TIGER

From the moment your rightwelcome and long-wished-for advertisement caught my eye, I determined not only to become a subscriber, but, as every sportsman should do as much as is in his power, to try my hand as a contributor, in the hope of being able to add a little to the pleasure a periodical of this kind cannot fail of affording. It is, in my opinion, a duty incumbent on every true sportsman to do his utmost to enliven the first production of the kind as yet published in India, more especially as it cannot reasonably be affirmed that this portion of the British Empire is not able to afford ample means of furthering the object in view to as great a degree as is requisite. What, indeed, is to prevent the Indian Sporting Magazine from rivalling its more ancient namesake in England, at least in field sports? A man must be sanguine indeed to expect racing in this country to come near Epsom, Ascot, Newmarket, and Doncaster; but still, though we cannot come up to the mark on that score, surely the Calcutta, Madras,

VOL. I.

and Bombay Turf Meetings afford more than ample materials to fill the racing portion of the Magazine you have so laudably and high-spiritedly got up? It has always appeared to me extraordinary, that at so large and so sporting a place as Calcutta, where, amongst other things, a pack of thoroughbred English foxhounds afford such splendid sport, no periodical of this nature has yet made its appearance.* Once or twice, indeed, letters were inserted in one of the newspapers, which, though few in number, gave much pleasure to those in whom the heat of the climate had not lulled all sporting feeling; but whether from a lack of anecdote, or from the writer having broken his collar bone or some other member in one of the raspers he so well describes his friends as swinging at, I cannot say, but certain it is they soon ceased, and from that time to this I should not have recollected the hounds were even in

We believe our correspondent is mistaken in this instance. There is a Racing Calendar published at Calcutta monthly.-ED.

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existence was it not for an occasional notice to this effect-" The Calcutta Hounds meet this day, at- Now, Sir, this very notice invariably creates such a sensation in me, that not once, but fifty times, have I determined having-if it is but one run with them; but as often have such serious obstacles presented themselves as to present the possibility of so long a trip, and I have nothing for it but to take a gallop with the Ahmednuggur pack, or to try my hand and blade at what many think the more noble and animating sport of hog-hunting. Leaving this interesting discussion for a future opportunity, and resting assured that such true sportsmen as our brother foxhunters at Calcutta will not fail to enliven your pages with anecdotes of a sport of such paramount interest to all who have ever had but a breathing of it at home, I proceed to the subject I have selected for this letter, not from any preference of it to the other noble sport of which I intend (should my present labours prove acceptable) to treat in some future number, but from the circumstance of my never having met with a minute description of a tiger hunt in all its bearings, not to mention the excessive ignorance of everything concerning it which I have lately unexpectedly witnessed. In this noble sport, it is scarcely necessary to say, a good steady elephant is everything-and as very erroneous ideas exist as to the powers and management of this animal, it may not be amiss to give a slight motion of what he can do, and at the same time correct some strange fancies in which the good people at home are apt to indulge, as to whether a Bentick or Chifney bit be the better adapted for holding our formidable friend, or whether a good thick rope round

his trunk is not better than either? To men living in India, one would suppose the mode of managing this animal could be no secret, but to my utter surprise I found the contrary to be the case but a very short time ago, which may be my excuse for entering on such a subject in this place. First, then, for the benefit of those in utter darkness on this important point, this huge beast, so far from having bridle, bearing rein, or curb, is entirely managed by a man sitting on his neck, with ropes as stirrups, and armed with an instrument sharp at the point and the crook. This being pressed with the point to his head, forces him forwards; on either ear with the crook, sideways; and on the forehead in the same manner, stops him. On the management of this instrument the paces and direction of the elephant depend, to the utter exclusion of the strongest ropes and very best reins that ever were made. To a want of knowledge on the point I have just explained, a gentleman of my acquaintance very nearly met with a serious accident. Riding out one evening on an elephant, the owner of which was inclined for lark, a sign was made to the Mahout to put him into his best pace (no joke in a shaking point of view), which was no sooner done than my friend was informed, in a tone of despair, that the bridle had slipped out of his mouth, and that he was running away. Thinking that every moment was precious, and scarcely giving time for a "Good God!" my friend was on all fours on the ground, having leapt from the howdah,† a height

Pronounced the first syllable short and last long, the native name for the driver.

Howdah, the box in which the riders are seated-it contains two seats in front and one behind. There is no