THE TIGEK. 3 



and a staunch elephant should be a part of the regular establish- 

 ment of every such district. The sums now allowed for rewards 

 should be placed more at the disposal of the local officers than 

 they are. If expended according to local requirements, in 

 obtaining information, organizing and arming shikdris, paying 

 for the destruction of particular tigers, etc., far more could be 

 done with the money by a competent officer than by the 

 present method of a hard and fast reward for every animal 

 brought in. More than this, I would have the vast resources 

 of the Government in sportsmen and elephants regularly 

 utilised in an annual campaign against the tigers. Every 

 cantonment contains some dozen of ardent sportsmen, who do 

 nothing whatever of value to the state after the drill season is 

 over, and throughout the hot season when tigers can best be 

 destroyed. They would all be only too happy to give their 

 services in this work if their extra expenses were paid. Also, 

 in every commissariat yard are some scores of Government 

 elephants, many of them staunch already, and nearly all capable 

 of being made so. After the marching season they have 

 nothing whatever to do, and from want of sufficient work go 

 out of condition and frequently die. What so obvious then 

 as that these idle riflemen and these idle elephants should be 

 sent forth into the jungles all over India for three months, 

 from March to June, to fetch in their tale of tigers ? All that 

 is wanted is a little organization. The different departments 

 of Government must be made to work together the com- 

 missariat officers must be over-ruled when they prophesy the 

 ruin of their dearly beloved elephants. They will in fact be 

 all the better for it. The military authorities must be in- 

 formed that they can have their officers and animals back 

 again on two days' notice should they require them. The 

 civil officers of the country to be hunted must be got to work 



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