Asheville daily citizen., 1894-07-12
CRUEL SPORT IN INDIA.
Hunters Train the Panther to
Catch Deer.
Hindoos Care Nothing for Amusement I'm
less Accompanied by Physical Suffering
or Great Danger Battle of Hands
and tho Swinging Festival.

India is land Of sport, but occidcnt-
ais are always much surprised to find
that sport. to be appreciated by the
average mild Ilindoo, must have some-
thing cruel about it, either to man or
beast. 1t is to India, by the way, thnt
Europe and America owe polo, which
was introduced into British canton
mcnts by the Manipuris. IIindoos are
great cock fighters, saysa writer in the
San Francisco Chronicle. Largo sums
of money are spent on these contests,
nor are the birds furnished with spurs
to make the combats still more san
culinary. The cocks use only natures
weapons and the wounds inflicted are
severe enough to satisfy the Hindoo
craving for bloody spectacles. OF horse
racing the !lindoo Is passionately fond;
and a race will practically close all
business. The government printing
offices at Allahabad have on occasions
been closed because tho compositors
abandoned their eases to see the races
A stccplcchnse where there is every
possibility of some one being thrown
excrts Il wonderful fascination OH the
people, who do not hesitate to call
themselves the greatest physical cow
ards in the world. Their hunting, too,
is of the cruel order. Panthers, or, as
they are called in India, chcctahs, arc
trained to pursue deer and kill them.
There is no risk attaching to the hunt
crs, but there is great deal Of danger
to the unfortunate shckari who trains
the fcrocious beast. The panther is
blindfoldcd, leash is placed around
his middle, and he is thus LED to the
plain where deer can be found, or to
where the deer have been driven by a
swarm of bcnters. The nssemblage,
mounted upon elephants or horses or in
convcyanccs. keep a respectful distance
from the chcctah. who is led into the
open and the hood quietly removed and
the leash slipped. The chcetah, when
furiously hungry, has been known to
turn upon his trainer as the quickest
prey, and this is the supreme, the ago
nizing moment. The cheetah stands
straight, his forclcgs stiifening and his
tail slowly moving. lie purrs like q
huge cat, looks angrily around him,
then, cronching, bounds after his prey.
/ The chectah catches his victim and,
seizing it by the throat, burics his
fangs deeply, sucking in the blood
with greedy gasps. The trainer ap-
proachcs gently, so gently that his
football can scarcely be heard. The
cheetah is growing ominously. His
tail beats his sides in ferocious impa-
ticnce. Quietly the man steals toward
the crouching beast and slips the hood
over the eyes; then the leash is passed
around and all danger is. averted
The head of the deer has to be sew
cred, still leaving in the chcetah's
mouth Il goodly lump of bleeding
flesh. There is nothing very sports
manlike in this performance, but
there is great deal of danger attach
ing to it, and that danger devolves
upon one man. There have been case.
where the panther has absolutely re
fused to chase the deer, but has devot
hunting party. Then the game was mo-
voted n success.
A villainous amusement in India |!
that called panjan. Itconsists In lock
ing hands and seeing who can be made
to knecl. There is no fun In it, bu
still it is assiduously cultivated ant
hands arc daily being broken in thi
inanc form Of sport. Kite.hying is ,
national affair and bets of the most eX
traordinary magnitude are made as II
who shall cut his opponents string.
The swinging festival, or churrul
poojah, is another form Of pleasure
which could only satisfy race natu
rally cruel. There Is now u good dea
of correspondence between the Indi
Office and the government Of Calcutt
with view OF stopping this detest
able sport. Hundreds of European
, visit tho scene and leave immeasurabl
disguised, but the natives find much t
! enjoy in it and beat their tom tom
r and blow their pipes with great gust
, while the poor victims are swinging Il
midair. This sport has some remot
!, connection with a religious rite. an
! the men who permit themselves to b
i thus tortured are probably fulfllin
!. some hideous vow. Vows In India ar
: common, and no vow can avail unles
its performance inaicts some dreadfu
punishment upon the body. The atfsi