380 VIEWS REGARDING CRUELTY. 



hold it until it can be speared, or killed with a knife. The latter sport is 

 naturally much more exciting than merely shooting an animal found by dogs ; 

 and whilst the former method is useful for tigers, especially wounded ones, 

 almost all other smaller animals may be killed with dogs and the knife 

 alone. It is of this latter class of sport that I propose to treat. 



I first took the idea of hunting large animals with nothing but do<js and 

 a knife from Sir Samuel Baker's Rifle and Hon ad in Ceylon. Every one 

 interested in the subject should read that book. In Ceylon the game 

 limited is the sambur deer (Rusa Aristotclis), and occasionally the wild hug. 

 But there not being a sufficient number of sambur in accessible localities in 

 Mysore to make them an object of pursuit, I determined to make a trial 

 with bears, bison, panthers, and wild hogs. Since commencing I have killed 

 several bears, panthers, and bison, and also captured a young wild elephant 

 which the pack seized without hesitation. 



In recommending a pack of dogs for seizing big game, I would do so 

 only to men who are able to find bears, bison, or buffaloes. These animals 

 will not give much of a run, which is a necessary condition, as the heavy 

 dogs for seizing are not good at chasing. A bull-dog that is invaluable if 

 the game can be fought with but little running, is useless in a chase of any 

 duration ; therefore he can only be employed where animals can be brought 

 to bay at once. The excitement of the sport consists in seeing the valour 

 of the dogs, and in killing the animal with nothing but a knife. Nothing- 

 can be finer than to see the headlong attack of dogs that know not what fear 

 is. Some persons may take exception to the sport on the ground of cruelty 

 to the dogs, but I do not think sportsmen will — not that they are less tender- 

 hearted than other people, but because they understand better what the 

 dogs' feelings are. Many people speak of cruelty and pain in the abstract, 

 without reference to the circumstances of the cases to which they apply 

 the terms. Some would think nothing of keeping a bull-dog chained up 

 for months, but would decry exposing it to the chance of being knocked 

 about by a wild animal. Any one who understands the nature of such 

 dogs knows that in excitement they do not feel pain, whilst depriving them 

 of liberty and exercise is a real infliction to them. Their natural instincts 

 find the greatest pleasure in fighting and bloodshed. Can any one doubt 

 which of the two the dogs themselves would choose, — to be loosed at a 

 beast, or be tied up in a kennel ? If so, he knows nothing about the 

 disposition of bull-dogs. 



It is remarkable how little injury the dogs sustain in this rough style 

 of hunting. The simultaneousness of their attack overpowers a bear or 

 panther, and prevents its paying attention to any dog in particular. The 



