TIGER. 
221 
these men off his back ; they tumbled into the 
bush. I gave them up for lost, but was agreeably 
surprised to see them creep out unhurt. His ex- 
cellency was all this time on a rising ground near 
the thicket, looking on calmly, and beckoning to 
me to drive the tiger towards him. I made another 
attempt, and with more success ; he darted out to- 
wards me on my approach, roaring furiously and 
lashing his sides with his tail. I luckily got a shot 
and hit him : he retreated into the bush, and ten or 
twelve elephants just then pushed into the thicket, 
alarmed the tiger, and obliged him to run towards 
the Nawab, who instantly gave him a warm recep- 
tion, and with the assistance of some of his omras, 
or lords, laid the tiger sprawling on his side. A loud 
shout of wha ! wha ! proclaimed the victory.” 
This gentleman assures us that these savage beasts 
may be hunted upon elephants with perfect safety : 
he had been at the killing of above thirty tigers, and 
seldom saw any person hurt. 
Nothing can give us a stronger proof of the great 
strength and courage of the tiger, than the famous 
combat between that animal and two elephants, as 
related by Father Tachard. A lofty palisade of 
bamboo cane was built at Siam ; it occupied an area 
of about one hundred feet square, and into this in- 
closure the two elephants appointed for the combat 
were introduced. It appears from the account, that 
the head and part of the trunk of each elephant was 
covered with a mask to defend him from the claws 
of the tiger ; this gave them a decided and seem- 
