The Washington times., 1906-11-25

A THOUGH It Is doubtful II
n tigers are really decreasing IN
L india. 1t is certain that .hey
are more difficult to obtain,
both by residents In the country and
gIobe-trotters Tigers in India may be
roughly divided into two clAsses-ih''se
that, owing 10 their environment. can
take care Of themselves and those pre-
served in native states, and produced II
possible when a rajah wishes TO show
sport 10 MS guests.
AS instance the swampy Islands at the
mouth Of the Hugh These islands
swarm with tigers. 50 much so that we
were credibly informed that the keeper
q a lighthouse had shot five from his
window IN a year The dense and i'm
penetrabIe cover. however. renders
shooting a work Of supreme danger
and discomfort and the chance Of sue
cess practically nil An instance Of the
second kind We were shown al JaipuT
white there last year. writes a CORE
spOndeut OF the Ladies Field. We
were pointed out an isolated patch OF
jungle tat the very most some half
mile square, and were told that they
were already placing kills in IL with
a view TO the Prince OF Wales shoot
ing there during his visit Moreover, our
informant. a high official. informed US
OF the exact number OF tgers-namely,
scven-whlch would be there. His
Royal Highness has since killed his
first tiger from this very strip or
Jungle.
The shoot Of which am describing
a beat while belonging 70 the second
class. is OF a more spOrtive description
than the instance ! have Just given.
IL took place in one Of the big reserves
OF the state Of Hyderabad. The Man,
himself a keen sportsman. takes a lot
OF trouble over the game Of all sorts in
his territory and manages his tiger
shooting in the following way: he has
one district reserved for himself alone
and only shot by himself and his per
sonaI guests In this reserve OF late
years none but royalty or vlceroy has
shot Roughly. il is about 1000 square
miles. He has another reserve appor-
toned for guests or visitors. and this
is about 10,Oc0 square miles. speaking
very roughly.
The rest of tiger shooting-and some
OF il is very goods drawn for by year
ly applicants. a certain preference, how
ever, being given 10 officers Quartered
on the spot A more spOrtsmanlike and
Unselhsh system il Is hard 10 imagine,
especially when il is remembered that
even in the third portion two years ago
two guns killed, 1 think II was, fifteen
tigers.
Eowever, II was IN the second reserve
that the Nizan was kind enough to ask
my husband and myself TO shoot. Moth
Ing can exceed the hospitality Of many
OF the Indian Tajahs. and certainly
nothing that OF the NiZam- Tents. food.
wines and rice are provided daily and
carried immense distances. and nothing
is left undone TO insure the comfort Of
his guests. With regard to insurIng
sport it IS different.
on this occasion we brealIfasted at
S. and soon afterwards our shikari came
In TO report. and his report was good
Two buffaloes were killed, and by the
''pugs" or "spoor' he was enabled 10
say that there had been one very large
tigress and three or four fine cubs or large
burra butchas; that Is. big little ones,
A tiger having killed eats. having eaten
carries away the remains. and lies up
BY IL during the heat Of the day 20 scs re
away jackals or vultures, so that he
may gorge on il for supper. tiger 5
strength is 40 great that he will carry
in his Jaws a young bull equal In size 70
a Jersey COW for a mile or more, often
without letting any portion touch the
ground.
Having reported our shikari goes to
examine the ground to make all prep
aratious for a beat. He also attends TO
the fixing Of machans. as our little plat
forms in the trees are called. At about
noon he returns and we all start out for
a I2-mile ride How hot IL is! One
cannot touch ones rife barrel in the
sun and even the saddle seems nearly
to blister you! The jungle Is too leaAess
to give much shade. while the dead
leaves crackle so underfOOt that IL seems
as II every tiger IN the state must hear
Eventually, we come up 70 the coolies