The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-01-16


The following account is by the Rev. Mr..
Lacroix. an excellent Mission ary TO Calcutta:
Bees are very numerous in India. but they
are not kept there as they are here, in hives,
for they store up their honey in hollow trees
in the forest and junglcs. But, although it
is difficult to euteT these wooded places,
and those who do so are in danger from
serpents and savage beasts, there are many
poor men who get their living by gathering
and selling the wild honey, Now, Il few
mouths before Mr. Lacrolx wrote his letter,
four of these men, end boy. eleyev years
old, went from one of the stations OF the
London Missionary Society for this purpose
They got into boat, and rUwed into an in
let Of a river, where the banks on both sides
were grown all over with high trees and
thick shrubs, which formed part of, what
Is cal ed in India, a Jungle. When they
came to the place where they intended to
land, the men Jumped on shore, and left the
boy TO take care of the boat. while they were
gene af er the honey. As the tide was then
running out of the creek, in a little while
the boat was left dry upon bank Of deep
mud. The sun was hot, and the place " as
very silent, and the boy sat quietly in the
boat, looking about him and wishing the
men would come back, when, 10 all at
once the poor little boy stared and started
| as he saw a very large tiger standing upon
the bank Just above the boat. looking down
| upon him with his great glaring eyes You
may fancy how he felt as he beheld the sa.
wage beast first fix his fierce look upon him
and then crouch and crawl along the ground
preparing to spring and make him his prey
The boy was very much frightened Jas
you may suppose, but he had his witsabout
him, and therefore, without losiDga moment
he crept under the deck of the boat, for
the boat had deck. But no sooner had he
entered his hiding place, than down came
the tiger at one great leap; and such was
the force with which he sprang, that one OF
his legs went right through the deck, and
got iammed in between the planks, just over
where the boy lay.
Without loss of time, and with wonderful
presence of mind, the little fellow snatched
hold of rope which was lying near him,
and twisted it quickly around the tigers
leg, he tied it firm and held it fast. Not
understanding this treatment, and never
having been trained like dog to give his
paw TO boy or man, the ferOcious creature
groaned and tugged, and tried in every way
10 get his leg out but the boy knew well
that the only chance of saving his own life
was to keep the rope firm, and therefore he
held it as fast as he could. After twisting
and pulling long time, without getting
away from the boy, the tiger was quite Cowed
down, and laid himself quietly down on the
deck. Now you may suppose how the poor
boy must have felt as he peeped up through
the broken deck, and saw the red eyes and
great jaws of this fierce monster.
But, at last, the honey -gatherers having
finished their work in the Jungle, made their
appearance upon the bank. Seeing the tiger
lying upon the deck Of the boat, they a
once concluded that he had killed and COB
bled up the boy, and that he was now get
ting quiet nap after his dinner. They,
therefore, raised great shout, which SO
! frightened the beast that he made one more
desperate tug and as the boy this time was
not quite so watchful as he had been before,
the tiger ierked out his leg from the hole,
and leaped clear from the boat. Fortunate.
ly he jumped right into deep mud and as
he was tioundering about and trying to
get out of it, the four men rushed down
upon him, and with great sticks, which
they happened to have in their hands, they
labored away with all their might at his
head, till they first stunned, and then killed
him. How glad they were when they saw
the boy, who they thought had been killed
and eaten by the tiger, quietly creeping out
from under the deck, safe and sound, you
may easily suppose for he was the son oi
one of the men, and a nephew of another.