THE CHEETAH, OR HUNTING LEOPARD. 95 



(Felis jubata) is generally a most good-tempered and tyaotable 

 animal, and is led about with a chain and collar like a dog." 



Other accounts of accidents could be quoted. In B. Topsel's 

 " History of Four-footed Beasts," 1658, writing about the leopard, 

 but evidently referring to the species now called the cheetah, 

 we read : " This animal is sometimes tamed and used instead 

 of a dog for hunting both among the Tartarians and other 

 Princes, for they carry them behinde them on Horse-back, and 

 when they see a deer or hart, or convenient prey, they turn 

 them down upon them sodainly, who take them and destroy 

 them ; yet, such is the nature of this Beast, as also of the Pardal, 

 that, if he do not take his prey at the fourth or fifth jump, 

 he falleth so angry and fierce, that he destroyeth whomsoever he 

 meeteth-^yea, many times, his Huntei'. Thei'efore the Hunters 

 have always a regard to carry with them a Lamb or a iS^id, or some 

 such living thing, wherewithat they pacific him after he hath 

 missed his game ; for without bloud he will never be appeased^" 



Andersson,® after describing the capability of the leopard for 

 being tamed and domesticated, for he had reared one of these 

 animals himself, writes about the cheetah of the Cape Colony : 

 "My own experiences, however j as to the teachable qualities of 

 the cheetah are altogether at variance with those generally 

 ascribed to it | and I had a good opportunity of judging of the 

 nature and habits of the animalj as an acquaintance of mine 

 brought up one in my immediate vicinity, than which a fiercer or 

 more intractable brute never came under my notice. Its disposi- 

 tion, in fact, was the very opposite of that of the leopard spoken 

 of. . . . But then it is not of course fair to judge of a whole 

 species by a single individual. Moreover, the animal in question 

 was much teased and annoyed, more especially by the natives, 

 whom he learnt to hate with the most deadly hatred, and, unfor- 

 tunately, several children were bitten by him in a fearful manner, 

 one, if not more of thetn, dying from the wounds it inflicted. But, 

 indeed, with the exception of myself and one or two others, not a 

 European dared to approach within his reach. Kindness and 

 gentleness had no effect upon this fierce brute, and it was only 

 " " Notes of Travel in South Africa," 1875. 



