guns; mine was
nearest, and I had but just laid hold of it, when I heard a roar like
thunder, and saw an immense royal tiger spring on the unfortunate Munro,
who was sitting down; in a moment his head was in the beast's mouth, and
he rushed into the jungle with him, with as much ease as I could lift a
kitten, tearing him through the thickest bushes and trees, every thing
yielding to his monstrous strength. The agonies of horror, regret, and,
I must say, fear (for there were two tigers), rushed on me at once; the
only effort I could make was to fire at him, though the poor youth was
still in his mouth. I relied partly on Providence, partly on my own aim,
and fired a musket. The tiger staggered, and seemed agitated, which I
took notice of to my companions. Captain Downey then fired two shots,
and I one more. We retired from the jungle, and, a few minutes after,
Mr. Munro came up to us all over blood and fell. We took him on our
backs to the boat, and got every medical assistance for him from the
Valentine Indiaman, which lay at anchor near the Island; but in vain. He
lived twenty-four hours in the utmost torture; his head and skull were
all torn and broken to pieces, and he was also wounded, by the animal's
claws, all over his neck and shoulders; but it was better to take him
away, though irrecoverable, than leave him to be mangled and devoured.
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