interesting recreations, which my enemies have nicknamed gambling; that balls, routs, and assemblies, are modes in which my worshippers of a certain class pay their homage at my altars; and that I am the undisputed patron of all those unprejudiced fair ones, who, freed from the fetters with which virtue and religion have shackled their votaries, have, if your legends were true, ruined their present, and forfeited their future happiness. The establishment of circulating libraries was also a suggestion of mine; and the information so liberally doled out to young masters and misses from these magazines of instruction, is quite to my taste. The imagination once inspired by passion, and the heart melted by love (and who would subscribe to a library that was not well stocked with tales of love?) my business is more than half done. If a Damon want a Phillis, I am not long in finding one to his mind; and if a disconsolate damsel is seized with a sighing for a favourite knight, I take care she shall not sigh in vain. In fact I know of no establishments where the knowledge of good and evil is more speedily and practically acquired. To conclude, I am the patron of all nurses, tutors, and governesses-those necessary and useful class of people, who so agreeably relieve parents of the charge of superintending their offspring, and of forming their minds for time and for eternity; for I look down upon the sympathies of kindred as a narrow-minded prejudice, and the relations of life, except in so far as self-interest and pleasure are concerned, as little worthy of rigid observance. By the bye, I am not aware that your antiquaries know that the bear which suckled Romulus was really a woman, but metaphorically called a bear, because she was only his nurse, not his natural mother :-though I think I once hinted the circumstance nearly three hundred years ago, to Henry Stephens the printer. I am, dear sir, yours sincerely, SATAN. I SIR, TIGER-HUNTING IN INDIA. From the Asiatic Journal, Nov. 1820. PERCEIVED, Some time ago, an account of a royal tiger killed by a party of the 76th regt. on foot at Mallegaum, and which was stated to have been the only one thus encountered in Candeish. This statement brought forth a few truths from an humble individual, who modestly withheld a public account of the exploits of his rifle, on foot, at different times, against eleven, even within 2 or 3 miles of Chandoor, tho' followed in most of the instances by a few Sibundies, who on more than one occasion, have left him standing on the plain, dependent on his good aim, and the excellence of his flint and gun. The exertions of Lieut. Mackintosh, of the Madras army, for he need not wish to conceal his name, have been principally made on occasions when the roads were absolutely dangerous on 3E ATHENEUM VOL. 8. account of the ferocious animals, and he went forth to meet them, actuated by motives of humanity and chivalry. The few individuals composing the society at Dhoolia, though no doubt actuated by motives of general benefit also, have had the advantage of elephants, and have rendered the public good a source of private amusement, devoid of more danger than is incidental to many other field sports. You will be surprised to hear that no less than 26 royal tigers have been killed by this small party within the last six months, 20 of which were within the circumference of 12 miles of the village of Dhoolia, and where there are now said to be 3 in the sugar-cane fields, close under the walls of the town. Besides this number, no less than 60 full-grown royal tigers, and 20 cheetas and panthers have been killed by the Sibundies in the several districts in Candeish within the last 12 months, the atter all by people on foot. I was witness to an extraordinary act of courage at Nandoorbar, in August, 1818. During the night the sentry in the gurry saw a large panther pass close by my quarters, deliberately ascend the ramparts, and lie down in a hole which it had scratched for itself on the works. He pelted it with stones, supposing it to be a dog, when it leaped over a breach in the walls. On the following day, at noon, my notice was attracted by a crowd and a noise, when I beheld the panther dead. It had quit ted the gurry, and gone to lie down in some long weeds within the walls; the movements of an elephant near the spot had roused it, and three Sibundies, one a sentry with a matchlock, and two others with swords, followed the animal through some long weeds, till it lay down under the walls of a house. The party went within ten yards, and the matchlock-man fired and wounded it, when it immediately sprang upon him and brought him to the ground, while his two companions cut the animal to pieces before he could hurt him. Several instances have occurred of royal tigers being killed by swords alone, when they had thrown men down; and in one instance the wife of Despoudy of Mehoonbarry, had the presence of mind, when a royal tiger had been wounded and was driven into her house, where it seized first her child, and then herself, to snatch up the child, and run out of the house, when he was shot thro' an opening made in the roof. Such numerous instances of intrepidity of the natives with tigers have occurred within my knowledge, that they would scarcely be credited, but by those who have had opportunities of witnessing them. Amongst others there is one too creditable to the individuals to be omitted. At Bhoom Row, the chief of a body of 4,000 of the Rajah of Mysore's horse, was marching at the head of his riesala during the late campaign, accompanied by Mahomed Ashruff, jemader of horse, and, at some distance from the main body, the horse-keeper of the latter was seized by a tiger; Mahomed Ashruff immediately jumped off his horse, and cut the animal across the loins, ripping open part of his bowels with his sword. The enraged brute quitted the horse-keeper, whom he bad killed, seized Mahomed Ashruff by the thigh, and throwing him up, hurled him to the ground. The arms of the jemadar were instinctively thrown round the tiger's head, when Bhoom Row, who had dismounted, drew a pistol, and laying hold of the jemadar's hand, told him to put it aside from the tiger's ear, into which he introduced it, and shot him dead. Mahomed Ashruff, who survived,is now commander of the horsecomposingSir J.Malcom's escort,and related this fact to me. One is at a loss which to admire most the gallantry of the jemadar, engaging a tiger single-handed, with a sword, to protect the life of his servant, or the cool intrepidity of the Mysore chieftain, who saved that of a valuable and brave companion at the risk of his own. With regard to tigers, however, the natives possess a degree of boldness which is only to be accounted for from their frequent encounter of them. The Bhools of Candeish, who have hitherto in fact lived among them, appear perfectly acquainted with the manners of this animal. They have no hesitation in going on foot and hunting them alone, or rather tracing their footsteps for miles together: and such is their sagacity in this respect, that if they once get on the track, they seldom lose it till they trace them to their haunts; and then, by ascending a neighbouring eminence or a tree, they watch them for whole days till the sportsmen are brought to the spot. The mode of hunting on elephants is so common and well known, that it needs no description; but the experience we have had here may tend to throw some light on the nature of the sport. Upon approaching the spot where a tiger is, which is for the most part a very thick covert of vines and creepers,impenetrable even to elephants, it becomes necessary either to tread the game out, or to rouse it by fire-works made and brought out for the purpose; these are a species of flower-pot, close ly impressed in an earthen jar. One or two of these pots, if the composition is good, usually draw him out of his lair, on which occasion he seldom attacks any thing; he becomes alarmed, and goes off at his utmost speed, which however does not exceed that of an active cow. If he has much cover he soon crouches, and if he cannot be seen he requires to be roused again, when he usually attempts to return to his first thicket. In this endeavour he is in general wounded, and with a roar he plunges into the first thick bush, where he lies, meditating an attack upon any approaching, though, for the most part, fear is the predominant feeling of the cowardly animal. If the huntsmen now see him and fire at him, he frequently charges at whatever is in his front, no matter from whence the shot comes: and in some instances tigers have been hanging on the side of the elephant when they were shot. We have found the tigresses the most fierce, for although several very fine males have been killed, many of them also man-eaters, yet, excepting one only, I do not recollect to have heard of any others who charged. The females have in most instances fought desperately, and one of these charged a single elephant seventeen times: but the animal was so unsteady in receiving her, or rather avoiding her, and so rapid in returning to the attack on the tigress, that she was not wounded, and the lateness of the hour prevented her being killed. On the following day the same elephant went out, but did not find her; on the third the party went out again: the tigress behaved as before, and was at last shot, with her forepaws and head close on the howda. It has been generally found, that if a tiger is staunch while crouching, particularly after being once wounded, it springs, as has been said before, on the object directly in front of it; and that if struck while charging, it invariably crouches and retires, however near it may be to the object of attack. There is an instance of a tigress which had charged and got half way upon the back of an elephant once, in a few minutes afterwards it received another shot, and charged a horse; the rider could not get the animal to move, as it stood trembling from fear; she had reached the horse, and was in the act of raising herself to pull it down, when she received a rifle-ball in the side, which made her crouch and slink into her lair, where she was soon after killed. The cowardice of the tiger must have been constantly remarked by all those who have ever hunted it. I have heard officers on this side of India (where they are more frequently hunted on foot than any other way) declare, that there is little danger with a small but steady party of ten or twelve persons armed with muskets; and frequent instances are known of tigers charging out furiously, but who have, on all occasions where the party have stood firm, not ventured to close upon it. At this moment I recollect four circumstances of this nature, where tigers after approaching to the point of the bayonet, have stopped, lashed their tails, roared, and walking along the front of the hunter, returned sulkily towards their lair; it is at this moment the fire may be given with safety and with effect, as the tiger is hardly ever known to turn to attack, and is generally killed on the spot. On the party first going out at Dhoolia it had no howdas, and the elephants were several times clawed over the trunk and forehead, while it was impossible, from the motion of the animal to disengage itself from the tiger, to fire with effect. The elephants, naturally bold, became timid, because they were in the first instances not protected by the fire of the sportsmen ; but howdas have now been obtained, which, added to a little experience and better management, seem to have brought some of them round again. Notwithstanding the destruction of these animals in Candeish, they absolutely swarm at the present moment,and hardly a week passes but we hear of a man or a bullock being carried off in 416 Surprising Escape at the Caldron Lin in Scotland. the neighbourhood of Dhoolia, while in the other parts of this district these occurrences happen daily. It is to be hoped that the liberal reward given by Government for each royal tiger, will in time tend to effect an apparent diminu SIR, [VOL. 8 tion of the race; which however has by THE CALDRON LIN. Extracted from Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine. ALLOW me to request you to record in your Magazine one of the most providential escapes from immediate death that has happened in the memory of man. The detail is strictly true-is known to hundreds, but others who may view these terrific falls will scarcely credit it in after times. In the month of September 1805, J——— H▬▬▬, Esq. (for he has interdicted me from giving his name) conducted his friend, the late David Sibbald, Esq. of Abden, W. S. to view the grand scenery upon this part of the Devon. The schoolmaster of the parish of Muckart, Mr. Black, accompanied them. A short way above the first caldron are stepping stones across the river. By these Mr. H., perhaps too adventurously, attempted to pass. One heel getting entangled with the other, by his spurs locking, he was precipitated into the river, and by the current carried headlong down into the first caldron, a fall of at least thirty feet. Fortunately for him, an overflowing of the river had recently brought down a considerable quantity of sand and gravel, which, by the action of the water, had been heaped up on the south side of the cylindrical cavity. After having been tossed about for some time in this horrible vortex, Providence stretched forth his hand and placed him upon this heap, where he found himself standing in water up to the breast, just beyond the reach of the immense foaming torrent. With a canopy of rock over his head, surmounted by a precipitous bank covered with wood,-in all a height of fifty feet from where he stood, did he remain for the space of forty minutes. He has told me, awful as his situation was, that hope never for sook him. His agonized friend and attendant, who had been looking for his lifeless body in the dreadful abysses below in vain, again returned, and at length discovered him. Ropes were speedily procured from a neighbouring farm-house. By this time the gravel on which he stood had so much receded that the water was up to his chin. The ropes were lowered, but fell short of bis reach, an addition was procured, but, from the situation in which he stood, it was necessary to give the rope a pendulous motion. He eagerly snatched the end with a death grasp, and immediately swung by it. Those above, by the sudden jerk, were nearly precipitated into the gulph. Yet, alas! he had still another difficulty to encounter, for near the brow of the precipice the elbow of a cruel seedling ash interposed itself between his arms and head. Selfpreservation, however, gave nerve to this last effort, and letting go one hand, he extricated himself,and was safely landed on the precipitous bank. Let the traveller, Mr. Editor, view the Caldron Lin, and believe my detail if he can. I will forgive him for being sceptic. I am, it is true, anonymous to all but to yourself,but he will find the testimony, not only of the worthy dominie of Muckart, but of all the country around to corroborate it. I shall not attempt, in any language of mine, to describe those terrific caldrons, but shall finish with an excerpt from a poem of the late George Wallace, Esq. advocate, descriptive of these linns. "For see, the river breaks its bands, A narrow stream, and wreathed and through the In dreadful fury, boisterous bursts its way My doubtful stand I took between their trunks. Grew cold-I feel it yet: the torrent pours! W THE DRAMA.-MR. KEAN, &c. ITHIN our remembrance, the stage has not fallen off in any remarkable degree, either in the written or the acted performances. It has changed its style considerably in both these respects, but it does not follow that it has altogether deteriorated: it has shifted its ground, but has found its level. With respect to the pieces brought out, we have got striking melodrames for dull tragedies; and short farces are better than long ones of five acts. The semper varium et mutabile of the poet, may be transferred to the stage," the inconstant stage," without losing the original felicity of the application-it has its necessary ebbs and flows, from its subjection to the influence of popular feeling, and the frailty of the materials of which it is composed, its own fleeting and shadowy essence; and cannot be expected to remain for any great length of time stationary at the same point, either of perfection or debasement. Acting, in particular, which is the chief organ by which it addresses itself to the mind--the eye, tongue, hand by which it dazzles, charms, and seizes on the public attention-is an art that seems to contain in itself the seeds of perpetual renovation and decay, following in this respect the order of nature rather than the analogy of the productions of human intellect; -for whereas in the other arts of paint ing and poetry, the standard works of genius being permanent and accumulating, for awhile provoke emulation, but, in the end, overlay future efforts, and transmit only their defects to those that come after; the exertions of the greatest actor die with him, leaving to his successors only the admiration of his name, and the aspiration after imaginary excellence: so that in effect "no one generation of actors binds another;" the art is always setting out afresh on the stock of genius and nature, and the success depends (generally speaking) on accident, opportunity, and encouragement. The barvest of excellence (whatever it may be) is removed from the ground, every twenty or thirty years, by Death's sickle; and there is room left for another to sprout up and tower to an equal height, and spread into equal luxuriance-to "dally with the wind, and court the sun"-according to the health and vigour of the stem, and the favourableness of the season. But books, pictures, remain like fixtures in the public mind; beyond a certain point incumber the soil of living truth and nature; and distort or stunt the growth of original genius. Again, the literary amateur may find employment for his time in reading old authors only, and exhaust his entire spleen in scouting new ones: but the lover of the stage cannot amuse himself, in his solitary fastidiousness, by sitting to witness a play got up by the departed ghosts of first-rate actors; or be contented with the perusal of a collection of old playbills:-he may extol Gatrick, but he must go to see Kean; and, in his own defence, must admire or at least tolerate what he sees, or stay away against his will. The theatrical critic may grumble a little, at first at a new candidate for the favour of the town, and say how much better the part must have been done formerly by some actor whom he never saw; but by degrees he makes a virtue of necessity, and submits to be pleased with coy, reluctant, amorous delay "-devoting his attentions to the actual stage as he would to a living mis 66 |