The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-02-05
Hunting Tigers with Elephants.

A low forest extends for ninety miles
to within eighteen miles of Haidarabad,
says an Indian correspondent of the
Standard This forest has plenty of
deer, hares, and feathered game of vari-
GUS kinds, and also tigers and bears, and
numbers of panthers. The tigers used
to be killed within eight miles of Haid-
arabad, but there are such constant ex-
petitions against them that one must go
at least twenty miles to get a shot at
them now. The danger of the sport
may he calculated from the fact that two
or three officers are killed every year by
sunstroke or by the tigers but that
makes no difference whatever in the ar
dour with which the sport is pursued.
A well-known tiger killer is out in the
jungle as l write this. but the heavy
rains have spoiled his sport. Last year
he killed twenty-siX tigers with his own
gun, but they are rapidly diminishing.
Bears and panthers, on the other hand,
are still very numerous. and are thought
so little formidable that they are hunted
with the spear. A gallant brigadier who
has Just gone away, told me that on
horseback, with that weapon, he has
killed four bears. In the same way,
panthers taken i'll traps are let go, and
are hunted down with spears but they
show little spirit after being captured in
that way. The safest way of hunting
tigers is, of course, on elephants but
that, too, has its dangers. There is only
one thoroughly well-broken elephant
here, who will stand his ground calmly,
and neither rush in nor away, and he has
just been presented with pair of silver
rings for his tusks for having received
three charges from an immense tiger
without moving further than by lower
ing his head to present his trsks to the
attack. But one of the high Indian
officials told me he was in the most i'm
minent danger of being killed the other
day, for his elephant, rs soon as he saw
the tiger, rushed madly after him, crash
ing through the forest as man might
run through field of beans. In such
case the danger of being swept off, or
having ones brains dashed out by the
branches, is frightful, and it is certain
that such an elephant, if he got up to
the tiger, would plump down on his
knees to gore him, with shock that
would probably precipitate its rider
yards ahead. But the forest has its uses.
SIR JOHN HAwKsHAw calculates that
railroads save to the public greater
sum than they pay to the stockholders in
dividends. This is ascertained by COM
pairing the cost of railway transporta-
ton with that of wagon transport, and
is exclusive of the advantage in point of
time. If the saving in time could be
valued, he thinks that the saving would
be found to amount in England to ten
per cent. yearly on the cost of the roads.
1t is in this way that railroads add to
the national wealth. On this basis of
calculation the government of Brazil
has decided to guarantee seven per cent.
on roads that earn four per cent. Con
sidering that in generation and q half
100, 600 miles of railroad has been built
in the world, and that the value may be
estimated at $1OO, 900 mile, we have a
total capital of SIG, zoo, 600, 600, upon
which, according to Sir John Hawk
awscomputation the world realizes ten
per cent. yearly as an addition to its
wealth.
ancestry of Henry Wilson which has not
yet been given to the public, but which
would be interesting reading were all
the facts told. It is stated by those who
know best that the Colbaiths were gyp-
sizes, two tribes of which remarkable
people settled in Stafford, n. H., early
in the century. From these gypsies
have descended a few of the best and
many of the worst people known in the
annals of the Eastern States. The facts
are known to many New Englanders,
but it is probable that the romance has
not been given in its details because of
the pain that would be caused to many
respectable families. But it is no dis
credit to the late Vice President that he
came from such humble stock ; indeed,
it is greatly to his credit that, despite
the iron fortune which enveloped him in
early life, he should have achieved such
high position and finally passed away
amid general regret.
Gum ARAB1c.-The most familiar OBJ
jects about us are often the least under
stood, and few probably pause to ask
the question, "What is gum Arabic,
and whence comes it ?" In Morocco,
about the middle of November THAT is,
after the rainy season. a gummy juice
exutles spontaneously from the trunk
and branches Of the acacia. It gradu-
ally thickens in the furrow down which
it runs, assumes the form of oval and
round drops, about the size of pigeons
egg, of different colors, as it comes from
the red or white gum tree. About the
middle Of December the Moors encamp
on the border OF the forest, and the har-
vest lasts full month. The gum is
packed in large leather sacks, and trans