We have just read the funeral service over his body, and committed it to
the deep. Mr. Munro was an amiable and promising youth. I must observe,
there was a large fire blazing close to us, composed of ten or a dozen
whole trees. I made it myself on purpose to keep the tigers off, as I
had always heard it would. There were eight or ten of the natives about
us; many shots had been fired at the place; there was much noise and
laughing at the time; but this ferocious animal disregarded all. The
human mind cannot form an idea of the scene; it turned my very soul
within me. The beast was about four feet and a half high, and nine long.
His head appeared as large as that of an ox; his eyes darting fire, and
his roar, when he first seized his prey, will never be out of my
recollection. We had scarcely pushed our boat from that cursed shore,
when the tigress made her appearance, raging, almost mad, and remained
on the sand, as long as the distance would allow me to see her."

"Oh, dreadful, Uncle Thomas! I declare it makes my hair stand on end!"

"It is a fearful tale, John, and shows you what a scourge such an animal
must be to the inhabitants of the country in which it is found. It
frequents the deserts of Asia, but in some places where civilization has
commenced, it prowls about the villages and commits great havoc among
the herds of the inhabitants, who therefore find it necessary to adopt
various schemes for its destruction; some of these devices are very
curious.

"A large cage of strong bamboos is constructed, and fastened firmly to
the ground, in a place which the tigers frequent. In this a man takes up
his station for the night. He is generally accompanied by a dog or a
goat, which by its extreme agitation is sure to give notice of the
tiger's approach. His weapons consist of two or three strong spears, and