CHAPTER XIV 

 SPORT IN WESTERN CHINA 



Carnivorous and other Animals, including Monkeys 



QUITE a variety of Carnivora occurs in central and 

 Western China, but none is really common, although, 

 in certain places. Leopard and Black Bear have some 

 claims to be considered so. In western Hupeh a few 

 Tiger (Lao Hu) are to be found, and odd skins are brought into 

 the towns for sale at frequent intervals. Nearly every year tales 

 of man- and cattle-eating tigers reach Ichang, and several times 

 foreigners have made futile expeditions after " Mr. Stripes." 

 The rocky, precipitous regions of Changyang and Patung are 

 favourite haunts of this beast. In 1907, when travelling through 

 these districts, I saw some fragmentary remains of clothing 

 belonging to an old woman who had been attacked and killed 

 by one of these animals. A tigress with two cubs had been 

 located in a cave a few miles away, and my companion and 

 self were invited to take part in their death-hunt. To capture 

 the lordly tiger the Chinese collect together to the number of 

 a hundred or more and make a tremendous noise by shouting 

 and beating gongs. When satisfied that the beast is ensconced 

 within a cave they build a large bonfire at the entrance in 

 order to smoke the animal out. All the hunters are armed 

 with guns, spears, knives, clubs, etc., and when the stupefied 

 tiger attempts to escape they make a concerted and bold 

 attack upon him. As often as not he gets away and frequently 

 some of the people get badly mauled. Tigers are also taken 

 in heavily constructed log-traps, partitioned, baited with a 

 live goat, and fitted with a trigger-released door. Another 

 method is by poisoning the " kill." 



The Tiger found in Hupeh is a rather small animal, but is 



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