6 J NATURAL HISTORY OF 



ran, yet no one avoided it or gave back, but rattier 

 shewed more eagerness, well knowing that the Grand 

 Khan, by this, would judge of their merit." 



By many of the Indian sovereigns, beasts of prey 

 were kept to be hunted, or being tamed, were placed 

 near the throne upon occasions of pomp. They were 

 also much more frequently employed as the execution 

 ers of criminals, or persons who had displeased their 

 despotic masters. The King of Pegu " kept a park 

 for lions, tigers, and other fierce beasts, called Li- 

 paro ; and it is a sad and daily sight to see criminals 

 devoured by them." We have often seen models of 

 these executions, of the natural size ; they generally 

 represented a man overthrown by a tiger, and had 

 pipes within, which uttered a moaning sound, and by 

 the turning of a handle, imitated the groans of the 

 dying wretch. These instruments are said to be 

 kept by natives of rank, most intellectual toys. 



But in ether parts of these countries, particularly 

 Hindostan, instead of being used to rouse the mar- 

 tial spirit of the youth, the beasts of prey occupy 

 a prominent part in the religious rites* In the 

 dark mythology of the Hindoos, many of them are 

 held as sacred, or as evil spirits which can be pro- 

 pitiated by food. It is therefore a crime to destroy 

 a tiger, and the teeth and claws are worn as charms 

 against their ravages. Similar ideas prevail in a 

 great part of the East Indian Archipelago, and pre- 

 cautions are scarcely ever taken against a wild beast. 

 In Sumatra. " when a tiger enters a village, tb 



