52 BUFFALOES. 



many natives are killed by them, and some few 

 Europeans have shared the same fate. 



An officer of the Bengal army had a most 

 miraculous escape from one, by having the pre- 

 sence of mind to pull off his red jacket, and throw 

 it at him when he made his charge ; the buffalo 

 received it on his horns, and continued tossing it 

 about, which gave the gentleman an opportunity 

 of climbing up into a tree, by which he escaped 

 unhurt, to the great joy of the rest of the party, 

 who despaired of his life. It is a well known fact, 

 that to the showy colour of red, buffaloes have a 

 particular aversion ; for they always attack a per- 

 son wearing that coloured cloth, in preference to 

 any other. 



Mr. William Down, who now resides in the 

 neighbourhood of Great Torrington, was one of 

 a party shooting, when they saw a bull-buffalo; 

 they fired several balls at him, and wounded him 

 in one of his hind legs. Mr. Down pursued him 

 across some water, when the animal attacked him, 

 and threw him into a ditch ; fortunately it was so 

 narrow that the buffalo could not bring his horns 

 to bear on him ; they were so long, and lay so 

 much in a direction over his back that he could 



