The Irish standard., 1894-05-26
CRUEL. SPORT IN INDIA.
Hunters Train the Panther to
Catch Deer.

Catch Deer.
H,ndoos Caro- Nothing for Amusement IN
or Great Danger-Battle Of Hands
and tho Swinging Festival.
India is land of sport, but occident-
ais are always much surprised to find
that sp5rt, to be appreciated by the
average mild Hindoo, must have some
thing cruel about it, either to man or
beast. It is to India, by the way, that
Europe and America owe polo, which
was introduced into British canton
ments by the Manipuris. Hindoos are
San Francisco Chronicle. Large 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 Hindoo is passionately fond;
and a race will practically close all
business. The government printing
offices at Allahabad have on occasions
been closed because the -compositors
abandoned their cases to see the races.
A steeplechase where there is every
possibility of some one being thrown
exerts wonderful fascination on 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. Partners, or, as
they are called in India, cheetahs, are
trained to pursue deer and kill them.
There is no risk attaching to the hunt
ers, but there is great deal of danger
to the unfortunate shehari who trains
the ferocious beast. The panther is
blindfolded, leash is placed around
his middle, and he is thus lea to the
plain where deer can be found, or to
where the deer have been driven by
swarm of heaters. The assemblage,
mounted upon elephants or horses or in
conveyances, keep respectful distance
from the cheetah. who is led into the
open and the hood quietly removed and
the leash slipped. The cheetall, 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 forelegs stiffening and his
tail slowly moving. He purrs like
huge cat looks angrily around him,
then, crouching, bounds after his prey.
The cheetah catches his victim and,
selling it by the throat, buries his
fangs deeply, sucking in the blood
with greedy gasps. The trainer APP
proaches gently, so gently that his
football can scarcely be heard. The
cheetah is growing ominously. His
tail beats his sides in ferocious impa
thence. Quietly the man steals toward
the crouching beast and slips the hood
over the eyes; then the leash is passed
around aud all danger is averted.
The head of the deer has to be sew
cred, still leaving in the cheetah's
mouth a goodly lump of bleeding
flesh. There is nothing very sports
in this performance, but
there is great deal of danger attach
Ing to it, and that danger devolves
upon one man. There have been cases
where the panther has absolutely re-
fused to chase the deer, but has devot-
ed his entire time and attention to the
hunting party. Then the game was not
voted a success.
A villainous amusement in India is
that called panjan. ltconsists in lock-
ng hands and seeing who can be made
10 kneel. There is no fun in it. but
still it is assiduously cultivated and
aands are daily being broken in this
name form of sport. Kitehying is a
affair and bets of the most OK
magnitude are made as to
vho shall cut his opponents string.
The swinging festival, or churruk
ooojah, is another form of pleasure
which could only satisfy race natu-
ally cruel. There is now good deal
It correspondence between the India
,fice and the government of Calcutta
With view Of stopping this detest-
bile sport. Hundreds of Europeans
,isit the scene and leave UNNECESSARILY
lisgussed, but the natives find much to
njoy in it and beat their tom toms
nd blow their pipes with great gusto
While the poor victims are swinging in
nidair. This sport has some remote
Connection with religious rite, and
he men who permit themselves to be
hus tortured are probably fulfilling
ONE hideous vow. Vows in India are
ommon, and no VOW can avail unless
Is performance inflicts some dreadful
enlistment upon the body. The affair
thus managed: A devotee has hook
assed through the muscles of his back,
1hich hook is tied to the end of
This beam can be tilted for !
he express purpose of having victims
astened to it. After the man is Sc
urely dashed to the pole he is lifted
. into the air with his hands folded
q the chest and the body fairly hang
lg by the hooks. There is no other
lpport. The muscles of the back
lone hold him to the hook. The pole ,
then rotated by pulling on the ropes
{ the counterbalance end, its attach
lonf on tho x,or%;oo1 no ~ ,,orn, ;<finn