90 A NARROW ESCAPE. 



work. Female elephants are more commonly used than males for tiger- 

 shooting, being more easily procurable. But a well-trained, male elephant 

 is infinitely superior to any female, from his greater courage and strength. 

 Unless they are well disciplined, however, there is danger of some male 

 elephants attacking the tiger when they see him, which is a dangerous habit, 

 as the occupants of the howdah may be shaken out during the animal's 

 endeavours to crush the tiger. 



A case of this kind occurred at Dacca, in May 1876, whilst I was there. 



A lady and her husband, Mr and Mrs I , were at a tiger-hunt in a 



howdah on a female elephant, when a tigress charged across the open ground 

 where they were stationed, not so much at the elephant as to get into a 

 piece of cover behind it. The elephant rushed to meet the tigress, in this 



case more from excitement and terror than real courage. I fired and 



rolled the tigress over in front of the elephant, which kicked at her. The 

 tigress grasped one of the elephant's hind -legs with teeth and claws, and 



the elephant was pulled, or fell, down on to her. I was thrown out, his 



rifle going off in the shock of his fall, but fortunately without doing any 

 harm. He helped Mrs I from the howdah, and they ran to the pro- 

 tection of another elephant at some distance. The tigress was killed on the 

 spot by the fall of the elephant upon her. In this case, had the elephant 



stood her ground, I would probably have killed the tigress before she 



got to close quarters. 



As elephants are not bred in captivity, the demand for them from the 

 forest is unwavering. Kabul merchants are the chief agents for the supply 

 of high-class animals. These energetic traders frequently attach themselves 

 to Courts where liberal prices are given, and in their service penetrate the 

 remote tracts of Burmali and Siarn. Here they purchase tuskers for figures 

 seldom exceeding £100 on the spot, and march them, perhaps occupying 

 more than a year on the road, to India. Their outlay is considerable in 

 feeding them highly and in marching them slowly. I have heard of a 

 case where a tusker, which had cost the merchant much money and labour, 

 died almost at the gate of the city of the rajah for whom he was designed ; 

 who, when the merchant appeared with the elephant's trappings and tusks, 

 bewailing his misfortune, ordered, with true Eastern munificence, that he 

 should be paid the full value of the animal ! 



The chief marts for the supply of elephants to India hitherto have been 

 Ceylon, Burmah, Siam, and a few of the forests of continental India ; but 

 from several causes the number brought into the market is now smaller 

 than formerly, and prices are rising accordingly. The following statistics 

 have been obligingly furnished me by the Secretary to the Government of 



