CHAPTER IV 



First Portion of Indian Trip Extracts from Journal and Letter 

 to his Sister relating to the Man-eating Tiger 



AGE 19. 



ON the 2Oth October 1862 Brooke started on his 

 sporting expedition to India, a trip that he had looked 

 forward to with intense pleasure. The best information 

 had been procured for him as to the most favourable 

 districts for big game. His original plans had included 

 Bengal as well as Southern India. Later on, however, 

 he found that if he were to return to England in time 

 for his majority, Bengal must be given up. On reach- 

 ing Madras, towards the end of November, he proceeded 

 to Mysore, and there received information that raised 

 his enthusiasm to the highest pitch. For three years a 

 man-eating tiger had been devastating the country around 

 Benkypore, a place near Shimoga, 150 miles north of 

 Mysore ; two hundred natives had been killed, and the 

 great trunk road rendered impracticable for travellers. 

 Hitherto no success had attended the many efforts 

 made to destroy him ; only in one instance had the 

 tiger been seen within shot. 



Though far from confident that he could succeed 

 where so many had failed, Brooke determined to see 

 what he could do, urged on by the dire suffering and 

 loss sustained by the poor natives. 



The Chief Commissioner of Mysore, on hearing of 



