine the beast, and see if he had
not hit him, when he took the shot at dis
lance. He said that for a month past he
had an impression that he should meet with
some accident, " but had no idea it would
be so bad as this, for suppose must lose
my leg" His frmness never forsook him
for moment; after about two hours he
) complained of thirst, and spasms in the
stomach and was evidently shaking fast
| L. Al Ill
kerchief which had been applied as tour
nquet to stop the bleeding in the thigh
this, however, could not be done; he then
became insensible, breathed hard for some
time, then more and more family, till he
expired, without groan or struggle, be-
fore medical aid conld reach him.
The SHARK. The capture of one Of
these veraclsus animals frequently beguiles
a tedious hour during long voyage. Its
struggles when brought on deck, are very
great, but few severe blows on the nose
soon disables it from further exertion.-
When Selling any object, the animal turns
on the side, not, as is generally supposed,
on the back. The shark, Judging by an
European palate, is not good eating: the fins
and tail are very gutinous, and are the por-
tons most relshed by the seamen, and
dried they form an article of commerce to
CHINA, where they are used in soups, and
considered as an excellent aphrodisiac.
have seen several sharks and bonetos about
the ship at the same time, but never OBJ
served the former attempt to modest the lat
ter. The shark is eaten eagerly by the
natives Of the Polynesian Islands, and
nave seen them feasting on 1t in raw state,
when they gorge themselves to such an ex-
cess to occasion vomiting. 1t is not an I'M
frequent source of illness among these isl
) anders, and they suffer SO much in conse-
quence as to lead them to suppose that their
dissolution is nigh, but they cannot be per
suaded that the eating of raw fish is the
] cause. An emetic soon removes the srmp'
toms by removing the cause, and the suffer
er considers the cure as almost miraculous
Attending the shark is seen that beautiful
little fish the gasterosieus ductor, or plo
fish, who, first approaching the bait, returns
as IT to give notice, when Immediately at
ter the shark approaches and sezes it, 1t il
curious circumstance that this eegan
little fish is seen in attendance only upol
the shark. After the shark is hooked, tn,
; pilot fish still swims about, and for somt
time after he has been hauled on deck
they then swim very near the surface of thu
water, and at that time have seen then
taken by basket from the chains of ship
When the shark has been hooked and at
forwards escapes. he generally returns, ant
, renews the attack with increased ferocity
lrrltatcd perhaps by the wound he has re