THE ROYAL TIGER. 



and fet alone againft three, yet ventured to continue the engagement, and 

 even that againft animals covered and protected from its fury." 



Mr. D'Obfonville relates, that he had occafion to traverfe one of the denies 

 of High Canara, fituated between Boncombondi and Bailbvapatnam, in 

 company with Mr. de Maifonpre : at this place they were informed a Royal 

 Tiger had, for fome time pari, committed dreadful ravages. " When we 

 came to the place," fays he, " we faw him lying in the fun ; and, as we 

 approached at the diflance of about twenty paces, he inftantly arofe ; but, 

 feeing many of us well armed, he climbed with agility up the other part of 

 the mountain, ditlurbed but not afraid. He appeared to us nearly as high as 

 a middle-fized poney. As we were accompanied by fix chofen feapoys, it is 

 more than probable we might have killed him, but we were encumbered 

 with horfes, and on a Itony road, not above eight or ten feet wide, at the 

 edge of which was a precipice : it would, therefore, have been very 

 imprudent to have attacked an animal which, though wounded, would not 

 have fallen unrevenged. 



u We had not gone above ten paces from the place where the Tiger had 

 lain, before we faw a tolerably large Dog, with long hair, come from 

 behind a rock, the matter of which had perhaps been devoured : the poor 

 animal jumped upon us, careiied us exceedingly, and would not leave us." 



Many intelligent Indians aflert, that the Tiger prefers the Dog to any other 

 food, and that they will fometimes Ileal them by night from houfes where 

 there are other animals, which they will leave untouched. It has alfo been 

 obferved, that Dogs, even when young, and confequently inexperienced, have 

 been feized with an univerfal trembling at the fight of a Tiger, and feemed 

 fenfible of the great danger they were in. Perhaps that innate and almofl 

 unconquerable repugnance between the Dog and Cat, the latter being nearly 

 related to the Tiger, is only the remains of this inftin&ive antipathy. 



The Tiger is fierce without provocation, and cruel without neceflity ; 

 when he meets with a herd of cattle, he levels all with indifcriminate cruelty, 

 and hardly finds time to appeafe his appetite, while intent on fatisfying the 

 malignity of his nature ; if undillurbed, he plunges his head into the body 

 of the animal up to the eyes, as if it were to fatiate himfelf with blood, of 



