MR. CAMPBELL. No doubt he would. Savage as leopards are, there are many instances of their being quite tamed. Black leopards are found in the East Indies. The huntingleopard, called chetah, is trained in India to chase the antelopes. I remember one instance, wherein a party had more trouble in killing a large leopard than we had. The leopard had taken refuge in a hut, the roof of which, like those of Ceylon huts in general, spread to the ground resembling an umbrella; the only opening into it was a little door. There were of the party two medical men armed with blunt hogspears; the collector of the place with a gun, and another person with a hedge-stake. They were joined by an English officer, two artillery men, and a Malay captain, all armed. The two artillery men planted themselves at the door of the hut; and the Malay captain got on the top, to unroof it, that the tiger might be frightened out of his retreat. One of the artillery men wanted to go into the hut to the animal, but that was not allowed. At last the beast sprung; the artillery man received him on his bayonet, which he thrust apparently down his throat, firing his piece at the same time. The bayonet broke off short, leaving a small portion only remaining on the musket, the rest was left in the animal. The leo pard rose up directly on his legs with a loud roar, and placed his paws upon the soldier's breast; then suddenly stooped down, seized the soldier's arm in his mouth, turned him half round, threw him on his back, and fell upon him. The rest of the party dared not fire, lest they should kill the soldier. The other artillery man then attacked the leopard in the same way in which the first had done: he struck his bayonet into his head; the leopard rose at him; he fired, and the ball took effect; the animal staggered backwards, and the remainder of the party poured in their fire. The leopard writhed, and kicked, and the gentlemen with the hogspears advanced and fixed him, while others beat him on the head till he died. On cutting off his head, the knife came across the bayonet, which was stuck as it were in the animal's throat. ALFRED. What! had he a bayonet in his throat while he was springing at them in that manner? what a strong creature he must have been! MR. CAMPBell. Yes, he was a strong animal; and it was supposed that he had swam across an arm of the sea two miles broad, for it was at Jaffna where this took place, and Jaffna, standing on a peninsula, on which there is no jungle of any size, is not likely to be much troubled with leopards. I will now describe the hyena. THE striped hyena is a native of Barbary, Egypt, Abyssinia, Nubia, Syria, and Persia; its colour is a brownish grey, with transverse bands of dark brown on the body, and oblique stripes on the flanks and legs. The hide has two sorts of hair; the fur or wool, and the long stiff silky hair. The hair on the top of the back is much thicker and stronger than on other parts of the body. The spotted hyena is a native of Southern Africa, and the species is found very numerous at the Cape of Good Hope. The hyena, like the jackal and the vulture, lives upon animal remains. The most serious inconveniences would arise if putrid carcasses were left untouched in hot climates; but the hyena, the jackal, and the vulture, devour with great avidity these remains, and are, in this point of view, of essential service. The hyena has prodigious strength in his jaws, and is therefore enabled to tear away every portion from the bones of the carcasses he feeds upon, and to devour, indeed, a great portion of the bones themselves. In a field of battle in South Africa, the dead are never buried; for the hyenas, and other creatures of prey, devour them all. When driven by hunger, the hyenas will bear away large animals while alive, and even men, with the most daring ferocity; whole villages have been attacked by them. The howl of the hyena is fearful, and when heard in lonesome places it is of the most appalling kind. Hyenas sometimes follow caravans in the desert, and prowl about them continually for food. It is not true that hyenas cannot be tamed; many instances have occurred proving the contrary. There was, some years ago, one of these creatures at Exeter Change so tame, that he was permitted to walk about the exhibition-room; but, afterwards, when this animal was kept in a state of confinement, he became quite ferocious. It is probable that many animals whose nature requires that they should be at liberty, are rendered more wild and unmanageable by confinement than they otherwise would be. ALFRED. I should not much like to trust myself with a tame hyena! |