THE TIGER
THERE is no animal that has exercised the imagination of mankind to the
same degree as the tiger. It has been the personification of ferocity
and unsparing cruelty.
In Indian life the tiger is so closely associated with the elephant (as
the latter is used in pursuit) that I select this animal in sequence to
the former, from which in the ideas of sporting Indians it is almost
inseparable.
It is necessary to commence the description of the tiger with its birth.
The female rarely produces more than three, and generally only two.
These arrive at maturity in about two years.
There is a considerable difference in the size of the male and female. I
have both measured and weighed tigers, and I have found a great
difference in their proportions, such as may be seen not only in many
varieties of animals, but also in human beings; it is therefore
difficult to decide upon the actual average tiger, as they vary in
separate localities, according to the quantity of wild animals in the
jungles which constitute their food. If the tiger has been born in
jungles abounding with wild pigs and other animals, he will have been
well fed since the day of his birth, therefore he will be a
well-developed animal.
A well-grown tigress may weigh an average of 240 lbs. live weight. A
very fine tiger will weigh 440 lbs., but if very fat, the same tiger
would weigh 500 lbs. I have no doubt there may be tigers that exceed
this by 50 lbs., but I speak according to my experience.
The length of a tiger will depend upon the system of measurement. I
always carry a tape with me, and I measure them before they are skinned,
by laying the animal upon the ground in a straight line, and not
allowing it to be stretched by pulling at the head or tail, but taking
it naturally as it lies, measuring from nose to tip of tail. I have
found that a tiger of 9 feet 8 inches is about 2 inches above the
average. The same tiger may be stretched to measure 10 feet.
No person who examines skins only can form any idea of the true
proportions of a tiger. The hide, when stripped from a tiger of 9 feet 7
inches, weighs 45 lbs. if the animal is bulky. The head, skinned, weighs
25 lbs. These weights are taken from an animal which weighed 437 lbs.
exclusive of the lost blood, which was quite a gallon, estimated at 10
lbs. This would have brought the weight to 447 lbs. The hide of this
tiger, which measured 9 feet 7 inches when upon the animal, was 11 feet
4 inches in length when cured. I have measured many tigers, and the
skins are always stretched to a ridiculous length during the process of
curing; these would utterly mislead any naturalist who had not practical
experience of the live animal.
The tiger of zoological gardens is a long lithe creature with little
flesh, and, from the lack of exercise, the muscles are badly developed.
Such a specimen affords a poor example of the grand animal in its native
jungles, whose muscles are almost ponderous in their development from
the continual exertion in nightly rambles over long distances, and in
mortal struggles when wrestling with its prey. A well-fed tiger is by no
means a slim figure, but on the contrary it is exceedingly bulky, broad
in the shoulders, back, and loins, with an extraordinary girth of limbs,
especially in the fore-arm and wrist. The muscles are tough and hard,
and there are two peculiar bones unattached to the skeleton frame; these
are situated in the flesh of either shoulder, apparently to afford extra
cohesion of the parts, resulting in additional strength when striking a
blow or wrestling with a heavy animal.
There is a great difference in the habits of tigers; some exist upon the
game of the jungles, others prey specially upon the flocks and herds
belonging to the villagers; the latter are generally exceedingly heavy
and fat. A few are designated "man-eaters"; these are sometimes
naturally ferocious, and having attacked a human being, they may have
devoured the body and thus have acquired a taste for human flesh; or
they may have been wounded upon more than one occasion and have learnt
to regard man as a natural enemy; but more frequently the man-eater is a
wary old tiger, or more probably a tigress, that, having haunted the
neighbourhood of villages and carried off some unfortunate woman when
gathering firewood or the wild products of the jungles, has discovered
that it is far easier to kill a native than to hunt for the scarce
jungle game; the animal therefore adopts the pursuit of man, and seldom
attempts to molest the natives' cattle.
A professed man-eater is the most wary of animals, and is very difficult
to kill, not because it is superior in strength, but through its extreme
caution and cunning, which renders its discovery a work of long labour
and patient search. An average native does not form a very hearty meal.
If a woman, she will have more flesh than a man about the buttocks,
which is the portion both in animals and human beings which the tiger
first devours. The maneater will seize an unsuspecting person by the
neck, and will then drag the body to some retreat in which it can devour
its prey in undisturbed security. Having consumed the hind-quarters,
thighs, and the more fleshy portions, it will probably leave the body,
and will never return again to the carcase, but will seek a fresh
victim, perhaps at some miles' distance, in the neighbourhood of another
village. Their cautious habits render it almost impossible to destroy a
cunning man-eater, as it avoids all means of detection. In this
peculiarity the ordinary man-eating tiger differs from all others, as
the cattle-killer is almost certain to return on the following night to
the body which it only partially devoured after the first attack. If the
hunter has the taste and patience for night shooting, he will construct
a hiding-place within 10 yards of the dead body. This should be arranged
before noon, in order that no noise should disturb the vicinity towards
evening, when the tiger may be expected to return. A tree is not a
favourable stand for night shooting, as the foliage overhead darkens the
sight of the rifle. Three poles of about 5 inches diameter and 12 feet
in length should be sunk as a triangle, the thickest ends placed 2 feet
in the ground. The poles should be 4 feet apart, and when firmly
inserted will represent a scaffolding 10 feet high. Bars and diagonal
pieces must be firmly lashed to prevent the structure from swaying.
Within a foot of the top three strong cross-bars will be lashed, to
support a corduroy arrangement of perfectly straight level bars, quite
close together to form a platform. A thickly folded rug will carpet the
rough surface, upon which the watcher will sit upon a low turnstool that
will enable him to rest in comfort, and turn without noise in any
required direction. A bamboo or other straight stick will be secured as
a rail around the platform, upon which some branches may be so arranged
as to form a screen that will conceal the watcher from the view of an
approaching tiger. This arrangement is called a "mucharn."
When a tiger is driven before beaters it seldom or never looks upwards,
but merely regards the surface as it advances; but when approaching a
"kill" (the term applied to the animal which has been killed) the tiger
is exceedingly cautious, and surveys everything connected with the
locality before it ventures to recommence the feast. Even then, when
assured of safety, it seldom eats the carcase where it lies, but seizing
it by the throat, it drags the prey some 15 or 20 yards from the spot
before it indulges in the meal. I have already described that the first
meal consists of the buttocks and hindquarters; the second visit is
devoted to the forequarters, after which but little remains for the
vultures and jackals.
It is essential that the night watcher should be raised about 10 feet
above the ground, otherwise the tiger would probably obtain his scent.
Night shooting is not attractive to myself, and I very seldom have
indulged in such wearisome shikar. There is no particular satisfaction
in sitting for hours in a cramped position, with mosquitoes stinging you
from all directions, while your eyes are straining through the darkness,
transforming every shadow into the expected game. Even should it appear,
unless the moon is bright you will scarcely define the animal. I have
heard well-authenticated accounts of persons who have patiently watched
until they fell asleep from sheer weariness, and when they awoke, the
dead bullock was no longer there, the tiger having dragged it away
without disturbing the tired watcher. There are several methods of
rendering the muzzle-sights of the rifle visible in partial darkness. A
simple and effective arrangement is by a piece of thick white paper.
This should be cut into a point and fastened upon the barrel with a
piece of beeswax or shoemaker's wax, in addition to being tied with
strong waxed packthread.
If a bright starlight night and there is no foliage above the rifle, the
white paper will be distinctly seen, especially if the light is behind
the shoulder. A piece of lime made into thick paste, and stuck upon the
muzzle-sight, is frequently used by native hunters; but if it is at
hand, there is nothing so effective as luminous paint; this can be
purchased in stoppered bottles and will last for years. A small supply
would be always useful in an outfit.
A man-eating tiger requires peculiar caution, not only lest it should
observe the presence of the hunter, but he must remember that if upon
the ground he himself becomes a bait for this exceedingly stealthy
animal, which can approach without the slightest noise, and attack
without giving any notice of its presence. A curious example of this
danger was given a few years ago in the Nagpur district. A tigress had
killed so many people that a large reward was offered for her
destruction; she had killed and dragged away a native, but being
disturbed, she had left the body without eating any portion. The
shikaris considered that she would probably return to her prey during
the night, if left undisturbed upon the spot where she had forsaken it.
There were no trees, nor any timber that was suitable for the
construction of a mucharn; it was accordingly resolved that four deep
holes should be dug, forming the corners of a square, the body lying in
the centre. Each hole was to be occupied by a shikari with his
matchlock. The watchers took their positions. Nothing came; until at
length the moon went down, and the night was dark. The men were afraid
to get out of their hiding-places to walk home through the jungles that
were infested by the man-eater; they remained in their holes, and some
of them fell asleep.
When daylight broke, three of the shikaris issued from their positions,
but the fourth had disappeared; his hole was empty! A few yards distant,
his matchlock was discovered lying upon the ground, and upon the dusty
surface were the tracks of the tiger, and the sweeping trace where the
body had been dragged as the man-eater carried it along. Upon following
up the track, the remains of the unlucky shikari were discovered, a
considerable portion having been devoured; but the tigress had
disappeared. This cunning brute had won the game, and she was not killed
until twelve months afterwards, although many persons devoted themselves
to her pursuit.
Many incredible stories have been told concerning the power of a tiger
in CARRYING away his prey, and I have heard it positively stated by
persons who should have known better, that a tiger can carry off a
native cow simply through the strength of the jaws and neck. This is
ridiculous, as the height of the cow exceeds that of the tiger,
therefore a portion of the body must drag upon the ground. The cattle of
India are exceedingly small, and are generally lean, the weight of an
ordinary cow would hardly exceed 350 or 400 lbs.; as an average male
tiger weighs about the same, it can of course drag its own weight by
lifting the body partially in its mouth, and thus relieving the friction
upon the ground. In this manner it is astonishing to see the strength
exerted in pulling and lifting a dead bullock over projecting roots of
trees, rocky torrent-beds, and obstructions that would appear to be
insurmountable; but it is absurd to suppose that a tiger can actually
lift and carry a full-grown cow or bullock in its jaws without leaving a
trace of the drag upon the surface.
Many persons when in pursuit of tigers are accustomed to tie up a small
buffalo of four or six months old for bait; the natives will naturally
supply the poorest specimen of their herds, unless it is specially
selected; therefore it may be quite possible for a large male tiger to
carry so small an animal without allowing any portion of the body
(excepting the legs) to drag upon the ground. As a rule, the tiger will
not attempt to carry, but it will lift and pull simultaneously if the
body is heavy.
The attack of a large tiger is terrific, and the effect may be well
imagined of an animal of such vast muscular proportions, weighing
between 400 and 500 lbs., springing with great velocity, and exerting
its momentum at the instant that it seizes a bullock by the neck. It is
supposed by the natives that the tiger, when well fastened upon the
crest, by fixing its teeth in the back of the neck at the first onset,
continues its spring so as to pass over the animal attacked. This
wrenches the neck suddenly round, and as the animal struggles, the
dislocation is easily effected. The tiger then changes the hold to
underneath the throat, and drags the body to some convenient retreat,
where the meal may be commenced in security. With very few exceptions
the tiger breaks the neck of every animal it kills. Some persons have
imagined that this is done by a blow of the paw, but this is an error.
The tiger does not usually strike (like the lion), but it merely seizes
with its claws, and uses them to clutch firm hold, and to lacerate its
victim. I have seen several examples of the tiger's attack upon man, and
in no instance has the individual suffered from the shock of any blow;
the tiger has seized, and driven deeply its claws into the flesh, and
with this tremendous purchase it has held the victim, precisely as the
hands of a man would clutch a prisoner; at the same time it has taken a
firm hold with its teeth, and either killed its victim by a crunch of
the jaws, or broken the shoulder-blade. In attacking man the tiger
generally claws the head, and at the same moment it fixes its teeth upon
the shoulder. An Indian is generally slight, and shallow in the chest,
therefore the wide-spread jaws can include both chest and back when
seized in the tiger's mouth. I have seen men who were thus attacked, and
each claw has cut down to the skull, leaving clean incisions from the
brow across the forehead and over the scalp, terminating at the back of
the neck. These cuts were as neatly drawn across the skull as though
done by a sharp pruning-knife; but the wounded men recovered from the
clawing; the fatal wound was the bite, which through the back and chest
penetrated to the lungs.
It is surprising that so few casualties occur when we consider the risks
that are run by unprotected natives wandering at all seasons through the
jungles, or occupied in their daily pursuits, exposed to the attacks of
wild animals. The truth is that the tiger seldom attacks to actually
kill, unless it is driven, or wounded in a hunt. It will frequently
charge with a short roar if suddenly disturbed, but it does not intend
to charge home, and a shout from a native will be sufficient to turn it
aside; it will then dash forward and disappear, probably as glad to lose
sight of the man as he is at his escape from danger. Of course there are
many exceptions when naturally savage tigers, without being man-eaters,
attack and destroy unoffending natives without the slightest
provocation; upon such occasions they leave the body uneaten, neither do
they return to it again.
Although the tiger belongs to the genus Felis, it differs from the cat
in its peculiar fondness for water. In the hot season the animal is
easily discovered, as it invariably haunts the banks of rivers, when all
the brooks are dry and the tanks have disappeared through evaporation.
The tiger loves to wallow in shallow water, and to roll upon the dry
sand after a muddy bath; it will swim large rivers, and in the
Brahmaputra, where reedy and grassy islands interrupt the channel in a
bed of several miles' width, the tigers travel over considerable
distances during the night, swimming from island to island, and
returning to the mainland if no prey is to be found during the night's
ramble.
The tiger is by no means fond of extreme heat; it is found in northern
China, Manchuria, and the Corea, where the winters are severe. In those
climates during winter the skin is very beautiful, consisting of thick
fur instead of hair, and the tail is comparatively bushy. Well-preserved
skins of that variety are worth 20 pounds apiece and are prized as
rarities. In the hot season of India the tiger is by no means happy: it
is a thirsty animal, and being nocturnal, it quickly becomes fatigued by
the sun's heat, and the burning surface of the soil if obliged to
retreat before a line of beaters. The pads of the feet are scorched by
treading upon heated sandy or stony ground, and the animal is easily
managed in a beat by those who are thoroughly experienced in its habits,
although during the winter season, when water is abundant in all the
numerous nullahs and pools, there is no animal more difficult to
discover than the tiger. It may be easily imagined that the dense green
foliage of Indian jungles renders all objects difficult to perceive
distinctly, but the striped skin of a tiger harmonizes in a peculiar
manner with dry sticks, yellowish tufts of grass, and the remains of
burnt stumps, which are so frequently the family of colours that form
the surroundings of the animal. In this covert the tiger with an almost
noiseless tread can approach or retreat, and be actually within a few
yards of man without being seen. Although a ferocious beast, it is most
sensitive to danger, and the slightest noise will induce it to alter the
direction of its course when driven before a line of beaters. Its power
of scent is excellent, therefore it is always advisable if possible to
arrange that the beaters shall advance down wind. If they do, the tiger
may be generally managed so adroitly that it will be driven in the
required direction; but if the beaters are travelling up the wind, the
tiger must necessarily follow the same course, and it will probably
obtain the scent of the guns that are in positions to intercept it, in
which case it will assuredly dash back through the line of beaters, and
escape from the beat.
In the hot season very few trees retain their leaves, and the jungles
that were impervious screens during the cooler months become absolutely
naked; an animal can then be discerned at 100 yards' distance. The
surface of the ground is then covered with dried and withered leaves,
which have become so crisp from the extreme heat that they crackle when
trod upon like broken glass. It will be readily understood that any form
of shooting excepting driving is quite impossible under these
conditions, as no person could approach any animal on foot owing to the
noise occasioned by treading upon the withered leaves.
The habits of the tiger being thoroughly understood, it becomes
necessary under all circumstances to employ the village shikari. This
man is generally more or less ignorant and obstinate, but he is sure to
know his own locality and the peculiar customs of the local tiger. It is
one of the mysterious characteristics of this animal that it invariably
selects particular spots in which it will lay up; to these secure
retreats it will retire; therefore, should a fresh track be discovered
upon the sandy bed of a nullah or upon a dusty footpath in the jungles,
it may be safely inferred that the tiger is lying in one or other of its
accustomed haunts. The village shikari will quickly determine from what
direction the tiger has arrived; he will then suggest the probable route
that the animal will take whenever it may be disturbed.
Should the tiger be killed, another will occupy its place a few months
later, and this will assuredly assume the same habits as its
predecessor; it will frequent the same haunts, lay up in the same spots,
and drink at the same places; although it may have never associated with
or even seen the tiger which formerly occupied the same locality.
I have already described the keen power of scent possessed by this wary
animal, which necessitates extreme caution, and the placing of the guns
in positions elevated about 10 feet above the ground. It is seldom of
any use to drive jungles upon speculation, although it not unfrequently
happens, where tigers are plentiful, that when driving for deer the
grander game unexpectedly appears, and presents itself suddenly before
the astonished hunter. The recognised system of tiger-hunting by driving
is as follows. We will say that the party of three may have arrived at a
village, after having received intimation that a native cow had been
carried off within the last few days. The first operation is to send
natives in all directions to look for tracks, and to discover the place
where the animal last drank.
At least two elephants should accompany the party, even though the thick
jungle country may be ill adapted for shooting from these useful
creatures. One of these should be, if possible, a really dependable
animal, that would advance steadily and quietly up to a wounded tiger.
The great danger of this branch of sport arrives when a tiger may have
been wounded, and it has to be tracked up on foot, and eventually beaten
out of the dense thorny cover of its retreat. A staunch elephant is then
indispensable, and the real excitement commences when the beaters are
sent for safety up the adjoining trees, and the hunter, absolutely
certain that the dangerous game, although invisible, is close before
him, advances calmly to the attack, knowing that the tiger will be ready
to spring upon the elephant the moment that they shall be vis-a-vis.
In the absence of any elephant, the pursuit of a wounded tiger by
following up the blood-track on foot is a work of extreme danger. The
native shikaris generally exhibit considerable hardihood, and, confident
in their activity, they ascend trees from which they have a clear view
in front for some 30 or 40 yards. They descend if the coast is clear,
cautiously advance, and then again they mount upon the branches of some
favourable tree and scan the ground before them. In this manner they
continue to approach until they at length discern the wounded animal. If
the hunter is clever at climbing, he may then take a steady shot from a
good elevation; but if not, he must take his chance, and knowing the
exact position of the tiger, he must endeavour to make certain of its
sudden death by placing a bullet either in the brain or the back of the
neck.
A newly arrived party, having heard that some native cow has been
carried off within a week, will make a reconnaissance of the surrounding
country upon their elephants, and will examine every watercourse for
tracks. We will suppose that after some hours of diligent search the
long-wished-for pugs or footmarks have been discovered. Now the science
of the chase must be exhibited, and the habits of the tiger carefully
considered. The first consideration will be the drinking-place. If the
middle of the dry season, say the beginning of May, the heat will be
intense, and the hot wind will feel as though it had passed over a
heated brick-kiln. The water will have entirely disappeared, unless a
river shall be permanent in the neighbourhood. It will be necessary to
procure two or perhaps three buffaloes to tie up in various positions
not far from water, as baits for the tiger during the hours of night,
when it will be wandering forth from its secure retreat and searching
for its expected prey. The buffaloes should be at least twelve months
old; I prefer them when eighteen months, as they are then heavy animals
and would afford two hearty meals, each sufficient to gorge the tiger to
an extent that, after drinking, would render it lazy and inclined to
sleep. Great care should be taken in the selection of these buffaloes.
The natives will assuredly offer their skinny and unhealthy animals: but
a tiger, unless nearly starved, will frequently refuse to attack a
miserable skeleton, and like ourselves it prefers a fat and appetising
attraction. It must be distinctly remembered that after the tiger has
devoured the hind-quarters of the animal it has killed, it requires a
deep draught of water; it is therefore necessary that the buffalo as
bait should be tied up somewhere within a couple of hundred yards of a
drinking-place, as the least distance; otherwise, instead of lying down
somewhere near the remains of its prey, it must wander to a great
distance to drink. The stomach, being full of flesh, will naturally
become distended with water, and the gorged tiger will not be in the
humour to undertake a return journey of perhaps a mile to watch over the
remains of its kill; it will therefore lie down in some thick covert
near the spot by the nullah where it recently drank, instead of
returning to repose in the neighbourhood of its recent victim. This will
throw out the calculations of the shikari, who would expect that the
tiger will be lying somewhere near the spot where it dragged the
buffalo. The beat will under such false conditions be arranged to
include an area in which the tiger is supposed to be asleep after its
great meal, but in reality it may be a mile or two away in some unknown
direction near the water. Great precaution is necessary in making all
preliminary arrangements. It is a common custom of native shikaris to
tie up a buffalo where four paths meet, as the tiger would be walking
along one of these during the night, and it could not help seeing the
alluring bait. I do not admire this plan, as, although the probability
is that the buffalo will be killed, there is every likelihood of
disturbance after the event, when natives would be passing along the
various routes. The slightest noise would alarm the tiger, and instead
of remaining quietly near the carcase, it would slink away and be no
more seen.
Natives are very inquisitive, and should the tiger have killed the bait,
and dragged the buffalo away to some deep nullah, the shikari and his
companion are often tempted to creep along the trace until they perhaps
see the tiger in the act of devouring the hind-quarters. This is quite
contrary to the rules of hunting, as the tiger is almost certain to
detect their presence if they are so near, in which case it is sure to
retreat to some undisturbed locality beyond the area of the beat.
There is constant disappointment in driving for tigers owing to the
stupidity or exaggerated zeal of the shikari; and if the hunter is
thoroughly experienced, it is far better that he should conduct the
operations personally.
Success depends upon many little details which may appear trivial, but
are nevertheless important. When a buffalo is tied up for bait, it must
be secured by the fetlock of a fore foot, and care must be taken that
the rope is sufficiently strong to prevent the buffalo from breaking
away; at the same time it must not be strong enough to prevent the tiger
from breaking it when the animal is killed, and the carcase is to be
dragged to the nearest nullah (or ravine). If the rope is too powerful,
the tiger cannot dispose of the body; it will therefore eat the
hind-quarters where it lies, and at once retreat to water, instead of
concealing the prey and lying down in the vicinity. In such a case the
remains of the body will be exposed to the gaze of vultures and jackals,
who will pick the bones clean in a few hours, and destroy all chance of
the tiger's return. When the dead body is concealed beneath dense bushes
in a deep ravine, the vultures cannot discover it, as they hunt by
sight, and the tiger has no anxiety respecting the security of its
capture; it will therefore sleep in peace within a short distance, until
awakened by the shouts of a line of beaters.
If the buffalo is tied with a rope around the neck, a tiger will
frequently refuse to molest it, as it fears a trap. I have seen
occasions when the tiger has walked round and round the buffalo, as
exhibited by the tracks upon the surface, but it has been afraid to make
its spring, being apprehensive of some hidden danger. I have also seen a
dead vulture lying close to the body of a buffalo, evidently killed by a
blow from the tiger's paw when trespassing upon the feast. It is a good
arrangement to secure both fetlocks of a buffalo with a piece of strong
cord about a foot or 16 inches apart, independently of the weaker cord
which ties the animal to either a stake or tree. Should the buffalo
break away during the night, it cannot wander far, as the bushes will
quickly anchor the rope which confines the fore legs; the tiger would
then assuredly attack the straying animal and kill it within the
jungles. In such a case the drive should take place without delay, as
the dead buffalo will certainly be hidden in the nearest convenient
spot, and the tiger will be somewhere in the neighbourhood.
During the hot season it will be advisable to defer the drive till about
IO A.M., at which time the tiger will be asleep. The mucharns or
watching-places in various trees should have been previously constructed
before the buffaloes were tied up in their different positions, to be
ready should the tiger kill one of the baits, and thus to avoid noise
during the construction. This is a matter of very great importance which
is frequently neglected by the native shikari, who postpones the
building of mucharns until the tiger shall have killed a buffalo. In
that case the noise of axes employed in chopping the wood necessary for
building the platforms is almost sure to alarm the tiger, who will
escape unseen, and the beat will take place in vain.
I never allow mucharns to be built by wood felled in the immediate
neighbourhood, but I have it prepared in camp, and transported by
coolies to the localities when required. By this method the greatest
silence may be observed, which is absolutely necessary to ensure a
successful drive.
In order to prepare these platforms, they should be laid upon the
ground, three long thick pieces to form a triangle, and cross-bars in
proportionate lengths. If the latter are straight and strong, from
sixteen to twenty will be necessary to complete a strong mucharn. It is
impossible to devote too much attention to the construction of these
watching-places. The natives are so light, and they are so comfortable
when squatting for hours in a position that would cramp a European, that
it is dangerous to accept the shikari's declaration when he reports that
everything is properly arranged. Upon many occasions tigers are missed
because the shooter is so completely cramped that he cannot turn when
the animal suddenly appears in view. A large, firm, and roomy mucharn
fixed upon the boughs of a tree that will not wave before a gust of
wind, is the proper platform to ensure a successful shot.
I have frequently been perched in a mere heron's nest, formed of light
wood arranged upon most fragile boughs; this wretched contrivance has
swayed before the wind to an extent that would have rendered accurate
aim impossible; fortunately upon such occasions I have never obtained a
shot.
Although driving may read as an unexciting sport, it is quite the
contrary if the hunter takes sufficient interest in the operations to
attend to every detail personally. When all is in readiness after the
tiger has killed a buffalo, there is much art required in the conduct of
the drive. Natives vary in different districts; some are clever and
intelligent, and take an immense interest in the sport, especially if
they are confident in the generosity of their employer. In other
districts there may be abundant game, but the natives are cowardly, and
nothing will persuade them to keep an unbroken line, upon the perfection
of which the success of the drive depends.
As a rule, there is no great danger in the steady advance of a line of
men, provided they are at close intervals of 5 or 8 yards apart, and
that they keep this line intact. It is a common trick, when the beaters
are nervous, to open out the line in gaps, and the men resolve
themselves into parties of ten or twenty, advancing in knots, at the
same time howling and shouting their loudest to keep up the appearance
of a perfect line. In such cases the tiger is certain to break back
through one of the inviting gaps, and the drive is wasted.
To drive successfully, the beaters must not only keep a rigid line, but
they must thoroughly understand the habits of the animal, and the
positions of the posted guns. If the drive is thoroughly well organised,
there should be eight or ten men who are experienced in the sport; these
should take the management of the beat, and being distributed at
intervals along the line, they should direct the operations.
A few really clever shikaris should be able (with few exceptions to the
rule) to drive the tiger to any required position, so as to bring it
within shot of any particular mucharn. This may be effected without
extraordinary difficulty. The drive should be arranged to include three
parts of a circle. If there are three guns, their positions would depend
upon the quality and conditions of the ground, leaving intervals of only
80 or 100 yards at farthest between the three mucharns. From either
flank, commencing only 50 yards from each mucharn, a native should be
posted in a tree, and this system of watchers should be continued until
they meet the extreme ends of the right and left flanks of the beating
line. It will be seen that by this method there is a chain of
communication established throughout the line, both flanks being in
touch with the right and left mucharns by watchers in the trees only 50
yards apart. The tiger, if within the beat, will be completely
encircled, as it will have the guns in front, the line of beaters in a
semicircle behind, and a chain of watchers in trees from 30 to 50 yards
apart from either side of the line to within sight of the mucharns. If
the jungle should be tolerably open, the tiger cannot move without being
seen by somebody. It now has to be driven before the beaters, and it
should be induced to select a particular direction that will bring it
within distance of one particular mucharn.
Each man who may be perched in the trees, which form a chain from the
right and left extremities of the line, will be provided with several
pieces of exceedingly dry and brittle sticks; he will hold these in
readiness for use whenever he may observe the tiger. If he sees that the
animal wishes to pass through the line, and thereby escape from the
beat, he simply breaks a small stick in half; the sound of a snap is
quite sufficient to divert the tiger from its course; it will generally
stop and listen for a few moments, and then being alarmed by the unusual
sound, it will again move forward, this time in the required direction,
towards the guns. In this manner the animal is gradually guided by the
unseen watchers in the trees, and is kept under due control, without any
suspicion upon its part that it is being conducted to the fatal spot
within 30 or 40 yards of the deadly aim of an experienced rifle. This
leading of the tiger requires considerable skill, as much discretion is
necessary in breaking the stick at the proper moment, or increasing the
noise should it be deemed expedient.
As a rule, the slightest sound is sufficient to attract the attention of
a driven tiger, as the animal is well aware that the shouts of a line of
beaters are intended to scare it from the neighbourhood; it is
accordingly in high excitement, and it advances like a sly fox slowly
and cautiously, occasionally stopping, and turning its head to listen to
the cries of the approaching enemy. Any loud and sudden noise would
induce it to turn and charge back towards the rear, in which case it is
almost certain to escape from the beat.
Some tigers are more clever than others, and having escaped upon more
than one occasion, they will repeat the dodge that has hitherto
succeeded. It is a common trick, should the jungle be dense and the
ground much broken, for the tiger to crouch when it hears the beaters in
the distance, instead of going forward in the direction of the guns.
This is a dangerous stratagem, as the wary animal will lie quietly
listening to the approaching line, and having waited until the beaters
are within a few yards of its unexpected lair, it will charge back
suddenly with a terrific roar, and dash at great speed through the
affrighted men, perhaps seizing some unfortunate who may be directly in
its path. I have known tigers that have been hunted many times, but who
have always escaped by this peculiar dodge, and such animals are
exceedingly difficult to kill. In such cases I am of opinion that no
shouts or yells should be permitted, but that the line should advance,
simply beating the stems of trees with their sticks; at the same time
six or eight natives with their matchlocks should be placed at intervals
along the line to fire at the tiger should it attempt to break through
the rear. This may sometimes, but rarely, succeed in turning it, and
compelling it to move in the required direction. It is a curious fact
that "breaking back" is a movement general to all animals, which have an
instinctive presentiment of danger in the front, if alarmed by the sound
of beaters from behind. If once they determine upon a stampede to the
rear, nothing will stop them, but they will rush to destruction and face
any opposition rather than move forward before the line. The tiger in
such cases is extremely dangerous, although when retreating in an
ordinary manner before the beaters it would seldom attack a human being,
but, on the contrary it would endeavour to avoid him. It is frequently
the custom of tigers to remain together in a family the male, female,
and a couple of half or three parts grown young ones. We cannot
positively determine whether the male always remains with his family
under such circumstances, or whether he merely visits them periodically;
I am inclined to the latter opinion, as I think the female may be
attractive during her season, which induces the male to prolong his
visit, although at other periods he may be leading an independent life.
Good fortune specially attends some favoured sportsmen who have
experienced the intensity of happiness when a complete family of tigers
has marched past their position in a drive, and they have bagged every
individual member. This luck has never waited upon me, but I have seen
three out of the four secured, the big and wary male, having modestly
remained behind, escaping by breaking back through the line of beaters.
The tigress remains with her young until they are nearly full-grown, and
she is very assiduous in teaching her cubs to kill their prey while they
are extremely young. I have seen an instance of such schooling when two
buffaloes were tied up about a quarter of a mile apart; one was killed,
and although these two baits were mere calves, it had evidently been
mangled about the neck and throat in the endeavour to break the neck.
This had at length been effected by the tigress, as proved by the larger
marks of teeth, while the wounds of smaller teeth and claws in the
throat and back of neck showed that the cub had been worrying the
buffalo fruitlessly, until the mother had interfered to complete the
kill. The other buffalo calf had been attacked, and severely lacerated
about the nape of the neck and throat, but it was still alive, and was
standing up at the post to which it had been tied. This proved that the
cub had been practising upon both these unlucky animals, and that the
tigress had only interfered to instruct her pupil upon the last
occasion. A dead vulture was lying near the buffalo carcase; this had
been killed, probably, by the cub; the fact showed that the buffalo had
been attacked that morning during daylight, and not during the preceding
night, when the vultures would have been at roost.
The tigress is generally in advance of the male during a drive, should
there be two together; this should not be forgotten, and a sharp
look-out should be directed upon the place from whence the tigress shall
have emerged, as the shot must be taken at the rearmost animal, who
would otherwise disappear immediately, and break back at the sound of
the explosion. In all cases it is incumbent upon the watcher to study
attentively every feature of the ground directly that he enters upon his
post, so that he may be prepared for every eventuality; he should
thoroughly examine his surroundings, noting every little open space,
every portion of dense bush, and form his opinion of the spot that would
probably be the place of exit when the tiger should be driven to the
margin of the covert. Tigers are frequently missed, or only slightly
wounded, through utter carelessness in keeping a vigilant look-out. The
watcher may have omitted to scan the details of the locality, and when
unprepared for the interview, the tiger suddenly appears before him.
Startled at the unexpected apparition, he fires too quickly, and with
one bound the tiger vanishes from view, leaving the shooter in a state
of misery at his miss, that may be imagined. Nearly all the fatalities
in tiger-shooting are caused by careless shooting, which necessitates
the following up a blood-track; it is therefore imperative that extreme
care and coolness be observed in taking a steady aim at a vital portion
of the body, that will ensure the death of the animal at latest within a
few minutes. If the shot is fired at right angles with the flank,
exactly through the centre of the blade-bone, the tiger will fall dead,
as the heart will be shattered, and both shoulders will be broken. A
shot close behind the shoulder will pass through the centre of the
lungs, and death will be certain in about two minutes, but the animal
will be able to inflict fatal injuries upon any person it may encounter
during the first minute, before internal bleeding shall have produced
complete suffocation. If the hunter is confident in the extreme accuracy
of his rifle, a shot in the centre of the forehead rather above a line
drawn across the eyes will ensure instant death. This is a splendid shot
when the hunter sits upon an elevation and the tiger is approaching him;
in that position he must be careful to aim rather high, as, should the
bullet miss the forehead, it will then strike the spine at the junction
of the neck; or if too high, it will break the spine between the
shoulders; at any rate, the chances are all in favour of the rifle,
whereas, should the aim be too low, the bullet might penetrate through
the nose, and bury itself within the ground, merely wounding the animal
instead of killing. Should the hunter be on foot, he must on the
contrary aim low, exactly at the centre of the nose; if he is only one
inch too high, the tiger may escape, as the bullet may pass over the
head and back; but if the aim is low and the nose should be missed, the
bullet will either break the neck, or regularly rake the animal by
tearing its course through the chest and destroying the vitals in its
passage along the body. In that case the .577 solid bullet of 650 grains
and 6 drams of powder will produce an astonishing effect, and will
completely paralyse the attack of any lion or tiger, thus establishing a
thorough confidence in the heart of its proprietor.