The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-10
HOW TO KILL TIGERS
QUEER ExPEDIENTS IN THE An
sENCE OF FIREARMS.
Bow-and-Arrow Traps-Speared by
BurrowinE Hunters-Nettfng the
Beast-The Fly-Paper Method.

Chambers's Journal.
To the average English mind there
present themselves but two methods Of
pursuing and staying the striped mon
arch Of the Eastern jungles-nameiy.
the ordinary battue by elephants, on
the most doughty and best trained OF
which the sportsmen mount and en-
sconce themselves in the traditional
"howdah." whence. with comparative
ease and security. they mark out and
shoot down their game, and the in
finitely more perilous and exciting plan
of tracking the cunning and ferocious
animal on foot to his lair and facina
him in open combat. The former Is tho
most usually INDUCED in, even ladies'
taking part in the chase; the latter ID
only adopted by men who can thorough
ly depend upon their nerves and accu-
racy of aim, and is often productive OF
those fatal accidents which strike W
with terror on their occurrence. But
there are many other and varied prac-
tees adopted to take or anrihilate this
destructive quadruped which may be
unknown to our readers, and which.
therefore, we shall proceed to describe.
In districts where firearms are I'M
known or unprocurable the native In
habitants fashion a sort OF spring bow
! Of stout cane. which they set up in
some path which the tiger il known
to follow when going to a river or pool
to Quench his thirst. To this they adj
just an arrow. the point Of which has
been well smeared with q virulent and
powerful poison, in the compound OF
which they are very skiliful. The ami
NAL on his peregrination to water
comes in contact with a cord attached
to this weapon n stretched across the
track, being closely concealed unde
grass and leaves. The pressure Of this
releases the string Of the bow. the
missile springs forward. and in most
cases attains its aim, entering the
breast Of the tiger. who breaks away
with III roars into the depths Of the
jungle. The natives. apprised by his
fury of their success, follow up cautious
! ly and in a few hours come across their
prey, which haS succumbed to the dead
ly injection.
Sometimes a somewhat similar device
is brought into play which is also util-
ICED by the natives of Africa to secure
h%ippopotami. A heavy block of wood
to which is firmly dashed a short, stout.
SndTDly DdTDGQ spear IL SQSpSIIQG0 Ot0x
the path. and in this case likewise .
thin cord is stretched across the track.
AS before, on the latter being pressed
by the tiger the trap is sprung. the
heavy block descends with terrific force
on the back of the animal, pIunging the
keen spear deep into it's vitals, whence
| the broad barb prevents it's extraction.
| n the tiger, if not almost instan-
t~aneously slain. dashes away into the
Jungle, every movement charging the
- --l n,,-s-~ A10 1aod1vp uyao
to penetrate deeper and deeper. until,
worn out with loss Of blood, he sinks
| dying to the ground.
In some cases a tiger who has earned
the invidious title of "maneater" will
| %frequen a village and it's environs.
| even venturing at night to steal silent
ly among the hutS and carry off a VIC
tim from the very midst of his fellows.
hooking the wretched individual out OF
his fancied security as one would ex-
tract a p~eriwinkle from its shell with
a pin. Driven to desperation. the peo-
pie will hire one or two men who are
known to be professional Shekarries and
good shots, not hesitating to send hum
dreds of miles for them. A platform.
commonly called a machaun, is then
| erected among the branche or some
tall tree in the outskirts of he village.
| and on this, seated sometimes alone.
sometimes in couples and well shrouded
from view by the foliage, these men
will wait patiently hour after hour.
| Perhaps several lays MAJ elapse ere
| they succeed in their object, but sooner
or later the tiger pays the forfeit OF his
| life and the villagers are delivered from
| their ruthless and bloodthirsty foe. This
plan is often adopted by Europeans.
who picket a goat or bullock within
range of their leafy perch. and on the
tiger making his appearance and pounc-
| ing ON the miserable victim shoot MIN
down in ease and security.
A PERILOUS METHOD.
The Nairs. on the coast OF Malabar,
adopt a far more perilous method. They
fix upon a partially cleared spot In the
| vicinity which the tiger is known to
| frequent, am in the center thereof they
| picket a goat. At convenient distances
from his alluring bait. in a circle, sew
eral pits are dug just wide enough to
admit the body Of a man, and from
| eight to ten feet in depth. On either
side of the interior strong wooden plugs
are inserted to serve as steps. and on
these the bare-foeted Nairs balance
themselves while on the lookout. with
their eyes just above the level OF the
| ground. Each is armed with a bow
and arrows and a short, sharp. stab
bling spear. Ere long the tiger. at
| tracted by the cries of the goat, makes
his appearance; there is a bound, a
Iodt, aliA a. atAAC -
victim, and almost simultaneously a
| dozen arrows are quivering in the body
of the astounded aggressor. II not
| killed by the first discharge he glares
| around furiously to discover whence the
missiles had come. and. catching sight
| of a dark, wooliy poll projecting out
of the ground, he rushe TO the spot.
But his irritating antagonist is securely
crouched at the bottom OF his hole. and
while the Infatuated beast makes
frenzied attempts to claw him out, not
only does the Nair deal him vicious
prods with his spear, but his comrades
ply their bows and arrows with re-
doubled zeal. and ultimately the tiger
Yields up his life, being stuck as full of
| arrows as a pin cushion of pins OF
! course fatal accidents will sometimes oc-
cur. as when. for instance, the tiger
is too quick for the Nair and is upon
him ere the latter "a slip down into
safety
The Chinese still practice a device of
a box trap and looking glass, which Ii
said TO he found in ancient sculpture.
and any of our readers who may nave
| noticed the curiosity of a cat. dog or