178 HABITS AND INSTINCTS OF ANIMALS. CHAP. VI. 



creation with fear, and an innate sense of their own 

 inferiority. This is manifested in the well-known fact, 

 that dogs, bulls, and even hears, will turn and slink 

 away before a resolute person, whom they would in- 

 evitably attack, did he exhibit any symptoms of fear, or 

 endeavour to escape by flight. This feeling is, doubt- 

 less, the remnant of that primitive subordination which 

 was impressed upon their conceptions at the time of 

 their creation. Certain, however, it is, that there are 

 very few animals, out of the innumerable hosts in ex- 

 istence, which will attack man, otherwise than in self- 

 defence, to resent injuries, or to prevent them. To 

 this, however, there are some few exceptions, chiefly, 

 if not exclusively, to be found in those formidable and 

 fearless species, whose natural habits are " bloody, bold, 

 and resolute." With these, therefore, we shall commence 

 our survey : and that their manners, in this respect, 

 may be fully illustrated, we think it preferable to give 

 the original words of our authorities, in the shape of 

 facts, or anecdotes, as narrated by travellers, rather 

 than diminish their force by any language of our own. 

 (195.) The animal whose thirst for human blood 

 exceeds that of all others, is the Asiatic tiger, the 

 scourge of Asia and the Indian islands. The devas- 

 tation they cause among the poor inhabitants of the 

 villages and plantations, is almost incredible. " In 

 Hindostan," observes Forbes, " it is dangerous to take 

 a solitary walk, on account of these animals ; for they 

 approach close to the habitations in country villages. 

 On one occasion, an immense tiger rushed close past 

 my bed, under a tent, when I was at a bathing place, 

 in pursuit of a goat ; and we all considered that, if 

 unsuccessful in the chase, he would have returned to 

 make one of the party his prey." * Again, the same 

 author tells us, " In the island of Salsette, a poor 

 woman, who was gathering fuel on the skirts of a wood, 

 laid her infant on the grass, when a tiger sprang from 

 his cover, and carried it to its den, in sight of the 



* Orient. Mem. vol. i. p. 197. 



