conducted for several weeks upon a grand and formidable scale; and, mounted upon their elephants, the prince and his nobles scoured the country in pursuit of the ferocious beasts that destroyed the flocks and herds of the peasantry. The array of despotism was here of some service; for the number of carnivorous animals that were killed was generally in proportion to the magnitude of the force employed against them.* Such scenes as this, however, belong to another age and system of government than now prevails in British India. The gorgeous power of the native chiefs is gradu ally vanishing before the quiet strength of the European conquest and civilization; and the destruction of the tiger and the leopard is left to such individuals as seek the danger for its excitement, or to the hunter by profession, who perils his life for a small reward.

The elephant is invariably employed in India in hunting the tiger. His delicate scent, his strength to make his way through the thickest covers, his sagacity, and especially his great stature, by which the hunter is lifted out of danger, render him peculiarly fitted for such a work. Horses cannot be

brought to follow the track of a tiger; and camels are unable to defend themselves if attacked by the ferocious beast. The hunting party is generally numerous, and the sportsmen, seated in their how. dahs, fearlessly proceed into the jungle, well-armed for the expected combat.

Occasionally the hunter, with his rifle, is mounted upon an elephant's back. The presence of the *For a minute description of the huntings of Vizier Ally, see Johnson's Indian Field Sports, chap. ix.

figer is generally made known by the elephants, which, scenting their enemy, become agitated, and make that peculiar trumpeting which indicates their alarm. If the tiger move, many of the elephants become ungovernable; their trunks are thrown up into the air; if they consent to go forward, their cautious steps evince their apprehensions. Those that remain steady under such circumstances are considered particularly valuable. If the motion of an animal through the jungle is perceived, the nearest elephant is halted, and the rider fires in the direction of the waving rushes. The tiger is sometimes wounded by these random shots, and he then generally bounds through the cover to the nearest elephant. Very few elephants can then resist the impulse of their fears. If the trunk, which the animal invariably throws up as far as possible out of reach, should be scratched by the tiger, all command is lost. Mr. Williamson de. scribes an occurrence of this sort, which happened to two gentlemen of the Bengal army. "They had been in the habit of killing tigers with only one elephant, on which being mounted, they one day roused a tiger of a very fierce disposition. The animal, after doing some mischief among the dogs, which baited him very courageously, at length darted at the elephant's head; and, though foiled in the attempt to get upon it, nevertheless scratched her trunk severely. No sooner did she feel the tiger's claws penetrating her proboscis, than she turned round and set off at full speed, roaring most vehemently. She seemed to have lost her senses, and to be bent on mischief: for, wherever she saw a living object, she pursued it, totally heedless of

the mohout's endeavours to guide or restrain her." She was at length, by fatigue and management, brought into a governable state, but she was spoiled for tiger-hunting.

We extract from Mr. Williamson's work an in. teresting narrative of a remarkable escape, when a tiger sprung upon an elephant, and was destroyed without injury to the animal or its riders :

"The tiger had satiated himself upon a bullock he had killed, and lay lurking in the grass, which was as high as the backs of the elephants, and very thick, not far from the remains of the bullock. He was extremely cunning, and crouched so close as to render it for a long time doubtful whether he was in the jungle or not. The symptoms displayed by the elephants, on approaching the place where he lay concealed, induced the party to persevere in their efforts to rouse him. One gentleman par, ticularly urged his mohout to make his elephant beat the spot where the scent was strongest which being done, in spite of the tremendous tones of the agitated animal, the tiger, finding himself compelled either to resist or to submit to be trodden upon, sprang upon the elephant's quarter, and so far succeeded as to fix his claws in the pad; his hind legs were somewhat spread, and their claws were fixed into the fleshy membranes of the elephant's thigh. Actuated by the excess of fear, occasioned by so sudden and so painful an attack, the elephant dashed through the cover at a surprising rate; the tiger holding fast by its fore paws, and supported by its hinder ones; unable, however, in consequence of the rapid and irregular motions of the elephant, either to raise himself any higher, or to quit the

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nold he had so firmly taken with his claws. gentleman, who had much ado to keep his seat, was precluded firing at his grim companion, as well from his unprecedented situation as from the great danger of wounding some of the numerous followers, who were exerting the utmost speed of their respective elephants, to come up to his assistance. The constant desire felt by the elephant to get rid of his unwelcome rider, which produced a waving and irregular pace, gave the opportunity, for those who were mounted on light and speedy animals, to overtake the singular fugitives. Another gentleman of the party coming up close, was enabled to choose his position; when, taking a safe aim, he shot the tiger, which fell to the ground and required no farther operations."*

A well-trained elephant has been known to catch the springing tiger upon his tusks. This, however, is a rare accomplishment. If their enemy falls near them, they will instantly kneel upon his body, at the same time transfixing him to the earth. This is partly an effect of instinct and partly of education. They are first familiarized to the appearance of a tiger, by a stuffed skin being thrown in their way, upon which they are taught to trample and kneel. A calf is sometimes put inside the skin; and then the elephant is indeed terrified. Some become so excessively alarmed, that no threats or entreaties will induce them to go near the object of their dread. Others are more courageous; and these, of course, are selected for occasions of real peril. One of the most difficult operations in this course of instruction is to persuade * Oriental Field Sports, p. 72.

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