184 SPORT IN BENGAL. 



abundant, and kept us always on the look-out for a charge. 

 In the course of one day, L., of the Civil Service, and I, both 

 ardent hog-hunters, were compelled, in self-defence, to shoot 

 six boars when stalking buffalo and wild cattle through low 

 tree and tamarisk jungle on Sidhee, such compulsory slaughter 

 being as repugnant to us as shooting a fox or spearing a 

 sow, 



A careful observation of the wind and great silence were 

 necessary to obtain shots at the wild cattle, the old cows 

 being extremely vigilant, while the bulls were, on the con- 

 trary, dull and careless ; the former, too, invariably led the 

 flight, and the bulls protected the rear, and, if wounded or 

 cornered, charged viciously. The calves were not easily cap- 

 tured, being both wild and fleet, and, when taken, pined and 

 died in every instance coming under my observation. How- 

 ever, I am told, and can very well believe, that the herds- 

 men do capture them sometimes, and rear them among their 

 own herds, but I never saw one of the reclaimed animals. 



The voracity of the Mussulman servants, crews, and vil- 

 lagers is stupendous ; for no matter how many buffaloes and 

 cattle may be killed and made over to them, they never have 

 enough to satisfy them. Our custom was to send to camp all 

 the beef, and to reserve the tongues and prime joints for our 

 own table and those of our friends at our station, but of the 

 buffaloes we reserved only the tongues and some marrow- 

 bones. Accordingly when one of the latter fell, and the cere- 

 mony of blooding was got over in some fashion, more or less 

 orthodox, by the first comers, a crowd of harpies used to 

 swoop down upon it, and carry off every pound of flesh and 

 entrails. A dozen animals have been killed in the course of 

 the day by my companion and myself, and made over to our 

 followers and others, and yet many stomachs remained un- 

 sated and asked for more. 



It must be acknowledged that our camp and boats were 

 not savoury after two or three days of such sport, for if the 

 gorging all night long of meat just shown the fire was bad, 

 the smell of the drying flesh, cut into long strips, was even 



