164 THE LEOPARD. 



son*, the resident left by Mr Bowditch at Coomassle. 

 This gentleman, observing that the animal was very 

 docile, took pains to tame him, and, in a great mea- 

 sure, succeeded. When he was about a year old, 

 Mr Hutchison returned to Cape Coast, and nad him 

 led through the country by a chain, occasionally let- 

 ting him loose when eating was going forward, when 

 he would sit by his master's side, and receive his 

 share with comparative gentleness. Once or twice 

 he purloined a fowl, but easily gave it up to Mr 

 Hutchison, on being allowed a portion of something 

 else. On 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 small piece of flesh ; but he never seemed 

 to owe him any ill will afterwards. He one morning 



* This very intelligent and enterpming gentleman, after 

 performing prodigies of valour, and being severely wounded 

 in the Ashantee war, returned to Scotland, his native coun- 

 try, in 1833. He never completely recovered his health, 

 and unfortunately died at Bankhouse, in the neighbour- 

 hood of Edinburgh, in December of that vear. 



