INDIAN MACHAN SHOOTING. 2QI 



hardiness," says Mr. Sterndale. He also adds, "We 

 must raise our voice against sitting in a pit over water, 

 at any time of the year " (in India). " We speak from 

 experience, having suffered from its evil effects."* 



In malarious jungles and districts there is no doubt 

 of the wisdom of this advice; but in dry plains, in 

 regions such as we have lately been referring to, there 

 is very little malaria, and the risk from fever is very 

 much less. Being raised in a tree, fifteen or twenty 

 feet above the ground, of course renders the risk of 

 taking fever somewhat less in an Indian jungle, but 

 the great probabilities are that the whole surrounding 

 country in such districts is more or less malarious, 

 even during the driest seasons. A great deal of this 

 sort of shooting is therefore done by native shikaris, 

 when it becomes a necessity to destroy a destructive 

 beast, as these men are not subject to fever in the same 

 degree as Europeans ; they can therefore sit up all 

 night with probable impunity; whereas the advice 

 given by Major Shakespear to European sportsmen, 

 as to night-shooting in India, is as follows: "Leave 

 camp before day-break, and sit still 8 o'clock and no 

 longer ; go again in the afternoon, an hour and a half 

 before sunset, and do not remain more than an hour 

 after sunset." f 



As regards the construction of machans, it may be 

 stated on the high authority of Mr. Sanderson that the 

 platform should be six feet long by three broad, con- 

 structed with its length towards the " kill. " It should 

 if possible be fifteen or twenty feet above the ground, 



* Seonee, or Camp Life on the Satptira Range (of Central India), 

 by Robert A. Sterndale, F.R.G.S., 1877, p. 152. 



t The Wild Sports of India, by Major Henry Shakespear, Nagpoor 

 Irregular Cavalry, London 1862. 



