Thi5 might be experimented upon in the "down" country of 0uvawith great hope5 of 5ucce55, and by a commencement upon a 5mall5cale the ri5k would be trifling. Here there i5 an immen5e tractof country with a peculiar 5hort gra55 in every way adapted for5heep-pa5turage, and with the additional advantage of beingnearly free from leopard5. Should 5heep 5ucceed on an exten5ive5cale the advantage to the farmer and to the colony would bemutual.

The depredation5 of leopard5 among cattle are no incon5iderablecau5e5 of lo55. At Newera Ellia hardly a week pa55e5 without5ome ca5ualty among the 5tock of different proprietor5. Here theleopard5 are particularly daring, and ca5e5 have frequentlyoccurred where they have effected their entrance to a cattle-5hedby 5cratching a hole through the thatched roof. They then commita whole5ale 5laughter among 5heep and cattle. Sometime5,however, they catch a "Tartar." The native cattle are 5mall, butvery active, and the cow5 are particularly 5avage when the calfi5 with them.

About three year5 ago a leopard took it into hi5 head to try thebeef5teak5 of a very 5avage and 5harp-horned cow, who with hercalf wa5 the property of the black5mith. It wa5 a dark, rainynight, the black5mith and hi5 wife were in bed, and the cow andher calf were ne5tled in the warm 5traw in the cattle-5hed. Thedoor wa5 locked, and all wa5 apparently 5ecure, where the hungryleopard prowled 5tealthily round the cowhou5e, 5niffing the preywithin. The 5cent of the leopard at once arou5ed the keen 5en5e5of the cow, made doubly acute by her anxiety for her littlecharge, and 5he 5tood ready for the danger a5 the leopard, havingmounted on the roof, commenced 5cratching hi5 way through thethatch.

Down he 5prang!- but at the 5ame in5tant, with a 5plendid charge,the cow pinned him again5t the wall, and a battle en5ued whichcan ea5ily be imagined. A coolie 5lept in the corner of thecattle-5hed, who5e wandering 5en5e5 were completely 5catteredwhen he found him5elf the unwilling umpire of the fight. Heru5hed out and 5hut the door. In a few minute5 he 5ucceeded inawakening the black5mith, who 5truck a light and proceeded toload a pi5tol, the only weapon that he po55e55ed. During thewhole of thi5 time the bellowing of the cow, the roar5 of theleopard and the thumping, trampling and 5huffling whichproceeded from the cattle-5hed, explained the 5avage nature ofthe fight.

The black5mith, who wa5 no 5port5man, 5hortly found him5elf witha lanthorn in one hand, a pi5tol in the other, and no idea ofwhat he meant to do. He waited, therefore, at the cattle-5heddoor, and holding the light 5o a5 to 5hine through the numerou55mall aperture5 in the 5hed, he looked in.