20 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
This was written in 1853, ar *d I have lived to 
see the forecast of events fulfilled. At the same 
time that the old hunting-knife was discarded, and 
now hangs idly from the wall, it simply was 
exchanged for another pattern, which has been in 
active service from that period, and was adapted 
for shooting expeditions, whereas the former was 
specially constructed for hunting wild animals with 
the hounds, when a thrust with the broad-bladed 
knife was the termination of a glorious bay. This 
style of sport required a peculiar weapon of great 
weight and strength. It was necessary to combine 
the ordinary power of a knife with the efficiency of 
a bill-hook, for clearing jungle when necessary ; for 
cutting poles, to carry home the heads and horns of 
sambur deer, etc. ; to fell the young trees for building 
an impromptu hut; and for the hard work of cutting 
up large animals into quarters, for conveyance by 
coolies, where no roads existed, either for pack 
animals or carts. It was difficult to arrange a knife 
that would comprise all these desiderata, but Mr. 
Paget, of Piccadilly (long since dead), was a first-rate 
cutler, and he produced the perfection of a blade. 
The knife weighed exactly 3 lbs., including the 
sheath. It weighs 2f lbs. now without the cover, 
being reduced by constant grinding during many 
years of hard work. The blade was 1 foot in length, 
2 inches wide, and double-edged 3 inches from the 
point, slightly hollow in the centre (if inch wide), 
and again 2 inches wide at the base, and T 5 ^ inch 
thick at the back. 
