Anecdotes of a tamed Panther, 1 09 



gave it up to Mr. Hutchison, on being allowed a portion of 

 something else. The day of his arrival he was placed in a 

 small court, leading to the private rooms of the governor, and 

 after dinner was led by a thin cord into the room, where he 

 received our salutations with some degree of roughness, but 

 with perfect good-humour. On the least encouragement he 

 laid his paws upon our shoulders, rubbed his head upon us, 

 and his teeth and claws having been filed, there was no danger 

 of tearing our clothes. He was kept in the above court for a 

 week or two, and evinced no ferocity, except when one of the 

 servants tried to pull his food from him ; he then caught the 

 offender by the leg, and tore out a piece of flesh, but he never 

 seemed to owe him any ill-will afterwards. He one morning 

 broke his cord, and, the cry being given, the castle gates were 

 shut, and a chase commenced. After leading his pursuers two 

 or three times round the ramparts, and knocking over a few 

 children by bouncing against them, he suffered himself to be 

 caught, and led quietly back to his quarters, under one of the 

 guns of the fortress. 



By degrees the fear of him subsided, and orders having 

 been given to the sentinels to prevent his escape through the 

 gates, he was left at liberty to go where he pleased, and a boy 

 .was appointed to prevent him from intruding into the apart- 

 ments of the officers. His keeper, however, generally passed 

 his watch in sleeping ; and Sai", as the panther was called, 

 after the royal giver, roamed at large. On one occasion he 

 found his servant sitting on the step of the door, upright, but 

 fast asleep, when he lifted his paw, gave him a blow on the 

 side of the head which laid him flat, and then stood wagging 

 his tail, as if enjoying the mischief he had committed. He 

 became exceedingly attached to the governor, and followed 

 him every-where like a dog. His favourite station was at a 

 window of the sitting-room, which overlooked the whole town ; 

 there, standing on his hind legs, his fore paws resting on the 

 ledge of the window, and his chin laid between them, he ap- 

 peared to amuse himself with what was passing beneath. The 

 children also stood with him at the window ; and one day, 

 finding his presence an incumbrance, and that they could not 

 get their chairs close, they used their united efforts to pull 

 him down by the tail. He one morning missed the governor, 

 who was settling a dispute in the hall, and who, being sur- 

 rounded by black people, was hidden from the view of his 

 favourite. Sai' wandered with a dejected look to various parts 

 of the fortress in search of him ; and, while absent on this 

 errand, the audience ceased, the governor returned to his pri- 

 vate rooms, and seated himself at a table to write. Presently^ 



