Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-12-08

Courg, Hyderabad and British Burmah
for three years, amounts to l2,554
The deaths from snake bite over the
same area come up to 1864. So thai
from both causes there is huge total oi
mortality scoring 38,2l8 persons who
come to violent or lingering end in
what to us seems strange and horrible
way.
II is stated that the natives are not
courageous enough to battle deter
minedly and effectively against their
quadruple enemies. 1t is only the old
Englishman who can protect them, and
to whom a village, tiger-ridden, so to
speak, will appeal TO be rid Of their OPP
pressors, who, very much like the dragon
of old, must be fed on man meat, and
helps himself to the fare almost when
ever he feels the stimulus of appetite
The natives are cowardly enough TO fly
in large numbers from the district in
which even one of these ferocious beasts
happens to be abroad. The Bombay
Gazette says: We are repeatedly hav-
ing brought under notice the fact Of a
tiger coming down on a village and ear
rying off one after another of the in
habitants. This is almost as insecure
state Of things as exists in those vii
lagos in South Carolina in which habeas
corpus has been suspended. li
1t is said in the paper from which these
facts are obtained that the mortality
could be very largely reduced by the
extirpation of the animals in the neigh
borhood of human habtations." The
remark carries with it an over-obvious
truth. The tiger is the difficulty, and
how to abolish or destroy him is the
problem TO be taken in hand. The gov
ernment advises the people TO kill him,
which is not such bad plan il there
we're less risk AID inconvenience in car
rying it out. ,or
In 1868 Captain Rogers produced a
scheme for the destruction Of wild beasts,
consisting of a spring-gun contrivance,
which was to be laid in the path or near
the haunts of the animals. But il turned
out that the tigers avoided the trap, and
the domestic bullocks and other tame
beasts did not, so that Captain Rogers
notion after a time became unpopular.
The same gentleman attempted to or
ganize regular bands Of shikarees, or |
hunters with jemadars over them, and d |
supply of guns and ammunition. tap
peared, however, that the pay was not /
sufficient to attract the best men, or at
least it was so regulated as to give dis
and at present the whole;
question, both as to the destruction ofl
snakes and wild beasts, appears to be in
an unsettled condition
AS TO the nature of the pain and fright
which must seize the victim who is
dragged down to be the prey Of the tiger
or who is wounded by the deadly fangs
lf the. cobra serpent, DR.. .Livingstone
has told us When lion seizes him the
shake whichsthe creature gave him, like
hat which cat gives to a mouse,
seemed TO kill within him the very sense
IF danger or fear so that he remained
passive, though not unconscious, in its
yrasp; bnt on the other. hand, we have
1nly TO glance into the stories of the In
liap hunters, TO find tales Of the swoop
1f the tiger on native, and then the
plunge with the shrieking quarry into
.he forest which gives the most CON
gincing proof that not to every one does
leath in this dreadful manner come as
,almly as il seemed to be approaching
DR.. Livingstone.