Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1873-01-02
rizc.Fishting In the East...A Buffalo
and u TIGER In COmhaf.

and n Tiger In Combat.
A correspondent of the London
STANDARD, writing from Hong Kong, on
October II, describes one Of the enter
talnments supplied by the Maharaia of
singapore, to the Grand Duke Alexis,
II honor Of the visit OF the latter to the
Island. He says: "After luncheon
they proceeded to witness fight be-
tween buffalo and tiger Those who
had never seen a combat of this kind
wou,d have been inclined to bet freely
on the latter; but the natives said that
the chances were in favor of
tho buffalo, and, indeed, that
the tiger was never known
to win. The arena in which the ami.
mails were to fight was of an oval form,
some fifty feet long by about twenty
wide, IN IN inclosure of bamboo poles,
fifteen feet high, firmly driven
into tho ground and strongly fastened
together. Similar poles, laid across
the top, formed tho roof. The whole
structure had the appearance of a gi-
gantlccage. A platform, built outside,
enabled themore distinguished visitors
to have n good view of the interior
from safe distance through the spaces
between the poles, while the general
public crowded round the cage as close
us their respect for the claws of the
tiger would allow.
The buffalo was confined to one of
the cages by canvass curtain stretch
ca across the arena the tiger was in
closed at the other extremity by poles
placed across from one wall to the 9TH
er. When the fight was to begin the
curtains were withdrawn, the poles
were removed, and the animals were
for the first time seen by the spectators.
The buffalo stood for some moments at
his end of the cage, looking with little
apparent interest towards his foe. The
tiger was sitting on his hauuches,
seemingly unconscious of the presence
OF his formidable adversary, his atten-
ton being attracted by the crowd out
side. After waiting for some time. the
buffalo seemed to think he might as
well make q closer inspection, and
slowly and deliberately walked to the
other end. The tiger was now
clearly aware Of his presence, for he
turned his head over his shoulder and
watched the approach of the buffalo
with evident anxiety. His eye glared,
but he did not move muscle. The
buffalo was almost near enough to
touch him with his muzzle. But at
length, and before the buffalo made
any sign of attack;n g him, he jumped
up and galloped oil as last as his legs
could carry him round the cage. The
buffalo followed, and jammed him
against the wall with his horns. The
tiger, in return, gave the buffalo one
scratch on the neck and another over
the eye, just as cat might do, and
then fell, apparently dead. But his
breathing betrayed him; he was only
shamming. No one seemed to under
stand this better than the buffalo, who
stood close by, and kept his oye on
him, but disdained to touch him while
he was down.
For some time the two animals main
tanned their respective positions, till at
length the public began to be impa-
tient. They stirred up the tiger with
q pole, but that was of no use; then
they tried crackers, and for some time
they succeeded no better. It was not
till bundle was thrown close to the
tigers nose that he got thoroughly
reused. But he had evidently no in
tention of fighting. He again ran
around the cage, was again pursued by
his relentless enemy and severely
gored, and once more sank to the
ground. This process was repeated
several times, always with the same
result The tiger would not fight the but
falo, and the buffalo could not kill the
tiger. At length the men on the roof
lowered rope with a moose in the
end, in which they caught up the tiger
by one of his hind legs, and while lie
was hanging, the buffalo completely
finished him. But the Grand Duke
was spared the pain of witnessing the
spectacle, rs he left when the tiger
counterfeited death for the second
time. The natives were right-the tiger
fights unwillingly when he cannot sur.
prise his enemy. But the Raiah had
taken unusual pains to make the com
bat as equal as possible, for the tiger
was a very savage one, while the buffa-
10, but two days before, had been
quietly drawing cart along the road"