230 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



of the town, with its walls overhanging the water. Farther 

 up, on the right bank, we observed a large and gaily-dressed 

 crowd ; and our boatmen and attendant ambassadors informed 

 us that the Kajah would embark at that point. Screeching 

 bands of music now struck up, and several boat-loads of 

 nautch-woinen were pushed out into the stream. Then came 

 the Kajah in a gorgeous boat, accompanied by courtiers, and 

 surrounded by other boats filled with armed men. The royal 

 barge was pushed up alongside of our own, and, after an inter- 

 change of compliments, we all rowed up the river in a grand 

 procession. On either side the rocks rose high and steep ; 

 and I noted many a spot, as we passed, where beasts might be 

 expected to be lying hid among the masses of stone and bush. 

 At length we came to a number of men, armed to the teeth, 

 standing on the left bank, at the water's edge. For some dis- 

 tance up the stream a fringe of broken rocks was backed by 

 a perpendicular cliff ; and we were now informed that " the 

 tiger" had been seen in the early morning to secrete him- 

 self among these fragments. In order that the king and his 

 guests might prosecute the chase without possible chance of 

 injury to themselves, it had been arranged that the boats 

 should move up the stream for some distance farther, and, 

 having taken up a position beyond the springing distance of 

 the most lively tiger, await the appearance of the game. The 

 tiger was to be driven from the rocks by the armed men before 

 mentioned. 



The procession again moved on, and for the moment the 

 musicians ceased to blow, but the splash of the oars might 

 have been heard a mile away, and the noise of voices was 

 loud and incessant. Presently some one called out "The 

 tiger ! " and we then saw a very small panther bolting along 



