CHAPTER XVIII. 



Meet "Ward at Dhurrempooree Move to Kotra Scenery Tigers' Tracks 

 A lucky Find The Tigress slain Two more marked down Bees 

 Ticks Successful Hunt Second Day, Tigress slain Third Day, the 

 Tiger escapes Fourth Day, killed this time Fifth Day, five Tigers 

 bagged Calm Beatitude. 



ON the evening of the 29th of March 1862, Captain Ward 

 met me at Dhurrempooree, a town in Nirnar, situated on the 

 north bank of the Nerbudda river. The stream at this place 

 is about a quarter of a mile in breadth, swarming with mah- 

 seer and other fish, and moreover plentifully stocked with 

 alligators. 



The country to the north for some six or seven miles is 

 partly cultivated ; but the Vindyah range of mountains then 

 rises with rugged slopes, covered with scrub jungle and trees 

 of moderate growth. To the south of the river, on the border 

 of the Burwanee territory, the country, though apparently 

 level when viewed from a distance, is cut up with innumer- 

 able ravines, all running down to the Nerbudda. These 

 ravines, and indeed also the more level parts, are filled with 

 long grass and dense thorny bushes ; and though the district 

 is fairly stocked with tigers, panthers, bears, and deer, I was 

 never able to do much execution among them. 



Our intended beat on this occasion lay at Kotra, about 

 six or seven miles farther down the river, where it is joined 

 on the north side by the Maun and on the south by the 

 Deb rivers. Both of these streams almost cease to flow dur- 



