ROUND THE CAMP FIRE 297 



vastly exceed those of sportsmen ; and although in a 

 given space of time one native shikari may kill less than 

 a single Englishman who is out on a shooting excursion, 

 yet the toll taken by the former is a never-ceasing toll. 

 Day in, day out, through all seasons, and from year to 

 year, his hand stays not, and it attacks the fountain-head 

 of animal life females, immature, and young. 



To quote figures obtained from a fairly typical district 

 with which the writer is acquainted, which is more than 

 half of it hill jungle of a wild character, but where the 

 ways of the native shikari are liable to be more keenly 

 watched than in most localities, it is found from an ex- 

 amination of the returns of Government awards paid for 

 wild animals killed during a period of several years that, 

 whereas 14 tigers, 9 panthers, and II bears were killed by 

 sportsmen, 31 tigers, 52 panthers, and 42 bears were ac- 

 counted for by the native. And this in a portion of 

 country which is fairly regularly and constantly hunted by 

 British sportsmen. 



When, in addition, we are able to estimate native char- 

 acter, we have not far to go to find that, for each one of 

 such dangerous animals slain, a very large number of deer 

 and other harmless creatures must be made away with. 

 The native gunner has a remarkably keen eye to the main 

 chance ; and the immediate prospect of what he will 

 gather in on the spot, by the sale of flesh, horns and 

 hides, is far more alluring than that of the problemati- 

 cally few rupees that may filter down to him through 

 the numerous native myrmidons and bloodsuckers that 

 hedge about the offices to which he must repair to draw 

 the Government award for the destruction of dangerous 

 animals. 



Another and very clear proof of the truth of these 

 assertions lies in the well-known fact that during the period 

 immediately following the Indian Mutiny of 1857, when 

 the native gun retired into a remarkably strict condition of 



