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Why worry about an excellent thread and post like this. Really informative and enjoyable. Some excellent examples displayed.

First pistols vs howdah pistols.

A howdah is a saddle, so a howdah is just in reality another saddle pistol. And probably next to no difference when it began. Cavalry saddle pistols or gentlemen's pistols were no doubt called into service in the early days or later days. So is there any difference? Yes, larger bores. My guess is pistols especially made for the howdah as emergency pistols have bigger bores. And the specially made ones probably were ordered and more used by the wealthier participants in the elephant drives, the maharajahs and wealthier Brits. Or the royal guests. One must remember a howdah pistol may have been more of a luxury item. Not really that necessary. A very romantic addition, but not essential. A bit like carrying a specialised handgun during a rifle hunt, in case the leopard is on your back!

I think it was mentioned Purdey only calls brass breech loading handguns "howdahs". I wonder? In the days of muzzle loaders, I think the howdah pistol would have been more useful. Reloading a muzzle loading long gun would be far harder on a elephant howdah saddle so having an emergency or second shortarm ready at hand would have been more than useful. The opposite for muzzle loaders to what I was saying for breech loaders only the paragraph earlier! So seeing muzzle loaders were superseded by breech loaders and traditions and habits do not change quickly, perhaps a reason for howdah pistols being more common than my musings suggest into the breech loading age.

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Some comments on my experience and sightings of howdahs. They come in all sorts of forms. They are an elephant saddle. But can be basic or elaborate.

The mahout or driver or controller of the elephant often just sits on its neck. sometimes on a blanket or similar. His legs may be straddling the neck. He may have a hooked spiked hand tool to help direct the elephant.

The saddle or howdah could be another blanket. The blanket might be very elaborate. And possibly have a leather or similar saddle to make riding on the back easier. Or a small open low sided or railed platform on a blanket. One sees in the museums of maharajahs palaces and castles, old examples or photos and paintings elaborate high sided box howdahs. The participants might sit in them or stand or kneel in them.

The howdah saddle I used in Thailand in the mountains was like a bench, very polished wooden bench seat and back with metal rail to the side. No box. The wood was so highly polished one's bum readily slid around as the elephant's back rocked side to side, and one had to hang on tight to the metal side rail. I had a large video camera and large SLR and it was actually hard to hang on with just one hand.

A second howdah in India in a tiger park I think was two bench seats. I can't remember. I remember climbing onto the elephant with a step ladder. The elephant walked a few hundred metres into the jungle to where two tigers were hidden in thick horn bush. The elephant stood beside so we could peer down into the bush at the growling tigers. Ine could see them quite well. But through the lens the intervening thorn branches spoiled the focus. The mahout gave me a lot of extra time compared to the average person due to my big cameras.

I think we had sort of box howdah, perhaps kneeling on the walk up the mountain tot he castle at Jaipur. Ishould have photos somewhere of this one.

Possibly other times, not sure.

The ones often seen in Royal photographs are usually high sided fancily decorated boxes with the gentlemen and ladies looking over the side often with rifle or shotgun in hand, pith helmet on their heads.

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If one reads about the British and Europeans in India and Asia, it spans a long period. In the early days, the Britis and Europeans were more guests and traders, and often went "native". India was in some ways more cultured and a better lifestyle than in Europe. For wealthier persons. For example one might live in a mud grass roofed hut in Europe and a stone walled tiled roofed palace, airy, breezy comfortable in India. Sometimes even with forms of plumbing. Open sewers in Europe. Seweage systems in India! Amazing considering they still have open sewers in Indian towns sometimes today.

As time went on, the traders became the British East India Company which controlled territory neighbouring independent potentates. And eventually the British Raj of wholly British Empire controlled territories and protectorate potentates.

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Hunting took many forms.

The British Officers raiding their horses and pig sticking with long lances pigs, jackals or other game "before breakfast".

Maharajahs and wealthy hunters on elephant back furing hunting drives. Royalty usually had hunting reserves and game might be driven towards the royals and their guests sitting in towers from which they shot game. The paintings of this do not look particularly sporting. Sometimes game was captured and released in smaller hunting enclosures. Being royalty the hunting preserves might be sizable. The hunting from forest or jungle tree platforms, ambushing game from a machan. Then we have what we think of as hunting, stalking on foot, epitomised by Corbett in his books. All sorts of other forms. The elephant drives were a special form but quite common. I have a thread on NE by Corbett on how to organise a elephant drive.

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John aka NitroX

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