Chap. l.J 



LEOPARDS. 



139 



of tlieir wounds contrasting hideously with the dark colour 

 of the rest of their bodies. 



The Veddahs in Bintenne, whose cliief stores consist 

 of honey, hve in dread of the bears, because, attracted by 

 its peif ume, they will not hesitate to attack thek rude dwel- 

 lings, when allured by this irresistible temptation. The 

 Post-office runners, who always travel by night, are 

 frequently exposed to danger fi-om these animals, espe- 

 cially along the coast from Putlam to Aiipo, where they 

 are found in considerable numbers ; and, to guard against 

 surprise, they are accustomed to carry flambeaux, to give 

 warning to the bears, and enable them to shuffle out of the 

 path.^ 



Leopards^ are the only formidable members of the 



^ Amongst tlie Singhalese there is 

 a belief that certain charms are effi- 

 cacious in protecting them from the 

 violence of bears^ and those whose 

 avocations expose them to encoimters 

 of this kind are accustomed to cany 

 a talisman either attached to their 

 neck or enveloped in the folds of their 

 luxuriant hair. A friend of mine, 

 writing of an adventure which oc- 

 eun-ed at Anarajapoora, thus de- 

 scribes an occasion on which a Moor, 

 who attended him, was somewhat 

 rudely disabused of his belief in the 

 efficacy of chamis upon bears : — 

 *' Desiiing to change the position of a 

 herd of deer, the Moonnan (with his 

 chai-m) was sent across some swampy 

 land to disturb them. As he was 

 proceeding we saw him suddenly 

 tm-n from an old tree and rim back 

 with all speed, his hair becoming im- 

 fastened and like his clothes stream- 

 ing in the wind. It soon became 

 evident that he was flying from some 

 terrific object, for he had thrown 

 down his gun, and, in his panic, he 

 was taking the shortest line towards 

 us, which lay across a swamp covered 

 with sedge and rushes that greatly 

 impeded his progi-ess, and prevented 

 us approaching him, or seeing what 

 was the cause of his flight. Missing 

 his steps from one hard spot to an- 

 other he repeatedly fell into the 

 water, but he rose and resumed his 

 flight. I advanced as far as the sods 



would bear my weight, but to go fur- 

 ther was impracticable. Just within 

 ball range there was an open space, 

 and, as the man gained it, I saw that 

 he was pm'sued by a bear and two 

 cubs. As the person of the fugitive 

 covered the bear, it was impossible 

 to fii-e A\athout risk. At last he fell 

 exhausted, and the bear being close 

 upon him, I discharged both barrels. 

 The first broke the bear's shoulder, 

 but this only made her more savage, 

 and rising on her hind legs she ad- 

 vanced with ferocious gi'unts, when 

 the second barrel, though I do not 

 think it took effect, served to frighten 

 her, for tm-ning round she reti-eated 

 at fidl speed, followed by the cubs. 

 Some nati^-es then waded through 

 the mud to the Moorman, who was 

 just exhausted and would have been 

 drowned but that he fell "«-ith his 

 head upon a tuft of grass : the poor 

 man was unable to speak, and for 

 several weeks his intellect seemed 

 confused. The adventure sufficed to 

 satisfy him that he could not again 

 depend upon a chann to protect him 

 from bears, though he always msisted 

 that but for its having fallen from 

 his hair where he had fastened it 

 imder his turban, the bear would not 

 have ventured to attack him. 



^ Felispardus, ZjVuj. "What is called 

 a leopard, or a cheetah, in Ceylon, is 

 in reality the true panther. 



