ards him, and were preparing to give him a round of grape from
the gun, but before we could get the gun well pointed, he retreated
majestically into the jungle, which was in the bight of a small bay, and
cut off from the main jungle by some large rocks. Three of our party
immediately declared that they would have a tiger-hunt, and bring back
his skin as a trophy. They landed, two of them having each a ship's
musket, a very uncertain weapon, as they are at present provided, for,
whether from damp or careless manufacture, the percussion caps will not
often go off; and the third armed with nothing but a knife. On their
landing, they took their position on the rocks, and were delighted to
find that the tiger could not retreat to the main jungle without passing
them. They had not long taken up their position before they heard the
crackling of the wood in the jungle, announcing the tiger's approach
towards them. They fixed their bayonets and cocked their locks; the
young gentleman with the knife was also prepared; but the noise in the
jungle ceased. Whether it was that the tiger was afraid to attack three
at the same time, or was making a circuit for a more convenient spring
upon them, certain it is that our three young gentlemen either became
tired of waiting for him, or had thought better of their mad attempt.
One proposed returning to the boat, the others assented; and after
denouncing the tiger as a coward, and wholly unworthy of the name of a
royal tiger, they commenced their retreat as the dark set in; gradually
their pace quickened, in two minutes they were in a hard trot; at last
the panic took them all, and by the time they arrived at the boats they
could not speak from want of breath, so hurried had been their retreat.
We sincerely congratulated them upon their arrival safe and sound, and
having escaped without loss of life and limb from a very mad adventure.
I subsequently related this incident to an old Indian sportsman, who
told me that my messmates had had a most fortunate escape, as they would
have had little or no chance had the tiger made his spring, which he
certainly would have done had they remained much longer, and that one of
them at least must have been sacrificed. On the morning of the fourth
day, the ship, having made sail from Sincapore, hove in sight, and
picked us up. The boats were hoisted in, and we steered for Borneo, to
complete some surveys on the north-east coast.

The island of Borneo, throug