Morning journal and courier., 1884-07-25
CAGING A TIGER.
How They Perform the Feat at Stnga- pore.
 tIaL o1H1

pore.
 From the Field
 The interest of the community of Singa- pore was lately excited by the announcement that a fine tiger had been captured in pit situated in Chinaman's garden.
 The pit in which the tiger was caught was circular and measured eleven feet deep and three feet in diameter, contracting slightly at the bottom. It was dug in sandy clay, and as the sides were clean cut, the tiger was not able to escape by scrambling up. The situa- tion was on the margin of jungle forest, and the pit along with others had been dug for the purpose of capturing wild pigs. These pits are covered with thin sticks and grass or leaves, that any unwary animal IS quite unaware of the unsound state of the ground As soon as the owner of the pit into which the tiger had fallen was aware of his prize, he covered the mouth of the pit with strong blanks and at once looked around for pur chaser, who was found. The sum of $125 was paid for the tiger as it lay at the bottom of the pit, and it afterward cost $50 to have him caged and conveyed to Singa- ] pore.
 For nearly six days the poor captive lay in the pit (being fed very sparingly so as to re duce his energy), and the operation of caging I the tiger was put into the hands of six Malays, who as race, noted for their knowledge of woodcraft and of the habits of animals. ' was much to be admired. Every arrange ment was most complete, so that no accident could in all human probability occur There l seemed no fear and no hurry, while in addi- l tion to their endeavors to bring their labors l to a successful conclusion, they seemed to have thorough sympathy with the victim, I whom they treated as gently as possible. ! The first thing done was to rig up strong l beam at height of about nine feet over the 1 hole, and this was supported on well-secured ! uprights, to which it was securely lashed with l withes.
 Next there were prepared two cylindrical | baskets made of green rattan. One of these l baskets measured two feet in diameter and 1 eight feet long. The other was made just i sufficiently large to be passed into the larger l one, for the purpose of giving additional ! strength. One end of each basket was open, while the other was closed, with the excep- i tiOn of a hole about three inches in diameter, ! the use of which will be afterwards explained. Having jammed the smaller basket into the ! larger one, the walls of both were firmly l laced together throughout with withes, to avoid any chance of slipping.
 Finally, two new hemp ropes two and l three-quarter inches in circumference were ! prepared with running nooses. Small pieces of stick were passed through the rope as | shoppers, to prevent the loop from running before required to do so.
 ! As soon as few long poles were cut and | prepared, W1Gn q IOrk OH SOln6, duu pieces Ol ! wood Iashed on others to form hooks, all was I ready for the operation.
 1 The blanks covering the mouth of the pit were then slightly separated to admit of the 1 ropes and poles being passed down. The moose of one of the ropes was lowered on to 1 the tigers head, which intrusion he resisted | violently; but, by skill and patience, the Malays managed to get the moose over the l tigers head and around his neck This was ! effected by mannuvering his paws and mouth with the poles. As soon as the moose was in position it was drawn tight enough to prevent it's being removed by the prisoner. The other rope was then passed down and l secured in similar manner. The operation 1 of placing the two nooses around the neck l occupied twenty-three minutes.
 l The ends of the ropes were then passed through the cylindrical baskets. The baskets l were then placed mouth downwards over the pit, and when all was secure and ready, the ! word to haul was given, and the tiger was drawn up head foremost into the basket, I which was only large enough to receive him, and thus he was unable to struggle with eff Rsfect. As soon as he was well into the basket, 1 the whole was drawn up and then laid on it's l side, when the mouth of the basket was at
 once laced up, leaving nothing but the tigers ! tail protruding When all was fast the | nooses around his throat were slackened, so l as to admit of his breathing freely. The 1 nooses were, however, still left around his neck for after operations.
 l The basket was now slung pole, and, l with its contents, borne where cage was in I readiness to receive him.