Jan. I, 1901.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
501 
SPORT IN B.C. A. 
SOME REMINISCENCES OF LEOPARDS 
IN BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA.— L 
(By an ex Ceylon Planter.) 
In 1S91 I had the good fortune to possess a 
donkey who was not much use to me, for I never 
rode hini; so he was .allowed to so ahoiit the estate 
at the freedom of his own will, alfording uuicli 
ainusement to the n.a ives who used to watch him 
braying in solemn silence and awe, till the last note 
of music ended, when there was a stampede with 
bhouts of laughter fiom the much amused crowd. 
One afternoon about three o'clcck my cattle keeper 
turned up with the information tl;at my dookey 
was found dead at the river, and that no one 
had gone near the beast for fear of being 
blamed fur cau-ingthe death by witchcraft ; this 
sounded strange for it is said a dead donkey is 
never found. 
I proceeded io the spot and found the animal 
lying amongst ihe boulders in the bed of the 
river quite dead and a |iiece taken out of his 
flank ; some claw marks were visible on the neck, 
so I concluded it was 
THE Work of a ieopakd. 
The carcase was quite warm and the fresh foot- 
prints of a large leopard were visible on the sand. 
I got some men and beat the bush round about to 
try and get a shot at the leopard but failed ; he 
had evidently cleareil right away upon hearing 
the sound of human voices. 
MY PRhVIOUS EXI'Ei;lRNC15 
of leopards led me to know that moving the 
carcase would not prevent him returning for a 
feed during the night, and as there was 
danger of the river i ising at any hour and carry- 
ing the carcases away, I had it dragged above 
flood level and soon got to work, setting a spring 
gun with the string attached in such 
a way as to cover the a]3proach to the 
carcase. Two friends who were living with 
me at the time suggested setting a shot gun 
loaded with No. 5 shot, as the distance was 
only five yaids, and that it would be more 
certain to bag our game ; so I adopted their 
suggestion and put a sliot carlridge into the gun 
instead of a bullet. About 8 p.m., bang went 
the gun and we then, armed with a double -577 
express and a lantern, set off in great haste to 
see the result of the shot. After a bit of a search 
however without success, although there was 
plenty of blood, we retired, deteriing further 
search till the morrow. 
After some early tea, soon after dawn, with 
half-a-dozen natives, we set oft in srreat glee 
EXPECTING A GRAND TROPHY 
in the sneaking carnivor who killed my donkey. 
We found upon examination of the spot plenty 
of blood, and that the leopard after receiving 
the full charge of No. 6 shot into his side had 
made one bound of about 20 feet on to the toj) 
of a large Hat rock where he had evidently stood 
for some time, and left a pool of blood behind 
him. Beyond this not a trace of blood Y>-as to be 
seen. After tracking till 9 o'clock we gave up 
the pursuit, disappointed and disgusted, oflering 
a reward of 10s to any native who would find 
our game dead or alive, I had not the slightest 
notion that the leopard would come back to the 
carcas, but expected hyenas would and set a 
jritle coveiing the quarry, about 10 p,m. Off 
,6^ 
went the gun again ; I decided this time how. 
ever to wait till day-light to make our search 
in case of accident and, as events will prove, 
it is as well be did for it is not a nice thing to 
find a wounded leopard springing upon a person 
in the dark. 
After the first peep of daylight shone through 
my window, I was up and called W — and M — 
and oft we set to the scene of slaughter, to find tlve 
gun had gone off and 
LODGED A BULLET SOMEWHERE IN THE ANIMAL 
but there was no sic^n of him anywhere about, 
dead or alive. 
After an hour's search, we discovered by throwing 
stones into the bush grass, as we followed the 
blood tracks, the leopard lying in a flat hollow 
amongst large boulders and thick scrub, evidently 
alive, for every time a stone was thrown in, he 
began to growl. Now to oust him oui of his 
lair, came the job, for see him we could not. 1 
had a dog who had often a narrow escape from 
leopards, and he stood on the top of a rock (right 
over where the beast was lying) barking most 
furiously. I managed with the assistance of a 
nigger to scramble up to where the dog was and 
I gave the cur a lift with my foot sending him 
right into where the leopard was. This had the 
desired effect, for like lightning he 
MADE ONE BOUND AND STOOD AVITH THE DOG 
UNDER HIS FORE-PAWS 
with his claws firmly set in the neck and ribs. 
My gun was at my shoulder in a minute and 
as I saw the snarling mouth and Hashing eyes 
looking the pic' are of ferocity, I covered the 
latter and let drive. He let go his victim and 
made for me but was unable to ascend the 
rock as his spine was broken, although his fore 
quarters were strong. My second barrel was 
discharged at his head as he endeavoured to 
climb the rock. It was without much effect, 
for he turned tail to me and made oft' back to 
where I rousetl him from. Being anxious to 
secure a good skin, not riddled with bullets, T 
ceased firing and induced a native, rather bolder 
than the rest, to get on to a small rock close 
to where the leopard was lying and pelt him with 
stones, so that he would either die or give me a 
shot which would not damage the skin. This had 
the desiied effect, although it took a lot of 
stones. After a tremendous amount of snarling 
and growling, out the beast rushed, and made 
straight for the nigger. Both rolled headlong ovei" 
the other side of tlie rock and 
DISAPPEARED IN THE LONG GBAS3 
before I had time even to bring my 
rifle to the shoulder. As quick as my legs 
could carry me I was on the top of the 
Hat rock and overlooking my prey on the other 
side, crouching low; covering the poor boy entirely 
with his long body ; snarliug and looking savagely 
at me on the rock. How to shoot the beast with- 
out the bullet going through the native, was my 
study which seemed in) possible from my elevated 
position, and to descend from the rock would be 
useless, for I could not see the beast without 
getting right on the top of him ; so my only 
chance was to fire from where I was and risk 
damaging the boy. So I let go and sent a bullet 
through his sliDu'lder and had the satisfaction of 
seeing the leopard let go his hold and sink quietly 
down beside his quarry, 
