| Contents <-Chapter 23 Chapter 25-> |
IN the spring of 1894 I was invited by Lord Harris, the Governor of Bombay, to join him in a lion-hunting trip to Kathiawar, but I was reluctantly obliged to decline, owing to other engagements. However, in April of that year I again had an opportunity of enjoying the delights of big-game shooting in India. On this occasion the rendezvous was Sutna, in the dominion of the Rajah of Rewa, then a minor. Colonel Vincent was our host as before, and my companions the same as on my last trip. The country was reported to be not so good for tigers as at Rampur, but we had some capital sport, bagging fifty-three head of various game in five days. Reaching Sutna on the morning of the 26th, we remained at the colonel's bungalow that day, sending our baggage and native servants on ahead, and following the next morning. The heat during the day was awful, the thermometer registering from 105� to 108� in the shade, notwithstanding punkahs and wet " tattles " hung up in the doorways and windows. A hot blast blew all through the day, drying up everything. Our solah topees, boots, and sponges shrivelled up and cracked, and the only way to retain my sun 326 RIFLE AND GUN IN N.W. PROVINCES. hat in shape was to keep a wet sponge in it. Fortunately the nights were cool, and we slept out of doors under mosquito-nets. After a hot and dusty drive of thirty-five miles we arrived at a most comfortable bungalow, picturesquely situated under the shade of large mango-trees, and after breakfast and siesta Hickley and I started out on elephants to look for black buck. We had not gone far before we saw two fine bucks lying down in a very exposed position, which we proceeded to stalk; but they soon spotted us and moved off, giving us a long shot with no result. We then remounted our elephants and went after more, and soon came across a small herd; but the animals were too wary, so we divided and tried to circumvent them, when Hickley killed a good buck, and we returned to camp. The next morning we made an early start, and proceeded on elephants to a forest a few miles away. The country hereabouts was pretty and well timbered, resembling a park. After an hour's ride we met an army of beaters with tomtoms, tin kettles, old paraffin-cases, &c. Dismounting from our elephants, we were taken to our posts. The Rajah had built a wall five miles long, cutting off a portion of the jungle, which was used as a preserve. At intervals in this long wall openings were left for the game to pass, and at each opening was a tower, with loopholes on the side facing the jungle and at the sides, with steps at the back. In each tower a gun was placed, and as there were but three of us, I was put in the centre - the Rajah's seat - with Colonel Vincent on one side and Hickley on the other, about 500 yards apart. At a given signal the beat commenced, and loud shouts and beating of tom 327 A MIXED BAG. toms filled the air. My battery consisted of a double .500 express rifle, a single .400, and a double smoothbore loaded with ball. Having loaded the weapons and placed spare cartridges handy, my coxswain and I lighted our pipes and waited events. Presently a herd of sambur made their appearance about 200 yards in front of my post, and stood there uncertain which way to go: they then moved off in the direction of Colonel Vincent, who fired, wounding a stag. This turned them, and they broke back into the jungle, and remained huddled up in a bunch on my left front, where I could just see their heads. A herd of black buck now hove in sight, amongst them two good bucks. They stood perfectly still within rifleshot of my post, but I lay low, not wishing to turn them, till suddenly they seem to have decided and made a rush past my stand, when I rolled over the two bucks right and left with the double rifle, and a chincara, or ravine-deer, with the single. One of the bucks got up and disappeared in the melee, for at this moment a "sounder" of pig were reported coming on the other side. I had just time to rush across and kill a couple of old boars when the sambur appeared, led by an old hind, but on smelling blood they turned back. Just at this moment a magnificent full-plumaged peacock came flying over the wall, and alighting, ran up the hill at the back, but was stopped by a ball from the little express. Another lot of pig now rushed past on the off-side, leaving two more old boars rolling in the dust. I had hardly time to load when the sambur again put in an appearance on my left front, and as the beaters were coming up behind, they made a rush for it, when I singled out the wounded stag and rolled him over, 328 RIFLE AND GUN IN N.W. PROVINCES. also another stag, and a hind that had been wounded. A single pig now appeared, but receiving a ball through the body, retreated into the jungle and was afterwards found dead. The next to appear was a solitary sambur stag, which I killed with the smoothbore, followed by a smaller stag, which passed on the other side and fell dead in his tracks. The beaters now came up, and we gathered up the slain. Round my post were lying four sambur stags and a hind, one black buck, one chincara, four pigs, and a peacock. Hickley got a couple of sambur stags, two hinds, and a cheetal stag, and Vincent got a sambur stag. Total, ten sambur, six pig, one black buck, one ravine deer, one peacock. One of the beaters claimed to have been gored by a sambur, and made a great fuss about it, but Vincent said he was shamming: a drop of whisky and a trifling douceur soon restored him. Having loaded up the pad elephant with the game we returned to camp. The above may be termed slaughter,- I am not defending it, nor do I claim it as sport : it was battue shooting made easy, to suit the Rajah; but it was a new experience, and excellent practice with the rifle at running animals. In the evening we went on the lake in front of the Rajah's palace, and cruised about in a small paddlewheel craft worked by natives on a treadmill, which primitive method propelled her about three miles an hour. Flocks of whistling teal and widgeon were seen; but they were very wild, and we only succeeded in bagging one. The palace was a poor place, full of looking-glasses and tawdry rubbish, no doubt pleasing to oriental taste. There were some big fish in the lake, and we tried spinning for them, but without success. A few alligators slumbered on the banks. 329 STALKING CHINCARA. On the 29th Hickley and I started on elephants for the forest, where a drive was organised, the guns being placed in "machans" in trees. This drive was not a success. We saw a few sambur, hinds, and calves, but did not shoot; also peafowl, partridges, pig, and small deer. One pig only was shot. Coming down from our post, we tried stalking black buck on the plains, but without success. I forgot to mention that all the game we killed at the big drive was distributed amongst the beaters, who fought for it: even the pig were devoured, leaving but little for the jackals. On the 30th we had another drive in the jungle, Hickley and I being posted in machans as before, but the result was unsatisfactory, only a few hinds, some hog-deer, pig, and peafowl being seen; also numbers of monkeys, parrots, and pigeons, but no stags, which seem to have deserted the neighbourhood. In the evening we went to the lake and shot a few teal, and I landed and stalked some chincara, but, having only my smooth-bore, could not get within shot. However, on the way back, just at dusk, I saw a couple of chincara standing under a tree fully 200 yards off; so allowing for elevation, I chanced a shot, and heard the thud of the bullet, but they both galloped off: Following on their tracks, I came upon a fine buck lying dead. This was a regular gallery shot, but a lucky one. On May 1 we went to the forest to stalk chincara on foot. We saw several in the jungle, but failed to bag any; and on our way back we met a messenger bringing news of a tiger having killed a bullock not far from camp. A beat was arranged, but much valuable time was lost, and it was not till 3 P.M. that we started on elephants, with an army of beaters, to 330 RIFLE AND GUN IN N.W. PROVINCES. look for him. Arriving at the spot, Vincent, Hickley, and I were posted in machans, and the drive commenced, but the tiger had decamped. We went to the spot where the bullock had been tied up, to assure ourselves that the shikaris had not lied, and saw where the tiger had sprung upon the poor beast, and had dragged the carcass to some rocks, where we found it partially devoured and in a stinking condition. The tiger had probably been disturbed and taken the hint. The next morning we visited some neighbouring tanks, and back to breakfast, having bagged four widgeon, four cotton teal, two blue-winged teal, five sand-grouse, and a brace of partridges, and in the evening we got some more. May 3.-We struck camp and returned to Sutna ; but observing some black buck en route, we stopped the carriage and tried a stalk. The antelopes were lying about on the sky-line, so it was impossible to get close, but Hickley with a long shot wounded a fine buck. I ran to cut off the herd, and fired some long shots, but only succeeded in killing a young black buck with a good body but poor head. Following the herd into the jungle, I lost them, but started a big lot of pig; and rolled one over at full gallop. The jungle was full of game, but we had no time for hunting, for we had to catch a train at Sutna, and the same evening we left for Bombay. So ended my last shoot in the Indian jungles. ^ back to top ^ |
