The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-07-06
The Tiger and Panther Of the Indian
Jungle.

The Tiger and Panther Of the Indiar
Jungle.
| The tiger, the tyrant of the Indian
Jungle, has, as is due, the precedence
over his feebler or less dreaded congo
ners. Skirting the base of the Hima
layan range. extending east and wes
for many hundreds of miles, Is a trac
of land covered with Jungle, called the
Terai; this is his chosen home. era
died in the long feathcry grass of the
Jungle, he gambols about in his infancy
| playful as kitten, and usually attains
when full grown, the length of nine OIL
niue and half feet. Wild hogs, deer
and all the largest species of game arc
his usual prey; but sometimes pair
of tigers will take up their abode with.
in q mile of a village, sallying out from
their lair every three or four days to
pull down bullock or buffalo, always
selecting the fattest in the herd. The
strength of their muscular forearms is
enormous. Captain Baldwin says: ~
remember in Assam tiger, in the dead
OF night, leaping over fence nearly
five feet high, seizing one of the largest
oxen, and again leaping back, dragging
the bullock after him across several
fields and over two hedges" In his old
age, when his teeth become worn, he
not infrequently becomes man eater
and such is the devastation he then oc-
casions that whole villages are some
! times deserted and extensive districts
laid waste, from dread of these feline
scourges. In these disastrous circum.
stances the advent of an English sports
man with his rifles and elephants is
hailed as a God-send by the whole
neighborhood. A tiger, when brought
to bay, often "spits" exactly like cat
Contrary to the received opinion, tigers
seldom roar; but at night the forests
resound with the hdeous din of theil
cries, which resemble the caterwaulin9
Of whole squadron of gigantic tom
cats. In making a charge the tiger ut.
ters series of short, vicious, coughing
growls, as trying to the nerves as the
most terrific roar. Tiger hunting, ever
from elephant-back, is always accom-.
panied with danger. One day, when
Captain Baldwin and friend were ou,
beating the bush for tigers, one of his
beaters, fine young man, "foolishly
crept forward to try and discover the
actual spot where the tiger was hiding
He must have approached within few
feet of the animal, for it struck but one
blow without moving or exposing it:
body, and dashed the unfortunate mar
with great violence to the bottom of 6
stony ravine." He was rescued at once
but died the same evening, his skull
having been fractured by the blow from
the tigers paw. In tiger-shooting
when you discharge your piece, wheth
er you hit or miss, you must not move
but standing perfectly still. keep youi
eye on the animal and put in fresh
cartridge. Many lamentable accidents
have occurred from sportsmen going
rashly up to fallen tigers, enormously
supposing them to be dead. One oil
two stones should always be thrown
first, to see what power of mischief i;
left in him, for it Is quite possible that
he may require another ball as qnie
tus.
A tiger cannot climb trees, but he
can spring to considerable hight, and
tRem% % fTom What VI are caed maeRSHss ~ sRRSHsne
sort of frame work of poles resting Oh
the higher branches of tree. An off.
Ger, some years ago in Central India
got into a tree which overhung water
course to watch for tigers. Ho was q
considerable way up the tree, but he
did not think of the fact that the high
bank of the ravine behind him was al.
most on level with him. In no long
time a tiger came to drink, and he fired
at and hit, but failed to kill it; when
the enraged brute rushed up the bank
to the higher ground behind, anG
springing upon him, dragged him ou,
of the tree and bit and tore him SC
frightfully that he died very soon after
he was rescued. Powerful and fero
cious as the tiger is, lie is afraid of the
wild dog. A pack Of these ravenous
creatures, finding strength in their un.
ion, will set upon, kill and devour 9
tiger. In the opinion Of some old In.
dian sportsmen, the panther Is ever
more to be dreaded than the tiger. He
is large, powerful, thoroughly fero
cious brute. In old age he also some
times takes to man eating, but not sc
often as the tiger does. Our author
however, gives an instance "of one In
Gwalior who had devoured over ffty
human beings, and was the terror OIL
the whole district" One evening Cap
tain Baldwin, along with friend, wa:
| potCicu III tICc III al Opcu part VI tut
Jungle, near the carcass of COW which
had been killed, as was supposed, by 8
tiger. The body was covered with bird.
ofprey, struggling and fighting over il
like SO many feathered demons, when
suddenly great commotion occurred
among the noisy diners-out, and with Q
whish-h-h of their heavy wings they
left their dainty fare and flew into the
trees close by, making way, as it ap
peared, for their betters, for very soor
a hugh brute approaced the carcass ano
began to tear and gnaw at the flesh. "a
tgerr whispered the captain to hi,
companion. "No; very large pan
ther," answered the other, firing as hs
spoke, but not killing the animal. In {
minute he recovered himself, ant
springing up, made straight for the tree
1t was an ugly situation, for although {
tiger cannot climb tree, panther can
as we'll as cat. As he approached
another shot was fred at him, which
passed between his fore legs, and ht
looked up. "Never," says our author
"shall forget the devilish expression
of that terrible countenance." An aw
full suspense followed, during which
Captain Baldwin managed to give hin
hfe oniafuc rNha n.lo.e T1.x..soI