38 SPORTING IN BOTH HEMISPHERES. 



vast extension of our Indian possessions, and the ascent and 

 adaptation of the Neilgherry and other high mountains to 

 sanitary purposes, that a long addition has been added to 

 the game list of ornithological varieties, but am merely 

 speaking of my own experience on the flat country of 

 Mysore and the Deccan. Jungle-fowl, or wild poultry, 

 could be heard crowing in every direction at early dawn 

 in the woods, but it was nearly impossible to get a sight, 

 much more a shot at them, and that noblest of game, the 

 bustard, generally defied the best contrived methods of the 

 hunter to approach him on his native plains. Hares were 

 tolerably abundant, but as we -never used dogs, the climate 

 being too hot for any scent to lie, or to admit of their 

 hunting, they were very difficult to start, and the antelope 

 was far too wary and timid to allow a griffin to get a shot 

 at him. 



Of the " ferae," a gorged jackal sometimes fell a victim to 

 a well-directed shot at the first break of day, as he was 

 retreating from his nightly orgies, and at the same time a 

 dummel gundy, or hyena, cantered off scathless from a 

 volley (I never knew one shot). Tigers and chetahs were 

 known to inhabit the country, and I had several times, 

 when out shooting, observed the prints of their feet in the 

 sand and mud, but as yet had not obtained a sight of either 

 one or the other in their native wilds. 



Our party, consisting chiefly of young officers about to 

 join their respective regiments for the first time, with few, 

 if any, old Indian sportsmen amongst us, did not possess the 

 experience, and had none of the appliances for hunting the 

 nobler sorts of game, such as wild hog, tiger, &c., which 

 might have been found in some parts of the country we 

 passed through. 



I shall never forget my first introduction to the king, or 

 rather queen of beasts at least, in Central India. 



