Till'. I'A NTH Kl; in 



wandered, with a dejected look, to various parts of tlu> fortress in search of him ; and, while absent on 

 this errand, the audience ceased, the governor returned to his private rooms, and seated himself at a 

 table to write. Presently he heard a heavy step coming up the stairs, and, raising his eves to the open 

 dour, he beheld Sa'i. At that moment he gave himself up for lost, for Sal immediately sprang from the 

 door on to his neck. Instead, however, of devouring him, he laid his head close to the gmeniniv, 

 rubbed his cheek upon his shoulder, wagged his tail, and tried to evince his happiness. ( Iccasionally) 

 however, the panther caused a little alarm to the other inmates of the castle, and the poor woman who 

 swept the floors, or, to speak technically, the pra-pra woman, was made ill by her fright. She was 

 one day sweeping the boards of the great hall with a short broom, and in an attitude nearly approaching 

 to all-fours, and Sai, who was hidden under one of the sofas, suddenly leapt upon her back, where lie 

 stood in triumph. She screamed so violently as to summon the other servants, but they, seeing the 

 panther, as they thought, in the act of swallowing her, one and all scampered off as quickly as possible; 

 nor was she released till the governor, who heard the noise, came to her assistance. Strangers were 

 naturally uncomfortable when they saw so powerful a beast at perfect liberty, and many were the 

 ridiculous seencs which took place, as they did not like to own their alarm, and were yet perfectly 

 unable to retain their composure in his presence. 



"This interesting animal was well fed twice every day, but never given anything with life in it. 

 He stood about two feet high, and was of a dark yellow colour, thickly spotted with black rosettes ; 

 and, from the good feeding, and the care taken to clean him, his skin shone like silk. The expression 

 of his countenance was very animated and good-tempered, and he was particularly gentle to children ; 

 lie would lie down on the mats by their side when they slept, and even the infant shared his caresses, 

 and remained unhurt. During the period of his residence at Cape Coast I was much occupied by 

 making arrangements for my departure from Africa, but generally visited my future companion every 

 day, and we, in consequence, became great friends before we sailed. He was conveyed on board the 

 \essel in a large wooden cage, thickly barred in the front with iron. Even this confinement was not 

 deemed a sufficient protection by the canoe-men,* who were so alarmed at taking him from the shore 

 to the vessel, that, in their confusion, they dropped cage and all into the sea. For a few minutes I 

 gave up my poor panther as lost, but some sailors jumped into a boat belonging to the vessel, and 

 dragged him out in safety. The beast himself seemed completely subdued by his ducking, and, as no 

 one dared to open his cage to diy it, he rolled himself up in one corner, nor roused himself till after 

 an interval of some days, when he recognised my voice. When I first spoke he raised his head, held 

 H on one side, then on the other, to listen ; and when I came fully into his view, he jumped on his legs 

 and appeared frantic ; he rolled himself over and over, he howled, he opened his enormous jaws and 

 cried, and seemed as if he would have torn his cage to pieces. However, as his violence subdued, he 

 contented himself with thrusting his paws and nose through the bars of the cage, to receive my caresses. 

 I suspect that he had suffered from sea-sickness, as he had apparently loathed all food ; but after this 

 period he ate everything that was given to him. 



" The greatest treat I could bestow upon my favourite was lavender water. Mr. Hutchison had 

 told me that, on the way from Ashantee, he drew a scented handkerchief from his pocket, which was 

 immediately seized on by the panther, who reduced it to atoms ; nor could he venture to open a bottle 

 of perfume when the animal was near, he was so eager to enjoy it. I indulged him twice a-week, by 

 making a cup of stiff paper, pouring a little lavender water into it, and giving it to him through the 

 ban ofhia cage : he would drag it to him with great eagerness, roll himself over it, nor rest till the 

 smell had evaporated. By this I taught him to put out his paws without showing his nails, always 

 refusing the lavender water till he had drawn them back again; and, in a short time, he never, on anv 

 occasion, protruded his claws when offering me his paw. 



' Wi- lay eight weeks in the river Gaboon, where he had plenty of excellent food, but was never 

 suffered to leave his cage, on account of the deck being always filled with black strangers, to whom he 

 had a very decided aversion, although lie was perfectly reconciled to white people. His indignation, 

 however, was constantly excited by the pigs, when they were suffered to run past his cage ; and the 



The panther, in these countries, is a sacred or Fetish animal; and not only is a heavy fine extorted from those who kill 

 lint the Fetish is supposed to revenge his death by cursing the offender. 



