22 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



difficult to discover in Lower Burma, because there are no 

 regular shikaries in the Indian acceptation of the word. 

 Every village has its local shikarie, who lives by trapping and 

 killing game. Taking life is contrary to the precepts of his 

 religion ; he is looked upon as one damned by his neighbours, 

 but that does not prevent them buying from him the spoils of 

 the chase. 



Their hunting is done principally at night by means of 

 lights and bells, which will be described further on. He also 

 digs pits, lays down snares, uses crossbows, placing them 

 fixed with a string attached across paths frequented by game ; 

 or he sits on the lower branch of a tree, and shoots anything 

 passing underneath. For tigers and leopards he uses poisoned 

 arrows, or inserts barbed and poisoned panjies along the paths, 

 carefully concealing them with fallen leaves ; and so deadly 

 is the poison that if sufficient penetration takes place to 

 obtain but one drop of blood, the beast dies within an hour 

 or two. 



At first these local shikaries were not willing to accompany 

 Europeans in the chase, because they feared ill-treatment, and 

 believed that if an accident were to happen, they would be 

 severely punished, perhaps even hanged ! So few Europeans 

 understood Burmese, and the Burmese dislike having to treat 

 through an interpreter. They don't like, naturally, the jungles 

 in their own vicinity disturbed, because it would interfere with 

 their . own sport and profit ; but once you can get them to 

 believe in your generosity and kindness, they will attach 

 themselves on to a successful sportsman, who will, in addition 

 to their pay, give them an occasional glass of grog and a 

 cheroot, and all game killed, excepting just enough for camp- 

 followers. This they dispose of at a good profit after con- 

 verting it into bilthong. 



They are very useful as guides, but all the niceties of sport 

 must be done by the hunter himself. They are not good 

 trackers ; * nor do they mark down game, but they know the 

 whereabouts of the beasts, and will take you from one jungle 

 to another and back to camp. The sportsman must trust to 



1 It is different in Upper Burma. Vide Chapter III. by my colleague. 

 F. T. P. 



