Chapter TO TIFF to TIGER of T by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

the multitude of tigers which infest those tracts” (the Pegu delta) “and prey on whatever they can get at. And although we were on that account anchored in midstream, nevertheless it was asserted that the ferocity of these animals was such that they would press even into the water to seize their prey.”—Gasparo Balbi, f. 94v.

1586.—“We went through the wildernesse because the right way was full of thieves, when we passed the country of Gouren, where we found but few Villages, but almost all Wildernesse, and saw many Buffes, Swine, and Deere, Grasse longer than a man, and very many Tigres.”—R. Fitch, in Purchas, ii. 1736.

1675.—“Going in quest whereof, one of our Soldiers, a Youth, killed a Tigre-Royal; it was brought home by 30 or 40 Combies (Koonbee), the Body tied to a long Bamboo, the Tail extended…it was a Tigre of the Biggest and Noblest Kind, Five Feet in Length beside the Tail, Three and a Half in Height, it was of a light Yellow, streaked with Black, like a Tabby Cat…the Visage Fierce and Majestick, the Teeth gnashing.…”—Fryer, 176.

1683.—“In y^e afternoon they found a great Tiger, one of y^e black men shot a barbed arrow into his Buttock. Mr. Frenchfeild and Capt. Raynes alighted off their horses and advanced towards the thicket where y^e Tiger lay. The people making a great noise, y^e Tiger flew out upon Mr. Frenchfeild, and he shot him with a brace of Bullets into y^e breast: at which he made a great noise, and returned again to his den. The Black Men seeing of him wounded fell upon him, but the Tiger had so much strength as to kill 2 men, and wound a third, before he died. At Night y^e Ragea sent me the Tiger.”—Hedges, Diary, Hak. Soc. i. 66–67.

1754.—“There was a Charter granted to the East India Company. Many Disputes arose about it, which came before Parliament; all Arts were used to corrupt or delude the Members; among others a Tyger was baited with Solemnity, on the Day the great Question was to come on. This was such a Novelty, that several of the Members were drawn off from their Attendance, and absent on the Division.…”—A Collection of Letters relating to the E.l. Company, &c. (Tract), 1754, p. 13.

1869.—“Les tigres et les léopards sont considérés, autant par les Hindous que par les musalmans, comme étant la propriété des pirs (see PEER): aussi les naturels du pays ne sympathisent pas avec les Européens pour la chasse du tigre.”—Garcin de Tassy, Rel. Mus. p. 24.

1872.—“One of the Frontier Battalion soldiers approached me, running for his life.…This was his story:-

‘Sahib, I was going along with the letters…which I had received from your highness…a great tiger came out and stood in the path. Then I feared for my life; and the tiger stood, and I stood, and we looked at each other. I had no weapon but my kukri (Kookry)…and the Government letters. So I said, ‘My lord Tiger, here are the Government letters, the letters of the Honourable Kumpany Bahadur…and it is necessary for me to go on with them.’ The tiger never ceased looking at me, and when I had done speaking he growled, but he never offered to get out of the way. On this I was much more afraid, so I kneeled down and made obeisance to him; but he did not take any more notice of that either, so at last I told him I should report the matter to the Sahib, and I threw down the letters in front of him, and came here as fast as I was able. Sahib, I now ask for your justice against that tiger.’”—Lt. Col. T. Lewin, A Fly on the Wheel, p. 444.

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