tisfaction,
being the first of these destructive animals which the Chinese
had succeeded in catching alive. A pit was dug where his track
had been observed, the mouth of which was covered lightly over,
and two or three dogs tied as bait. The ruse luckily took
effect, and, when advancing to his imagined prey, he was
himself precipitated into the pit head foremost, where he was
very soon despatched by the natives, who pounded him to death
with stones. He was a large animal for the Malay type,
measuring 9 ft. 3 in. from the nose to the tip of the tail,
which was 35 inches long, the circumference round the forearm
being 21 inches. The captors have claimed and obtained from the
local authorities the promised reward of one hundred dollars,
besides having sold the flesh of the animal itself to the
Chinese, Klings, and others for six fanams a catty (a fanam is
about three halfpence), by which they realized about seventy
dollars more."

It is singular how all natives believe that by eating the flesh of the
tiger they absorb the essence or distinctive features of the animal.
Balfour says that "the clavicle or collar-bone of the tiger is
considered of great virtue by many natives of India. The whiskers are
supposed by some to endow their possessor with unlimited power over the
opposite sex." Tiger bones are often sold in China to form an ingredient
in certain invigorating jellies, made of hartshorn, and the plastron of
the terrapin or tortoise. Burmese and Malays eat the flesh of the tiger,
because they believe that by eating it they acquire the courage and
sagacity of the animal. Tigers' claws are used as charms, and the most
solemn oath of one of the aboriginal tribes of India, the "Santals," is
sworn when touching a tiger's skin; handsome brooches and earrings are
also made from tigers' claws mounted in gold. In 1854 no less than six
persons were killed within the space of a few days not far from the
town, and in April of that year the Government, alarmed for the safety
of the people, sanctioned a considerable expenditure for the
construction of tiger pits over many parts of the island. In August of
the same year the following article appeared in _The Singapore Free
Press_:--

"The attention of His Honour the Governor having been directed
to the continued deplorable ravages committed by tigers on the
island, he has expressed himself ready to adopt an