66 THE TOWER MENAGERIE. 
is valued only on account of its skin, which forms an 
important article in the commerce of that colony; while 
at the Cape, where it is known to the Dutch settlers by 
the misapplied name of Luipard (Leopard), it seems to 
be entirely neglected even in a commercial point of 
view. In the neighbourhood of the latter colony, it 
should be added, the animal appears from the testimony 
of travellers to be of rare occurrence; and Professor 
Lichtenstein, in particular, mentions an instance in 
which the skin of one was worn by the chief of a horde 
of Caffres as a badge of peculiar dignity and distinction. 
But even in the East, where the qualities of the Chetah 
appear to be best appreciated, and his faculties to be 
turned to most account, it would seem that he is not 
employed in hunting by all classes of the people indis- 
criminately ; but, on the contrary, that he is reserved 
for the especial amusement and gratification of the 
nobles and princes of the land, rather than used for 
purposes of real and general advantage. In this respect, 
and indeed in many others, as will be seen by the 
following brief account of the mode in which the chase 
with the Hunting Leopard is conducted, it bears a close 
resemblance to the ancient sport of hawking, so preva- 
lent throughout Europe in the days of feudal tyranny, 
but scarcely practised at the present day except by the 
more splendid slaves of Asiatic despotism. The animal 
or animals, for occasionally several of them are employed 
at the same time, are carried to the field in low chariots, 
on which they are kept chained and hooded, in order to 
deprive them of the power and temptation to anticipate 
the word of command by leaping forth before the ap- 
pointed time. When they are thus brought within view 
