232. Wild beasts.
The Missionary Anderson says of the country about the Zak river, in South Africa, (or British Africa, as it may now be called,) that there is very little to entertain a stranger there, excepting the wild beasts. The sort of entertainment which they can afford would be the very last, one should suppose, that either man or horse would wish to meet with.
Some ingenious methods of destroying wild beasts are described in Captain Williamson's Oriental Sports, . . a book which has more interesting facts in it than many a graver work upon India. He tells us, that "when the track of a tyger has been ascertained, which though not invariably the same, may yet be known sufficiently for the purpose, the peasants collect a quantity of the leaves of the prauss, which are like those of the sycamore, and are common in most underwoods, as they form the larger portion of most jungles in the north of India. These leaves are then smeared with a species of bird-lime, made by bruising the berries of an indigenous tree, by no means scarce; they are then strewed with the gluten uppermost, near to that opake spot to which it is understood the tyger usually resorts during the noontide heats. If by chance the animal should tread on one of the smeared leaves, his fate may be considered as decided. He commences by shaking his paw, with the view to remove the adhesive incumbrance; but finding no relief from that expedient, he rubs the nuisance against his face with the same intention, by which means his eyes, ears, &c. become agglutinated, and occasion such uneasiness as causes him to roll, perhaps among many more of the smeared leaves, till at length he becomes completely enveloped, and is deprived of sight. In this situation he may be compared to a man who has been tarred and feathered. The anxiety produced by this strange and novel predicament soon discovers itself in dreadful howlings, which serve to call the watchful peasants, who in this state find no difficulty in shooting the mottled object of detestation[1].".. It would have been a pity to have altered this "well-cull'd, choice, sweet, and apt" term for a tyger!
A good method of destroying tygers is said to be common in Persia, and towards the north of Hindostan. "This device consists of a large semispherical cage, made of strong bamboos, or other efficient materials, woven together, but leaving intervals throughout, of about three or four inches broad. Under this cover, which is fastened to the ground by means of pickets, in some place where tygers abound, a man, provided with two or three short strong spears, takes post at night. Being accompanied by a dog, which gives the alarm, or by a goat, which by its agitation answers the same purpose, the adventurer wraps himself up in his quilt, and very composedly goes to sleep, in full confidence of his safety. When a tyger comes, and perhaps after smelling all around, begins to rear against the cage, the man stabs him with one of the spears through the interstices of the wicker work, and rarely fails of destroying the tyger, which is ordinarily found dead at no great distance in the morning[2]."
Herrera (4, 10, 13,) says of the Indians of Verapaz, that when they meet a tyger they fall down and beseech him not to kill them. This was from superstition; they worshipped their deity, or their devil, in that shape. They who were converted found bows and arrows more effectual than supplications.
In 1807, two tygers appeared on the Island of Salsette, and carried off nine persons. The inhabitants firmly believed that these beasts were not beasts, but two malicious spirits disguised under the forms of a royal tyger and tygress, with human countenances, and large gold rings in their noses and ears: this opinion prevailed so strongly, as to prevent them from attempting to destroy these destructive animals, though a large reward was offered, to induce them.
There is a wretched tribe in Hindostan called the Cad' Curuburu, some of whom watch the fields at night to keep off the elephants and wild boars. Their manner of driving away the elephant is by running against him with a burning torch, made of bamboos. The animal sometimes turns and waits till the Curuburu comes close up, but these poor people, taught by experience, push boldly on, and dash their torches against the elephant's head, who never fails to take immediate flight. Should their courage fail, and should they attempt to run away, the elephant would immediately pursue and put them to death[3].
In the bull-fights, when one of the men on foot is closely pursued by the bull, he drops his cloak immediately before the animal, who continues to vent his fury upon it long enough for the man to escape. This lure never fails to succeed:..the fact, if generally known, might prevent some dangerous accidents in this country. Joinville[4] says the lion may be deceived in the same manner, and that some knights of Norone, knowing this, hunted lions in Syria very successfully. The bear may still more easily be lured. Some of our travellers in Iceland say, that if a glove be thrown to him, he will not leave it till he has turned all the fingers inside out. In those countries where the peasants are liable to frequent rencontres with these animals, it would certainly be good policy always to perform the ceremony of throwing the glove before the combat. Against this beast, who is fond of coming to close quarters, a good hint might be borrowed from the ballad of the Dragon of Wantley. Bruin's hug would prove fatal to himself, if at the moment when he would else be victorious, he should embrace a Moore-of-Moore-hall jerkin.
The ancients had a strange fable concerning the lion, which Archbishop Abbot repeats with full belief in his Brief Description of the World. "Aramianus Marcellinus, (he says,) reporteth one thing of Chaldea, wherein the admirable power of God doth appear; for he writeth, that in those parts are a huge number of lions, which were like enough to devour up both men and beasts throughout the Country; but withall he saith, that by reason of the store of water and mud thereof, there do breed yearly an innumerable company of gnats, whose property is to fly unto the eye of the lion, as being a bright and orient thing; where biting and stinging the lion, he teareth so fiercely with his claws that he putteth out his own eyes, and by that means many are drowned in the rivers[5]."
The total extirpation of all formidable beasts of prey in the British Islands is perhaps the best proof of our highly advanced state. Even in the most barbarous parts of Wales, and in the Highlands of Scotland, the wolf is no longer to be found. It is extinct in Ireland also. Many parts of France which are more populous than the remoter parts of these islands, and probably in many respects much more improved, are cruelly annoyed by this destructive animal.