186/.] LIEUT, n. C. BEAVAN ON THE PANOLIA DEER. 7Ct^ 



youth iipvpards and is now an elderly man, tells me that in former 

 years, hefore Martaban was taken by the British, the Thamyn were 

 much more abundant than they are now, and that the natives used 

 to destroy them wholesale at battues. A large number of men would 

 assemble from the surrounding villages, and gradually encircle three 

 or four moderate- sized herds with long strings, upon which plan- 

 tain-leaves were tied so as to flutter in the wind. The circle, origin- 

 ally formed at some distance, was gradually lessened as the deer, 

 afraid to pass the scarecrows, got gradually driven together, until 

 they were completely surrounded and at the mercy of the hunters. 

 The object was to get them into a corner near the heavy jungle, into 

 which, if they attempted to run, they either became entangled or 

 allowed their pursuers to get up quite close. As many as 150 to 

 200, my informant tells me, he has himself seen killed in one battue 

 in former years. To such a length was this system carried, and such 

 enormous havoc was thereby created, that the Burmese Government, 

 fearing the species would be utterly exterminated, wisely put a stop 

 to the f)ractice. This shikarry informed me that twenty-five years 

 ago he has seen as many as 500 head in one herd ; and his account 

 was confirmed by others. At the present day vast mounds of their 

 bones in every stage of decay exist on the Thatong plain, the site of 

 many a battue in former times. The value of a whole carcass then 

 was only 4 annas, or ^ tical weight of Burmese silver, equivalent to 

 8 or 1 annas of our coinage at the present day ! Several intelligent 

 men are living now in the vicinity of Thatong and Yengyaing who 

 formerly took part in these wholesale slaughterings, and, like many 

 others of the present generation, are apt to look back fondly to those 

 good old times. 



These battues or kyowine were preceded by all sorts of ceremonies 

 and sacrificial rites, offerings being previously made to ensure suc- 

 cess to the tutelary nats or deities of the woods and plains. 



In addition to these battues, and the recent increase of cultivation 

 and population, we may account for their gradual decrease by the 

 great increase that has taken place of late years in the number and 

 use of firearms. Nearly every Burnian can shoot, and a large pro- 

 portion have each their matchlock or cheap gun. 



It is excessively diflScult to catch the Thamyn alive, even a young 

 one, owing to the open nature of the country they frequent ; and 

 several officers in the Burmese commission have for some time past 

 been endeavouring, without success, to procure young individuals of 

 both sexes for the Zoological Society of Loudon. Major Tickell, as 

 narrated by Blyth, had one alive for some time in jNIoulmein ; but 

 it was eventually killed by pariah dogs, who got into its enclosure 

 at night. My informant, the shikarry, tells me he had one also 

 tame some years since. He caught it when about three months 

 old, fed it on milk at first, afterwards on grass and plantain-leaves. 

 After a short time it became so tame that it would follow its owner 

 about, and never attempt to leave the dwellings of man. After 

 an interval of two years it got a small pair of horns, shaped like 

 those of the adult, but much smaller, and afterwards, like most 



