p .
SHOOTING A LEOPARD IN A TREE. 9]
wlicnce wc may conclude llial ihe dhole, or wild dog, has nut such power over
ihcin as over tigers. Leopards utLaiii to a considerable size. Tliey arc liy no
means so heavy in llicir form as tigers, but tiiey possess great strenglli, and arc
far more active. Their disposition is generally treacherous in the exlreiue !
Though I Lhink the rearing of wild animals in general, but especially such as
tio-ers, bears, &c. very imprudent, and though I consider il as folly lo trust to
such even as may appear inoffensive, yet I confess that as fur as my own experience
goes, there is less danger from a royal liger thau from eillicr a leopard
or a bear. The last is ever sulky, and the leopard ever in a stale of vigilance
thai strongly marks his desire lo avail bimself of some unguarded monienl.
There may perhaps be an instance or two quoted where leopards liuve been
kept for years wilhout doing injury; but such accidental forbearance, will even
be found on enquiry to result from great precaution. While, on liie other hand,
ninnerous proofs could be furnished of the pacific disposition of some tigers
which liavc been reared in a domestic state. However, such passiveness is
ordinarily confined lo but a few persons, with whom they have become familiar.
And, lo confess the truth, I do not believe that even such as handle and feed
these extraordinary pets, in their hearts much relish their offices nf. all times.
So many accidents have happened, it is to be hoped that none will in future
be allowed Lo go abroad unchained. Tlie play of tigers and other wild animals
too strongly resembles that of the boys and the frogs in yEsop's fables.
The Adjutant of our regiment, wishing to send a leopard as a present to a
friend in England, procured a very fine cub wbicb had scarcely opened its
eyes, and took every pains lo rear it in such manner as might obviate all apprehension.
For some months the animal appeared as innocent as a kitlen,
was playful, and seemed lo be peculiarly tractable. I will not say how far its
disposition might have continued unexceptionable under any oilier circumstances;
but, unhappily, several of the privates of the artillery having access lo the place
where the leopard was kepi, and of course now and ihen imprudently worrying
him, the leopard became snappish and petulant. One day a soldier provoked
him rather too far, when the leopard, now grown to ihe size of a stout pointer,
suddenly reared, and fixing his claw in the nape of the man's neck, lore his
shoulder in sucli a manner as to occasion the soldier's death in the course of a
few hours. The leopard from lliat lime became so ferocious as to render it absolutely
necessary lo shoot him, a measure wdiich gave universal satisfaclion lo
the many, who, knowing the issue of such mallei's in general, had repeatedly
remonstrated with the gentleman regarding protegi.
We know that dogs once permitted lo lick ihe blood of such sheep as may
have been slaughtered, rarely can refrain from couunitting devastalion among
flocks; in the same degree we find that the manner of feeding ligers, &c.
occasions a certain dillerence in their dispositions. Ka\v meat should never be
given lo ihem; it renders liicm blood-thirsty, and seems lo awak<-n ihcir
dormant ferocity : every latent jiropensily to destruction is called forth into
action, and tlie whole deportment oftlie animal changes. Boiled meal is known
lo be equally nutritious; and when mixed, as is always done in feeding flogs
in India, with boiled rice, it is found lo render them far more tradabh-. The
several tigers which have been kept for so many years by some of the/««¿•ec-r.s,
or mendicant priests in various ])arls of Bengal, rarely, if ever, were supplied
with meat; being in general led with nothing more than boileil rice and ¡^hce.
These eleemosynary brutes range at large, but they do not .stray far from llicir
keepers. I confess thai one, wliich 1 visilcid near Colgong, ratlier disturbed my
peace of mind, by a peculiar lierccness indicated in a jiair of most expressive
eyes; which nolwiliislanding I knew llie animal to have been perfectly harmless
for several years, seemed to denote an inward wisli by no means favourable
to my safety. There is a very peculiar ajipcarance al the sight of strangers,
which seems inseparable from the liger's nature. 1'heya«/cec'r seemed lo jiossess
ample authority over llie tiger, which certafnly manifested no dislike lo his
visitors ; but the animal paced slowly round us with a seeming inquisilive air,
creating sensations not of llie most pleasing nature. He was not very large, but
could with ease have destroyed ihe whole ])ai-Ly in a Irice !
However much the fauhecr was habituated lo the tiger's comj)any, still
perhaps at some inomenls he had ap])rchensions for his safely ; but these he no
doubt would never avow. And I doubt not but now and then the sudden appearance
of the tiger from ihe jungle surrounditjg the habitation, caused in the
mind of his stoic patron some very curious qualms. The J'uukeer resided in a
small hut in the midst of a wilderness, which was so infested with ligers, as to
be absolutely ])roverbial. Colgong and Peer-Pahdrrij are loo well known in
Bengal lo leave any doubt as lo llu? very dangerous situation in which tlie
faukecr dwelt. It appeared to me wonderful that some stray tiger did not pay
him a visit, and convince him that abstinence formed no ])arl of tlie creed of
such of their race as had not the honour of being tulored by man.
The_/bji7i:eey'.s' hut was about tliree miles from Colgong, on a hill overlooking
tlie flat counlry on ihc opposite side of the Ganges. He u.sed to walk almost
daily to the town, accompanied by the tiger, which apparently created no alarm
among the inhabitants, who seemed to have full confidence in his innocence.
The had ever ¡nlerdictcd people from touching the tiger at all times,
under the utmost rigours of religious anathema; a prudent conduct, lo which
probably the tiger's passive slate may be chiefly allribuled. We received a
similar caution, in very civil terms, wiien we visited the mendicant, who, had
he known the state of our minds, or al least of mine, would not have felt any
necessity for such a prohibition.