The morning call., 1891-09-05
TIGER FIGHTING IN JAVA.
Five Thousand Men With Spears Against
One Animal.

Five Thousand Men With Spears Against
One Animal.
We were up betimes, and after hasty
meal hurried off TO the station in order to
catch the train to Blitac, having heard of
fourteen tigers to be killed at that place.
After journey of two hours through a
rather mountainous district we arrived at
our destination. A large open space about
one acre in extent. IN the center OF the COM
pany or village was surrounded on all SIDES
by gayly decorated stands, twith bunting fly
ing from every possible projection, which
gave the whole place a very festive and gay
appearance. The stands were 500 filled by
crowds of gaudily dressed natives reSpend-
ent in the different c0lOred badjOes Coats
and curiously worked Battick sarongs, with
a colOred 'kain" CLOTH wound round the
head. One of the stands which did duty as
the grand stand was put little apart from
the plebean multitude and reserved for the
native Prince (RegenD and the Dutch Resi-
dent, and filled with the Dutch Inhabitants
OF the place.
Those natives who were going to take
part in the affair formed a complete square
about eight feet deep, which square prob
ably consisted of 5000 men, all armed with
sharp spears on strong teak poles about ten
feet in length. In the center OF the square
were ten OblOng boxes, each OF which con-
tanned tiger or panther, and to the sides
were attached ropes stretched to the outside
of the square to enable operators to pull
them out from distance, as ii would be un-
sale to stand inside the square. When all
the arrangements were completed the Re-
gent, mounted on a Maarssar pony and sur
rounded by his native guards, with their
hair done up like chignon and wrapped in
blue cloth, rode into the square, while man
walked by his side and held large UNI
brella over his head
BE ambled once round the formidable
phalanX OF spears, and then dismounting
took his stand in the front rank to encour-
age the men. The signal to commence was
given by the Regents band, which struck
up slow, monotonous tune, and then the
work of slaughter, began. The rope at
tached to the nearest box was seized, and
with good heave out came the side,
and following it came the long, snaky form
the sun, and in answer to the fierce roar
which arose from the assembled thousands
turned and, with an angry snarl, dashed
with long, cat-lke strides straight at the
row of spears. In an instant he was trans
fixed through the chest, but wriggled off
and dashed along the line, while the natives
cut and stabbed him as he passed. Bleed
ing and mangled, with a leg talf cut
through, he iimped and stumbled along until
he finally fell. and then with a shout a
dozen natives dashed out and in second
the poor beast was pinned to the ground by
q dozen spears through his body, but still
fought and roared till some one finally
speared him through the head.
Then most disgusting scene took place.
Some of the spear-heads had come off and
remained in the body of the animal. but the
native. in the calmest mnner possible, in
serted his hand and CROPPED about for the
iron head till he triumphantly withdrew it,
and then, wiping his feet in the blood,
Numbers ran out and tried to pluck his
whiskers out, and when he had been de-
prived of these appendages the carcass was
drawn away and fresh victim let out. The
same scene was enacted over again. some
showing fight in a more determined way
than the rest. Their tenacity of life was
extraordinary, and we saw panther get up
and run away after he had had twelve or
fifteen spears through him, and was, to all
appearances, dead.-Java Letter in East
and Wpst