126 
THE TAME PANTHER. 
nearly reduced to a state of starvation. My 
panther must have perished but for a col¬ 
lection of more than three hundred parrots 
with which we sailed from the river, and 
which died very fast while we were in the 
northwest trades. Lai’s allowance was one 
a day; but this was so scanty a pittance that 
he grew ravenous, and had not the patience 
to pick off the feathers before he commenced 
his meal. The consequence was that he 
became very ill and refused even this small 
allowance of food. Those around me tried 
to persuade me that he suffered from the 
colder climate; but his dry nose and paws 
convinced me that he was feverish, and I 
had him taken from the cage, when, instead 
of jumping about and enjoying his liberty, 
he lay down and rested his head on my feet, 
I then made three pills, each containing two 
grains of calomel. The boy who had the 
charge of him, and who was much attached 
to him, held his jaws open while I pushed 
the medicine down his throat. Early the 
next morning I went to visit my patient, 
and found his guard sleeping in his cage; 
and, having administered a further dose to 
the invalid, I had the satisfaction of seeing 
