322 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



puts himself unreservedly into the hands of a 

 moderately keen Karen, whose walking powers I 

 often found reason to think might be modified with 

 advantage. 



SAMBHUR, BROW-ANTLERED, AND BARKING DEER 



A following of a dozen or eighteen men is 

 enough for such little expeditions as I used to make, 

 unless it is intended to beat and do nothing else, 

 when the number may be doubled. The Burmese 

 are particularly careful to refrain from needless 

 exertion, and perhaps this explains the merit of their 

 method of beating : they stroll through the jungle 

 tapping the trees with their sticks, and seldom throw 

 their tongues unless excited by putting up game at 

 close quarters. In consequence, the animals moved 

 are not frightened, and advance without unduly 

 hurrying themselves. If you leave the direction of 

 affairs to your Karen shikari he generally chooses 

 the area to be beaten with a good deal of skill, for 

 which the nature of Burmese virgin jungle affords 

 plenty of scope. A favourite system is to try to 

 drive game across some open glade ; and, unwilling as 

 game of all species are to face the open, the beaters 

 manage to force them to it with great success, 

 affording the quick shot as good a chance as he has 

 any right to expect. The gyee, barking deer, and 

 thamin, brow- an tiered deer, are the beasts most 

 commonly brought to light by this method of 

 beating. They lie up in the jungle during the day, 



