TIGER. 
303 
compelled thither from the same motives. In fact, 
it is generally known to lurk near such places 
where it has an opportunity of choosing its prey, 
or rather of multiplying its massacres. When it 
has killed one, it often goes to destroy others, 
swallowing their blood down at large draughts, 
arid seeming rather glutted than satiated with its 
abundance. ” 
However, when it has killed a large animal, 
such as a horse or a buffalo, it immediately begins 
to devour it on the spot, fearing to be disturbed* 
In order to feast at its ease, it carries off its prey 
to the forest, dragging it along with such ease, 
that the swiftness of its motion seems scarce re- 
tarded by the enormous load it sustains. From 
this alone, we may judge of its strength ; but to 
have a more just idea of this particular, let us 
stop a moment to consider the dimensions of this 
most formidable creature. Some travellers have 
compared it for size to a horse, and others to 
a buffalo, while others have contented themselves 
with saying, that it is much larger than a lion. 
To give a still more complete idea of the strength 
of this terrible creature, we shall quote a passage 
from Father Tachard, who was an eye witness 
of a combat between a tiger and three elephants 
at Siam. For this purpose, the king ordered 
a lofty pallisadc to be built of bamboo cane, 
about a hundred feet square ; and in the midst 
of this were three elephants appointed for com- 
bating the tiger. Their heads, and a ,part of 
their trunk was covered with a kind of armour, 
like a mask, which defended that part from the 
assaults of the fierce animal with which they were 
to engage. “ As soon/' says this author, rf as 
we were arrived at the place, a tiger was brought 
forth from its den of a size much larger than 
we had ever seen before. It was not at first let 
