The Record-Union adalah koran berbasis di California, Amerika Serikat. Ia hanya berumur singkat, antara 1891-1903. Tapi lihat, di tahun pertama terbitnya, mereka sudah melaporkan kejadian di negeri yang bermil-mil jauhnya; Blitar, Jawa Timur.

Sebelum membaca naskah berbahasa Inggris ini, kami menyarankan Anda agar membaca lebih dulu naskah tentang Rampokan Macan yang sudah kami posting  sebelumnya, yakni: R Kartawibawa, Bakda Mawi Rampog, Bale Poestaka, 1928, dialihbahasakan menjadi Lebaran Bersama Rampog di Zaman Kuno.

Selain itu juga Rampogan Pascakolonial oleh Seno Gumira Ajidarma serta Rampokan Macan dan 200 Tahun Junghuhn. Selamat membaca…

Tiger Fighting in Java

Five Thousand Men With Spears Against One Lone Animal.

The Record-Union, California, November 23, 1891

We were up betimes, and, after a hasty meal, hurried on to the station in order to catch the train to Blitar, having heard of fourteen tigers to be killed at that place. After a journey of two hours through a rather mountainous district we arrived at our destination. A large, open space, about one acre in extent, in the center of the company or village, was surrounded on all sides by gayly decorated stands, with bunting fying from every possible projection, which gave the whole place a very festive and gay appearance.

The stands were soon filled by crowds of gaudily dressed natives resplendent in the different colored badjoes (coats) and curiously worked Battick sorongs, with a colored “kain” (cloth) wound round the head. One of the stands which did duty as the grand stand was put a little apart from the plebian multitude and reserved for the native prince (Regent) and the Dutch Resident, and tilled with the Dutch inhabitants of the place.

Those natives who were going to take part in the affair formed a complete square about eight feet deep, which square probably consisted of 5,000 men, all armed with sharp spears on strong teak poles about ten feet in length. In the center of the square were ten oblong boxes, each of which contained a tiger or panther, and to the sides were attached ropes at sretched to the outside of the square to enable operators to pull them oat from a distance, as it would be un safe to stand inside the square.

When all the arrangements were completed the Regent, mounted on a Maarssar pony and surrounded by his native guards, with their hair done up like a chignon and wrapped in blue cloth, rode into tho square, while a man walked by his side and held a largo umbrella over his head.

He ambled once around the formidable phalanx of spears, and then dismounting took his stand in the front rank to encourage the men. The signal to commence was given by the Regent’s band, which struck up a slow, monotonous tune, and then the work of slaughter began. The rope attached to the nearest box was seized, and with a good heave out came the side, and following it came the long, snaky form of a large panther.

He first stood and faced the sun, and in answer to the fierce roar which arose from the assembled thousands, turned and with an angry snarl dashed with long, cat-like strides straight at the row of spears. In an instant he was transfixed through the chest, but wriggled oftf and dashed alone the Line, while the natives cut and stabbed him as he passed.

Bleeding and mangled, with a leg half cut through, he limped and stumbled along until he finally tell, and then with a shout a dozen natives dashed out and in a second the poor beast was pinned to tho ground by a dozen spears through the body, but still fought and roared until someone finally speared him through the head.

Then a most disgusting scene took place. Some of the spear-heads had come off and remained in the body of the animal, but the native, in the calmest manner possible, inserted his hand and groped about for the iron head till he triumphantly withdrew it, and then, wiping his feet in the blood, stalked back to bis place in the crowd. Numbers ran out and tried to pull his whiskers out, and when he had been deprived of these appendages the carcass was drawn away and a fresh victim let out.

The same scene was enacted over again, some showing fight in a more determined way than the rest. Their tenacity of life was extraordinary, and we saw a panther get up and run away after he had twelve or fifteen spears through him, and was, to all appearances, dead.

The tiger wis rather a poor show, and retired to the center of the arena to lick his wounds, and in spite of stones and disrespectful epithets on this monster in order to dislodge him he would not move, so a band of chosen men stalked warily out and put an end to his existence.

Occasionally, though very seldom, an animal, although wounded, will escape through the crowd and take refuge in a tree (if a panther] and then fire-arms are sent for and he is potted from below. The men, at the death of each victim, raised their spears and gave a great shout, and only lowered them when a fresh animal was let out.