112 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
animals as are taken in order to contribute to these 
barbarous sports, is revolting beyond description ; for 
it never appears to be among the contemplation of per- 
sons by whom beasts of prey are snared for the arena, 
that the infliction of pain upon animals which delight 
in human blood can be otherwise than a meritorious 
action ; and therefore, in the fiercest spirit of retaliation, 
it is inflicted without mercy. Tigers and lions which 
have been snared in the jungles are commonly kept 
without food for several days, and subjected to all 
kinds of ingenious torment in order to render them 
the more savage when freed from their cages to en- 
counter an equally formidable and savage enemy. 
It is a common practice to catch alligators in the 
large rivers and put them into tanks, with a strong 
iron wire passed several times round their long muz- 
zles, and so tightened as to keep the jaws close, so 
that they can receive no solid food. In this state 
they have been known to live for weeks without per- 
ceptibly losing any of their strength. This is often 
done to render them voracious, preparatory to those 
exhibitions which take place upon certain occasions 
at most of the courts of the Mohammedan princes 
in Hindostan. 
During my residence in India I once saw, in a 
small tank,, two alligators, the jaws of which had 
been fastened as just described, for a period, as 
it was said, of more than two months. They were 
caught, dragged upon the bank, where, the iron 
ligatures being cut, they were immediately released, 
and feeling their freedom, both plunged with equal 
eagerness into the water. As they had been for 
