The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-05-30

lime W0utu not De SU6tter, 80 %fbaF Qa,,
galees found that goc 4. for ali ali sores lore and md.
aches. .gs
'Unc.,.e smiled, and added, Perhaps
YOU may find my plasters better for
once, my good woman; SO continue
them: and here is a rupee foryou to buy
% cradle and a piece Of blanket; and do
not again forget to close the door after
you When you are obliged to .eaye your
baby, and 60 to the tank for water
The poor mother seemed crying; she
touched my unoless feet with her fore
head, aud kissing and hugging her child,
we her for time as she slowly walked
towards her hutamongst the MEM trees
SWELL, Johnny, said Mr.. Smith, Il
must say you have told your adventure
we'll and intelligibly; but you must not
suppose now that jackals live al,cays
upon children: It is not often that
they venture into the habitation of man
to seize living infant. A jackal is
great coward, and generally prowls
about at night. Solitary jackals are
constantly seen; but in the dark nights,
as you know, they 50 in packs, and
their cry is dismal. Much as we dis
like these animals, they have thei4 uses
in creation. The jackal and the vul-
ture may be reckoned the chief scaveng-
crs of our Indian cline; but for their vo-
racious and unfastidious appetite, many
dead carcasc would remain, giving
out unwholesome evaporations, and
make this land of fever and cholera
more unhealthy than it already is.
1T was only the other day that was
breakfasting with Mr.. F., when the
head Of the police came to report that
some pilgrims had arrived from Benares
In a boat. and as their homes were in
one Of the villages little in the interi-
or they biyouacked under that tree
where the butcher displays his meat, in.
tending to 60 home the next day. Most
of them found their way to the bazaars
during the night and but one poor, old,
emaciated careworn, or moneyless pill
grim, lay down that tree, never to rise
again, fer the jackals attacked the sick,
feeble woman in the depth Of the night,
and almost picked her bones clean. If
she had been able to bestir herself
little. she might have scared her vora-
cious enemies away; but she seems to
have been unable either to call out or
defend herself.
1T occasionally happens that jack
al gets rabid; and not many years since,
a number Of the natives, who, you know,
just lie down in these hot months in the
open Dir, or in the sheds which serve
as verandas to their shops, were bitten,
and got the hydrophobia; and although
a reward was offered for the mad Jack
al, he was never caught nor killed.
Jackals are fond of fruit, and if thev
can getac to q garden, are trouble
some, and will come and devour our
melons and cucumbers, they like the
peaches, too, for which under the trees
as the ripe ones fall to the ground. The
jack-fruit is particular favorite with
them; and as that is fruit which grows
low on the thick branches and trunks of
the trees, and occasionally at the very
root, sometimes under ground even, tho
jackal has frequently an opportunity of
stealing jack, or rather Of. sharing it
with its lawful owner. Some of these
fruits, you know, are q weight for q
man, although the greater part do not
weigh more than four or FIVE pounds.
81 daresay that the jackal is the ami
snal which is spoken of in Scripture as
the wild dog; for instance, those who ate
up poor Jezabel's body: although the
Pariah dog of our land, a poor neglec-
ted wretch, almost personi6cation
hunger, will greedily join in the same
banquet with the vulture and iackal.
'Jackals can be tanned: but this is
but seldom attempted. A doctor in nv
regiment, I recollect, made pet Of
one, having first killed its mother in q
chase. she took to the earth, and three
cubs were found by the sportsmen.
This denizen of the wood was fond of
sugar, knew his own name, and would
come readily when called; yet he had
none OF the attachment of dog, and
eventually ran off to his wild woods and
carrion.
The fox is frequently confounded
with the jackal in India, but certainly
not by the natives, who have distinct
names for them. The Bengal fox nev-
.er feeds on carrion, but is clean, smart
cooking little animal, about half the size