ioo BAY OF BENGAL TIGER-DRIVING 



the greatest authority on lepidoptera in India, 

 "if not in the world," and no one dreams of 

 questioning his claims to fame. Possibly he is 

 promoted on the strength of them. 



In the Sunderbunds tigers are, as a rule, shot 

 over a " kill " or over a fresh- water hole near a 

 tree. I never attempted this, first because from 

 a sporting standpoint the system does not appeal to 

 me, and secondly because I dared not run the risk 

 of the subsequent, almost inevitable attack of 

 malarial fever; but I have tried to walk them up in 

 long grass a dangerous proceeding and one not 

 to be recommended to the jumpy or to any but 

 very reliable shots. 



When on tour I always take my rifles with me, 

 and I had also with me some marriage-festival 

 bombs. These are easy to make. A little gun- 

 powder is wrapped up in paper and jute fibre is 

 wound tightly round the packet till a sphere about 

 the size of a cricket-ball is produced. Into it a 

 short piece of very thin reed is inserted into which 

 a pinch of fine powder is poured, thus furnishing 

 a touch-match. The reed is lighted with a lucifer 

 match and the bomb is thrown as far as possible. 

 It bursts on the ground, making a very loud detona- 

 tion. Of course, such bombs can only be used in 

 damp localities, where there is no danger of 

 setting the jungle on fire. 



We reached Tiger Point late on Saturday 

 evening and landed next morning. The coast 

 reminded me vividly of the Portland, Swanage, 

 and Bournemouth coast-line in Dorsetshire. The 

 vegetation, however, was very distinctly Eastern. 

 The beach was of fine white, dazzling sand backed 



