Year: 1879

uGTb lTOul lu0 OOuIU, anu dCIlOn Will
soon be taken on the suggestion st.
Louis Cor. Chicago Tribune.


Escape and Pursuit of a Ferocious Tiger


in a Botanical Garden.


The Calcutta Englishman gives the
following account of what it describes
as two days sport with tiger in the
Botanical Gardens, near Calcutta: On
Monday, Jan. 6, two tigers belonging
to the ex-king of Oudh, whose house is
on the left bank of the Hooghly, es-
capped from their cages, keeper having
incautiously left the door of their cage
open when cleaning it. One was short
ly after killed in the kings grounds by
Superintendent of Police; the other
swan across the river and landed near
the CHAT in the Botanical Gardens.
Shortly after landing he knocked down
and mauled Mr.. Biernian, one of the
European assistants. Mr.. Scott and he
had, after first seeing the tiger, gone
into house, but came out again to
look for the brute, their attention being
momentarily disturbed by the chatter
ing of monkey Gan unusual sound in
the Botanical Gardens.J The brute
seized his opportunity, and springing
past a native who was in front of the
two gentlemen, knocked down one; he
then Immediately returned to his lay,
and remained in the Gardens all day.
Owing to the presence of Stripes in the
Gardens various picnic parties had to
return without landing, though one
party foolishly insisted on landing not
withstanding contrary orders, but was
soon obliged to beat retreat. Toward
nightfall the brute was heard giving
tongue near the banyan tree, and short
ly before daybreak it killed two bullocks
in a small clearing q short distance
north of the tree. The bullocks were
tied up in a shed; one it dragged out
side and ate one hind-quarter, the other
it left dead inside. Early on Tuesday
morning some native shikaris were in
the Gardens trying to stalk Stripes;
one of them, while peering into small
brake, was severely handled, and is not
expected to recover. During the day
these shikaris were reinforced by some
gentlemen from Calcutta; but their eff
forts to get near Stripes were unavail-
ing emu they retired about four o'clock
and left the grounds. In the afternoon
machan was erected in the Jungle
| to the north of the Gardens, near
the scene of the kill, from the top
of which the shikaris might have
an opportunity of potting Stripes,
should he return to the scene of his
feast the night before. To make mat
ters doubly sure an awning was impro-
vised on the roof of small pueka
house not far from the kill, and live
bullock was securely tied to tree a
| few yards distant from the house within
full view of the shikaris on the roof,
some plantain trees being cut away to
! give better aim. A speculation had
arisen as to whether Stripes would pre-
fer dead meat to live; in the course of
the night the question was soon set at
rest. Shortly after six, four gentlemen
proceeded from Bishops College to the
scene of the kill, and placed themselves
in positions for good shot; two on the
manchan, two on the top of the pucka-
shooting could not be depended on
without something to eat; one of the
party Immediately went off for ma
terials for food and drink, and as he
was returning with chankidar, dis
tinctly heard the tiger not far off. He
FASTENED on with the food, which was
soon dispatched inside the pucka house,
tables and chairs being dispensed with.
! PostI wnra again tahnn up. md soer1
after the brute was again heard giving
tongue, as he was prowling about in
search of food. This went on for about
an hour, the bullock near the house
showing evident signs of intense alarm,
though perfectly silent. For half an
hour after this the stiffness of clear,
moonlight night remained perfectly un-
brokenI all eyes were on the stretch,
when suddenly, with magnificent
bound, fine, full-grown tiger was on
the bullock. Instantly a shot was fired,
the brute doubled up, and the bullock
bolted off at full speed; another shot
was now fired, and Stripes evidently re-
ceived this too, for he sprang aside into
the Jungle about twenty PAGES, moaned
and all was still. The shikaris being
uncertain whether he was really dead,
determined to spend the rest of the
night where they were, it not being con-
sidered safe in the uncertain light of
the moon to venture in search of him,
beaters being at discount. Soon after,
some chaukidars arrived with beaters
and passed close to where Stripes was
last seen; the men on the manchan then
came down and spent the rest of the
night on the more comfortable roof OF
the pucka house belonging to cow
keeper. AS soon as it was light all
fastened down to have a look, and
there sure enough was the tigar, a mag
nificent animal, lying on his right side
quite dead. One shot had caught him
in the left shoulder, the other in the
right flank. The honor of this kill rests
with Mr.. WAGE, of Howrah.