LEOPARDS AND PANTHERS. 105 



do not kill. I have never heard of their attacking 

 men, unless first irritated by them. I have fre- 

 quently seen them in the covers, when they al- 

 ways appeared alarmed, and fled as fast as pos- 

 sible. In proportion to their size, they are as 

 strong as tigers, and more active. In proof of 

 which, a circumstance occurred whilst I was at 

 Chittrah, which is almost incredible, but I pledge 

 myself for the truth of it. Mr. Hunter, the Judge 

 and Collector, had about a dozen curious and rare 

 deer confined in a compound, surrounded by a 

 wall about seven feet high. 



During the absence of himself and family, a 

 a servant, who had charge of his house, informed 

 Mr. Smith and myself, that a panther or leopard 

 had leapt over the compound wall, two or three 

 nights in succession, and had killed and carried 

 off a deer each night. 



On going to the spot, we saw the print of the 

 leopard's foot in many places within the wall, and 

 a part of the carcass of a deer that he had carried 

 off, on the outside. We, therefore, determined 

 to sit up the next night, and try to shoot him, and 

 accordingly took our station in a small house that 

 had a window looking into the compound. About 



