1 1^ Anecdotes of a tamed Panther, 



upright when they opposed his progress : there he took refuge 

 in a sail, and although generally obedient to the voice of his 

 master, force was necessary to make him quit the shelter of its 

 folds. As to the panther, his back rose in an arch, his tail 

 was elevated and perfectly stiff, his eyes flashed, and, as he 

 howled, he showed his huge teeth ; then, as if forgetting the 

 bars before him, he tried to spring on the orang, to tear 

 him to atoms. It was long before he recovered his tran- 

 quillity ; day and night he appeared to be on the listen ; and 

 the approach of a large monkey we had on board, or the 

 intrusion of a black man, brought a return of his agitation. 



We at length sailed for England, with an ample supply of 

 provisions ; but, unhappily, we were boarded by pirates during 

 the voyage, and nearly reduced to starvation. My panther 

 must have perished had it not been for a collection of more 

 than three hundred parrots with which we sailed from the 

 river, and which died very fast while we were in the north-west 

 trades. Sa'i's allowance was one per diem, but this was so 

 scanty a pittance that he became ravenous, and had not 

 patience to pick all the feathers off before he commenced his 

 meal. The consequence was that he became very ill, and re- 

 fused even this small quantity of food. Those around tried 

 to persuade me that he suffered from the colder climate ; but 

 his dry nose and paws convinced me that he was feverish, and 

 I had him taken out of his cage; when, instead of jumping 

 about and enjoying his liberty, he lay down, and rested his 

 head upon my feet. I then made him three pills, each con- 

 taining two grains of calomel. The boy who had the charge 

 of him, and who was much attached to him, held his jaws 

 open, and I pushed the medicine down his throat. Early the 

 next morning I went to visit my patient, and found his guard 

 sleeping in the cage with him ; and having administered a fur- 

 ther dose to the invalid, I had the satisfaction of seeing him 

 perfectly cured by the evening. On the arrival of the vessel 

 in the London Docks, Sai* was taken ashore, and presented to 

 the Duchess of York, who placed him in Exeter Change, to 

 be taken care of, till she herself went to Oatlands. He re- 

 mained there for some weeks, and was suffered to roam about 

 the greater part of the day without any restraint. On the 

 morning previous to the Duchess's departure from town, she 

 went to visit her new pet, played with him, and admired his 

 healthy appearance and gentle deportment. In the evening, 

 when Her Royal Highness's coachman went to take him away, 

 he was dead, in consequence of an inflammation on his lungs. 



I am. Sir, &c. 



S. BoWDICH. 



