THE BEAR (continued)
The outline that I have already given of Ursus labiatus is sufficient to
condemn its character; there are more accidents to natives of India and
Ceylon from the attacks of this species than from any other animal; at
the same time it is not carnivorous, therefore no excuse can be brought
forward in extenuation. I have already observed that this variety of the
bear family does not hybernate; it has a peculiar knack of concealment,
as it is seldom met during the daytime, although perhaps very numerous
in a certain locality. In places abounding with rocky hills, deep
ravines, and thick bush, it may be readily imagined that bears obtain
the requisite shelter without difficulty; but I have frequently visited
their haunts, where no perceptible means of secreting themselves
existed, nevertheless each night afforded fresh evidences of their
industry in digging pits, when searching for white ants, within 150
yards of our camp. In these places we seldom found a bear, although
driving the jungles daily with nearly two hundred beaters. This
experience would denote that the bears travel long distances at night,
to visit some favourite resort which produces the necessary food. The
stomachs of all wild animals when shot should be immediately examined,
as the contents will be a guide to the locality which they inhabit. I
have killed elephants in Africa at least 50 miles distant from any
cultivation, but their stomachs were filled with dhurra (Sorghum
vulgare), thus proving that they had wandered great distances in search
of a much-loved food that could not be obtained in their native forests.
In the same manner all wild animals will travel extraordinary distances
to obtain either water or food in countries where they are liable to be
pursued. When the watchers who protect the crops are in sufficient force
to drive the nocturnal intruders away with guns, the same animals will
probably not reappear upon the following night, but they will visit some
well-known spot in an opposite direction, and reappear forty-eight hours
later upon the forbidden ground.
The elephants in that portion of Abyssinia which is traversed by the
various affluents of the Nile, being much harassed by the sword-hunters
of the Hamran Arabs, never drink in the same locality upon two nights
consecutively; they drink in the Settite river perhaps on Monday, march
30 miles in retreat, and on the following night they will have wandered
another 30 miles to the river Gash, in a totally opposite direction.
They will then possibly return to the Settite, and after drinking, they
will take a new departure, and march to the river Royan or to the Bahr
Salaam.
A bear is a rapid traveller, and although sluggish in appearance when
confined, it is extremely active; therefore outward signs of digging,
although evidence of nocturnal visits, cannot be accepted as proofs of
the bear's proximity.
I believe that leopards may be frequently crouching among the branches
of trees, and remain unseen, while a person, unconscious of their
presence, may pass beneath; but although the sloth bear is most active
in ascending a tree, it would be difficult for it to remain unobserved,
owing to its superior size and remarkable black colour. A very large old
tree with a considerable cavernlike hole at the bottom should always be
carefully examined, as bears are particularly fond of these impromptu
dwellings. I knew a man who was thus surprised whilst cutting wood from
a large tree, unconscious of the fact that a bear was concealed within
the hollow trunk. The blows of the axe disturbed the occupant, which
immediately bolted from the hollow, and seized the wood-cutter by the
thigh. Fortunately the man had his axe, with which he at once belaboured
the bear upon the head until it relinquished its hold. I saw the scars
of the wound inflicted by the canine teeth; these were about 6 inches in
length, extending from inside the thigh to the knee-joint. The man
declared that if his axe had been heavier he could have killed the bear,
but it happened to be exceedingly light, and had very little effect.
My shikari Kerim Bux, who was a very powerful man, had a serious
encounter with a bear, which seized his master, and immediately turned
upon him when he rushed unarmed to his assistance; the bear seized him
by the leg, but in the wrestling match which ensued, Kerim came off
victor, although badly bitten, as he threw the bear over a precipice,
upon the edge of which the struggle had taken place. This man was head
constable in the police, and bore a very high reputation.
The Ursus labiatus being one of the most vicious animals, I have seen it
upon two occasions attack an elephant, one of which was quite
unprovoked.
We had been driving jungle for sambur deer in the Balaghat district, and
instead of posting myself upon a mucharn, or occupying any fixed
position, I remained upon my elephant Hurri Ram. This was a tusker that
had been lent to me by the Government upon two occasions, and he was so
good-tempered, and active in making his way over bad ground in steep
forests, that I determined to try him as a shooting elephant. I took my
stand upon the open grass-land, which was beautifully undulating, and
would have made a handsome park. Standing behind a bush we were
partially concealed, and I waited in expectation that some animals might
break covert in my direction. Presently I saw a dark object running
through the low bushes upon the margin of the sal forest on my right,
and a large bear emerged about 100 yards from my position. It stood upon
the open for a few seconds, evidently taking a close scrutiny of the
surroundings, prior to a run across the country, where no chance would
be afforded for concealment. It suddenly espied the elephant, and,
apparently without a moment's hesitation, it charged from the great
distance of 100 yards at full speed directly upon the nervous Hurri Ram.
I had not long to wait, but just as I pulled the trigger, when the bear
was within 10 yards, the elephant whisked round and bolted down hill
across the open, towards the portion of the jungle that was about 250
yards upon my left. Nothing would stop the runaway brute, but
fortunately I had stationed a police constable at the very spot for
which the elephant was making, and he, seeing the state of affairs, ran
forward, shouting at the top of his voice and flourishing his rifle;
this had the effect of turning the runaway, just as it was about to
enter the forest, where we should in all probability have been smashed.
The bear had in the meantime gone across country, and although we hunted
it for more than a mile, we never saw it again. This was a purely
unprovoked attack, and it would have been interesting to have seen the
result had the elephant not bolted. I imagine that the bear would have
seized it by the leg, and afterwards would have attempted a retreat.
Upon another occasion, at a place called Soondah in the same district, I
was upon Hurri Ram; I had been working through the high grass in the
first-class reserves throughout the day, having killed a splendid stag
sambur, when we were attracted by the peculiar short roar or moan made
by a tigress calling either for her cub or for some male companion. This
was in the sal forest, within a quarter of a mile of our position. It
was a dangerous attempt, upon such an untrustworthy elephant as Hurri
Ram, to look for a tiger in a thick sal jungle, as that species of tree
grows in long straight trunks exceedingly close together, to an extent
that would make it impossible for a large elephant to continue a direct
course. Should the animal run away, the result would probably be fatal
to the rider. We again heard the cry of the tiger repeated; this decided
me to make the trial, and we entered the forest, carefully advancing,
and scanning every direction.
The sal tree produces one of the most valuable woods in India for
building purposes, and for railway sleepers. The bark is black, which
gives the forest a sombre appearance, and the trees grow perfectly
straight, generally to a height of 30 or 40 feet, before they divide
into branches; it may be readily imagined that an elephant would find a
difficulty in threading its way through the narrow passages formed by
these mast-like growths. In addition to this difficulty, there were
numerous clumps of the tough male bamboo, which nothing will break, and
which is terribly dangerous should a runaway elephant attempt to
penetrate it, as the hard wiry branches would lacerate a rider in a
frightful manner. There were numerous ravines in this forest, and we
kept along the margin, slowly and cautiously, peering at the same time
into the depths, in the expectation of seeing the wandering tiger.
It was very perplexing; sometimes we heard the cry of the tiger in one
direction, and upon reaching the spot, we heard it at a different place.
I was determined not to give it up, and we worked for at least two
hours, until we had thoroughly examined every ravine, and all the
smaller nullahs that would have been likely hiding-places. "Past five
o'clock," I exclaimed, upon looking at my watch. It was time to turn
homewards, as it would be dark at six, and should we be benighted in the
forest we should not find our way, neither would it be possible to ride
an elephant, owing to the thick bamboo. We accordingly gave up our
search for the tiger, and steered in a new direction towards the camp.
We had advanced for about half an hour through the gloomy forest, and
were within about 3/4 of a mile in a direct line of the tents, when I
observed a peculiarly dark shadow upon my right, about 35 yards distant,
close to a dense mass of feathery bamboos. I stopped the elephant for an
instant, and at the same moment the black mass moved away towards the
thick cover of the foliage.
Guessing the position of the shoulder, I took a quick shot with the
Paradox gun; the elephant, most fortunately, not having observed the
animal.
The effect was most extraordinary; I never heard such a noise; there
was a combination of roars and howls, as though a dozen tigers and lions
were engaged in a Salvation Army chorus. Away went Hurri Ram, rendering
it impossible for me to fire, as a large bear came straight at us,
charging from the deep gloom of a bamboo clump, and growling, as it ran
with the speed of a dog, direct at the elephant.
I thought we must be knocked to pieces; two or three smaller trees
fortunately gave way before the terrified rush of Hurri Ram, but the
power of the driving-hook was gone; although the mahout alternately
drove the spike deep into his skull and hooked the sharp crook into the
tender base of the ears, the elephant crashed along, threatening us with
destruction, as he swept through bamboos, and appeared determined to run
for miles.
I had been accustomed to feed this animal daily with all kinds of nice
delicacies beloved by elephants, and at such times I always spoke to him
in a peculiar phraseology. Although I was in the worst possible humour,
and considerably anxious regarding our safety, when rushing through
forest at 15 miles an hour, I addressed Hurri Ram in most endearing
terms-"Poor old fellow, poor old Hurri Ram, where are the sugar-canes?
where are the chupatties, poor old boy?" etc. etc. I believe
thoroughly that the well-known tones of my voice restored his confidence
far more than the torture of the driving-hook, and after a race of about
150 yards he stopped. "Now turn him round, give him the point sharp, and
drive him straight for the bear." The mahout obeyed the order, and we
soon approached the spot, where the roars and howls still continued. My
men were up the trees; the shikari had thrown a mighty spear upon the
ground, and had gone up the branches like a squirrel, as he did not see
the fun of meeting the bear's charge.
Before we had time to examine the actual condition of affairs, the big
bear suddenly dashed out again straight at the elephant, and once more
in a disgraceful panic he took to flight, without the possibility, on my
part, of taking a shot, when the bear thus daringly exposed itself.
Again I had to comfort Hurri Ram, and by degrees we stopped his mad
career, and once more returned to the scene of his discomfiture. There
was a slight depression in an open hollow, where high grass in swampy
ground intervened between two sections of the forest. As we advanced,
the elephant being severely punished by the driving-hook and scolded by
the mahout, the bear suddenly uprose from the high grass, and standing
upon its hind legs, it faced us at about 40 yards' distance, affording a
magnificent chance for a deadly shot. Away went Hurri Ram again,
whisking round before I had a moment to fire; and after two successive
chances of this kind, the bear escaped into the opposite jungle, and we
searched for it in vain.
We now returned, and with some difficulty drove Hurri Ram to the scene
of conflict. There was a bear lying dead. The howls and roars had
ceased, and a few yards to the left of the dead bear was a large black
mass: this was another bear, in the last gasp. Both had been knocked
over by only one bullet from the Paradox.
Although I had only seen one bear, and that most indistinctly, it
appeared that the bullet, being intensely hard, and propelled by 4 1/2
drams of powder, had gone completely through the shoulder of the
original bear, and then struck an unseen companion, who must have been
some yards distant upon lower ground beyond. The bullet had broken the
shoulder of this unlucky friend, and was sticking in its lungs, having
carried a bundle of coarse black hair from bear No. 1 and deposited it
upon its course in bear No. 2.
Although these were full-grown bears, there can be little doubt that the
bear that had so determinedly attacked the elephant was the mother,
infuriated by the roars and howls of her dying offspring. The
penetration of the Paradox bullet was highly satisfactory, but I was
terribly disgusted with Hurri Ram, whose misconduct had caused the loss
of bear No. 3, which would most certainly have been included in the list
of killed had I had the chance of only one second's quiet.
My men were not in the least ashamed when they descended from the trees,
as they considered that the better part of valour was discretion. The
large spear had been manufactured expressly for this kind of emergency,
by a celebrated native cutler, Bhoput of Nagpur. It is always advisable
that some powerful and plucky shikari should carry such a weapon for
approaching any wounded animal, as accidents generally occur from
carelessness, when the animal is supposed to be lying helpless, at the
point of death. Such a spear should be 2 feet long, with a blade 3
inches wide, and extremely sharp. There should be a short cross-bar
about 22 inches from the point, to prevent the spear from running
completely through an animal, which could then writhe up the handle, and
attack. The socket should be large and long, to admit a very thick male
bamboo, as the mistake is too frequently made that the spear is strong,
but the handle is too weak. It is very important that a trustworthy
attendant should be thus armed, as a dying animal can then be approached
with comparative impunity.
The risks that are run in following wounded animals are far greater than
the prime attack. Should an animal charge without being wounded, it may
generally be turned by a steady shot, if not absolutely killed; but when
badly hurt, the onset of a beast is spasmodic, and nothing but death
will paralyse the spring. I could mention numerous cases where
lamentable disasters have occurred simply through thoughtlessness on the
part of the hunter, who has been sacrificed in consequence of his
neglect. One of the saddest catastrophes was the death of the late Lord
Edward St. Maur, son of the Duke of Somerset, who died from the effects
of amputation necessitated by the mangled state of his knee from the
attack of a bear some years ago in India. This unfortunate young
sportsman was shooting alone, and having wounded a bear, he followed up
the animal for about a mile. When discovered it immediately charged him,
and although again seriously wounded by his shot, the bear seized him by
the knee, pulled him to the ground, and in the struggle that ensued he
was seriously mauled. The bear was driven away by his attendants, and he
was conveyed to camp. There was no blame in this instance attached to
himself, or to any other person. In a most courageous manner he defended
himself against the bear with his hunting-knife, and the body of the
animal was recovered after some days by his shikari; but this promising
young nobleman was cut off in the early days of his career, and was
probably sacrificed through a want of surgical experience on the part of
the native operator. I remember an instance of carelessness, which might
have had a disastrous result, many years ago, when I was hunting in
Ceylon. My brother, the late General Valentine Baker, was riding with me
through the jungles in the district called "The Park." I had been caught
by a rogue elephant a few days before, and my right thigh was so damaged
that I could only walk a few yards with difficulty. Suddenly the man who
walked before my horse ran back, and shouted "Wallahah, Wallahah"
(Bears, Bears), and we caught sight of some large black object rushing
through the jungle, close to our horses' heads. Valentine Baker jumped
nimbly off, and I heard a shot almost immediately; my wounded leg was
perfectly numbed, and I had no feeling in my foot; therefore, as it
touched the ground without sensation, I fell over on my back. Gathering
myself together, I managed to run in chase, and I shortly found myself
close to the retreating heels of two bears that were trotting through
the dense underwood. One of these brutes, feeling that it was pursued,
turned quickly round, and immediately jumped upon the muzzle of my gun,
which I fired into its stomach and rolled it over. I now heard my
brother shouting my name at only a few yards' distance; running towards
him, as I feared some accident, I found a large bear half lying and half
sitting upon the ground, growling and biting at the hard-wood
loading-rod which V. Baker had thrust into a bullet wound behind its
shoulder; he seemed surprised that the bear would not die at once. This
was exceedingly dangerous, as the animal might have recovered sufficient
strength to have directed an attack at an unguarded moment. Having a
heavy hunting-knife of 3 lbs. weight, I gave it a blow across the skull,
which cleft it to the brain and terminated its struggles. This was
exactly the occasion upon which an accident might have occurred, and
when a spear would have been of use.
I cannot understand why persons who reside in India neglect the
assistance of dogs for the various kinds of hunting. Bull terriers would
be invaluable for tracking up a wounded tiger or bear, and the latter
might be hunted by such dogs even without being wounded. At any rate,
well-trained dogs would be of immense assistance, but I have never seen
them used. During the cool season of Central and Northern India the
climate is most favourable, and the dogs could work during the hottest
hours of the day without undue fatigue. Mr. Sanderson set the example
some years ago, and had some interesting hunts; he describes the Ursus
labiatus as rendered powerless, in spite of its great strength and
activity, as one bull terrier invariably seized it by the nose; this is
the most sensitive part, and easy to hold, as it is long, and connected
with a projecting upper lip, which is almost prehensile in this variety.
His experience proved that three dogs were sufficient to hold any bear,
as the claws, although dangerous to the tender skin of a man, were too
blunt to tear the tough but yielding hide of the dog.
There are two other varieties of bears in the continent of India, the
black (Ursus Thibetanus) and the brown, both of which are confined to
Cashmere and the Himalayah range. I have had no personal experience of
these animals, therefore I do not presume to offer myself as an
authority; but from the accounts I have received from those who have
hunted them successfully, they are much the same in their habits as the
average of their species.
The dangerous character of bears, in like manner with all other animals,
was accredited at a time when breechloaders and high velocities were
unknown, but with a '577 rifle and 6 drams of powder, or a No. 12
spherical and 7 drams of powder, I cannot conceive the possibility of
escape for any bear or other creature below the standard of a buffalo,
if the hunter is a cool and steady shot. The conditions of this theory
will include a solid bullet, not a hollow projectile dignified by the
term "Express."
I will conclude this notice of the bear with an example of the failure
of the hollow bullet, '577 Express, fired by a native gentleman, Zahur
al Islam, when shooting with me in the reserves of Singrampur in the
Central Provinces last winter.
We were driving for any kind of animals that the jungle might produce,
and, being on foot, we constructed the usual little hiding-place by
cutting half through a sapling about 3 feet from the root, and bearing
down upon the young tree so as to form a horizontal rail in front of our
seat; a similar cut at the back of another sapling about 3 inches thick,
facing the stem already laid, and that was also pressed down to
interlace with the branches of the prostrate tree. This makes a screen
which can be rendered still more opaque by the addition of a few green
boughs.
The grass was parched to a bright straw colour, and was about 4 feet
high. As the beaters approached, a bear rushed forward and passed within
15 paces of Zahur. He fired; the bear emitted a short growl and passed
on.
I assisted in tracking this animal by the blood upon the grass. Zahur
described the shot he had taken as oblique; as the bear had passed him,
therefore the bullet must have struck either the hindquarters full, or
the thigh.
We found a teak tree about 14 inches in diameter covered with small
pieces of flesh resembling sausage-meat, for a height of 6 feet from the
ground. The yellow grass at the foot of this tree was covered with
blood, and many minute fragments of flesh adhered to the leaves.
Searching the place carefully, we picked up two pieces of bone covered
with blood; these were very thick and strong, the larger fragment being
2 1/2 inches in length and 1 inch in width, evidently pieces belonging
to the upper portion of the thigh.
After tracking the wounded bear for about 200 yards through the high
grass and jungle, we came to a tolerably deep nullah, where we expected
to find the animal lying down. Instead of this, we discovered another
large piece of fractured thigh bone, which proved that the hollow
Express bullet, although '577, had broken up upon striking the bone,
instead of penetrating throughout the body. The muscles of the thigh and
the bone had been shattered to atoms, and the flesh so completely
exploded that it had flown in all directions, dispersed in the smallest
fragments; nevertheless this bear had gone right away, and was never
more seen, although we expended more than an hour in its search, both
with men and elephants.
There could not be a more cruel example of the effect of a hollow
projectile when striking a bone. If that had been a solid bullet, it
would have raked the animal fore and aft, and would have rolled it over
on the spot.