them; being, it seems, of different nations and of different speech. We had
yet seen no wild beasts, or, at least, none that came very near us, except
two days before we came to the waterfall, when we saw three of the most
beautiful leopards that ever were seen, standing upon the bank of the river
on the north side, our prisoners being all on the other side of the water.
Our gunner espied them first, and ran to fetch his gun, putting a ball
extraordinary in it; and coming to me, "Now, Captain Bob," says he, "where
is your prince?" So I called him out. "Now," says he, "tell your men not to
be afraid; tell them they shall see that thing in his hand speak in fire to
one of those beasts, and make it kill itself."

The poor negroes looked as if they had been all going to be killed,
notwithstanding what their prince said to them, and stood staring to expect
the issue, when on a sudden the gunner fired; and as he was a very good
marksman, he shot the creature with two slugs, just in the head. As soon as
the leopard felt herself struck, she reared up on her two hind-legs, bolt
upright, and throwing her forepaws about in the air, fell backward,
growling and struggling, and immediately died; the other two, frighted with
the fire and the noise, fled, and were out of sight in an instant.

But the two frighted leopards were not in half the consternation that our
prisoners were; four or five of them fell down as if they had been shot;
several others fell on their knees, and lifted up their hands to us;
whether to worship us, or pray us not to kill them, we did not know; but we
made signs to their prince to encourage them, which he did, but it was with
much ado that he brought them to their senses. Nay, the prince,
notwithstanding all that was said to prepare him for it, yet when the piece
went off, he gave a start as if he would have leaped into the river.

When we saw the creature killed, I had a great mind to have the skin of