AN ENGLISH OFFICER KILLED BY A TIGER.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4553, 23 October 1875, Page 2 (Supplement)

AN ENGLISH OFFICER KILLED BY A TIGER.

Intelligence has just been received of the death of Mr. George S. Dobbie, Mysore Revenue Survey, at Shemogah, in the Mysore territory, on the 6th of May, from injuries received on the 2nd from, a tiger he had mortally wounded. On the 2nd May, while Mr. Dobbie was in camp near Malur, about twentyseven miles from Shemogah, he received intelligence of a tiger having been seen at a place about six miles distant. He at once proceeded to the spot, and commenced beating the jungle in the usual manner. The tiger broke from the jungle at a place near where he was posted, and immediately Mr. Dobbie fired, severely wounding the beast, which slunk into a thicket close by. On hearing the report of the rifle the beaters stopped beating. Mr. Dobbie called his peon, Syed Mustaffa, to collect the beaters and bring them all round to him, which occupied about halt an hour ; he then remarked to the peon, “ I have hit the tiger very hard, and he has gone into that thicket,” pointing to one a short distance off. He then, with the peon, proceeded towards the thicket, picking up the track of the tiger by the marks of blood on the ground, Cutting their way through the jungle, they soon came near the place where the creature was lying mortally wounded. The peon saw him, and pointing to the spot, said, “He is still alive.” Mr. Dobbie replied, “ I cannot see him.” The peon again, pointing to the place where the wounded beast lay, said, “ Take care, sir ; he is looking at us, and is about to come at us,” and immediately afterwards called «ut, “He is crouching for a spring, so look out Mr. Dobbie replied, “ I can’t see him, hut I’m all ready,” and the next moment the tiger charged. Mr. Dobbie fired both barrels of bis rifle (snap shots), and broke the fore-arm of the tiger, but did not stop him. The beast was very bad from his wounds, and possibly could barely see, for he passed between Mr. Dobbie and the peon, almost touching both of them. The former struck the tiger while passing with his discharged rifle, which caused it to turn upon him, and during the desperate struggle with the enraged animal which ensued he tripped and fell and was immediately seized and bitten twice on the right thigh. The tiger then left him, and fell dead before it had gone ten yards. Mr. Dobbie got up, looked at the dead tiger, and walked to the top of the rising ground, and from . there was carried hack to his camp. He thought hut little of his injuries, aud during the next two days transacted his business. Ou obtaining a palanquin aud bearers from Shemogah, for which he had sent, he returned to that station on Wednesday, arriving in good spirits, apparently doing well, and was considered by his friends there almost out of danger. He was slightly excited and feverish, and was, therefore, not encouraged to speak of his encounter with the tiger. He slept tolerably well, but awoke about four o’clock iu the morning in a very excited state, aud, notwithstanding the efforts of those attending him, he rapidly became delirious, aud died iu about two hours from the time of awakening, at the early age of thirty-one. He was the eldest son of Colonel G. Staple Dobbie, her Majesty’s Madras Army, residing iu South Devon.