The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-08-20

AS q field for sport India stands unri-
vailed and has attractions which no other
country possesses, for it offers a vast area
Astounding in varied and numerous de-
scriptions of game, and big game shooting
can be enjoyed there with less expense
and with greater personal ease and COM
fort than attend it's pursuit elsewhere.
There can be nothing grander than tho
sight OF a tiger, the monarch of the jungle.
as no stalks sullenly, yet silently, along,
the very personiiication of muscular and
agile strength, while the beautiful blond
ing of the dark stripes, with his huyous
hide, accord so wonderfully with the
ground over which be moves and yet stand
out in such striking contrast.
Tho methods Of hunting tigers may be
classed under three headings-first, beat
ing with a line Of elephants and shooting
from a howdah; secondly, sitting up in a
mcchan or platform constructed in a tree,
either over u bait or a pool Of water, and,
thirdly, shooting them on foot or from a
tree when driven forward by heaters to
the gums. The first method is perhaps the
most common mode of pursuing the sport
and the one with which the public in gem
eral is most familiar by hcarsay. This
plan is adopted where the only chance of
o shot is from the elevated position occu-
pied on the back of an elephant and where
the high, dense grass jungle prohibits the
use Of heaters or going on foot oneself.
This method necessitates a good deal of
snap shooting directly the game is started,
the tiger only being viewed now and then
for a moment as he bounds through the
1ra,. 1.-,r - rHna co1o1d y,,afhn6 ic tho nna
most generally practiced by tho native
shikaree, TO whom time is no object, and
who possesses an unlimited amount of pa
thence.
Shooting on foot or from trees is gener-
ally practieed in central India, where the
teak forests and rocky ravines afford no
facilities for beating with q line Of ele-
plants. The locality of a tiger or tigress
having been asccftained. a young buffalo
calf is tied out rs a bait during the night.
Several of these may be picketed in the
Jungle near haunts that tho tiger is known
to frequent and may be within a radius Of
some miles from the camp. They are Wis
tied early in the morning, and if the shi-
karee finds that one has been killed he
makes q wide detour or ring round the
spot. If he is unable to track the tiger
Oub vi biitS C4ACAC3 AIN Ia i-foAIofSAf ~ SSSo
any vultures perched on trees in the vicin-
ity of the kill, it may be safely conjectured
that the tiger is not very far off and is
probably laid up for the day, sleeping off
the effects OF his meal.
News of tho kill is then brought to
camp, and, heaters having been collected,
the party sets out about II O'Clock, when
ii is very hot, the reason of this being that
tna,.r , ra o5.rcrro ia f1.c roii1a, fr.. in the
heat of the day. They haze, like many
other animals. particular paths which they
follow, and these are well known by the
local man, whose experience on this point
it is generally safe to rely on. Trees or, if
there are none suitable near at hand, rocks
are then chosen as tho positions for the
different guns to occupy. These are called
nakas.
The tiger never should be shot at until
he is past the hunter, for else there is the
chance of turning him back on the advance
ing beaters. If the tiger should be only
wounded. the heaters should by means OF
o preconcerted signal be at once Withdrawn
and made to mount trees, while the sports
men should follow the animal on foot or
an elephant, if they are fortunate
enough to hayc one with them.
~ POT ttfSt "a la 4AS
strictly to one sort of prey, but takes what
sends in his way, but there arc
undoubtedly a large number who seem to
prefer the two former articles of diet and
q fortunately comparative few that select
the latter. Ths regular game killer Is q
shy and wary animal, retiring In his hab-
It's and avoiding the presence of man.
Far different is the known cattle killer,
n-biaj, SO .1cY.o1Iv n r o1dnr ard na,v;ar ami
NAL, aycrse to much exertion. In the hot
weather be usually takes up his residence
near q village in thick covert close to wa
ter, from whence be can easily sally forth
to attack the herds Of village cattle as
they como TO drink. In the cool weather
be follows q herd as they 60 to Craze In
the jungle and where the high green grass
affords him ample facilities for stalking
them while they feed. Ho is careless of