Uncle Thomas tells about the Tiger; its Ferocity and Power; and of
the Curious Modes which are adopted for its Capture and
Destruction.--Also about the Puma or American Lion, and introduces
some Hunting Scenes in North and South America, with other
Interesting and Entertaining Adventures.
"Long as the stories were, Boys, which I told you last night about the
lion, I have not yet quite done with the animals of the cat kind; there
are still one or two stories about the tiger and the puma or American
lion, which I wish to tell you of, if you do not think we have already
had enough of them."
"Oh, no, Uncle Thomas, pray do continue."
"Very well, I will first tell you about the tiger.
"The tiger, which inhabits the rich jungles of India, nearly equals the
lion in strength, and perhaps excels him in activity and ferocity. A
very affecting instance of his ferocity, by which a fine young man, the
only son of Sir Hector Munro, lost his life, is thus related by one of
the party:
"Yesterday morning, Captain George Downey, Lieutenant Pyefinch, poor Mr.
Munro (of the Honourable East India Company's service), and myself
(Captain Consar), went on shore, on Saugur Island, to shoot deer. We saw
innumerable tracks of tigers and deer; but still we were induced to
pursue our sport; and did so the whole day. About half past three, we
sat down on the edge of the jungle, to eat some cold meat, sent to us
from the ship, and had just commenced our meal, when Mr. Pyefinch and a
black servant told us there was a fine deer within six yards of us.
Captain Downey and I immediately jumped up, to take our guns; mine was
nearest, and I had but just laid hold of it, when I heard a roar like
thunder, and saw an immense royal tiger spring on the unfortunate Munro,
who was sitting down; in a moment his head was in the beast's mouth, and
he rushed into the jungle with him, with as much ease as I could lift a
kitten, tearing him through the thickest bushes and trees, every thing
yielding to his monstrous strength. The agonies of horror, regret, and,
I must say, fear (for there were two tigers), rushed on me at once; the
only effort I could make was to fire at him, though the poor youth was
still in his mouth. I relied partly on Providence, partly on my own aim,
and fired a musket. The tiger staggered, and seemed agitated, which I
took notice of to my companions. Captain Downey then fired two shots,
and I one more. We retired from the jungle, and, a few minutes after,
Mr. Munro came up to us all over blood and fell. We took him on our
backs to the boat, and got every medical assistance for him from the
Valentine Indiaman, which lay at anchor near the Island; but in vain. He
lived twenty-four hours in the utmost torture; his head and skull were
all torn and broken to pieces, and he was also wounded, by the animal's
claws, all over his neck and shoulders; but it was better to take him
away, though irrecoverable, than leave him to be mangled and devoured.
We have just read the funeral service over his body, and committed it to
the deep. Mr. Munro was an amiable and promising youth. I must observe,
there was a large fire blazing close to us, composed of ten or a dozen
whole trees. I made it myself on purpose to keep the tigers off, as I
had always heard it would. There were eight or ten of the natives about
us; many shots had been fired at the place; there was much noise and
laughing at the time; but this ferocious animal disregarded all. The
human mind cannot form an idea of the scene; it turned my very soul
within me. The beast was about four feet and a half high, and nine long.
His head appeared as large as that of an ox; his eyes darting fire, and
his roar, when he first seized his prey, will never be out of my
recollection. We had scarcely pushed our boat from that cursed shore,
when the tigress made her appearance, raging, almost mad, and remained
on the sand, as long as the distance would allow me to see her."
"Oh, dreadful, Uncle Thomas! I declare it makes my hair stand on end!"
"It is a fearful tale, John, and shows you what a scourge such an animal
must be to the inhabitants of the country in which it is found. It
frequents the deserts of Asia, but in some places where civilization has
commenced, it prowls about the villages and commits great havoc among
the herds of the inhabitants, who therefore find it necessary to adopt
various schemes for its destruction; some of these devices are very
curious.
"A large cage of strong bamboos is constructed, and fastened firmly to
the ground, in a place which the tigers frequent. In this a man takes up
his station for the night. He is generally accompanied by a dog or a
goat, which by its extreme agitation is sure to give notice of the
tiger's approach. His weapons consist of two or three strong spears, and
thus provided he wraps himself in his quilt, and very composedly goes to
steep in the full confidence of safety. By and by the tiger makes his
appearance, and after duly reconnoitring all round, begins to rear
against the cage, seeking for some means of entering. The hunter, who
watches his opportunity, thrusts one of his spears into the animal's
body, and seldom fails to destroy it."
"That is a very good plan, Uncle Thomas, and does not seem to be
attended with much danger, if the cage be strong enough."
"No, Boys, it is not very dangerous, but I don't think any of you would
like to trust yourselves so exposed. Here, however, is another mode of
destroying the tiger, which is practised in some parts of India.
"The track of a tiger being ascertained, which though not invariably the
same, may yet be known sufficiently for the purpose, the peasants
collect a quantity of the leaves of the prous, which are like those of
the sycamore, and are common in most underwoods, as they form the
largest portion of most jungles in India. These leaves are smeared with
a species of bird-lime, made by bruising the berries of a tree by no
means scarce. They are then strewed, with the gluten uppermost, near to
the spot to which it is understood the tiger usually retires during
noon-tide heat. If by chance the animal should tread on one of these
smeared leaves his fate is certain. He commences by shaking his paw,
with the view to remove the adhesive incumbrance, but finding no relief
from that expedient, he rubs the nuisance against his jaw with the same
intention, by which means his eyes, ears, &c. become covered with the
same substance. This occasions such uneasiness as causes him to roll
perhaps among many more smeared leaves, till at length he becomes
completely enveloped, and he is deprived of sight, and in this situation
may be compared to a man who has been tarred and feathered. The anxiety
produced by this strange and novel predicament, soon discovers itself in
dreadful howlings, which serve to call the watchful peasants, who in
this disabled state find no difficulty in shooting the object of
detestation."
"That is better still, Uncle Thomas; I think that is the most ingenious
way of catching an animal that I ever heard of."
"I must now tell you something about the puma or American lion, which is
also taken in a very ingenious manner by the natives of South America.
It is generally hunted by means of dogs. When they unkennel a lion or a
tiger, they pursue him till he stops to defend himself. The hunter, who
is mounted on a good steed, follows close behind, and if the dogs seize
upon the animal, the hunter jumps off his horse, and, while the lion is
engaged in contending with the dogs, strikes him on the head, and thus
dispatches him. If, however, the dogs are afraid to attack him, the
hunter uses his lasso, dexterously fixes it round some part of the
animal, and gallops away, dragging it after him. The dogs now rush in
and tear him, when he is soon dispatched.
"When wounded the puma grows furious and irresistible. Here is a story
which shows the fierceness of the animal:--Two hunters having gone in
quest of game to the Catskill mountains, province of New York, each
armed with a gun, and accompanied by a dog, they agreed to go in
contrary directions round the base of the hill, which formed one of the
points of that chain of mountains; and it was settled that, if either
discharged his piece, the other should hasten to the spot whence the
report proceeded as speedily as possible, to join in the pursuit of
whatever game might fall to their lot. They had not been long asunder,
when the one heard the other fire, and, agreeably to promise, hastened
to join his companion. He looked for him in every direction; but to no
purpose. At length, however, he came upon the dog of his friend, dead,
and dreadfully lacerated. Convinced by this, that the animal his comrade
had shot at was ferocious and formidable, he felt much alarm for his
fate, and sought after him with great anxiety. He had not proceeded many
yards from me spot where the dog lay prostrate, when his attention was
arrested by the ferocious growl of some wild animal. On raising his
eyes to the spot whence the sound proceeded, he discovered a large puma
couching on the branch of a tree, and under him the body of his friend.
The animal's eyes glared at him, and he appeared hesitating whether he
should descend, and make an attack on the survivor also, or relinquish
his prey, and decamp. The hunter, aware of the celerity of the puma's
movements, knew that there was no time for reflection, levelled his
piece, and mortally wounded the animal, when it and the body of the man
fell together from the tree. His dog then attacked the wounded puma, but
a single blow from its paw laid it prostrate. In this state of things,
finding his comrade was dead, and knowing it was dangerous to approach
the wounded animal, he went in search of assistance, and on returning to
the spot he found his companion, the puma, and the two dogs, all lying
dead.
"The celebrated naturalist Audubon gives an interesting account of a
hunt which he had after the puma, in one of the back settlements of
North America. In the course of his rambles he arrived at the cabin of a
squatter on the banks of Cold-Water River, and after a hospitable
reception, and an evening spent in relating their adventures in the
chase, it was agreed in the morning to hunt the puma which had of late
been making sad ravages among the squatter's pigs.
"The hunters accordingly made their appearance just as the sun was
emerging from the horizon. They were five in number, and fully equipped
for the chase, being mounted on horses which in some parts of Europe
might appear sorry nags, but which, in strength, speed, and bottom, are
better fitted for pursuing a puma or bear through woods and morasses
than any in that country. A pack of large ugly curs were already engaged
in making acquaintance with those of the squatter. He and myself mounted
his two best horses, whilst his sons were bestriding others of inferior
quality.
"Few words were uttered by the party until we had reached the edge of
the swamp where it was agreed that all should disperse and seek for the
fresh track of the puma, it being previously settled that the discoverer
should blow his horn, and remain on the spot until the rest should join
him. In less than an hour, the sound of the horn was clearly heard, and,
sticking close the squatter, off we went through the thick woods, guided
only by the moon and the repeated call of the distant huntsman. We soon
reached the spot, and in a short time the rest of the party came up. The
best dog was sent forward to attack the animal, and in a few minutes the
whole pack were observed diligently tracking and bearing in their course
for the interior of the swamp. The rifles were immediately put in trim,
and the party followed the dogs at separate distances, within sight of
each other, determined to shoot at no other game than the puma.
"The dogs soon began to mouth, and suddenly quickened their pace. My
companions concluded that the beast was on the ground, and putting our
horses to a gentle gallop, we followed the curs, guided by their voices.
The noise of the dogs increased, when all of a sudden their mode of
barking became altered, and the squatter, urging me to push on, told me
the beast was _treed_, by which he meant that it had got upon some low
branch of a large tree, to rest for a few moments, and that should we
not succeed in shooting him while thus situated we might expect a long
chase of it. As we approached the spot, we all by degrees united into a
body, but on seeing the dogs at the foot of a large tree, separated
again, and galloped off to surround it.
"Each hunter now moved with caution, holding his gun ready, and allowing
the bridle to dangle on the neck of his horse, as it advanced slowly
towards the dogs. A shot from one of the party was heard, on which the
puma was seen to leap to the ground and bound off with such velocity as
to show that he was very unwilling to stand our fire longer. The dogs
set off in pursuit with the utmost eagerness and a deafening cry; the
hunter who had fired came up, and said that his ball had hit the
monster, and had probably broken one of his fore legs near the shoulder,
the only place at which he could aim; a slight trail of blood was
discovered on the ground, but the curs proceeded at such a rate, that we
merely noticed this and put spurs to our horses, which galloped on
towards the centre of the swamp. One bayou (a part of the swamp in which
the water accumulates) was crossed, then another still larger and more
muddy, but the dogs were brushing forward, and as the horses began to
pant at a furious rate, we judged it expedient to leave them and advance
on foot. These determined hunters knew that the animal, being wounded,
would shortly ascend another tree, where in all probability he would
remain for a considerable time, and that it was easy to follow the track
of the dogs. We dismounted, took off the saddles and bridles, set the
bells attached to the horses, necks at liberty to jingle, hoppled the
animals (fastening the bridle to one of their legs so that they could
not stray far), and left them to shift for themselves.
"After marching for a couple of hours, we again heard the dogs. Each of
us pressed forward, elated at the thought of terminating the career of
the puma; some of the dogs were heard whining, although the greater part
barked vehemently. We felt assured that the animal was treed, and that
he would rest for some time to recover from his fatigue. As we came up
to the dogs we discovered the furious animal lying across a large branch
close to the trunk of a cotton-wood tree. His broad breast lay towards
us, his eyes were at one time bent on us, and again on the dogs,
beneath, and around him; one of his fore-legs hung down loosely by his
side, and he lay crouched with his ears lowered close to his head, as if
he thought he might remain undiscovered. Three balls were fired at him
at a given signal, on which he sprung a few feet from the branch, and
tumbled headlong to the ground. Attacked on all sides by the enraged
curs, the infuriated animal fought with desperate valour; but the
squatter advancing in front of the party, and almost in the midst of the
dogs, shot him immediately behind and beneath the left shoulder. He
writhed for a moment in agony, and in another lay dead."
"It must be very exciting employment, hunting the puma, Uncle Thomas."
"And not a little dangerous too, Boys, for you hear how fiercely he
maintains his ground. With all their fierceness, however, the fear of
man is over even this relentless race of animals. Captain Head, who has
written an amusing book called 'Rough Notes of Rapid Rides across the
Pampas,' thus speaks on this subject:
"The fear which all wild animals in America have of man is very
singularly exhibited in the Pampas. I often rode towards the ostriches
and zamas, crouching under the opposite side of my horse's neck; but I
always found that, although they would allow my loose horse to approach
them, they, even when young, ran from me, though little of my figure was
visible; and when I saw them all enjoying themselves in such full
liberty, it was at first not pleasing to observe that one's appearance
was every where a signal to them that they should fly from their enemy.
Yet it is by this fear 'that man hath dominion over the beasts of the
field,' and there is no animal in South America that does not
acknowledge this instinctive feeling. As a singular proof of the above,
and of the difference between the wild beasts of America and of the old
world, I will venture to relate a circumstance which a man sincerely
assured me had happened to him in South America.
"He was trying to shoot some wild ducks, and, in order to approach them
unperceived, he put the corner of his poncho (which is a sort of long
narrow blanket) over his head, and crawling along the ground upon his
hand and knees, the poncho not only covered his body, but trailed along
the ground behind him. As he was thus creeping by a large bush of
reeds, he heard a loud, sudden noise, between a bark and a roar; he felt
something heavy strike his feet, and, instantly jumping up, he saw to
his astonishment, a large puma actually standing on his poncho; and,
perhaps, the animal was equally astonished to find himself in the
immediate presence of so athletic a man. The man told me he was
unwilling to fire, as his gun was loaded with very small shot; and he
therefore remained motionless, the puma standing on his poncho for many
seconds; at last the creature turned his head, and walking very slowly
away about ten yards, stopped, and turned again: the man still
maintained his ground, upon which the puma tacitly acknowledged his
supremacy, and walked off."
"I dare say the man was very glad to be so easily quit of such a
formidable visitor, Uncle Thomas."
[Illustration: THE SURPRISE--Page 140.]
"No doubt of it, Frank. I have one other story to tell you about the
puma, which fortunately exhibits it in a more favourable light than
some of those which I have told you.
"During the government of Don Diego de Mendoza, in Paraguay, a dreadful
famine raged at Buenos Ayres; yet Diego, afraid to give the Indians a
habit of spilling Spanish blood, forbade the inhabitants, on pain of
death, to go into the fields, in search of relief, placing soldiers at
all the outlets to the country, with orders to fire upon those who
should attempt to transgress his orders. A woman, however, called
Maldonata, was artful enough to elude the vigilance of the guards, and
to effect her escape. After wandering about the country for a long time,
she sought shelter in a cavern; but she had scarcely entered it, when
she became dreadfully alarmed, on observing a puma occupying the same
den. She was, however, soon quieted by the animal approaching and
caressing her. The poor brute was very ill, and scarcely able to crawl
towards her. Maldonata soon discovered what was the cause of the
animal's illness, and kindly ministered to it. It soon recovered, and
was all gratitude and attention to its kind benefactress, never
returning from searching after its daily subsistence without laying a
portion of it at the feet of Maldonata.
"Some time after, Maldonata fell into the hands of the Spaniards; and,
being brought back to Buenos Ayres, was conducted before Don Francis
Ruez de Galen, who then commanded there. She was charged with having
left the city contrary to orders. Galen was a man of a cruel and
tyrannical disposition, and condemned the unfortunate woman to a death
which none but the most cruel tyrant could have devised. He ordered some
soldiers to take her into the country, and leave her tied to a tree,
either to perish with hunger, or to be torn to pieces by wild beasts.
Two days after, he sent the same soldiers to see what had been her fate,
when, to their great surprise, they found her alive and unhurt, though
surrounded by pumas and jaguars, while a female puma at her feet kept
them at bay. As soon as the puma saw the soldiers, she retired to some
distance and they unbound Maldonata, who related to them the history of
this puma, whom she knew to be the same she had formerly relieved in the
cavern. On the soldiers taking Maldonata away, the animal approached,
and fawned upon her, as if unwilling to part. The soldiers reported what
they had seen to their commander, who could not but pardon a woman who
had been so singularly protected, without the danger of appearing more
inhuman than pumas themselves.