The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-01-29
COMBAT BETWEEN
LION AND TIGER
Battle in Which King of Beasts
Was Vanquished.
WAS A FIGHT TO THE DEATH
They Fought in Specially Prepared
Amphitheater Before Thousands of
European and Native Guests
There Was Lively Betting.
From the New York Sun.

From the New York Sun.
IL there is one problem which has caused
much talk and good-natured discussion
smO!s naturalists and hunters-one subject
often debated and never settled-it has been
the question of relative strength between
the lion and the tiger. East Indian shi-
karries, or native hunters, and mighty Eng
lish nimrods of Bengal have maintained
that the tiger is the true king of the cat
family and able to thrash any lion that
evel Ioared by nightfall Other English-
men vino have hunted in South Africa as
stcutly- declare that the lion is what the
picture books have ever made him-mon-
arch OF ali beasts and an overmatch for
any tiger that might question his royal dig
nifty.
Tbs siatic Honor, at least, the yellow
beast of Hindostan-is acknowledged to be
too srnstll and too timorous to cope with
the Bengal tiger, while the tiger does not
inhabit Africa, the home of the gigantic
black -naned and crested lions, largest of
their family. meeting ON equal terms
between an Asiatic tiger and an African
lion would be the only really satisfactory
and until a few weeks ago such a meeting
had never occurred
fairly fought battle between lion and
tiger viewer, has been decided at last,
aud the combat took place at the court of
that Nsl-khown sport and royal good fell
low tie Gaekwar QRajput King of BaroGa,
one Of the numerous protected monarch
les sun existing under the shadow OF the
British crown in Hindostan. Ben +. bod
son travelling man who now ranges be-
tween New York and Chicago, but was
once like many other Americans, visitor
the palace of Baroda, received letter
Il few days ago from an English gentleman,
Captain Trayers, now temporarily domi-
iciIed IN Bombay. Captain Travers, favor
lite OF the Gaekwar present at the
meeting of the mighty cats, and wrote Mr..
podson at much length concerning the
great battle.
itain Trayers' letter says that the
Gaekwsr, who is an enthusiastic naturalist,
and also much devoted to the gladiatorial
diversions so beloved of all Indian princes,
Rad long been intending to test the relative
powers of the jungle monarchs, but had
never zen able to settle the matter in a
satisfactory manner
Al Opportunity at Last
the Ga elSwars opportunity came at last.
Nearly year ago a party of Arab hunters,
ranging among the Atlas mountains, be-
tween Morocco and Algeria, succeeded in
capturing a magnificent specimen of the
urestsd or Mount Atlas lion-the largest and
most formidable of all African felidae, and
much superior to the black-maned lions Of
South AFRICA in bulk and bravery. Captain
Walters, AN English officer who had fire.
quvntiy been guest of the Gaekwar, and
knew of his earnest desire for an African
lion hs ppened to be in Alexandria, bought
the lion and sent 1t to the Gaekwar, who
named it Atlas and arranged for a bat
lie hetw cen it and an immense man-eating
niger captured by an English sportsman at
'Simla. The Gaekwar believed the African
lion Mas the king of beasts and offered to
back his convictions with money. The bet
ting. which had at first been to l on the
lion changed in favor of the tiger when
the betting public got glimpse of that
beast
on November the brutes were put on
half rations, and this supply was cut in two
twenty -four hours later. Meanwhile the
prince carpenters had been busy preparing
the amphitheatre-a vast structure of very