74 TIGERS. 



Pack bullocks having been engaged or bullock carts 

 if the country was easy, and well provided with roads 

 and supplies packed, the convoy was started off under 

 charge of a dependable man, with orders to be at a certain 

 village, generally about fifty miles out, on the day the 

 sahibs leave commenced. We usually had horses posted 

 and covered this distance at one stretch. 



A " takeed" or " purwana " * was always furnished on 

 application to the Dewan at Hyderabad ; it was merely 

 an injunction signed by his order, to the effect that 

 the head men of villages and other officials were held 

 responsible, that supplies of all kinds, coolies, &c., which 

 might be required by the sahibs were supplied to them. 

 Without this, nothing could be obtained, and even with 

 it we had occasional difficulty with some of the local 

 grandees, who did not wish to admit any authority superior 

 to their own. We were also furnished with two elephants 

 whenever the Mahommedan feast of the Muharram had 

 been celebrated at Hyderabad. These animals were most 

 useful for transport purposes, and added to the prestige 

 of the party, but with few exceptions were not staunch 

 enough for shikar purposes. 



After all the kindness evinced by His Highness the 

 Nizam, it used to go against the grain to claim the State 

 rewards for the tigers, panthers, bears, and hyaenas, that were 

 shot during these trips ; but, as all this prize money went 

 to the shikaries, in addition to their ordinary wages, we 

 hardened our hearts and did violence to our feelings by 

 signing the claims, which were invariably paid without 



* We were informed that a separate takeed would be 

 necessary to enter the territory of Vikar-ool-Oomrah a 

 tributary chief, who resided at Hyderabad, and owned many 

 taluqs (parishes) in that state. 



