A TIGER CAUGHT. 
69 
sides of the shaft and occasionally clinging to the 
very edge ; the earth however was so soft that there 
was no hold for its claws, so that it always fell back ; 
but upon reaching the ground and finding its efforts 
at release invariably foiled, its fury redoubled. Its 
yells were dreadful. The goat was quite dead but 
remained untouched by its destroyer, which at length 
lay upon its belly almost exhausted with its exer- 
tions. At this moment our host advanced and fired 
at the dreaded captive as it lay panting and power- 
less. The ball took effect but not mortally. The 
sudden pang only roused the tiger to renewed exer- 
tions in order to retaliate upon its assailant, who de- 
liberately loaded and fired until the excited beast 
was destroyed. So tenacious was it of life, that it 
received seven balls in different parts of its ‘body be- 
fore it finally surrendered to the great conqueror — 
death. 
Upon quitting Chandpore we passed through large 
tracts of jungle, in which peafowl greatly abounded. 
We forbore, however, from shooting any in deference 
to the prejudices of the people, who look upon the 
peacock as a consecrated bird. During the night the 
wind rose so high that our tents were in danger of 
being prostrated, and became so saturated with rain, 
which fell in torrents, as to be too heavy for the 
camels to carry ; we were therefore obliged to keep 
them- standing the best part of the succeeding day 
in order to get them dry. 
On approaching the Ganges we found the country 
more open and agreeable. A few miles from Sumbul a 
large herd of deer crossed our route, one of which was 
