Mr. Tiger ...

Monsieur le Tigre, Indochine

Indochina = Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, South of China

google translation

In his book "On the Mandarin Road" published in 1925, Roland Dorgelès debunks the myth, and tells the behind the scenes scenes of popular hunting travelers fortunate ... However, the tiger kills, it is a reality. This is the number one enemy of Postal Workers. Villages, particularly in the Upper Tonkin, are forced to build fortifications against him, and set up watchmen on the towers at night. Feasting in the forest, he ventured into the villages where hunger grows out of the forests deserted by its prey. It then becomes a danger that must be disposed of by beating monsters .... An estimated 80,000, the number of tigers in the early century.

Why "Mr. Tiger"? : Annamite have such a superstitious fear, they treat him well and worship, believing that these marks of respect their spare his anger.

Excerpts from "On the Road Mandarine"

"The Tiger:. Ong cop, Mr. Tiger, as obsequiously called Annamese We talk a lot, Indo-China, but, thank God, we do not often encounter.

Beware of those travelers whose stories are filled with roaring and leaping animals, these intrepid souls who were thrown head first, into the thorn bushes to escape the angry buffalo, who spent hours astride a industry, besieged by elephants, or been eaten by the tiger had they not had the composure to stare into his eyes, to scare him.

There are tigers in Indo-China, many tigers can be as much as wild boar in France, but there, as here, there must be a hunter to meet them and it is rare to see a jump over the hood of an automobile, as happened to the lady who went to Dalat, and then made the vows never to venture on the roads at night Langbian.

Sometimes we hear screaming tiger in the forest, often you are shown on the floor his terrible footprint at any time through the villages, you will learn a dog, a pig, a horse, a buffalo Similarly, a carried away by Ong Cop, or a native was eaten, but it is not often venture into the tiger populated places, and it was only when he became old when his legs stiffened do it allow more deer hunting, he ventures to the outskirts of villages to feed livestock, and humans needed. Still not he throw on isolated: a lumberjack in a wood, a nhaqué (farmers) joining his rice field in the mountains "[...]

Hunting

. "Nothing less heroic than those shipments Be in dollars and a gun, you will have the tiger again the gun is not it absolutely indispensable. They will lend you a While .... dollars.

The main forest-guard who can send you if you are a brand character - a young man, voluntary face, which has already killed fifty wild elephants and as many cats - will worry succinctly caliber your weapon and your qualities shooter, then advise you on your suit and shoes, and after a conversation that has not demanded fifty words, you return to the hotel by saying:

- I will warn you.

The tiger is ordered, it'll just wait ....

[...]

- Sir, this is for today.

[...] You will go by car.

Not far from there, you will go down. 300 meters you will undergrowth and you stop behind a screen of foliage, about twenty meters from the carrion.

- You see, sometimes there ...

[...] Soon you are surrounded by a cloud of mosquitoes that bite you in the face, feet, hands, through your clothes, everywhere. It rubs the head is shaken, is crushed in blood stains on the cheek. A slap too violent, the great hunter angry you tap on the shoulder. No noise, of course! Is the tiger mosquito or you came out?!

You have time to think, to this and many other things. But suddenly you were warned, without a gesture, a pressure of the hand. Warning .. We have not heard anything, but you look, all eyes. The heart beats a little faster though. Let's watch, upright, weapon ready. Suddenly the bushes move, and we see ...

It's him! He leaves branches, quietly .. How big it is! We already have the stick in place. The tiger who turned his head moves forward, soft and slow ... In the face ... Fire! Fire!

The two shots rang out. Two short flames ... It's done. [...]

The next day you will have your tiger stripped like a rabbit and you bring triumphantly in his skin touque gasoline filled with coarse salt, without knowing exactly what you can make. In Saigon, there is much you admire, because it was used, and Paris, we will believe you much. But still, you'll be the man who killed "tigers" ...

Excerpts from "My old Annam" - Pierre Sauvaire Marquis de Barthélemy (1891)

- "There are many tiger here I asked a Chinese prefect who came to tea with us?

- Very much, he answered me,

- What do you do to get rid of?

- Any native who brings a tiger skin receives 10 dollars and 10 strokes of the cane,

As I displayed my surprise, the potbellied prefect hastened to add:

- The 10 piastres are intended to reward the courage of the man who delivered the land of a dangerous animal, but it is worth remembering that, although it is brave enough to tackle the king of animals, n 'remains under the authority of Mandarin. This is the purpose of strokes of the cane, which, moreover, are slightly applied. "

The Marquis of Bartholomew traveled Indochina and recounted his travels in several works: In northern Indochina (1894-1895), Indochina Cochin (1896-1897), Au Pays Me (1903). It was only after a thorough study of the country that he decided to go and found, with Mr. de Pourtales, another well-known author, the coal depot and refueling Cam RONH.

Indochine - The French colonial empire - Maspero 1929

"The tiger is spread throughout Indochina, but it starts to become scarce in Cochin, deer are its main food being slaughtered indiscriminately by the disastrous practice of hunting lantern. Tiger marshes is much the most formidable and the most ferocious. He willingly attack the natives. Having tasted human flesh, he can not do without. Entire families are removed and by the wild beasts. Indigenous prey in a superstitious terror react sluggishly when in the presence of "Ong cop," the Lord tiger. Their rudimentary weapons are powerless to protect them. Trap door is effective but rarely use it, believing that the spirit of the tiger return pursue its evil. Generally Europeans do fall into the clutches of the tiger that during hunting parties where they are most often the victims of their own imprudence. "

and a gift for those who read the whole