surrounded by black people, was hidden from the view of his favourite.  Sai wandered with a dejected look to various parts of the fortress in search of him; and, while absent on this errand, the audience ceased, the governor returned to his private rooms, and seated himself at a table to write.  Presently he heard a heavy step coming up the stairs, and, raising his eyes to the open door, he beheld Sai.  At that moment he gave himself up for lost, for Sai immediately sprang from the door on to his neck.  Instead, however, of devouring him, he laid his head close to the governor’s, rubbed his cheek upon his shoulder, wagged his tail, and tried to evince his happiness.  Occasionally, however, the panther caused a little alarm to the other inmates of the castle, and the poor woman who swept the floors, or, to speak technically, the pra-pra woman, was made ill by her fright.  She was one day sweeping the boards of the great hall with a short broom, and in an attitude nearly approaching to all-fours, and Sai, who was hidden under one of the sofas, suddenly leaped upon her back, where he stood in triumph.  She screamed so violently as to summon the other servants, but they, seeing the panther, as they thought, in the act of swallowing her, one and all scampered off as quickly as possible; nor was she released till the governor, who heard the noise, came to her assistance.  Strangers were naturally uncomfortable when they saw so powerful a beast at perfect liberty, and many were the ridiculous scenes which took place, they not liking to own their alarm, yet perfectly unable to retain their composure in his presence.

This interesting animal was well fed twice every day, but never given any thing with life in it.  He stood about two feet high, and was of a dark yellow colour, thickly spotted with black rosettes, and from the good feeding and the care taken to clean him, his skin shone like silk.  The expression of his countenance was very animated and good-tempered, and he was particularly gentle to children; he would lie down on the mats by their side when they slept, and even the infant shared his caresses, and remained unhurt.  During the period of his residence at Cape Coast, I was much occupied by making arrangements for my departure from Africa, but generally visited my future companion every day, and we, in consequence, became great friends before we sailed.  He was conveyed on board the vessel in a large, wooden cage, thickly barred in the front with iron. {38} Even this confinement was not deemed a sufficient protection by the canoe men,[1] who were so alarmed at taking him from the shore to the vessel, that, in their confusion, they dropped cage and all into the sea.  For a few minutes I gave up my poor panther as lost, but some sailors jumped into a boat belonging to the vessel, and dragged him out in safety.  The beast himself seemed completely subdued by his ducking, and as no one dared to open his cage to dry it, he rolled himself