The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-08-12
NETTING A TIGER.

I am among the few fortunate Eng
lishmen who have participated in the
rarest form of big game hunting-the
netting of a royal tiger To speak of q
royal Bengal" tiger in this connec-
ton would be geographically inaccu-
rate, for 1t is only in one corner Of tbs
Madras Presidency that this sport
takes place. This is the Wynaad, an
elevated plateau. broken up into count
less hills. Here coffee, tea and
chichona are cultivated, and twenty
years ago the district came into brief
but notorious prominence in the city
of London, owing to the discovery of
gold. Companies were hastily formed
and heavily capitalized but the mines
never gave any promise of paving dlvi-
dends even on reasonable capital, ow-
ing to refractory ore. The Wynaad is,
however, a paradise for sportsmen,
Elephants and bison roam wild here,
and several kinds of deer, which pro-
vide food in plenty for tigers and
leopards. Consequently these big cats
rarely attack cattle, and will not look
at a tethered calf or kid The hunt
ing of them is very difficult for cover
abounds. BY lucky chance a man may
stumble on one when he has his rifle
with him and thus get shot other
wise he may spend months, and even
years, without catching a glimpse of
them, although oft on a Silly night he
will hear their loud purr as they come
up from drinking at a stream where,
in the morning their pugs will be
plainly visible in the soft red clay.
The natives Of the Wynaad are good
sportsmen, and theyahave experienced.
equal difficulty in baggfng the lordly
deer slayer Nor is the desire to secure
tiger skin solely matter of sport
with them. Now and again stripes"
turn cattle litter, and before he is de-
stroyed his taste for beef glutted he
will decimate herd. 1t can therefore
be understood that among Wynaal Gull
tivators there is an inbred animosity
against tigers very similar to the feel
ing of the British farmer toward the
fox With peculiar audacity they de-
wise a simple system of netting which
in favorable circumstances is almost
invariably successful. To understand
the system one must realize the lie of
the land. The hills are mostly grass,
but In their folds are thick woods, from
half an acre to five acres in extent
Between the hills are swamps which
are under rice cultivation. If tiger
be marked down in one of the smaller
woods when the grass on the hills is
short it is quite simple job to run
net around the wood and await results.
On lovely morning In the early au-
turn news was brought to me that a
tiger had been encompassed. Short
time did I spend in covering the few
miles. The Wynaad at that
time of the year Is singularly beauti-
'ul The air Is soft and balmy; lareg
winged butterflies ahead of you; flocks
IF parrots fly screeching above, and IL
BILE pleasant sounds and scents
Use from the surrounding jungle. Ar
lived at the scene of action / found a
arge gathering of the leading farmers
md their laborers, armed with spears,
guns, slaves and bows and arrows.
The farmers are fair skinned men,
With rather a Jewish cast Of counten-
,nce. They are evidently immigrants
o this upland in compare lively recent
lines The Iaborers are a low type,
7ery black, many with curly hair,
hiclS lips and a distinctly negro look.
they are supposed to be the aborigi-
lals of the country and OF the ancient
Oravidian stock. As rule these
tsrestic slaves are downcast and hum
lie in mien, but on this occasion. u
hanks to an ample supply of Dutch
in the form of strong sage
,alnl arrack, they were bold and swag
,ering, not to say truculent They
,ad with them their hunting dogs,
fellow sort of lurcher, well fed and
ull of pluck and cunning. The tiger
lad killed a COW the preceding after
loon and dragged it into a small wood |
N the opposite hillside. Within three
lours nets had been run around the |
vood, and all night fires had been |
.ept alight; tomtOms freely thumped, |
ccompanied by profusa swearing at |
he tiger and al his female relatives
Me nets resembled large meshad |
heep nets: they were fastened lightly |
bout six feet high. and hung so that |
hey would bag easily when the ami
lal rushed.
/ was given a spear, and the sport |
egan. One or two of the more adj !
enturous were sent within the wood |
here they climbed trees and acted as
markers. Then the others shouted, /