Chapt. xv. A highway robber. 21 1 



"Coast, probably making their way from one backwater 

 "to another, but as they are very numerous on this coast, 

 "they may now and then hunt in the sea. This otter is 

 "trained in some parts of Bengal to assist in fishing, by 

 "driving the fish into the nets. Young ones are not un- 

 "usually caught in the fishermen's nets, and are very 

 "easily tamed. I had one brought me when very young, 

 "whilst at Tellicherry on the Malabar Coast, which I 

 "brought up with a terrier dog, with whom it became 

 "very friendly. This otter would follow me in my walks 

 "like a dog, and amuse itself by a few gambols in the 

 "water when it had the opportunity, and now and then 

 "caught frogs and small fish. As it grew older it took 

 "to going about by itself, and one day found its way 

 "to the bazzar, and seized a large fish from a Moplah. 

 "When resisted, it showed such fight that the rightful 

 "owner was fain to drop it. Afterwards it took regular- 

 "ly to this high-way style of living, and I had on several 

 "occasions to pay for my pet's dinner rather more than 

 "was necessary, so I resolved to get rid of it. I put it 

 "in a closed box, and having kept it without food for 

 "some time, I conveyed it myself in a boat some seven 

 "or eight miles off, up some of the numerous backwaters 

 "on this coast. I then liberated it, and when it had 

 "wandered out of sight among some inundated paddy 

 "fields, I returned by boat by a different route. That 

 "same evening, about 9 P. M., whilst in the town, about 

 "one and a half miles from my own house, witnessing 

 "some of the ceremonials connected with the Mohurrum 



27* 



