Year: 1864

Monhart's Travels in Indo China' is 8


work that is attracting attention in England


The following extracts are copied from it


We are surrounded by forests which are
infested with elephants, buffaloes, rhinoceros,
tigers and wild boars, and the ground ali
about tbe pools is covered with their foot
prints. We live almost in besieged place,
every moment dreading some attack Of ~
enemy, and keeping our guns constantly
loaded. Sometimes they come close to our
quarters, and we cannot go even few steps
into the woods without hearing them.


As general rule, however, they fly from
the approach of man, and in order to get a
shot it is necessary to lie in wait either
among the branches of tree or hidden
amid the brushwood near the spots where
they come to drink Scorpions, centipedes,
and above all, serpents, were the enemies we
most dreaded, and against which precautions
were chiefly requisite; but the mosquitoes,
and the leeches, though less dangerous, were
the most troublesome and most inveterate
plaques.


During the rainy season you cannot be too
much on your guard going to bed, or get
ting up, you are ever in peril of putting hand
or foot on some venomous snake. l hava
killed more than one in my house with gun
or hatehet. As write / am obliged to be
continually on the watch, fearing to see one
reappear on which trod this evening, but
which made his exit without hurting me-
From time to time, also, stop to listen to a
roaring old tiger, who is wandering around
our dwelling and looking at the pigs through
their fences of planks and bamboos. Again.
| hear rhinoceros breaking down the bam-
boos which oppose his progress toward the
brambles encircling our garden, on which he
intends to banquet.


The tiger of AMMAN is terribly savage, and
his strength is equal to his ferocity. Often,
however, couple of men will go alone to
attack one. armed merely with pixies. As
soon as they see the animal, the more power
ful or more courageous Of the two lowers his
pike; the tiger hesitates a moment, and
sometimes, if not pressed by hunger, turns
and disappears with the rapidity of light
ming; but at other times he will make a
spring at the hunter, when> if the force of
the leap do not carry him over the mans
head, he falls upon the pike, which the hunt
er then elevates by pressing the handle on
the ground.


The second hunter now comes forward, and
in his turn pierces him, and, uniting their
strength, they both hold him down till he
dies. Occasionally the first man misses his
aim and his pike breaks; then all is over for
one, if not both. The most common method
Of hunting the tiger has more actors engaged.
THERE'S in every village some. experienced
man who leads the attack and if any one
has been carried off by one of these animals,
the tam tam is sounded to summon people
from the neighboring villages to follow this
leader after the creature. As he always
sleeps near the spot where he has left the
remains of his repast, they are pretty sure of
discovering his retreat. When they have
tracked the tiger to his lair, all the hunters
form circle as large as their numbers will
allow, and sufficiently apart not to impede
each others movements.


These preparations completed, the leader
makes sure that the animal has no outlet for
escape Some of the most daring then ven
ture into the.centre and cut away the brush
wood, during which time they are protected
by others armed with pixies. The tiger,
pressed on all sides, rolls his eyes, licks his
paws in a convulsive manner, as if preparing
for combat, then with howl he makes his
springs Immediately every pike is raised.
and the animal falls, pierced through and
through. Accidents not unfrequently hap
pen, and many are severely hurt, but they
have no choice but to wage war against the
tigers, which leave them no rest, force the
enclosures and carry off domestic animals and
even men, not only from the roads and close
vicinity of the houses, but from the interiors
of buildings.