HUNTING THE WILD HOG IN INDIA- 65 



ting the pleasure of being at his heels, but on arriving at the spot 

 in which we had observed him on the preceding day we found him 

 nearer to his cover than before. 



" Knowing that when hogs take the alarm they are apt to change 

 their route and their hours, we were not surprised at this manoeuv- 

 ring. We were still earlier on the third morning, when we took 

 our positions nearer his place of nightly resort, and had the satis- 

 faction to find that we were in time to bear him company home- 

 ward. Here, however, some delay took place. The hog on his 

 first breaking from the small jungle where we awaited him, and 

 through which he had to pass, after glutting himself in a swamp 

 among some rye, sown extremely thick for transplanting, found that 

 he was watched. He, therefore, after trotting out a hundred yards, 

 gave a sort of snort and returned. This was precisely what we 

 wished for. 



" It was not yet day, and the desire to intercept our prey had 

 made us push forward so as to place our people far behind. They, 

 however, came up to the number of a hundred, and after beating 

 the cover for a short time, our friend took fairly to the plain. 



"As we were careful not to dispirit, and had cautiously kept from 

 that side on which we wished him to bolt, he gained upon us a little. 

 Pie had to go at least three miles, and the whole of the plain was 

 laid out in paddy, or rice fields. 



" The hog kept a-head the whole way, so that there was no possi- 

 bility of our throwing a distant spear. 



" The swine generally establish themselves in cane or grain plan- 

 tations, when these are high and afford good shelter, and here they 

 live for several months ; but about the middle of March, or, at the 

 latest, the beginning of April, they are obliged to shift their quar 

 ters, as the cane and grains are generally cut about that time. 



" Hogs are often found in March with three or four inches of fat 

 on the chines and shoulders. 



" It usually requires a great number of persons to drive the hogs 

 out of the sugar-canes, on account of their extent. 



" The hog, being forced from his covert, is crowded upon by 

 several horsemen with spears, which they use in the manner of jave- 

 lins. They pursue the animal at speed as he makes his way to the 

 nearest covert, darting their spears into his body as they come up 

 to him. 



" Many may be seen with scars, evidently the result of wounds 

 received on former occasions, and such are extremely difficult to 

 deal with. They will break out of the line repeatedly, dash at all 

 they meet with, and eventually create such terror as effectually to 

 discourage the beaters, who thence get into groups, and, though they 

 continue their vociferation, act so timorously as to render it expedi- 

 ent to withdraw them for the purpose of trying a fresh cover. It is 



