514 TRAVELS IX THE EAST INDIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 



of a large tiger, wliicli, a sliort time since, killed tliree 

 natives in four nights at this place. The village is 

 surrounded by a stockade to keep out these ravenous 

 beasts, and the gate is guarded at night by a native 

 armed with a musket. One evening this tiger stole 

 up behind the guard, sprang upon him, and, as a na- 

 tive said who chanced to see it, killed him instantly 

 with a blow of her paw on the back of his neck. 

 She then caught him up and ran away with him. 

 The next day the body was found partly eaten, and 

 was buried very deeply to keep it out of her reach. 

 The second evening she seized and carried off a na- 

 tive who was bathing in the stream at the foot of the 

 cliff. The captain now found he must tiy to destroy 

 her, and therefore loaded a musket ^vith a very heavy- 

 charge of powder and two bullets. The gun was 

 then lashed firmly to a tree, and a large piece of fresh 

 meat was fastened to the muzzle, so that when she 

 attempted to take it away she would discharge the 

 piece, and receive both bullets. The next morning 

 they found a piece of her tongue on the ground 

 near the muzzle of the gun, and the same trap was 

 set again ; but the next night she came back and 

 took away a second man on guard at the gate of the 

 dusun. The captain now started with a corporal 

 and eight men, determined to hunt her do^vn. They 

 tracked her to a place filled with tall grass, and clos- 

 ing round that, slowly advanced, until two or three 

 of them heard a growl, when they all fired and killed 

 her instantly. It proved to be a female, and she had 

 evidently been so daring for the purpose of procuring 

 food for her young. 



