136 SPORT IN ASIA AND AFRICA 



is a cowardly brute ; and it seems possible that 

 an animal, when thoroughly scared, may become 

 temporarily incapable either of assuming the 

 offensive or of defending itself successfully against 

 attack. 



On my journey through the interior of the 

 country, the only matter in regard to which 

 the natives approached us with representations 

 was an order which had been recently issued by 

 the Government prohibiting the use of bingkassan 

 (spring- traps) for deer and pig. The order was 

 evidently considered to be an unnecessary 

 interference with the liberty of the subject ; 

 and my fondness for shikar disposed me at 

 first to listen favourably to the representations. 

 When I inquired into the matter, however, I 

 found that the order was really necessary, as the 

 traps are exceedingly dangerous. A sharpened 

 bamboo spear is held in position by a strong 

 bamboo spring at the side of any path or track 

 which an animal has been seen to use ; and 

 contact with a string stretched across the path 

 or track releases the spring and the spear is 

 discharged. If the trap is set for a sambur, the 

 spear passes through the thigh of a man who 

 may happen to release the spring, and, if it is 

 set for a pig, the spear passes through the leg 

 lower down. The use of such traps on any 

 path or track which is likely to be traversed by 

 human beings other than the person who has set 

 the trap is, therefore, very objectionable. 



The blow-pipe, with small poisoned darts made 

 from the rib of a palm-leaf, is still the weapon 

 of the jungle-dwelling Muruts, or Sun-Dyaks. 



