^x6 On the Manner of Hunting and Sporting 



tufted and foliaged only, in graceful inclinations at their ca- 

 pitals, all equally ornamental, the date, the cocoa-nut, the 

 beetel, and the palmyra. 



Between the airing and an early dinner, the hours are ir- 

 regularly difpofed, as chance may dittatc, or caprice fuggeft. 

 Some play at cricket and quoits, fwim, jump, f*?nce, run a 

 match of liorfes, or {lioot at a mark ; whiift others direft the 

 mountaineers and woodmen (who rove about in bands for 

 this exprefs purpofe) where to inveigle, entangle, or kill 

 beafts, birds, fiiii, and fnakcs, for which they are furnifhed 

 •wiih variety of implements, fuch as matchlocks, tiger- bows, 

 fpears, darts in grooves, balls in tubes, pellet-bows, limed 

 rods, flakes, and budies ; fafcinating allurements, fuch as 

 painted, fpotted, and foliaged fcreens, bells, nets, and 

 torches, bundles of twigs, ruflies, and reeds, artificial ducks 

 and decoy birds, with traps, gins, fprings, fnares, and other 

 ftratagems and inventions of wonderful enchantment, inge- 

 nuity, mechanifm, and contrivance. 



It is fomewhat extraordinary, but neverthelcfs a faft, the 

 influence of fafcination poflcfled bv the tiger, and all of his, 

 (the feline) fpecies, over many other creatures. 'Spied by deer 

 particularly, they flop at once, as if ftruck by a fpell, while 

 the tiger lies flill, his eyes fixed on them, and quietly await- 

 ing their approach, which they feklom f<iil to make gradually 

 v.'ithin his fpring ; for the large royal tiger cannot run fpeed- 

 ily or far. The glow of their eyes is fierce and powerful. 

 I myfelf once paiTed a royal tiger in the night near a wood, 

 and could plainly perceive the fciiitillalions from his eyes. 

 He was deterred from approaching us by the light of flam- 

 beaux, and the noife of a fmall drum which we carried, and 

 ■was beat by a fervant for the purpofe of fearing him away. 



Wherever tigers roam or couch, a number of birds conti- 

 nually collcft or hover about them, fcreaming and crying as 

 if to cre.ite an alarm. Eut the peacock feems to be particu- 

 larly allured by him ; for the inliant a flock of pea-fowl per- 

 ceive him, they advance towards him direiSly, and begin 

 ftrutting round him wiih wings fluttering, quivering feathers, 

 and briftling and expanded "tails. Of this enticement the 

 fowlers alfo make their advantage ; for, by painting a brown 

 cloth fcreen, about fix feet fquare, with black fpots or (Ireaks, 

 and advancing under its cover fronting the fun, the birds 

 either approach towards them, or fufier them to fleal near 

 enough to be fure of their mark, by a hole left in the canvas 

 for them to fire through. 



Several other inllances of the fafcination of animals T have 

 myftlf been wituefs to iif Bengal. Three or four times, where 



a line 



