1 84 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
the shape of a buffalo, and if we neglected to drive 
the jungle at once, we should find a blank upon the 
following morning. 
The sequel proved that the man was correct, as 
the buffaloes were untouched on the following day, 
and the tiger had disappeared from the locality. 
The tiger, although hungry, was sufficiently dis¬ 
turbed by its defeat to abstain from any further 
attack ; although the baits were only twelve months 
old, it was too shy to encounter anything in the 
shape of a buffalo. 
In the grassy islands of the Brahmaputra there 
were a vast number of tigers some twelve or fourteen 
years ago, but their number has been reduced through 
the development of the country by the various 
lines of steamers which have improved the navi¬ 
gation of the river. Formerly a multitude of small 
islands of alluvial deposit thrown up by the im¬ 
petuous current created an archipelago for 6o or 
70 miles of the river’s course south of Dhubri, in 
the direction of Mymensing ; these varied in size 
from a few hundred yards to a couple of miles in 
length, and being covered with high grass and 
tamarisk, they formed a secluded retreat for tigers 
and other game at the foot of the Garo Hills. The 
river makes a sudden bend, sweeping near the base 
of this forest-covered range, from which the wild 
animals at certain seasons were attracted to the 
island pasturage and dense covert, especially when 
the forests had been cleaned by annual firing, and 
neither food nor place of refuge could be found. 
