St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-11
THE KING OF BEASTS.
The Tiger, Not the Lion, Fairly En-
titled to the Name.
His Great Courage, Strength and Superior
Activity-An Adept in Strategy and
CUNNINGHAM Ensiisisman's
Adventure in q

Cave.
For several reasons the tiger is fairly
entitled to the name of King of Beasts, ~
an honor which has long been borne by
The lion. tie is more courageous than
the lion, fully equals him in strength,
and possesses superior activity. He
makes less noise while seeking his
prey. and is consequently more danger
our than the lion, and he attacks ami
mals from which the so-called king
will fee as soon as he knows of their
presence The lion often displays down
right cowardice, which is not the case
with the tiger, and in strategy and cum
ming the tiger is an adept.
Tigers are far more destructive than
lions, both among men and the lower
animals. Ordinarily they do not attack
men, but as they grow old and are I'M
able to cope with deer. buffalos and cat
ale, they are apt to become man-eaters.
They lie in wait b. the roads and paths
and spring on the unsuspecting natives,
whom they generally kill at the first
blow of their powerful paws. Having
once tasted human flesh, and learned
how easily it is obtained, they continue
80 be man-eaters as long as they live A
single man-eating tiger will depopulate
a large area, as the natives fee in ter
:ror, and can not be induced to work in
the fields Or pass along the roads.
In one district of India a man-eating
aiger killed one hundred and twenty
seven persons in short time, and
caused acomplete suspension of business
for several months. Another tiger
killed one hundred and fifty persons in
three years, compelled the abandon
ament of many villages, and threw two
hundred and fifty square miles of land
,sout of cultivation. The Government
offered one thousand dollars for the
HEAD of this tiger, and he was finally
Killed by an officer of the army.
Tigers are hunted in variety of
ways. The Oldest plan, said to have
originated with the Chinese two or three
thousand years ago, is to place look
ing-glass inside a trap which has a
heavy beam suspended above it. The
tiger sees his own face in the mirror,
and takes it for another animal OF his
race. He rushes forward to attack it,
and in so doing springs the trap and the
2falIing beam brushes. him with its
s8eight.
He is caught in pitfalls, shot from
lMychans or stands erected near his
path, and baited with a goat or sheep
which is tied at little distance, and he
is killed by means of poisoned arrows
discharged by bows set in his path and
Net off when touched. In some parts of
India several large leaves covered
with sticky substance are placed
in his path; he steps on one and tries to
remove it by rubbing his paw on his
face. The leaf adheres to his face and
blinds him, and in his struggles he rolls
ION the ground and more and more
aeaves are added. He roars with anger,
and the hunters, who have been con-
scealed a few hundred yards away, come
with their weapons, and despatch him.
While in India was invited to tiger
hunt on a grand scale, after the manner
usually practiced when Europeans are
concerned Nearly hundred elephants
were drawn up in line at the edge of a
Jungle where the tigers were supposed
so be concealed; the hunters were seated
in the howdahs on the backs OF the ele-
plants, and held their guns ready for
Ghe work as soon as the game should
come in sight Several natives were
sent to the other side of the Jungle to
act as heaters and drive the tigers in |
the direction of the hunters. They |
made q great noise with horns and |
other instruments, and kept up a con-
tinual popping of guns: of course the |
din thus created caused the tigers to |,
fee to the other side of the jungle, which |
appeared to be the safest, that where |
the hunters were waiting for them.
Six tigers in all We're killed. but fully |
as many more escaped. Some of the ele- |
plants became frightened. and their |
drivers lost control of them for short |
time. but fortunately no accident oc- |
Cured. Sometimes elephants run away,
and the men in the howdalis are dashed |
against the limbs of trees or thrown
to the ground
Two hunters usually occupy single |
howdah on one of these expeditions.
Fortune threw me into the companion
shipof an experienced hunter. an officer |
who had lived some thirty odd years in
India, and was passionately fond Of the /
tiger-chase. He told me many stories
of his hunting adventures, which | have
no space for here, with the exception of |
one which related how he once went TO
sleep in a tigers den.