A Tiger Hunt.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 4 December 1914, Page 3

A Tiger Hunt.

There are many thrilling tales told in a book entitled "War arid Sport in India, 1802-1806." It is an officer's diary, and gives in simple narrative the course of many adventures. Witness this account, dated Ist May, 1803 :—"At four this raornwe mounted our elephants, and within the distance of half-cannon shot from our tents, the villagers pointed to a brake of briars in which they assured us there was a tigress and four half-grown cubs ! The brake Was not threu hundred yards round, and we instantly circled it with our elephants. To penetrate it was impossible, and we commenced shouting and firing into the jungle, but all in vain, no tiger making its appearance. The villagers, who for safety had, according to their usual plan, mounted to the tops of the trees near us, persisted in assuring us that the tigers were yet in the jungle." At last, however, the cubs were discovered, and then the fun began. "We all loaded a double barrel each with small Jmek shot, and fired in the direction I pointed out. This had the desired effect. The young ones bellowed out a ghastly noise, and the crashing of the jungle soon convinced us what was coming. The tigress on hearing the cubs roar instantly sprang forward, bore down everything before her, made a most savage and desperate charge on us. The roar was really like a clap of thunder when she attacked us. Peyron and Anderdoh both fired, and wounded her, but she sprang upon the elephant nearest to her, and shockingly wounded three of the people. . . The tigress was nearly the size of a Bengal bullock, and presented a fair mark to me. I immediately fired my two-ouncerl double barrel at her ; she instantly quitted her hold, dropped from the elephant, and slunk lack, apparently stupefied, into the jungle, all of us saluting her as she returned. She staggered into the briarl;, evidently mortally wounded. . . . Such a monster my eyes never beheld ! The poor villagers threw themselves afc our feet, calling us savious of them and their cattle."