TRIP UP THE GANGES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 585, 4 July 1873, Page 3

TRIP UP THE GANGES.

—o—(Australasian.) The following is an extract from a letter from an Indian correspondent to the above: pictures I have seen of the American rive r boats, only much smaller. The Ganges River is in many parts very shallow, the bottom being composed of shifting sand, and as a great number of tributary rivers are running out and in, it r<n levs it almost impossible to travel unless in daylight ; so the boats always anchor at dark. It w;s during this journey that we met with a « range and rather dangerous adventure, but to make the matter more intelligible I should tell you that the steamers carry flats, that is other boats fastened to tin ir sides to carry extra cargo, and these flats are also anchored in different parts of the river nt night, and taken up again in the

miming. Wo started from Calcutta on Saturday night, azd reached Golconda at half-past son Sunday morning. At 12 the same day the steamers was off Decca. The scenery during our trip was exceedingly uninteresting. Looking round and round, you for miles and miles have the same enchanting view of ‘ nothing.’ At night we anchored, as I have already said such being our usual custom. At about two on the following morning (Monday), the boat from from one of the flats was out with the ropes. &c., preparing to get the flat up to the steamer, and when it was close up to the stern the men in the boat were startled by seeing'something hanging on to the steamer’s rudder, and to their horror found it to be a young tiger. The brute made a spring from the rudder into the boat and in doing this mauled to a fearful extent two of the crew. From the boat on hoard the steamer was his next move, where he caused considerable alarm amongst the ship’s company. The men ran and told the captain of the unexpected visitor. At first he did not b Sieve them, but as they persisted n their story he sent his servant’to learn what was really the cause of their alarm. In a few seconds a terrible’cry'was heard, and the poor fellow ran back torn aud bleeding—he’d seen him. It was now believed that a tiger was on board With us. The captain got out his gun and stood ready on the watch, for being very dark at the time, no one felt inclined to disturb the beast, who had concealed somewhere behind the luggage. Daylight came at last, and as all the ship’s necessary work had been done, everybody’s attention 1 was directed to our strange aud unwelcome visitor. By tbe aid of bamboos he was stirred out of his hidingplace, and feeling annoyed at such polite attentions ho rushed along the deck, scattering the crew aud passengers, who retreated in all directions before.him, thus causing it to he very difficult for any one to fire at him for fear of wounding or killing his fellow men. The tiger, however seemed almost as much alarmed as we were, and made a rush across the steamer, aud sprung into the flat fastened at our side ; hut at the moment he was about bounding, the skipper fired, and, luckily, hit him, Down he came plump into the water between the steamer and the flat, the stream carrying him till ne reached the paddle-box, into which he crawled, and scrambled on to the wheel. ‘ He’s all safe now, cries one. ‘ Look oat,’ says another, ‘don’t open that door or he may get on to the upper deck. Bang goes the door. ‘ But the steamer on,’ sugthird, ‘and so crush him.’ ‘lf you do that,’is the reply, ‘you will let him escape.’ In short, though he was badly wounded,"and" safe in the paddle -box, we did not know what to do with him, for all was excitement and bustle. The captain, pushing his way through the crowd, with his rifle ready for action, gave the word for the door to be opened, aud reaching in took a deliberate steady aim, pulled the triggersnap weut the cap, and missed fire. Bang goes the door, and away ran the passengers helter-skelter. ‘ All right,’ shouts the captain, ‘don’t he frightened j ho cannot get out.’ Being thus re-assurod, we all crawl back again. Another cap, open goes the door ? another aim, and, with a dull thud and a splash, the .tiger falls into the river, with a bullet through his brain. Fortunately through all this noise, the ladies were not alarmed ; for, until it was oVer, wo kept them in perfect ignorance as to the real cause of the disturbance, answering their inquiries by stating that the crew were having a hit of fun, hunting a wild cat.”