RECOLLECTIONS OF BURMA. 



H. T. DAVIES. 



In December, 1899, I was assisting Mr. 

 Ewing in the topographical survey of the 

 Government Forest Reserves along the 

 Yoma mountains, and was posted near the 

 head waters of the Pegu river, called there 

 the Tamini Chaung. In those forests there 

 were no roads and the paths were just wide 

 enough for single file. When we took the 

 field after the heavy monsoons the party 

 sailed to Burma, and each assistant set 

 out with his native sub-surveyors and 

 coolies toward the reserves. The first day, 

 a march of 16 miles, we passed through the 

 cultivated lands, and the second day we 

 reached the scrub jungle where the native 

 villagers are more scattered. There we 

 found jungle fowl, and the gee, or barking 

 deer. This deer stands about 26 or 28 

 inches high, and has 2 curious folds of 

 skin down the face, from which it is some- 

 times called rib-faced deer. It is bright 

 red in color, the creases being dark brown, 

 while the chest, under parts and under the 

 tail are white. The horns are small and 

 are elevated on bony pedicles which are 

 covered with hair. Each horn consists of 

 one beam and one tine which springs from 

 just above the pedicle. In place of horns 

 the female has 2 small knobs. The male 

 has 2 tusks in the upper jaw, which pro- 

 trude outside the lips, and dogs bringing 

 them to bay are often badly cut. When 

 the gee suspects danger he keeps up 

 an incessant hoarse bark. I have shot 

 bucks with horns that measured 6Y 2 inches 

 from the pedicle, but I believe the record 

 head measures jy 2 inches. When I went 

 out especially for gee I took my target 32 

 caliber, but have sometimes shot a buck 

 with No. 2 shot in a 12 bore gun, at 20 

 yards. 



When surveying the forests each assist- 

 ant takes a separate reserve, and never sees 

 a white face for 8 to 10 months. 



We marched through scrub bamboo and 

 gurgeon forest to the foot hills. There the 

 bamboo clumps grow more frequent and 

 the trees are larger. Silver lineated pheas- 

 ants are met for the first time, and as they 

 scurry away you may get a shot if you are 

 quick. 



I had pitched camp, and near by were the 

 tents of my native sub-surveyors. The 

 hum of voices came from the coolie tents 

 where they had just finished the evening 

 meal and were talking of the coming sea- 



son, when suddenly a terrible outcry arose. 



"Sahib, Sahib, Bagh ayah." (Sir, Sir, a 

 tiger has come.) I siezed my .577 and 

 rushed out in time to see a shadowy form 

 glide away into the darkness, and from out 

 the bamboo, came the weird, indescribable 

 roar of the baffled tiger. No one who has 

 not heard that terrible coughing roar, away 

 in the wilderness of trees, with only a thin 

 wall of cloth between himself and the 

 dreadful man-eating scourge, can realize 

 what terror it strikes into the heart of the 

 poor coolie. 



The roars continued at intervals, now 

 here, now there, but never a sight of the 

 tiger could I get. One by one the coolies 

 dropped asleep, and, waiting alone, the 

 shadows seemed to shape themselves into 

 the dreaded creeping form. Again and 

 again I raised my rifle only to lower it as a 

 second * glance revealed a log or cut bush 

 that had been removed from the cleared 

 ground. I must have fallen asleep, for I 

 have no recollection of the fire dying out, 

 when suddenly the chill night air awoke 

 me. All was still except when the night 

 breeze stirred the teak leaves or a sleeper 

 breathed heavily. A night bird called 

 just then and startled me into complete 

 wakefulness. Should I call one of my men 

 to stir the fire or should I do it myself? 

 I had decided to do the latter, and was 

 about to rise, when my eyes lit on a shadow 

 that seemed to move. I gazed intently, and 

 from the darkness gleamed 2 yellow green 

 balls of fire. The loneliness sent a shiver 

 through me, and as I now recall the utter 

 stillness that reigned in that lonely midnight 

 hour, I can see myself raising the heavy 

 double barrel and aiming as best I could. 

 I brought the white handkerchief I had 

 wrapped around the muzzle of my rifle to 

 bear between the shining eyes. The report 

 and the roar that followed woke the camp, 

 and all was confusion. The fires were 

 alight again, and, taking torches, we ap- 

 proached the spot, as nearly as I could 

 judge, wdiere I had seen the tiger's eyes. A 

 close search revealed splashes of blood. We 

 could do nothing that night, but on follow- 

 ing the traces the next morning we found, a 

 quarter of a mile away, the body of a 

 young male tiger. As he lay he measured 

 9 feet 2 inches and his skin is one of the 

 finest I ever bagged. 



Teacher — Johnny, what is the equator? 

 Johnny — An imaginary lion running 

 around the earth. — The Little Chronicle. 



441 



