50 THE WONDERS OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 



the animals are roused, they are incessantly attacked on all sides with pikes, arrows, and sahres, and 

 are presently destroyed. This diversion, however, is always attended with danger; for if the tiger feel 

 himself wounded, he seldoms retreats without sacrificing one of the party to his vengeance. There are 

 men, who, covered with a coat of mail, or even armed only with a shield, a poniard, and a short 

 scimitar, will dare to attack these Hood-thirsty animals singly, and fight with them life for life, for in 

 combats of this nature there is no other alternative than to vanquish or to fall. 



The tiger, if taken young, may for a short time, at least, and till his ferocity comes with his age, 

 be in some measure domesticated, and rendered mild and playful. A beautiful young tiger, brought 

 in the Pitt, East Indiaman, from China, was so far domesticated as to admit of every kind of fami- 

 liarity from the people on board the ship. It seemed to be quite harmless, and was as playful as a 

 kitten. It frequently slept with the sailors in their hammocks, and would suffer two or three of them 

 to repose their heads on its back as upon a pillow, while it lay stretched out upon the deck. In return 

 for this indulgence, it would, however, now and then steal their meat. Having one day stolen a 

 piece of beef from the carpenter, he followed the animal, took the meat out of his mouth, and beat 

 it severely for the theft, which punishment it suffered with all the patience of a dog. It would fre- 

 quently run out on the bowsprit, climb about the ship like a cat, and perform many other tricks with 

 an agility that was truly astonishing. This animal was taken on board the ship when it was only a 

 month or six weeks old, and arrived in England before it had quite completed its first year. On its 

 arrival it was presented to the King, and was afterwards deposited in the Tower of London. It was even 

 then reckoned to be perfectly good natured, and was in no instance known to be guilty of any savage 

 or mischievous tricks. 



An instance of the extraordinary ferocity of the tiger occurred in the melancholy fate of Mr. Munro, 

 who was killed by a tiger in the East Indies, in the year 1792. " We went," says the narrator, " on 

 shore on Sangar Island to shoot deer, of which we saw innumerable tracks, as well as of tigers ; notwith- 

 standing which we continued our diversion till neai-ly three o'clock, when sitting down by the side of 

 a jungle to refresh ourselves, a roar like thunder was heard, and an immense tiger seized on our unfor- 

 tunate friend, and rushed again into the jungle, dragging him through the thickest bushes and trees, 

 every thing giving way to his monstrous strength : a tigress accompanied his progress. The united 

 agonies of horror, regret, and fear, rushed at once upon us. I fired on the tiger — he seemed agitated ; 

 my companion fired also, and in a few moments after this our unfortunate friend came up to us bathed 

 in blood. Every medical assistance was vain, and he expired in twenty-four hours, having received 

 such deep wounds from the teeth and claws of the animal as rendered his recovery hopeless. A large 

 fire, consisting of ten or twelve whole trees, was blazing by us at the time this accident took 

 place, and ten or more of the natives were with us. We had hardly pushed our boat from that 

 accursed shore, when the tigress made her appearance, almost raging mad, and remained on the sand, 

 all the while we continued in sight. 



The tigress, like the lioness, produces four or five voung ones at a litter. In a wild state she is always 

 furious, but her rage rises to the utmost extremity when robbed of her offspring. She then braves 

 ever}- danger, and pursues her plunderer with a degree of ferocity which is indescribable. 



We refer our readers to the first part of this work, in which we make mention of the extraordinary 

 union of a tigress and a lion, and of their producing young, which continue to thrive, and in their out- 

 ward appearance seem to bear an equal resemblance to their sire and their dam. 



A litter of young tigers is also at present in this countrv, in the itinerant collection of Mr. Atkins. 



