Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-11-22
their character, forming, perhaps, one of the
representatives of the assumed ground between
plants and animals


A very singular report has been recently issued
by the Gazette Of India upon the number Of
deaths from the attacks of wild beasts through
out the country. 1t is difficult, indeed, 10 real
lie the facts involved in these remarkable col
umns OF statistics We are accustomed TO read
of isolated cases of the destruction OF few
hunters in tue Jungle by tigers or elephants;
but here we have a record showing that in the
war between men and wild beasts, the men have,
TO n great extent not only the worst of the con-
test, but the beasts follow up their victory until
a man-eatng tiger creates such terror in a dis
trict that "Whole villages are depOpuated, pub
lie roads and thoroughiares are rendered liter
ally unapproachabe by human beings even in
broad daylight, and thousands of acres Of once
cultivated land are entirely deserted and con-
signed to the growth of vegetation to offer in
their turn safe cOvcrts to these noXiOus am
mails" The government, of course, has not
been idle Various means have been devised to
mitigate the pest, hut with comparatively little
success, as the figures We are about to quote will
prove. The aggregate number of deaths by the
onslaught of wild beasts throughout the prov
inces of Madras Bombay, Bengal, the north
western provinces, Punjab, 0udh, central prov
inces CouTg, Hyderabad and British Burmah,
for three years, amounts to 1854. The deaths
from snake bite, over the same area came up 10
25,654. So that from both causes there is huge
total Of mortality scoring IS 21S persons who
have came TO a violent or lingering end in what
to rs seems a strange fashion. 1t is not neceS-
saIy or desirable, perhaps, to dwell upon 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
langs OF the cobra serpent DR.. Livingstone
has TO d Us that when a lion seized him, the
shake which the creature gave him, like that
which a cat gives to a mouse, seemed to kill
within him the very sense of danger or fear, so
that he remained passive, though moi uncon-
scious in its grasp. But, ON the other hand, we
have only to glance into the stories of the In
dian hunters, to find tales of the swoop of the
tiger on native, and then the plunge with the
shrieking quarry into the forest which gives the
most convincing proof that not to every one
does death in this dreadful manner come as
calmly as it seemed to be approaching Dr. Liy
ingstone.
Bat are there not hunters, mighty hunters, in
India? The army of Shikarees is in truth en-
tirelv insufficient to cope with its antagonists.
The government gives large rewards for the
destruction of the terrible game, the baggin2 of
which is very difficult matter indeed from the
pei formanceS at the Norfolk coverts, or on the
Scotch moors. But the natives are not courage
GUS enough TO battle determinedy and effective
ly against their quadruped enemies 1t is only
the odd EngllShmen who can protect them, and
to whom a village, tiger-ridden so TO speak, will
appeal to be rid of their Oppressor, who, very
like the dragon of old, must be fed on man
meat, and helps himself to the fare almost
whenever he feels the stimulus of appetite. The
HullNCS uIt tONdlulN tHUu3H 10 uN Ill litIHb
numbers from the districts in which even one of
these ierocious beasts happens 10 be abroad.
The Bombay Gazette says owe are repeatedly
having brought under our notice the fact of
tiger coming down on village and carrying off
one after another of the inhabitants" In
document published by authority of the gov
eminent, we find it stated that though in certain
cultivated districts the more dangerous species
OF wild animals have become rare, the lower
provinces of Bengal exhibit state of things
calling for serious consideration. 1t is said, in
the paper to which we refer, that the mortality
'could be very largely reduced by the
eXtirpatiOn of the animals in the neighbor-
hood Of human habitaions." The re-
mark carries with it an OveT-0byous truth.
The tiger is the difficulty, and how to abolish
or destroy him is the problem to be taken in
hand. The government advise the people to
kill him, which is not such bad plan if there
were less risk and Inconvenience IN carrying 1t
out, In 1868 Captain Rogers produced scheme
for the destruction of wild beasts, consisting of
sprngggun contrivanoe which was to be laid
in the Path or in the haunts of the animals
But it turned out that the tigers avoided the
| trap, and the domestic buocks add other tame
| beasts did not, SO that Captain Rogers notion
| after time became unpopular. The same gen,
| tleman attempted TO organize regular bands of
| Shikarees, or hunters, with iemadars over them,
and supply of guns and ammunition. 1t APP
| peared however, that the pay was not sufficient
| 10 attract the best men; or at least it was so
regulated rs to give dissatisfaction and at pres
| emf the whole question, both as to the destruc-
| ton of snakes and Of wild beasts, appears to be
| in an unsettled condition. There is considerable
difficulty in the matter Of rewards and in rely.
| ing upon the good faith of the hunters, who will
| not scruplc to get paid, when they can, for the
same skins twice over; but it will be strange in
| deed ii the administration cannot devise Il means
of getting rid of the tigers and snakes to such
| an extent as win prevent the repetition OF the
startling accounts and figures which have reach
ed us.-Londoa Ners,