U2 , \SSKI, L'S POPULAR NATURAL HISTORY. 



I had -.-arc, -lv time to observe this when the tiger, stooping his head, seized the soldier's arm in his 

 mouth, timir'd him half round, staggering, threw him over on his hack, and fell upon him. Our dread 

 n,,w was ilmt, if we ihvd u)>on the tiger, we might kill the man. For a moment there was a pause, 

 ulicn his comrade attacked the beast exactly in the same manner as the gallant fellow himself had 

 done, lie struck his bayonet into his head; the tiger rose at him he fired; and this time the ball 

 took effect, and in the head. The animal staggered backwards, and we all poured in our tire, lie 

 still kicked and writhed, when the gentlemen with the hog-spears advanced, and fixed him, while he 

 wa> finished by some natives beating him on the head with hedge-stakes. The brave artilleryman 

 was, after all, but slightly hurt. He claimed the skin, which was very cheerfully given to him. 

 There was, however, a cry among the natives, that the head should be cut off. It was ; and in so 

 doing (lie knife caine directly across the baymtet. The animal measured little less than four feet, from 

 the root of the tail to the muzzle. There was no tradition of a tiger having been in Jaffna before. 

 Indeed, this one must have either come a distance of almost twenty miles, or have swam across an arm 

 of the sea nearly two in breadth ; for Jaffna stands on a peninsula, on which there is 110 jungle of any 

 magnitude." 



The following interesting account of a panther, named Sal, is from the gifted pen of Mrs. Bowdich 

 (afterwards Mis. Lee), and is too valuable to suffer abridgment. Not only is the story beautifully told, 

 but it is clearly shown that, at least, some of the race become, through kind treatment, capable of great 

 attachment and gentleness : 



" This panther and another were found, when very young, in the forest, apparently deserted by 

 their mother. They were taken to the King of Ashantee, in whose palace they lived several weeks, 

 when my hero, being much larger than his companion, suffocated him in a fit of romping, and was 

 then sent to Mr. Hutchison, the i-esident left by Mr. Bowdich at Coomassie. This gentleman, observing 

 that the animal was very docile, took pains to tame him, and in a great measure succeeded. When 

 he was about a year old, Mr. Hutchison returned to Cape Coast, and had him led through the country 

 by a chain, occasionally letting him loose when eating was going forward, when lie 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. 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 piece of flesh, but he never seemed to owe him any ill-will afterwards. He one morning broke 

 his cord ; and, the cry being given, the castle gates were shut, and a chase commenced. After leading 

 his pursuers two or three times round the ramparts, and knocking over a few children, by bouncing 

 against them, he suffered himself to be caught, and led quietly back to his quarters, under one of the 

 guns of the fortress. 



"By degrees the fear of him subsided, and, orders having been given to the sentinels to j ire vent 

 liis escape through the gates, he was left at liberty to go where he pleased, and a boy was appointed to 

 prevent him from intruding into the apartments of the officers. His keeper, however, generally passed 

 his watch in sleeping, and Sa'i, as the panther was called, after the royal giver, roamed at large. On 

 NMMB li<- found his servant sitting on the step of the door, upright, but fast asleep, when he 

 lifted his paw, gave him a blow on the side of the head, which laid him flat, and then stood wagging 

 his tail, as if enjoying the mischief he had committed. He became exceedingly attached to the 

 !ir, and followed him everywhere like a dog. His favourite station was at a window of the 

 sitting-room, which overlooked the whole town ; there, standing on his hind legs, his fore paws resting 

 "ii the ledge of the window, and his chin laid between them, he appeared to amuse himself with what 

 was passing beneath. The children also stood with him at the window ; and one day, finding his 



"" ineumbrance, and that they could not get their chairs close, they used their united eit'ons 



io pull him down by the tail. He one morning missed the governor, who was settling a dispute in 

 tli.- h;dl, and who, being surrounded by black people, was hidden from the view of his favourite. Sat 



