Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1873-07-10

TIcEEs AND CoBRAs.-Two papers-one
The oficial report Of Mr.. Grant Duff. and
the other. read few days ago by Capt
Kogers. before tho London Society OF Arts
give figures touching the loss Of life in
India through the assaults Of wild beasts
and venOmOus snakes. that are positively y
startling. 1t appears from these authuri.
ties that in 1871. the total number Of
deaths caused by these creatures was no
less than 1908. The record Of 1869
was IA .529. SO that in spite Of the decrease
in the number Of noxious animals we are
accustomed TO observe with the approach
and contact Of civilized man. the list of
victims was heightened during these two
years in terrible manner. In fact, the
mortality from this cause appears to exceed
that Of oil the wars carried on in or near
the West Indies, aud the beasts and snakes
sccm TO Kill more men than the men kill
Of each other.
Some particular individuals among the
wild animals acquire special fame for their
horrible exploits and long continued i'm
punity. Capt. Rogers describes one IT,
grcss in the Central Provinces as special
ly prominent in this way. She caused. he
Gays. the destruction of thirteen villages,
and $50 square miles Of country were
thrown by her out Of cultivation. An
other tigrcss in 1869 killed 127 people,
and actually stopped public high road
for many weeks, the inhabitants not dar-
ing to travel BY it. In 1865 a panther.
in broad daylight. broke into the town Of
Chicola, and game within 100 yards of the
Jail, attacking everybody he saw. He was
killed, but he BIT ono man TO death. aud
desperately wounded three others. before
he succumbcd.
The magistrates Of the various depart.
mcnts are constantly reporting the rava'
ges Of the tigers and panthers who destro,
not only human beings but immense num'
bers Of cattle. 1t appears that the in
crease Of human population only bring,
increased mortality from this cause. the
Wild beasts losing no whit Of their bold.
ness w;,h the advance of man. but rather
acquiring fresh audacity and bloodthirs.i.
rsss. The serpents. too. apparently dis
pu'e the ground inch by inch. and even
invade houses in the most populous dis
tricts. Soldiers are constantly attacked
In their cantonments BY the cobra di co.
pel.a. the bite of which venomous reptile
is almost certain to be fatal. although. &c.
cordihg to Dr. Bucler. who has had wide
experience. the poison may be successful.
ly c"mbatcd BY alcohol If taken in time
When the ratases of these fearful pest.
arc considered. as exemplifed by the trust.
worthy accounts Of Mr.. Grant Duff and
Captain Rogers. the spottsmen who &C
out to slaughter them by the hundred rise
above the character of mere pleasure.
seekers aud become real bencfactors o.
their kind. When nearly 20.000 person.
are thus meeting yearly so terrible death
1t o, comes important. indeed. to devise
comprehensive means for battling with .hi.
fierce and remorseless eherhy such as pri.
vate individuals, however adroit and en-.
Nrprising. can hardly command. We
suppose the whUle Russian expedition tc
Khiya will hardly exceed 10000 men
and hence. were the entire force to be ab.
solutely blot,ed out. the loss of life would
not exceed what is yearly inflicted in In.
dia, By tigers aud cobras. Il is a curious
fact that the immense improvement in Gre.
arms does not seem to cut down the mum.
Der Of catsstrophes from these causes
Even brcech-loaders, revolvers. aud rifles
tha, kill a, ,houssnd yards. appear tc
have no especial destructivencss for these
wild despo,s Of the plain and the Jungle.
from whom the only ultimate security
must obviously consist in determination