136 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
within the alligator’s mouth, hut he seemed to thrust 
it in with impunity, and to draw it out at pleasure. 
Having at length seized his dying enemy again by 
the nose, he bit it with such severity that the alligator, 
as if in its expiring agony, opened its jaws and imme- 
diately closing them upon its tormentor, crushed him 
so forcibly that when he was extracted, which was 
immediately done by one of the attendants who was 
present to conduct the sports, he appeared to be quite 
dead. Water was again thrown upon the alligator 
and the dog. Upon the former it had little or no 
effect ,• but the latter, to our extreme surprise, almost 
immediately rose up, staggered for a few seconds, 
and then, the moment it was released, ran off as if 
nothing had happened. 
The Newaub had a space of ground of several acres 
enclosed, within which he kept a large assortment 
of birds and beasts of prey. It was a very fine col- 
lection. Amongst a great variety of animals there 
were several couples of the Rhamghur hill dogs, which 
go in packs to the number of several hundred, hunting 
down and quickly despatching the most ferocious tiger. 
They were animated creatures, but did not appear to 
be particularly fierce. Their size was about that of a 
stag-hound. They were kept in cages, for they are 
not easily domesticated, their wild nature taking 
them continually into the jungles in search of game. 
They often run down a whole herd of deer and 
leave not one alive. 
