TIMARU AT THE EXHIBITION.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2810, 27 March 1882, Page 2

TIMARU AT THE EXHIBITION.

We have had. the pleasure of inspecting a number of Indian articles,' the property of 'id Timartij which are to be shown at tho Exhibition. They 1 'consist 1 of a’ nuifiber. ' of iskios and horns of janimals, and birds Jhat were' shot iii ! - their native '.regions, by, the owner’e brother,holding ah important command in the Indian army, and include,'mter’alia, tbe skia of a Cheetah jeopard, .beautifully 'marked : ; several hkjns of Himalayan;antelopes ; anumber of-antelopes’ horns (which are veritable curiosities);; a selection Of birds /shot in Afghanistan, comprising jays,- pelicans etc. ; Indian bats ; the claws of a tigress; ,a.humber of brushes of IndiamfoXes/ahd •'several khuskhus mats.:" The assbrtment is iquite unique, and- has’'only-just l arrived from India by- ; the R r and O. i Gofittpany’#'' • sthainlßiv ■'• ;j lf ,i, ,iaay, i ,bo' as well tb • inform’ the reader id’ fespeo't.' of the antelopes’ horns, which, are very" remarkable/being ' ridged, and twistesd, and about 15 inches id length, they , are;used. as powder horns by Ihe hill tribes; 1 On their way J d6wn"' to ihe' plains these hardy fellows have to fight their, vyay dpwn to the frontier, and each map takes several of these horns full of powder slung at his side on horseback. At the-milltary dep6t they give up their arms and ammunition, receiving them again on their return. The khuskhus mats are made of grass grown' on the other side of the Himalayas, and are used extensively: in lower India for curtains. The peculiarity about them is that if water is thrown on them they emit a pleasing. fragrance. The birds were shot on the return march-from Afghanistan, and doubtless they had looked down on many a , bloody field. The'leoperds, were, shot by., a. hunting party consisting of 19 elephants, a train of natives, and some English officers. We' believe there is to be an Indian court at -the; Exhibition, but . in any case' this collection must attract everybody’s ;'notice both from their beauty and their rarity. , . f V;