308 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



the teeth. These are actual measurements taken from a specimen 

 in my possession, but I have seen others which far exceed these, 

 both in length and thickness. 



Although this species, from its formidable armoury, must be a 

 fighter, I have never had any difficulty that I can remember : they 

 have charged now and then, and been shot and despised, whereas, 

 had they been hunted with dogs, they might have proved worthy 

 adversaries. 



I will not pretend to introduce experiences of pig-sticking in 

 my description of the wild boar, as so many have written glowing 

 narratives of this great sport of India ; but I cannot treat of the 

 pig without personal reminiscences of those glorious, but for the 

 hounds, fatal hunts, which in the days of my youth formed the 

 excitement of Ceylon sports. In that country we seldom or never 

 used the spear. I never in my life used it against a boar on foot, 

 but the only weapon was the hunting-knife. 



My old hunting-knife is at this moment hanging against the 

 wall, among a number of my old friends that are associated with 

 early years ; and when I regard this trusty servant, that shows no 

 gray hairs to mark the advance of time, I cannot help recalling 

 the words which I wrote so many years ago at the conclusion of 

 my first publication, The Rifle and Hound in Ceylon : " The 

 day's sport concluded, the evenings were most enjoyable, and will 

 never be forgotten. The well-arranged tent, the neatly-spread 

 table, the bed forming a triangle around the walls, and the clean 

 guns piled in a long row against the gun-rack, will often recall a 

 tableau in after-years, in countries far from this land of independ- 

 ence. The acknowledged sports of England will appear child's 

 play ; the exciting thrill will be wanting, when a sudden rush in 

 the jungle brings the rifle upon full cock ; and the heavy guns will 

 become useless mementoes of past days, like the dusty helmets of 

 yore, hanging up in an old hall The belt and the hunting-knife 

 will alike share the fate of the good rifle, and the blade, now so 

 keen, will blunt from sheer neglect." This was written in 1853, 

 and I have lived to see the forecast of events fulfilled. At the 

 same time that the old hunting-knife was discarded, and now 

 hangs idly from the wall, it simply was exchanged for another 

 ]>attern, which has been in active service from that period, and 

 was adapted for shooting expeditions, whereas the former was 

 specially constructed for hunting wild animals with the hounds, 

 when a thrust with the broad-bladed knife was the termination of 

 a glorious bay. This style of sport required a peculiar weapon of 

 great weight and strength. It was necessary to combine the 



