272 
in form and beauty. Its head is smaller in proportion; its eyes 
are brown or hazle, without an appearance of vice; its spots are 
black and solid, not in circles; its body is long, loins slender, chest 
deep, legs straight and taper, and its paws not larger than those of a 
common sized dog; its tail is long and gracefully turned. The 
cheeta is as much superior to the leopard in the docility and gene- 
rosity of its nature, as in the elegance of its shape; of this I can 
speak with the greatest confidence from long possession, and a close 
observation of both animals. 
44 The cheeta is a native of many parts of Hindostan, but those 
of Guzerat are most esteemed: two of them were caught for and 
sent to me as a present, by a chief of that province, one of which 
is the subject of the annexed drawing. They were brought to me 
soon after they were caught; which was effected by digging deep 
pits, and covering over with boughs, near the places they fre- 
quented; which are easily discovered by certain trees, against which 
they are very fond of rubbing themselves. If they are caught 
young, and brought up by hand, they prove good for nothing, and 
lose that degree of activity and fierceness, which characterize those 
procured after having provided prey for themselves in a wild 
state. 
64 The cheeta introduced into the drawing, is, in every respect 
but size, a perfect representation of the one in my possession; he 
was broke in after he came to me, and was in the space of twelve 
months as familiar as a dog, and would follow his keeper loose 
through the streets of Cambay; though, from the apprehension of 
his killing goats and other tame animals, he was generally led by a 
chain; his common allowance of food is five seir, or something 
