and his field sports ; for, in our own and Newmarket, and that your mother private opinion, fox-hunting is in- would certainly have been somewhat finitely superior. Nothing can be surprised, if, some fifty years ago, any more desolate or less inspiring than one had told her that her young Shreeone of his campaigns against the crustna would be compositor in an bears-no trusty horse, no rattling English press, and set up in types the gallop, no socialty, no enthusiasm hair-breadth 'scapes of certain young we should prefer shooting 'coons and Britons, whose fathers, perhaps, had 'possums with our friend Colonel quite as little expectation that Jack and Crockett. Nor are we going to al. George and Tom would go bagging lude to Charles Waterton, and his ex- tigers, as yours had of your fingering ploits with the alligators. Unpleasant pica. These, our amiable Hindoo as fox-hunting would be in a country friend! are some of the odd coincidences full of stone walls, with a runaway that our Indian empire gives rise to; horse, and the scent breast-high, we and if it is always as beneficial as it should consider it the pleasantest of all has been to you, your remotest posteenjoyments, compared to the rough rity will have cause to bless the tight trot of the Yorkshire squire. Nor are

little island. Your press, our good we going to inflict on our readers the Prabhoo! will put an end to the press pompous descriptions of Hungarian of Juggernaut; and as to your widows, or Bohemian hunting, where wolves for Heaven's sake mention to the young are attacked by actual regiments in ones, (especially if they have good full military array, commanded by jointures,) that a lot of us young felcolonels, and led on according to the lows are coming out by the next steamrules of war. We lay it down as a boat, and we beg they will put off their rule at starting, in the comparison we absurd intention of killing themselves make, that the sportsmen shall be till their beautiful black eyes have had English gentlemen, and that the sport an opportunity of killing us : and with shall be conducted in the noble and this reasonable request we turn to the generous spirit that only English gen- body of your Magazine. tlemen seem qualified to bring into No European magazine—not Maga their amusements, as well as into their herself-can show a more unexceptionloftier pursuits. They shall relate their able set of contributors—all jolly, dashadventures in their own language; and, ing young fellows, souls made of fire, before we are done, we doubt not that and children of the sun ; excellent Nimrod will have to look sharp to his soldiers, we have no manner of doubt, laurels. We go to our own gallant and unexceptionable residents and countrymen in the three presidencies; judges. However, it is only in their desiring it to be understood that from literary and venatorial character we the epithet gallant, we by no means have any thing to do with them; and exclude the civilians of the service, we pronounce that they give irresistHigh courage flourishes in a jacket of ible proofs of the inseparable union any colour. Luckily for our purpose,

that exists between pluck and talent. our friendly neighbour Colonel W., Cæsar's Commentaries, Napoleon's before returning to India, left us his Bulletins, the Duke's Despatches, do favourite book — three neatly bound, not more completely exemplify the thin volumes-no name on the back, united triumphs of the pen and of the but withal of a certain indescribable sword, than do some of the graphic appearance, which told us at a glance descriptions of the Oriental sportsmen that they neither contained criticisms those of the pen and spear. The rifle, nor sermons. We opened one, and on too, comes in for its share of imperishthe title-page we saw

able renown, as well as of unerring " THE ORIENTAL SPORTING

practice; and we know of no individual

in our western regions who is so perMAGAZINE

fectly master of the very difficult art of Bombay: Printed for the Proprietors, at fighting his battles over again, without the Courier Press, by Shreecrustna Jagon- inflicting disgust upon the listener. nathjee Prabhoo, Hindoo, of No. 15, The whole of Oriental sporting seems, Pallow Street, without the Fort."

according to the Magazine, to divide And very well printed it is, 0 Jagon itself into two great branches : huntnathjee Prabhoo! considering that you ing the lion and tiger, on elephants, are probably ignorant of Tattersall's or, when those movable towers are

not attainable, from trees and hillocks; had taken effect. The cub was burked and hunting the boar with horse and by the beaters. spear. Of these we shall give various June 20.-Joined R.'s party ; specimens, interspersed with a few they have been out three days, and songs on the delights of such noble have had very little sport yet -a sporting, that must for ever put an hyæna, a cheeta, and one solitary hog, end to our miserable io peans over being the amount of their bag. A the hare or fox. When we divide savage man-eating tigress, with cubs, Oriental sporting into those two bran- that had been playing the devil lately, ches, imagine not, O lector benevole! was marked into a date thicket, and that all other varieties are excluded. we began beating after breakfast, two By no manner of means-all is consid- elephants in the field. The natives ered as very good fish that comes into told us one of her cubs had been killed the net ; not unfrequently you come by a dog a few days ago, and that across a magnificent bear-hunt in the she had been very savage ever since. midst of a battue of tigers ; ferocious We expected, therefore, that she would panthers glare out on you from a bush show good sport. into which you have chased a boar; “The cover was beat for hours withand, in fact, there is no description of out success ; she had been twice seen hunting that does not flourish in un- and once fired at from a tree, but the bounded profusion in the hills and elephants had not yet come into acjungles of the Deccan.

tion, when we observed a fresh track Here is a contribution dated, “Dhar- leading from the nullah to the plain. war, March 16:”

It was evident she had stolen away, “ The people sent out yesterday in and our only chance was to follow her search of tigers returned without suc- up instantly. The ground was soft cess, but marked down two bears in and the tracks plain ; it did not rethe hills at daylight this morning. quire the eye of a bheel to point them No beating was required; they were out, for we could see them distinctly lying sound asleep under a high rock, from the howdah ; and, after urging and, as soon as we had taken up our them forward about a mile, we sud. stations so as to surround them, a stone denly came on the tigress in an open was dropped upon them from above, field, where there was hardly cover to and away they went at an awkward conceal a hare. gallop. I never saw a bear charge be- - She crouched to receive the ele. fore; but the largest of the two, which phant, with her head towards him, and, was hit by the first that fired, turned just as she was rising, a ball hit her in short round and made straight at the the spine, and quite disabled her. We man nearest him, rolling down the walked up both elephants within three hill at the rate of twenty miles an hour. yards ; and I never saw such an exHe was stopped by a ball just as he ap- pression of devilry as her head prepeared over the head of his intended sented when she found herself quite victim, and scrambled off after his helpless in the middle of her enemies. companion, most fortunately for the Although her back was broken and gentleman whom he intended to favour; she was unable to rise, she tried to die for, after firing both barrels, his foot game, and it took at least ten deliberhad slipped, and he was tumbling down ate shots to finish her, for we purposethe rocks straight before the bear, at ly avoided hitting her in the head. the moment a lucky shot turned the 66 June 21.-Moved on ten miles to latter, We gave chase, and after fir- a village where tigers had been doing ing, I am ashamed to say how often, a great deal of mischief, upwards of a the brute got weary of life, and saved hundred head of cattle having been us further trouble by lying down to destroyed by them. A more difficult die under a shady bush. Next day, a covert could hardly be imagined. The bear and her cub were marked into date-grove in which the tigers had the same place, and after being driven taken up their abode, extended for from point to point for half an hour, miles. The trees were so close that were finished at last. I say at last, for an elephant could hardly force his way I verily believe fifty shots were fired, through them, and the underwood was and the operator who examined her so thick as to form a covert almost carcass reported that thirteen balls impenetrable of itself. Beating this

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seemed a hopeless case; but we went presently. He was fired at and hit as to work. The date-trees crashed as soon as he broke covert; but instead the elephants forced their unyielding of making off, as tigers generally do, sides between the rugged stems, and he turned back and charged slap at many were levelled to the ground by the tree from which the shot was fired. their heads when a passage could not Whether he felt weak from his wound, otherwise be effected. For two days or suddenly lost courage, I know not; we persevered in wading through the for just as he appeared ready to make endless mazes of dates, meeting at his spring into the tree; he stopped, every step with skeletons of bullocks turned sharp round, and sneaked away and goats, relics of former feasts, but into that covert from which he never without getting a fair view of a sin moved again. · The first man who gle tiger, although once or twice a went up to the spot to see how matters glimpse was obtained and a snap-shot were going on, got severely mauled taken. During the first day's beating a for his pains. The tiger's teeth met tiger bolted, but immediately returned in his arm, but luckily did not break into covert, after clawing a fat Banian the bone, and he was carried off more on a prominent part of his person sick from fright than his wounds. A where wounds are seldom dangerous ; second adventurous wight took a peep and this is all that had been seen ordone about half an hour after, and saw the in two days' hard fagging. On the tiger lying on his back very dead inthird day the greater number of the deed. It is quite unaccountable how party gave it up in disgust; but four one tiger is killed by a single ball, of us, having no faith in odd numbers, even when hit in a spot not considered determined to try once more; and per- vital, and another walks away with severance was rewarded, for five mi- balls beautifully placed in the shoulnutes after putting the elephants in, der, chest, and other mortal spots, as we heard that two tigers had broken if invulnerable. This tiger was hit away across country, and just killed a by one ball only, and that passed

through the hind quarters. On the “ We were soon at the spot where 25th, a tiger was announced, marked they were last seen, and found the down, and surrounded in a thick date dead man, although considerably grove. We took up our station' in clawed, and very raw and uncomfort- a tree directly over his path, and a able from the stinging application, yet shower of rockets and other combusvery far from dead, and able to show tibles soon bolted him. From a dis. us the exact spot from which the tiger tance of four hundred yards we saw charged him. A pair of bright green him descend from the bank into the eyes were observed gleaming among bed of the nullah, and walk slowly the thick branches of a stunted date towards us, glancing suspiciously from tree, and a ball straight between them side to side at every step. • put out the light.' We dragged peared greatly distressed by the heat, out the carcass and found it to be a and we could plainly hear his laboured small tigress-she had been wounded breathing, and even see his sides heave in four places by the shots fired du- as he sulkily approached. Directly ring the preceding days, which we under us was a thick brab tree, and thought had missed.

we had agreed not to fire till he passed Dec. 10.-We mustered about it. Some rustle attracted his atten. two hundred beaters this morning, to tion just as he reached this spot; he beat up a tiger which we were told halted for an instant, looked up, and always frequented a hill close to our seeing us, drew back his head, with a encampment; put them in line at loud growl, so rapidly under cover of daybreak, and by nine o'clock the the branches, that only one ball touchtiger was marked down, and sur- ed him. He cantered back roaring rounded. As we had no elephant, towards the beaters, keeping so close trees were the substitutes ; but al. to the bank that it was almost imposthough there were some high enough sible to cover him, and I did not beto hang a lizard on,' not one could be lieve that one of the shots fired after found out of reach of a tiger's spring him reached its mark. if he should charge; however, there mounted the elephant, and after a was no help for it, so we took to our search in the strongest parts of the perches, and the tiger was on foot covert, the mahout saw him stretched

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at full length on a bare spot within had finished, the tiger, finding that he thirty yards of us, quietly surveying could not reach us, had climbed the opour proceedings. The contents of posite bank, which was nearly on a two barrels were into him in an in- level with our seat. Although the stant;

but

away he dashed, as if no- breadth of the nullah kept him at safe thing was the matter. He appeared distance, thick date-tree, with to have gone some distance, and we branches to the ground, concealed him were quite taken by surprise to find here, and he sat watching our motions him again within ten paces close un- and roaring incessantly for several mider the elephant. Here he made a nutes, while we crawled from branch cowardly irresolute attempt at a charge, to branch to get a view of him. A and walked off with some nine balls in Pariah dog, which began barking at him, without staggering or showing him, made him more furious than ever. any signs of weakness, although some He crashed through the bushi, stood of them were well planted. We found for one instant with tail erect, mad him, and hit him again. repeatedly, with rage, and the next was dropped driving him from bush to bush, till dead within five paces of us. sunset, when we began seriously to These are detached extracts from the fear we should lose him. He at last sporting journal of a gallant soldier, grew desperate, and made charge, who gives the initials L. T. ; and bet. in which he was dropped close to the ter written descriptions, or glowing elephant, dying at the eleventh hour, with a more adventurous spirit, it has as he ought to have done at first. never been our good fortune to meet Although a fine large tiger, he was with. It does indeed seem extraordione of the worst bred I ever saw. nary, as L. T. has remarked, the differ

• While following the fresh tracks of ence of vitality between different tigers. a boar this morning, one of the people Some would positively seem to be ens marked a tiger into the same nullah dowed with the nine lives which no where we killed the other day. Fire- philosopher will deny are characterisworks, &c., were immediately sent for tic of the domestic cat; while others from the tents, and in the mean time we expire under a dose of blue pill that pugged up the boar, which gave a beau- would scarcely administer the quietus tiful run over ground intersected by to a rabbit. Yet, on the whole, though nullahs, and did four miles in very some die so easily, we hold the tiger fair time, before he was blown and to be somewhat of the nature of an ancame to the charge. Unfortunately, nuitant-a species of animal well a spear in the shoulder-blade disabled known to be more invulnerable than him from showing so good a fight as Achilles, and warranted against battle, he promised to have made. We then murder, and sudden death. We have returned to the tiger, which in his last lost a great portion of our respect for moments afforded a scene of which I the lion ; in many instances he turns can convey but a faint idea. I have out a rank coward, with as copious a been at the death of a good many ti- display of white feather as a Spanish gers ; but never till this day did I see aide-de-camp; his surly look is the one in perfection. We were seated on mask of Captain Bobadil, as the owl's a low tamarind-tree, which hung over wise expression always reminds us of the nullah, and the tigergalloped under a mathematician. Our gallant friends us within ten feet. The first volley of the Deccan seem to have no great dropped him at the root of the tree, awe of the forest chief ;-tiger, bog, where he lay struggling for some time, panther, cheeta, and even the bison, are and ended by rolling into the nullah, very often preferred to that dim diswhich was full of water. Here he crowned king, who, though he calls suddenly recovered himself, and catch- himself a lion, we fear is nothing but a ing sight of us, who were just out of pretender. It is only " on Afric's reach, commenced the most desperate burning shore” that he is an actual exertions to get at us, roaring and dash- potentate, hedged in with the divinity ing about the water in his struggles. that proves his right divine. In India He was a large male tiger, and his en- we blush to apply the word to a lion ormous head, with his glaring eyes of four legs, however applicable it is fixed upon us, so attracted our atten- to the species who strut on drawingtion, that not one of us could look at room carpets on two-he is a hum. his

gun while reloading; and before we bug! But as a student of natural his

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tory, who takes the humble name of of a lion.hunt--for who can feel certain “ Bob,” justly remarks in a letter to but that the animal so-called may not the editor, the animal kingdom in be the real Simon Pure after all ? And, Hindostan seems under a very ineffec- under these circumstances, we beg to tive police, as it is the easiest thing in retract any disparaging observations the world to pass one's-self off under we may have made on the cowardice an “ alias." “ In the pages of your and pretension of lions in the abstract, magazine,” he says, “ I find the words and to confine our remarks entirely to tiger, panther, leopard, and cheeta ap- the individuals, falsely so called, in the plied indiscriminately to designate the southern territories of the Honour. same animal. S. Y. who ought to able Company. After this apology, know better, gives the two first names we shall be able to look on Wallace in one page to a panther—why not without a blush. But in the case of call it a lion at once? Another cor- the tiger there seems to be no mistake. respondent in your last number, writ- Courage, power, ferocity-jaws of ing evidently of a panther, calls it a enormous size, the speed of a raceleopard. I believe I am correct in horse, and a spring of forty feet, mark stating that only one species, and that this animal too distinctly to allow him not a true leopard, has been discovered to be mistaken for any other. Once in India, viz. the felis jubata, hunting roused—for it requires a little stirring leopard or cheeta. The rose spot of up to put him on his mettle--there is the panther sufficiently distinguishes no finching. Wounded in fifty places, him from the leopard, whose marks are writhing with pain, the great passion either single dots, as those of the hunt- of revenge inflates his brutal heart, and ing cheeta, or clusters of dots, as he dies with foam covering his hideous found on the skin of the African leo lips, and rage gurgling in his horrid pard. It is perhaps incorrect to call throat. We have attended the exethe cheeta a leopard; for his figure and cution of several cats in the days of habits, so different from those of the our youth. Their expression when other cats, and his claws, only semi-re- wounded, and showing fight against tractile, seem to separate him from the terrier was sufficiently savage; but that family, and make him the connect imagine what it would be in a monster ing link between the genus felis and a hundred times the size, that had canis. The bison, found along the never had the slightest taste of civilized range of the western ghauts, is gener- life-never fallen asleep on a hearthally described as a buffalo, although rug, nor lapped milk out of a saucer! as distinct from a buffalo as that ani. -a scoundrel whose whole existence mal is from an ox. The samba, which was a scene of murder, and whose nadoes not bear the most distant resem- tural good disposition, if he had been blance to an elk, is commonly men- born with the temperamentofa Howard tioned under the latter name. There or a Heber, must have yielded to the are no elks in India."

influences of undying hunger and unThis we think a judicious letter, and quenchable thirst! Accidents are, of that in future the distinctions between course, not uncommon in tiger-hunt. the different animals ought to be more ing, and many admirable descriptions strictly attended to. And yet it is of them occur in the Magazine. We hardly to be expected that each gay have only room for the account of the Sub. should carry a Buffon or Cuvier misfortune of Khundoo, the chief of the at his saddle-bow; and, for all the bheels, in a certain hunting expedipractical purposes of sport and enter- tion in Candeish:prise, we are prepared to contend that « Poor Khundoo, the leader of this it is sufficient if the animal pursued choice band, had gone in pursuit of an and conquered be generally known by immense brute, the terror of the neighthe name of a leopard, whether it is bourhood, and the very animal which really a panther or a cheeta. But, but last year

dreadfully mauled one of however this may be, our impressions a party of officers who had gone after of the identity of the various victims him on foot, and killed a bheel beside of the spear and rifle have received him dead on the spot. The haunts of such a shock from the scientific epistle this immense brute were well known, of Bob, that it will be with some diffi- and but the day before he had killed, dence that we shall hereafter, if we close to each other, two very large have space for it, quote a description buffaloes in the Moolleir Valley. Poor

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