The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-23
HUNTING THE T4NARAO.
Species OF Buffalo Found Only in an Is
land ofthe PhIIlppine Grour.

professors from Ann Arbor, Mich, sent
out by l.. f. Menage, Of this city, for
the benefit Of the Minnesota Academy
OF Sciences. will in a few months COM
plete the extension of time granted last
summer and Professors Bourne and
Worcester viii return to this country
laden with the spot Of their explora-
tons and discoveries Interesting let
ters have from time TO time been re-
ceived by the academy. containing ac-
counts OF wonderful captures and de-
scriptons Of the islands. Two recent
communications bristle with adventures,
and one of them embraces a graphic
recital of a tamarao hunt In the island
OF Mndoro.
The tamarao is peculiar species OF
buffalo, found only on the island Of Min
doro, although similar TO species OF other
islands. The tamarao is the largest mann
NAL 20 be found ir the Philippine group.
excepting the caripao or water buffalo.
II stands three and half feet hign'
and is eight or nine feet long from tip
TO tip Its color is a dull gray, approach
Ing black. although in young animals
red predomlnates The skin Is sparsely
covered with hair, and the curved horns,
pointing backward, are short and very
thick at the base. The tamarao ranges
all over the island, only keeping well
away from he settled portions ana
making its favorite haunts in low. dense
jungies and small fields or cut grass
lying along small rivers or lakes Inc
animal is very shy, thus being difficult 10
hunt. Its customary feeding time is at
night. when it wanders about In the
Jungle cropping the tops OF the tough
emf grass During the day ii lies con-
cealed. There are several methods en-
ployed by the natives for hunting tama-
rao. the most practical being TO track
the animal with the aid of a good native
cracker" One of the professors gives
the following account OF his adventures
while tracking a tamarao:
I've secured a first-class tracker, VINO
could take up n trail eight or ten hours
old and follow it through all sorts Oh
country. At the time of our huht we
were living across q stream from io"-
living. thick rattan tungles, 1avorile
famarao resort. On the morning or our
sta.F we found a tamarao track III 'ne
wet sand at a distance from the mouse
80 balf a mile. The guide announced 1t
N be fresh. made probably since MO
night. For some time the track wan
dered about in the low forest ana was
1arv easy TO follow on the damp grounu,
when II went TO firmer and higher grounu
II Frequently became so indlsunct as ~
nuzzls the tracker. To inexperienced eyes
there was no track at all, but the prac-
ticed eve Of the guide would discover
faint impression on some pare Spot vi
the top Of a plant nipped on, or perhaps
q bit OF bark scraped from an eApoSou
root Once he lost the track cofhpieleiy,
and nv circling found it hundred yaruS
away. 49, ,a o,,d
or.erad n dense jurgle along the bank OF
q small stream. The jungle was mass
~ underground Of trailing rattahs' the
leaves of which ended in a long slender
eton, hearing at intervals fve or SIN
Nshhcok-shaped thorns pointing pach-
ward and as sharp as a needle 1hey
IRE the weii-kncwn wait-abit thofhs ol
The tropical jungle, which hasten 'hei
points in your clothes as you pass we
proceeded cautiously, and presently pass
| "a a nlace where the tamarao had lain
| for a while The ground was pressed
| down. and a few flies on the leaves near
| nv indicated that the game had LETT only
| recently. A Jungle fowl some distance
away began TO cackle loudly and AFTER
listening closely. my guide Whispered
| that the tamarao was probably very
| near. and that the fowl had been as
| turbed The guide went TO the rear, ana
| while cooked my rife, we cautiously ad-
| vanced When within twenty-five or thlr-
| ~ wards of the fowl he griped my arm
| and pointed to a patch CT very thick I'M
| derbrush at one side, where something
! was plainly moving. We crawled careful
" forward. when the branches suddenly
| narted and we stood face TO face with
| a huge. wild bear We were both sur
| prised and disguised. and after staring at
| one another for few seconds the hog
| turned and made off ut a great speed, ana
we returned to take up the tamarao trail.
IAN occasional plant. with the top nip
ed was evidence that the animal had peeh
| feeding AS we were crawling along the
| guide SUDDENLY uttered an exclamation and
| dashed forward at a speed which | had
supposed impossible in that tangle. l
! stopped to await developments, when the
man yelled. Run, putatick.' ran. Puta-
| tick sounds innocent, but II means
| wasps of peculiarly vicious kind. |
| made a wide circuit and came UP WIN
| nv guide, whom I found actively en-
| gagged in rubbing an ear. Two or three
| Of the wasps had stung him, and MS
| ear swelled rapidly. We were also com
| nelIed TO stop occasionally on account OF
| land leeches. which are very abundant in
| the low. wet regions and could be seen
on all sides lying in wait, their bodies
| stretched at full length, ready to fall
upon any passing animal. | was protect
| ed bv my shoes and stockings. but my
| re-footed companion was much both
| cred. His feet were bleeding in several
| places, and he had frequently TO stop
| and rmove the leeches that had collected.
| 1.-THE trail now led us from the rattan
| Jungle to the river bank. and our pro-
| eress became slower and more difficult on
| account of the tall thick grass. We cElld
not see two yards In any direction, ex-
] cept along the tunnel we were follow
: ing. which had been made by the tam
| araos. We were proceeding along the
trail on our hands and knees, when the
guide. turning his head to one side, gave
a quick start, while at almost the same
| moment there was a crash that sounded
as IL a whole herd of tamaraos mao
| started. I cooked my rifle and prepared
! for a rush, but the sounds became less
and less distinct, and finally ceased me
guide then said there were two, ana that
he had seen them both. They were very
| close. but had heard us coming, ana
| stampeded the instant they saw him. lie
| said they would run for a while. then
| walk rapidly for some time before stop
ping TO rest SO we started forth again.
The trail was very plain, as the an,
mails had broken everything In their wiiu
| rush.
eve soon Jeff the tail grass and entered
the Jungle. Here the tracks showed that
the famaraos had separated. and we went
on after the trail became fainter. as the
tamaraos had stopped running and had
| settled down TO a walk We had pro-
ceeded but a short distance In the jungle
| when the guide stopped, gazed intehtiy
at thick clump OF rattans, drew pack
cautiously and pointed forward. AT flrst
| could see nothing. but as my eyes De-