474 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



hindrance. The men tried to pull into deep water, but he 

 was too quick for us, and he all but closed. I fired, and he 

 fell so close to the cockleshell of a boat we were in, that it 

 was nearly swamped by the waves made by his colossal body ; 

 but he was by no means dead. One of the boatmen speared 

 him as we passed, but he was up and after us. Before I 

 could load he struck the boat the men jumped out ; he took 

 no notice of us, but butted the bark. The water was up to 

 my waist, but I got a close shot at the beast's chest which 

 proved a sickener, and as he turned I placed the second 

 barrel behind his shoulder. He ran a little way and then 

 fell down, to rise no more. The other boats had chased the 

 cows, but only one was killed, the others getting away. We 

 went on for several miles, looking up all likely spots, getting 

 a hog here and a deer there. One rhinoceros was started, 

 but he got away. About three o'clock there was a cry of 

 "bagh ! " and we went full chase after a royal tiger, who was 

 swimming for his life. We were rather behind, but were 

 coming up fast, when a man in the leading boat threw a 

 spear, but missed ; another was launched and struck ; the 

 tiger roared and turned round to give battle, but he was 

 saluted with such a shower of spears that he right-about- 

 faced ; then ranging up alongside, spear after spear was 

 thrust into his beautiful hide, and the water was crimsoned 

 with his blood. Once it closed and caught the gunwale of 

 the dug-out and nearly upset it, but a blow from a dah laid 

 open the head and it let go of its hold. Still the tiger, though 

 covered with wounds, and dyeing the water with its blood, 

 swam strongly ; and what with its roaring, growling, and gurg- 

 ling when thrust under the water, the yells of its assailants, 

 the scene was an exceedingly savage one. The tiger got to 

 a shoal and charged, seizing the prow of the boat. Fearing 

 injury to some of the inmates, I put the rifle close to its head 

 and blew out its brains. All this time the whole energies of 

 the beast were devoted to the destruction of the boat it 

 took no notice of the crew. It turned out to be a tigress, 

 8 feet 3 inches in length. We got home at five with thirteen 

 deer, five pigs, two buffaloes, and one tiger. As the Rajah 

 was going to send his koonlaes to catch wild elephants, he 



