HOW I KILLED THE TIGER. 69 



fifty-six bullocks, seven hundred and fifty-two 

 cows, two hundred and thirty-six calves, 

 one hundred and thirty-five buffaloes, one hun- 

 dred and five sheep, and one hundred and three 

 goats. 



Government returns show that in six years 

 four thousand two hundred and eighteen natives 

 were killed. In the Central Provinces alone two 

 hundred and eighty-five were killed in 1868 and 

 1869. One tiger in the years 1867, 1868, and 

 1869, killed twenty-seven, thirty-four, and forty- 

 seven persons. It may be mentioned that one 

 of the most reliable authorities upon the Indian 

 tiger and its habits is Sir J. Fayrer, the author 

 of an exhaustive work on the subject, " The 

 Royal Tiger of Bengal." 



Although the tiger is extremely fond of water, it 

 is able at times to endure thirst for a considerable 

 period in the hottest weather. Mr. G. P. 

 Sanderson gives a remarkable instance. " The 

 weather," he writes, " was hot ; the circle in 

 which the two tigers were enclosed was only 

 seventy yards in diameter, and the heat of the 

 fires kept up day and night all round was con- 

 siderable. Still they existed without a drop of 

 water for ten days, suffering from wounds half the 

 time. A tiger can go much longer than this 

 without serious inconvenience." 



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