24 SPORT IN BENGAL. 



considerable village being within an easy swim. We found 

 however no animal upon it, not even an otter, only many 

 "kyah" partridges, and a horrid kind of black cobra in 

 hundreds, coiled together in knots upon the branches of the 

 less thickly leaved bushes, on some of which there must have 

 been a dozen at least, all still and seemingly torpid, though 

 probably only asleep after gorging themselves. It must be 

 confessed that beating under such circumstances was not 

 pleasant, but it had to be done so long as there was a hope 

 left of a tiger being put up ; but when that was gone, at the 

 earnest and urgent entreaties of our " Mahouts " we each 

 fired a couple of barrels of shot into clumps of stunted trees 

 festooned with scores of the dreadful reptiles, and, turning, 

 fled to our boats, moored some yards from the shore by the 

 cautious crews, so as to be beyond the spring of a tiger from 

 the dry land. 



That deaths caused by snake bite in such districts should 

 be extremely numerous as they are in fact can be no 

 matter for surprise ; the wonder is that they are not far more 

 so, especially during the inundation time, since the dwelling- 

 houses, straw stacks, and cattle-sheds swarm with cobras and 

 "karaits," while neither the bungarus nor the hamadryas is 

 uncommon, to make no mention of other varieties less 

 venomous and distinguished than those named. 



In travelling over such tracts as these, it is no rare thing 

 to see a snake swimming off to the boat, with the intention 

 of boarding her in search of rats and mice ; and although 

 fatal accidents are extremely rare among European residents 

 of India, a fair and judicious amount of caution is always 

 necessary to avoid them. Happily Europeans when shooting 

 on foot wear stout boots or gaiters, and at other times, 

 whether at home or abroad, such covering of the feet and 

 Legs as may wholly or partially arrest the injection of the 

 venom below the skin, or even break the points of the poison 

 fangs. Thus Europeans enjoy an immunity which the natives 

 have not ; at least not the almost naked and unshod hundred 

 and eighty out of the two hundred millions whose daily bread 



