]»S?^ 



CHAPTER VI 



SHOOTING TRIPS IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCES — A FINE SHIKAR 



COUNTRY 



Visit the Central Provinces — Description of country — ^The Satpuras and 

 area to south — The Nerbudda River — ^The Central Province jungles 

 — A magnificent sporting area — Methods of travelling — Tigers before 

 breakfast — Elephants, bison and buffalo numerous — Sambhar and 

 spotted deer with record heads— An old-time sportsman's paradise — 

 The coming of the railways — The present-day sporting possibihties — 

 The jungles in the monsoon — Seonee — Wonderful sight of the teak 

 forest in full bloom — Historical ruins in the jungle — A fine tank— An 

 old ruined fort — Mahommed Khan, the Chieftain — Legend of the 

 fort — I sit musing on the battlements — A leopard appears — The 

 leopard charges — The frightened shikari — Death of the leopard — A 

 curious beUef — A mainah appears — The evil spirit. 



IT was subsequent to the rains during which I bagged 

 my first tiger that I paid one or two trips to the 

 Central Provinces and had a very pleasant time in 

 these glorious jungles. I was acquainted with the 

 parts adjacent to Chota Nagpur, but the great jungles to 

 the north were new to me. 



Those who have read and loved their Seonee or Camp 

 Life in the Satpuras and Forsyth's Highlands of Central 

 India will understand the keen anticipation with which a 

 lover of the jungle visits this famed region. It is true that 

 parts of it are very similar in character, and of course in 

 fauna, to the Chota Nagpur areas, but sport, and all per- 

 taining to it, was far better understood in the Provinces 

 than it was in the Chota Nagpur of my day ; and this is 

 the only period I can speak of. Some brief description of 

 this glorious shooting country will be of interest. The 

 northern or hill districts which culminate in the Satpuras 

 greatly resemble the southern hill districts of Central India 

 to the north, culminating in the Vindhyas, the two areas 

 being separated by the great basin of the far-famed Ner- 



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