THE CAT KIND. 71 



alfo, its legs (horter, and its neck and body longer. It refembles al- 

 molt exattly the cat in fhape, efpecially the male ; and, if we conceive 

 a he-cat fufficientlv magnified, he will afford a very apt idea of the 

 tiger. Mr. BufFon was aflured by one of his friends, that he faw a tiger, 

 in. the Eaft-Indies, fifteen feet long, including the tail, for v/hich allow- 

 ing four feet, this animal muft have been eleven feet from the tip of the 

 nofe to the infertion of the tail. Such is the royal tiger ! 



The tiger is fierce without provocation, and cruel without neceflity; 

 though glutted, is not fatisfied with flaughter, but continues the car- 

 nage ; irs courage only inflamed by not meeting refiftance. Among a 

 flock or herd, levels all, and fcarce finds time to appeafe its appetite, 

 while intent on fatisfying its malignity. The fcourge of a country ! it 

 fears not mankind ; beads wild and tame experience its infatiable fury ; 

 often the young elephant and the rhinoceros, and fometimes the lion 

 himfelf. 



The tiger is found in Malabar, in Siam, in Bengal, and other Afiatic 

 countries inhabited by the elephant or the rhinoceros. They frequent 

 the fides of lakes and rivers, compelled by the thirft which in that torrid 

 climate they often endure ; and it is likely the tiger finds this a conve- 

 nient fituation to furprife many of thofe animals which refort thither 

 from the fame motives. It generally lurks where it has repeated oppor- 

 tunity of prey. When it has killed one, it often attacks others, fvval- 

 lowing their blood at large draughts, and feeming rather glutted than 

 fatiated with its abundance, it plunges its head up to the eyes in the 

 body of its prey, and cxhaulb the corpfe of blood, before it devours 

 the flelh. 



Captain Hamilton informs us, that in the Sundah Raijha's dominions 

 are three forts of tigers in the woods ; the fmalleft is the fierceft, not 

 above two feet high, extremely cunning, and fond of human fiefh ; the 

 fecond about three feet high, hunts deer and wild hogs j the largefl: fore 

 is above three feet and a half high, but not equally rapacious; 



A peafant in that country, fays this traveller, had a buffalo fallen into 

 a quagmire ; while he went for aflfiilance, there came a large tiger, ihac 

 alone drew forth the animal. When the people returned, the firfl: ob- 

 jc6l they beheld was the tiger, which had thrown the bufi^alo over its 

 Ihoulder, as a fox does a goofe, and was carrying it' away, feet upward, 

 towards its den } it had killed the buffalo, and fucked its blood. As 

 fome Eafl-Indian buffaloes weigh a choufand pounds, we may from 



hence 



