223 
EAST-IKDIAN HUNTING. 
bis reception. The nabob, with the attending gentlemen, proceed in 
a regijiar moving court or durbar, and thus they keep conversing 
together, and looking out for game. Many foxes, hares, jackals, 
and sometimes deer, are picked up as they pass along ; the hawks 
are carried immediately before the elephants, and let fly at whatever 
game has sprung, which is generally bustards, partridges, and differ- 
ent kinds of herons ; these last afford excellent sport with the falcons. 
Wild boars are sometimes started, and are either shot, or run down 
by the dogs and horsemen. Hunting the tiger, however, is looked 
ii])oa as the principal diversion, and the discovery of one of these 
animals is accounted a matter’of great joy. The covert in which 
he is found is long grass or reeds, in such a height as frequently 
to reach above the elephants; and it is diflicuU to find him in such 
a place, as he commonly endeavours either to steal off, or lie so close 
to the ground, that he cannot be roused, until the elephants are 
almost upon him. He then roars and skulks away, but is shot 
as soon as he can be seen ; it being generally contrived that the 
nabob shall have the compliment of firing first. If he be not dis- 
abled, he continues to skulk along, followed by the elephants ; the 
nabob and others shooting as often as he can be seen, till he falls. 
The elephants themselves are very much afraid of this terrible ani- 
mal, and discover their apprehensions as soon as they begin to smell 
him, or hear him growl ; generally attempting to turn away from the 
place where he is. When the tiger can be traced to a particular 
spot, the elephants are disposed of in a circle round him ; in which 
case he will make a desperate attack, springing upon the elephant 
that is nearest, and attempting to tear 4iim with his teeth or claws. 
Some, but very few, of the elephants can be brought to attack the 
tiger, and this they do by curling up their trunks under their mouths, 
and then attempting to toss or otherwise destroy him with their 
tusks, or to crush him with his feet or knees. It is considered as 
good sport to kill one tiger In a day, though sometimes, when a 
female is met with her young ones, two or three will be killed. The 
other objects of pursuit in these excursions, are wild elephants, bufta- 
loes, and rhinoceroses. 
Our author was present at the hunting of a wild elephant of vast 
size and strength. An attempt was first made to take him alive by 
surrounding him with tame elephants, while he was kept at bay by 
crackers and other fire-works ; but he constantly eluded everv effort. 
V «/ 
of this kind. Sometimes the drivers of the tame elephants got so 
near him, that they threw strong ropes over his head, and endeavoured 
to detain him by fastening them round trees; but he constantly 
snapped the ropes like packthread, and pursued his way to the 
forest. Some of the strongest and most furious of the fighting 
elephants were then brought out, to engage him ; but he attacked 
them with such fury, that they were obliged to desist. In his strug- 
gles with one of them, he broke one of his tusks, and the broken 
piece, which was upwards of two inches in diameter, of solid ivory, 
flew up into the air several yards above their heads. Orders were 
now given to kill him, as it appeared impossible to take him alive; 
but even this was not accomplished without the greatest difficulty. 
