AFRICA, 79 
ferocity ; he approaches always without noifej 
glides along with great dexterity, feizes every 
advantage, and, fpringing upon his prey, car- 
ries it off before any one fufpefts that he is 
near. 
I had afterwards frequent opportunities of 
feeing feveral of thefe animals ; ^s well as of 
another fpecies, called by the Dutch luypar^ 
or leopard of the French ; and a third fpecies, 
ftill fmaller, called the cat tyger^ and by BufFoa 
the offelot. I fhall fpeak of thefe hereafter. 
When I had finlfhed my obfervations on my 
panther, and had drawn a figure of him, we 
began to take off his fkin ; and my timid com- 
panions approached gradually, when they faw 
us quietly at work. The reader may eafily 
imagine how much they were afhamed, and 
what marks of confufion were difplayed in 
their countenances. Ought they not to have 
blufhed before a ftranger, who, engaged for 
the firft time with a ferocious animal, had re- 
mained firm, and fhewn more courage than 
they, though they had all been born and edu- 
cated, as one may fay, amidft the monfters of 
Africa ? 
When I had flayed the animal, my Hot- 
2- . tentot 
