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THE LION.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTION—PLACES WHERE THE LION IS FOUND—LION HUNTS IN AFRICA AND IN ASIA DISTINCT SPECIES—NUMEROUS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA—DESCRIPTION OF THE LION AND LIONESS— THE FACULTIES OF THESE ANIMALS—THE LION'S ROAR SIZE AND WEIGHT—IMMENSE STRENGTH COMPARED WITH THAT OF THE BENGAL TIGER—DOGS VERSUS THE LION—THE LION'S PACES.

A

LTHOUGH both in "Lake Ngami," and "The River Okavango," many of my adventures with the Lord of the African wilds are recorded, much remains to be told of his habits, modes of life, &c., some of which, perchance, may not have been noticed by other travellers and sportsmen.

The number of lions actually killed by myself have not, it is true, been very great. Neither in- clination nor circumstances permitted me to devote much time to their destruction. When leisure per- mitted, the chase of the Elephant probably the most exciting and hazardous of African sports was my favourite pursuit; I may however safely say, I never hesitated to attack the lion when he crossed my path. Still I have seen him lace to face when he has been infuriated by the anguish of mortal wounds, have felt his breath fanning my cheek in the

THE LION.

dead of the night, have assisted in depriving him of his prey when maddened with hunger, have met him in the ready swamp and in the dense jungle, have "stalked" the antelope in his company, have seen him pull down the stately giraffe, have roused him in the midst of his "children," and encountered him under many other circumstances—and without taking undue credit to myself, I therefore think I am in some degree, at least, qualified to judge of the royal beast and his habits.

The lion is found from within one hundred miles or so of the Cape of Good Hope to the shores of the Mediterranean, in short, through nearly the length and breadth of Africa. As regards the more southern portion of that continent, however, it is a very generally received opinion with both colonists and natives that there are two distinct species of this animal, viz., the so called "black-maned" and the "yellow-maned" lion; the former being de- scribed as the longest in the body, and the latter as the larger in regard to general proportions. The dark colour of the mane of the "black-maned lion" they furthermore say, is not attributable in any way to age the cause usually assigned by natu- ralists—but it is of that hue from the first; and this, their view of the matter, is in some degree corroborated by a circumstance that came to my personal knowledge, and for the correctness of which I can vouch. Two lions were shot on the same spot, and almost at the same instant of time, Both were full grown; but one was young, whilst the other was so old that lie had merely the stumps

SPECIES OF THE LION

of his teeth remaining, and yet the manes of both were similar—that is blackish.

Besides the so called black and yellow-maned lion, the Anna Zulu Caffirs, whose opinions are by no means to be despised, distinguish between the grey or white, the red and the grey-necked lion (called by the Boers the blue- necked), which they say is peculiarly savage; and, in addition, both hunters and natives make mention of a maneless lion.

In Damora-land again, the inhabitants speak of two kinds of lion. One of a whitish hue, maneless and very long in the body, and hence designated by them the Onkyama Ombaske, that is the lion-giraffe; and the other as of a brownish, or of the usual tawny colour, short in the body, and of a fierce disposition. This they call Onkyama Okomba.

But the late Sir Cornwallis Harris (then captain), who, as the reader may be aware, spent some time in Southern Africa on a shooting excursion, alto- gether gainsays the notion of two species of lions being found there; for, after telling us "that, with the exception of the mane of the African lion being often larger and of a finer texture than that of the Indian, attributable probably to the less jungly nature of the country it infests, and to the more advanced age to which it is allowed to attain, it is in every respect (and often in this respect also), precisely similar to that found in Guzerat in India." He goes on to say, "But I need hardly inform the well-instructed reader that both the colour and the size depend chiefly upon the animal's age, the

THE LION.

development of his physical powers; and of the mane also, being principally influenced by a like contingency. That, for instance, which has been designated the 'maneless lion of Guzerat,' is nothing more than a young lion whose mane has not shot forth; and I give this opinion with the less hesita- tion, having slain the 'king of beasts' in every stage from whelphood to imbecility."

In Northern Africa, again, it would seem the general opinion that there is more than one species of lion. M. Gérard, the famous slayer of these beasts, tells us, indeed, "that no less than three species are found in Algeria, viz., the black lion (el adrea), the fawn-coloured lion (el asfar), and the grey lion (el zarzouri). He, moreover, goes into many details relating to each, but his story is too long for insertion in these pages.

The lion also inhabits the hotter portions of Asia, amongst the rest, as said, certain districts in Hin- dostan. In parts of Turkey, Persia, Syria, &c., it is far from uncommon. What may be the case in the Holy Land at the present day, I know not; but from the frequent allusions made to this animal in the Bible, it would seem formerly to have abounded there.*

In parts, at least, of Asia, as in Africa, the idea is likewise entertained that there is more than one species of lion. Layard, for instance, in his cele- brated work, "Nineveh and Babylon," after telling

* Judges xiv. 5, 6; 1 Samuel xvii. 34; Psalm civ. 21; 1 Kings xiii. 24, 25, 28; 2 Kings xvii. 25, 26; Jeremiah xlix. 19); Nahum ii. 11, 12, 13.

OPINION OF NATURALISTS.

us that, on the River Karoom, he had seen lions with a long black mane, goes on to say, "The in- habitants of the country make a distinction between them and the common maneless lion; the former are 'kafir' or infidels, the others Mussulmans, By a proper remonstrance, and at the same time pro- nouncing the profession of faith, a true believer may induce the one to spare his life, but the unbelieving lion is inexorable."

Though the belief of there being two. or more kinds of lion, not only in Southern and Northern Africa, but in Asia, is, as shewn, pretty general, yet great naturalists, on the contrary, assure us there is only one species in the world, and that the difference observable amongst these animals, in regard to size, colour, &c., is solely attributable to the effects of climate, soil, food, age, or other circum- stances. "The lion," says Carpenter, the zoo- logist," is much more disposed to exhibit varieties than most of the feline family, with the exception of the domestic cat," and he quotes many unmistak- able instances of animals originally of the same race, changing their habits and character by being removed to localities differing in physical condition from those pertaining to the place of their birth.

But be there only one species of lion, or be there several, the subject is at all events deserving the attention of naturalists, and others who devote themselves to the advancement of science.

To resume: lions, though generally distributed over the African continent, probably abound most

THE LION.

in countries bordering on the torrid zone. In parts of Southern Africa they are also very numerous, as what follows will shew:—

"These rocks and vales and picturesque scenes," says Moffatt, when describing one of his journeys in the interior," were often vocal with the lion's roar. It was a country once covered with a dense population; on the sides of the hills and Kashan Mountains were towns in ruins, where thousands once made the country alive, amidst fruitful vales now covered with luxuriant grass, inhabited by game. The extirpating invasions of the Mantaties and Matabele had left to beasts of prey the undis- puted right of these lovely woodland glens. The lion, which had revelled on human flesh, as if con- scious there was none to oppose him, roamed at large, a terror to the traveller, who often hears with dismay his mighty roaring echoed back by the surrounding hills."

Elsewhere, when speaking of a wild and desolate region that he was traversing, the worthy Mis- sionary writes: "The number of lions hereabouts may be easily accounted for, when it is remem- bered how thinly scattered are the inhabitants; and, indeed, the whole appearance of the country impresses the mind with the idea that it is only fit for beasts of prey."

And further on, when speaking of the Chuenyane Mountains, he says: "The number of lions here was fearful. . . . During the night we heard their roar from every point of the compass "

Then, again, we are told by M. Delegorgue, the

MAJESTIC APPEARANCE.

African traveller, naturalist, and sportsman, who spent a considerable time in the Caffir country. "that during the great migration or' the Dutch Boers from the Cape Colony to their present settle- ment, no fewer then 380 lions were killed by them."

Harris, also, testifies to the great number of lions in the country where he was then shoot- ing, in a letter to Colonel Delamaine, an equally enthusiastic and renowned sportsman as himself. He says: "They are nearly as numerous as the rhinoceros,* and used to visit our waggons by twos and threes by daylight, and every night they made a descent on our sheep and oxen, frequently killing them, and generally driving thorn out of the thorn fence into the wilderness to a distance of miles."

The lion I here speak of the common type is a strikingly bold and majestic-looking animal; his large and shaggy mane, which he can erect at plea- sure, surrounding his awful front. His huge eye- brows, his round and fiery eye-balls, which, upon the least irritation, seem to glow with peculiar lustre, together with the formidable appearance of his fangs, exhibit a picture of terrific grandeur. which no words can describe.

One must not, however, judge of the animal from the specimens usually exhibited in menageries; for though these frequently equal in bulk those found

* Of which animals, as had previously informed his friend. "he on one occasion, when bringing to his bivouac a distance of about a mile the head of a koodoo shot on the preceeding day, encountered no fewer than twenty-two, and was necessitated to shoot three of them to clear the way."

THE LION.

in a wild state, yet being reared in confinement, and deprived of the milk of the mother of fresh air, so to say of liberty, &c., they too often acquire a sickly, emaciated, and melancholy look, which, coupled with the want of an ample mane, causes them to contrast very unfavourably with their fel- lows in a state of nature.

Harris, who had ample opportunities of making the acquaintance of the lion in his native wilds both in Africa and India, would seem, like myself, to have been greatly struck by the different ap- pearance the beast presents when in a state of freedom from that when a wretched prisoner. His words are:—

"Those who have seen the monarch of the forest in crippling captivity, immured in a cage barely double his own length, with his sinews relaxed by confinement, have seen but the shadow of the animal which 'clears the desert with his roving eye.' "

The lioness is a much less imposing-looking animal than the lion, being not only one-third smaller, but devoid of a mane. When roused, how- ever, either by rage or hunger, she has an even more ferocious aspect than her stately mate, whose countenance is often partially hidden by his flowing inane.

It is said that, as a general rule, the lioness is more fierce and active than the lion, and that such as have never had young are more dangerous than those that have had families.

The lion is possessed of a piercing sight, and his

ROAR OF THE LION.

hearing is very acute, but his sense of smell would not appear to be very nice. Indeed, to judge by Gerard's adventures with the beast, which, by his account, often approached to within a very few paces of him. without being at all aware of his pre- sence, it would not seem as if his olfactory nerves served him in any very great stead.

The roar of the lion perhaps one of the most remarkable characteristics, so to say, of the animal is fearful, and when heard in the night time, whether in the desert or the forest, impresses one with something like awe. It much resembles distant thunder. The Arabs of Northern Africa have, indeed, only a single word to express his voice, and that is Rad, or thunder.

When, however, people speak of the roar of the lion, it is to be presumed they have in their mind's eye the low, hollow, and half suppressed sigh, or groan, that one so often hears in menageries. The roar of the animal in its wild state is something very different, and is truly terrific and appalling. But it is seldom heard in all its intensity; indeed, a friend of mine, who frequently hunted the beast in Southern Africa, only remembers hearing it twice, and I, for my part, on not more than half-a-dozen occasions. The lion's roar, however, even under the mildest form, is most impressive and has not been inaptly likened to the efforts "to disgorge something from the throat."

The impression made on my own mind by the lion's roar would seem to have been in great measure shared by other travellers, who, as my-

THE LION.

self, have had ample opportunities of hearing it in the animal's native wilds.

"Each night," writes Delegorgue, "these grand carnivori disturbed by their roarings our sleep and the repose of the cattle, confined within a circular fence. There is something terrifying in this noise, the only one that troubles the night in these solitudes, something which obliges me to acknow- ledge the lion as the ' master ' in them."

"One of the most striking things connected with the lion," says Gordon Gumming, "is his voice, which is extremely grand and peculiarly striking. It consists at times of a low, deep moaning, re- peated five or six times, ending in faintly audible sighs; at other times, he startles the forest, with loud, deep toned, solemn roars, repeated five or six times in quick succession, each increasing in loud- uess to the third or fourth, when his voice dies away in five or six low muffled sounds very much resembling distant thunder. At times, and not un- frequently, a troop may be heard roaring in concert, one assuming the lead, and two, three, or four more regularly taking up their parts, like persons singing a catch. Like our Scottish stags at the rutting season, they roar loudest in cold, frosty nights; but on no occasions are their voices to be heard in such perfection, or so intensely powerful, as when two or three troops of strange lions approach a fountain to drink at the same time. When this occurs, every member of each troop sounds a bold roar of defiance at the opposite parties; and when one roars, all roar together, and each

ROAR OF THE LION.

seems to vie with his comrades in the intensity and power of his voice. The power and grandeur of these nocturnal concerts is inconceivably striking and pleasing to the hunter's ear. The effect I may remark, is greatly enhanced when the hearer happens to be situated in the depths of the forest, at the dead hour of midnight, unaccompanied by any attendant, and ensconced within twenty yards of the fountain which the surrounding troop of lions are approaching. Such has been my situation many scores of times; and though I am allowed to have a tolerably good taste for music, I consider the catches with which I was then regaled as the sweetest and most natural I ever heard."

"Elsewhere," Gordon Gumming observes, "as a general rule, lions roar during the night; their sighing moans commencing as the shades of even- ing envelop the forest, and continuing at intervals throughout the hours of darkness."

According to Gerard, who had more opportu- nities than most men of studying the roar of the lion, "It is composed of a dozen sounds, com- mencing with sighs which rise in volume as they proceed, and finish as they began with an interval between each."

"When a lion and a lioness are in company," Ge"rard further informs us, "the lioness is always the first to roar, and this at the moment of leaving the lair.

"The lion alternates with the lioness.

"In this manner they proceed on their way, roar- ing every quarter of an hour until they have ap-

THE LION.

proached the Douar* which they propose despoiling, and when their appetites are satisfied they recom- mence roaring and continue until daylight.

"The lion, when alone, also roars on leaving his den, and it often happens that he continues doing so until he reaches the Douar.

"In the Summer, during the great heats, the lion roars less, and sometimes not at all; but in the pairing season he makes ample amends for lost time."

''When the lion roars" says General Dumas, "people pretend one rnay readily distinguish the following words:—'Ahna on ben el mera,' that is ' I and the son of the woman.' Moreover, that lie repeats twice 'ben el mera but 'Ahna' onty once, from which they conclude he dares not recognise any other creature than man besides himself."

The natives of parts of South Africa, it is to be remarked, assert they can readily distinguish be- tween the roar of a hungry lion, or one intent on mischief, and that of a lion whose appetite is al- ready appeased. When the beast is hungry, his roar, they say, is dull and stifled; but when, on the contrary, his belly is full, it is rather loud.

Moffatt testifies to the like effect. "As we were retiring to rest one night" writes the Missionary,

* Arab village, or rather encampment, as there, nomad people are constantly on the move from one locality to the other, in accordance with the season of the year, and the state of the pasturage, &c. The "Douar" usually consists of from ten to fifteen tents pitched in a circular form; and in the Winter time, at least, is commonly situated on the western slope of a hill the whole being surrounded by a, high and strong fence— with a single opening for the people and cattle.

THE ROAR AT MIDNIGHT.

when sojourning with some natives that he fell in with in his wanderings, who lived entirely on roots and the produce of the chase, and who seemed per- fectly versed in all the tactics of the lion—"one of those beasts passed near us, occasionally giving a roar, which softly died away on the extended plain, and it was responded to by another at a distance. Directing the attention of these Balala, and asking if they thought there was danger, they turned their ears as to a voice with which they were familiar, and after listening for a moment or two replied. *There is no danger, he has eaten and is going to sleep.' They were right, and we slept also. Asking them in the morning how they knew the lions were going to sleep, they replied: 'We live with them, they are our companions.''

Impressive and terrible as is the roar of the lion, cattle, unless they scent the beast, or have been previously wounded by him, would not appear to take so much notice of it as is generally repre- sented. I at least have known the lion to growl—ay, to roar most savagely—within gun-shot of my bivouac, and not an ox or sheep stirred.*

*What Anderson here tells us seems somewhat contradictory to the experiences of other travellers, to that of Moffat. at least, who at page 131 says: "One night we were quietly bivouacked at a small pool in the Orep river, where we never anticipated a visit from his majesty; we had just closed our united evening worship, the hook was still in my hand, and the closing notes of the song of praise had scarcely fallen from our lips, when the terrific roar of the lion was heard; our oxen, which before were quietly chewing the cud, rushed upon us, and over our fires, leaving us prostrated in a cloud of dust and sand; hats and hymn-books, our bible and our guns, were all scattered in wild confusion. Providentially no serious

THE LION.

And as further evidence of the little dread that domestic animals entertain for the lion's roar, or even for the beast himself, I may mention that it is a usual practice with the South African hunters, after having killed and flayed a lion, to strap his skin behind the saddle, and the horse, even when untrained to the chase, is rarely or never known to shew symptoms of fear. Gerard indeed tells us, he carried his first lion strapped on two mules placed side by side.

The length of a South African adult lion, from the nose to the extremity of the tail, I take to be from eleven to twelve feet, and its height from heel to shoulder, three and a-half feet and upwards. Indi- viduals are, however, said to attain to a still larger size.

Delegorgue when speaking of the District of Mas- selica, on the Eastern coast, where he hunted for some time, and where, from circumstances, he

injury was sustained; the oxen were pursued, brought black, and secured to the waggon, for we could ill Afford to lose any. Africaner, seeing the reluctance of the people to pursue in a dark and gloomy ravine, grasped a fire-brand, and exclaimed, 'Follow me,' and but for this promptness and intrepidity we must have lost some of our number, for nothing can exceed the terror of oxen at even the smell of a lion. Though they may happen to lie in the worst condition possible, worn out with fatigue and hunger, the moment the shaggy monster is perceived they start off like race-horses, with their tails erect, and sometimes days will elapse before they are found."—ED.

* The length of the dried skin of a wild beast is not to my mind any criterion of its real size when living, because in my own country, Sweden (and the like is probably the case in Africa), when the skin of a bear or wolf, for instance, is nailed up to the wall to dry, it is not infrequently drawn to an unnatural length, and one altogether disproportioned to its breadth.

SIZE AND WEIGHT.

thought, with some reason, that lions should be the largest and strongest of the race, goes on to say. *The dried skin* of one of these animals measured from nose to tail (the latter one metre in length) three metres, fifty centimetres."

The weight of the beast so far as I am aware has never been correctly ascertained, but it is very considerable; and as I should imagine, cannot be less than from five to six hundred pounds.

The lion inhabiting Northern Africa would seem to be fully as heavy as that common to the more southern portion of the continent. Gerard, when speaking of what he calls the "black lion," which he describes as a trifle less than either the "fawn-coloured" or the "grey," says: "The breadth of his forehead is a coudée, the length of his body from the nose to the insertion of the tail, which is a metre long, measures five coudées; the weight of his body varies between two hundred and seventy-five and three hundred kilos.''

Elsewhere, and when speaking of a huge lion (but the species or variety he does not name), killed in a great chasse at which he was present, he tells us that the beast must have weighed at least six hun- dred livres, or some six hundred and sixty-one and a-half English pounds.

The strength of the lion is enormous; in Algeria according to Gerard the Arabs say it is equal to that of forty men. Hans, my faithful attendant, told me he had known an instance where the beast had broken the back of a large ox whilst it was yet alive. This feat the lion accomplished when

THE LION.

planted, so to say, on the poor animal's bind quar- ters; for striking his claws deep into the neck of the victim, he, by a violent effort, brought its fore and hind quarters into such close proximity that the spine, as a natural consequence, was at once separated. He (Hans) told me, moreover, that on a certain occasion a lion seized one of his largest oxen by the muzzle, and dragged it away bodily to a dis- tance, when he killed and devoured it at his leisure. Thunberg's testimony is to the like effect. "The lion," he says, "is possessed of such immense strength that he will not only attack an ox of the largest size, but will very nimbly throw it over his shoulders, and leap over a fence four feet high with it, although at the same time the ox's legs hang dangling on the ground."

And Sparman tells us, "that he saw a lion in the Cape Colony take a heifer in his mouth, and though the legs trailed on the ground, he carried it off as a cat would a rat, and leaped a broad dike without the least difficulty."

But what Montgomery Martin relates as to the enormous strength of the lion, is still more extra- ordinary. After stating "that a young lion has been known to carry a good-sized horse a mile from the spot where he killed it," he goes on to say: "An instance occurred in the Sneemoberg, where one of these beasts carried off a two-year-old heifer; his "spoor" was followed by the hunters for five hours on horseback, and throughout the whole dis- tance, the carcase was ascertained to have touched the ground only once or twice!"

STRENGTH AND PROWESS.

Notwithstanding the above proofs of the great strength and power of the South African lion, Englishmen who have hunted in India, where, as said, this animal also abounds in certain districts, are inclined to think that in these respects he is inferior to the royal tiger, who has been known to smash a bullock's head by a single blow of his paw! That the strength of the lion should be inferior to that of the tiger can, however, hardly be the case, since their relative size is, I take it, much the same, and the structure of the skeleton (however different the outward form of the animal may be) is so nearly alike as to make it difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish the one from the other. The notion in question is not unlikely to arise from the tiger being in the habit of striking his victim; whilst the action of the lion, when despatching his prey, is more cat-like—scratching as it were.

Speaking of the lion's strength and prowess, it may be proper here to remark that English naturalists, after telling us that in the Cape Colony the lion is hunted with dogs, go on to say: "The hounds surround him; and rushing upon him all at once, soon tear him to pieces." It is not, of course, for me to gainsay such high authorities; but. I strongly suspect that the reader, after perusing these pages, will agree with me in thinking that even if a score of dogs were simultaneously to attack the king of beasts, not only would a few of them bite the dust, but he himself' would come out of the conflict all but, or altogether unscathed! The usual pace of a lion is a walk, and though

c 2

THE LION.

apparently rather slow, yet, from the great length of his body, he is able to get over a good deal of ground in a short time. Indeed, he has been known, in the course of the night, to cross a plain which, at that particular point, was, as the crow flies, forty-five miles in width.

Occasionally he trots, when his speed is not inconsiderable.

His gallop—or rather succession of bounds—is, for a short distance, very fast; nearly or quite equal to that of a horse. Indeed, unless the steed has somewhat the start when the beast charges, it will be puzzled to escape. Many instances are on record of horsemen who have incautiously ap- proached too near to the lion, prior to firing, who have been pulled down by him before they could get out of harm's way. Happily, however, the beast soon tires of the exertion of galloping, and unless his first rush succeeds, he, for the most part, soon halts and beats a retreat.

CHAPTER II.

NATURE OF THE LION'S PREY—SAID TO EAT HIS MATE—DESTRUC- TIVE TO CATTLE—THE LION A "MAN-EATER"—THE WHITE MAN VERSUS THE BLACK—NATIVES COMPELLED TO LIVE IN TREES MANNER IN WHICH THE LION SEIZES HIS PREY—THE LION'S BOUND—THE WOUNDS HE INFLICTS—FOOT OF THE LION—HIS GLUTTONY—FAMILIARITY OF INFERIOR ANIMALS WITH HIM— THE LION'S FLESH—AGE TO WHICH HE ATTAINS ATTEMPTS SUICIDE.

T

HE lion preys on most of the animals inhabit- ing the African wilds that chance to fall in his way; but the antelope tribe would, seem to be the chief objects of his pursuit. It happens, how- ever, that the beast is beaten off by the powerful gemsbok, or oryx, on whose long and sharp horns, indeed, he is occasionally impaled, and in such wise that, being unable to extricate himself, both in con- sequence perish. Even the tall giraffe, as will here- after be seen, is not unfrequently his victim.

At times, likewise, the young of the elephant becomes his prey. "He lies in ambush for it," says Delegorgue, "and pulls it to the ground; and after strangling it, walks off without disputing his prize with its dam, being certain of recovering it at an after-period."

Occasionally, moreover, he attacks and kills the

THE LION.

buffalo, one of the fiercest and most formidable of African beasts but often has to pay dear for his temerity; for should there be several buffaloes in company, or others near at hand, the probability is he will be gored to death.

Delegorgue even goes so far as to say that the lion not unfrequently destroys the huge white rhinoceros, an animal which all but rivals the elephant in regard to strength and bulk. His words are:

"Maintes fois trouvai-je des rhinocéros de la plus haute taille, que ni leur poids, ni leur force, ii leur fureur, n'avaieut pu préserver de la mort. La place de combat était visible; partout elle était foulée, et I'empreinte du lion s'y lisait sur chaque point,"

This, however, is quite contrary to my own ex- perience, and that of some of the most celebrated African hunters. As a rule, indeed, lions arc said to make themselves scarce where the rhinoceros abounds. Occasionally, it is true, the lion will surprise and destroy the young of this animal as well as that of the elephant; but even the hyena is known to accomplish this feat.

Unless the rhinoceros be previously wounded, I myself am doubtful if the lion ever ventures to attack the adult animal; and even if it be maimed, he would not always seem to prove the victor. I judge so because when on one occasion I was fol- lowing the spoor of a black rhinoceros (which is greatly inferior in size and strength to the white) that I had wounded on the preceding day, I came

SAID TO EAT HIS MATE.

to a spot where one, if not two lions, probably taking advantage of his crippled condition, bad evidently attacked him, and, after a desperate scuffle, bad been compelled to beat a precipitate retreat. In this case, however, the wounded animal would appear to have been aided by a companion, who had evidently only left him when he could walk no further. This is the sole instance that has come to my knowledge of the lion having the daring to attack the rhinoceros, though I have seen it stated in print that he not only frequently assails, but even masters that horned monster.

Once in a time, moreover, the lion kills and eats his brother lion. On only a single occasion, how- ever, has an instance of the kind come to my know- ledge. This was when I was on my way to the Lake Ngami. On a certain night we had badly wounded a lion, which retreated growling into the bush, and shortly afterwards a whole troop of lions rushed on their disabled brother, and tore him to pieces.

And once in a time the lion makes a meal of his mate, an instance of which came under my personal notice; it occurred thus:—

Early one morning a herdsman of ours came run- ning up to us in great fright, and announced "that a lion was devouring a lioness." We thought at first that the man must be mistaken, but on proceeding to the spot found his story to be perfectly true, and that only the skull, the large bones, and the skin of the animal were left. On examining the ground more closely, the fresh remains of a young spring-

THE LION.

bok were discovered. We, therefore, conjectured that the lion and lioness being very hungry, and the antelope not proving a sufficient meal for both, they had quarreled, and that he, after killing his wife, had coolly eaten her also. And certainly, a most substantial breakfast it must have been.

The lion is very destructive to the cattle and sheep of the colonists and natives, especially when several of them are in company, and many in- stances have come to my knowledge where a troop of these beasts have dashed into the fold and destroyed a number of oxen equal to their own. One night, indeed, when on my way from Damara land to the Cape, and close to my bivouac, five lions broke into a kraal belonging to a famous hunter, afterwards in my employ, and slaughtered no fewer than five cows.

But great as are the ravages of the lion amongst the domestic animals of Southern Africa, they are trifling in comparison with those the inhabitants of Algeria have to complain of, which, as will hereafter be shewn, are something terrible.

The lion, as is known, becomes occasionally a regular "man-eater," and when such is the case proves a dreadful scourge to the country. Happily, however, not one lion perhaps in fifty can properly come under the above denomina- tion.

Various reasons are assigned for lions becoming "man-eaters." Some imagine they first acquire the taste for human flesh (which subsequently they are said to prefer to that of all other) to certain tribes

MAN-EATERS.

in the interior never burying their dead, but un- ceremoniously leaving the corpses of their friends exposed in the forest, or on the plain, as the case may be, a prey to wild beasts or the vulture; and I can readily imagine that a lion thus "blooded," so to say, would have little hesitation, when oppor- tunity presented itself, of springing upon and carry- ing off the traveller or native that came in his way.

But the practice of getting rid of the dead in the way spoken of does not exist in all parts of the in- terior, where, nevertheless, "man-eaters" are to be found. I am therefore inclined to believe that the habit of certain lions making a meal of a man, when they can get hold of him, arises rather from incapacity on their part to secure their ordinary prey than from anything else; and I have the greater reason to think this is the case, since young lions are seldom found to indulge in human food. When the beast becomes crippled, whether from wounds or old age, and is no longer able to grapple with the wild animals of his native haunts, it is only reason- able to suppose he will seize the first and most favourable opportunity of satisfying his hunger, and this the exposed situation of the native villages too often affords him.

Strangely enough, the lion, it is confidently asserted, would rather dine off a black man than a white, and the cause assigned is somewhat singular. "The beast in question," says Thunberg, "had much rather eat a Hottentot than a Christian

THE LION.

—perhaps because the Hottentot, being besmeared with fat, always stinks,* and because, as he never eats salt or spices, the juices of his body are not so acrid."

In certain parts of Southern Africa that have been devastated and partially depopulated by bloody intestine wars, lions have become so numerous and daring, and from feeding on the bodies of the slain, have acquired such a taste for human flesh, that the remaining inhabitants, to escape their clutches, have been necessitated to erect their huts in most ex- traordinary situations.

"Having travelled one hundred miles," says Moffatt, "five days after leaving Morega we came to the first cattle outposts of the Matabele, when we halted by a fine rivulet. My attention was arrested by a beautiful and gigantic tree, standing in a defile leading into an extensive and woody ravine, between a high range of mountains. Seeing some individuals employed on the ground under its shade, and the conical points of what looked like houses in miniature protruding through its ever- green foliage, I proceeded thither, and found that the tree was inhabited by several families of Bakones, the aborigines of the country. I ascended by the notched trunk, and found, to my amazement, no less than seventeen of these aerial abodes, and three

* This hint, it is to be hoped, will not be altogether thrown away by certain individuals of my acquaintance, not remarkable for their cleanly habits, so that, when they next visit the African wilds, they may be induced, if only in self-defense, to take with them a change of linen and a good supply of soap.

HOUSES OF THE BAKONES.

others unfinished. On reaching the topmost hut, about thirty feet from the ground, I entered, and sat down. Its only furniture was the hay which covered the floor, a spear, a spoon, and a bowl full of locusts. Not having eaten anything that day, and, from the novelty of my situation, not wishing to return immediately to the waggons, I asked a woman who sat at the door, with a babe at her breast, permission to eat. This she granted with pleasure, and soon brought me some locusts in a powdered state. Several more females came from the neigh- bouring roosts, stepping from branch to branch to see the stranger, who was to them as great a curiosity as the tree was to him. I then visited the different abodes, which were on several principal branches. The structure of these houses was very simple. An oblong scaffold, about seven feet wide, is formed of straight sticks. On one end of this platform a small cone is formed, also of straight sticks, and thatched with grass. A person can nearly stand upright in it; the diameter of the floor is about six feet. The house stands on the end of the oblong, so as to leave a little square space before the door. On the day previous I had passed several villages, some containing forty houses, all built on poles about seven or eight feet from the ground, in the form of a circle; the ascent and descent is by a knotty branch of a tree placed in front of the house. In the centre of the circle there is always a heap of the bones of game they have killed. Such were the domiciles of the impoverished thousands of the

THE LION.

aborigines of the country, who, having been scattered and plundered by Moselekatse, had neither herd nor stall, but subsisted on locusts, roots, and the chase, They adopted this mode of architecture to escape the lions which abounded in the country. During the day the families descended to the shade beneath to dress their daily food. When the inhabitants in- creased, they supported the augmented weight on the branches by upright sticks; but when lightened of their load, they removed them for fire- wood."

The lion, as with others of the feline family, seldom attacks his prey openly, and then only when compelled by extreme hunger. For the most part he steals upon it in the manner of a cat, or ambushes himself near to the water, or a pathway frequented by game. At such times he lies crouched on his belly in a thicket, until the animal approaches sufficiently near, when with one prodigious bound he pounces upon it. In most cases he is success- ful, but should his intended victim escape, as at times happens, from his having miscalculated the distance, he either makes a second, or even a third bound, which, however, usually proves fruitless, or he returns disconcerted to his hiding-place, there to wait for another opportunity.

The bound of the lion, when about to seize his prey, is terrific. Though I for my own part should not have imagined it to exceed twenty-five to thirty feet, yet others estimate it to be very ranch more. "From the spot where a noble male lion

IMMENSE BOUNDS.

had lain to where he alighted," says Delegorgue, "measured eighteen* of my paces," and elsewhere the same author, when speaking of another of those beasts, accidentally disturbed by him from its slumbers, informs us:—"He rose, gathered himself up, and bounded forward (presenting to us his broadside), to alight at fifteen paces distance, when he bounded again. He seemed to fly. His mane re- sembled a pair of wings; but I and my companions were so confounded and amazed at the sight, as to put all thoughts of firing out of our heads. The rapidity of the animal's bounds would, indeed, have rendered the attempt useless—an arrow from the bow, or the falcon when stooping on the quarry, are not more rapid in their flight."

The height to which the lion can leap is also very great—otherwise, why are the pit-falls in Algeria for the capture of this animal, as Gerard tells us is the case, ten metres in depth. Moffatt, indeed, speaks of the beast jumping on to a rock ten to twelve feet in altitude; and Thomson, when describing a lion-hunt, says:—"He (the lion) bounded over the adjacent thicket like a cat over a foot-stool, clearing brake and bushes twelve or fifteen feet high as readily as if they had been tufts of grass." Dele- gorgue's evidence is to the like effect. After telling us that he had one evening killed a Cato blebas

* I can quite credit Delegorgue's statement as to the extent of ground covered by the lion in its bound; the rather as, with people generally such at least is the case in Sweden the pace usually em- braces little more than two feet. Moreover, if I mistake not, a horse in England has been known to leap a rivulet thirty-four feet broad.

THE LION.

Gorgon, and had only time to take away the skin and head, and that his Caffirs, who were heavily laden, expressed a desire to secure the flesh of the animal by placing it for the night in the fork of a tree, at an elevation of fourteen feet from the ground, he goes on to say, "I assisted them in the operation, and we returned to camp. The next day, at dawn, my men proceeded to the larder, which they found entirely empty, not a piece of meat remained, all had been carried off; and on the ground were seen prints of lions' feet, proving the numerous vaults they had made to possess themselves of our pro- visions."

It is all but the universal belief of the natives, and others, in Southern Africa, that the eyes of the lion, when he bounds on his victim, and until he has succeeded in killing it, are hermetically closed, and that at such times a man may walk uncon- cernedly up to the beast, and shoot, or otherwise slay him, with impunity! As will hereafter be shewn, indeed, it is under these circumstances that the natives of some districts on the Eastern Coast, presuming on the animal's reputed blindness, fear- lessly attack him.

The reasons assigned for the lion's thus closing his eyes are various. That most commonly received is that it is to protect those orbs from injury during the death-struggles of the victim, a reason which to me is not altogether satisfactory. That given by M. Delegorgue is possibly more to the purpose. After describing the manner in which the Cape colonists hunt the lion (of which hereafter), and

WONDERFUL POWERS.

telling us that in the event of the beast charging the best plan is to sacrifice the horse, he goes on to say, "If the hunter afterwards wishes to approach the furious carnivora, 'the proper time for the pur- pose is when it is upon the body of its victim, be- cause during the efforts the lion makes to slay it the muscles of the jaws act in a most powerful man- ner, while the neighbouring organs remain passive, as if their co-operation were useless. Thus the beast's eyes are closed, and he, indulging in vengeance, sees no more than if he was stone- blind."

Notwithstanding the great strength and prowess of the lion, it still not unfrequently happens that after having seized his intended victim (especially if it be the giraffe, or other of the larger denizens of the wilds) it escapes from his murderous grasp, though in most instances cruelly lacerated.

Delegorgue, for instance, when speaking of the prowess of the lion, says:— "All! can certify to from ocular demonstration is, that I have seen on the back of an old bull-buffalo (Bos Caffir) killed by myself, four fearful furrows, four centimetres in depth, reaching from the shoulder to the insertion of the tail, caused by the claws of the beast in question."

Sir Samuel Baker also mentions an instance showing the wonderful powers possessed by the lion. After telling us that Florian, a former hunting I associate of his, had been struck dead by a fearful blow on the head from the paw of one of these beasts which he had previously wounded, lie goes on to say: ——"Great difficulty was experienced in extracting

THE LION.

the claws of the animal, which had penetrated the skull of the unfortunate man."

It is a common belief that the lion only feeds on animals he himself has slain, but such is not the case, for many instances have come to my personal knowledge that, when half-famished, he will not only greedily devour the leavings of other beasts of prey, but even condescend to carrion.

Animals slain by lions, it is to be observed, are not unfrequently found all but untouched. In locali- ties where game abounds this is easy of explanation, but not so where it is scarce. By some it is con- jectured that this abstinence on the part of the beast arises from his having, while destroying his victim, torn open the paunch, or stomach, the contents of which have come in contact with the flesh, thereby imparting to the latter a disagreeable odour, and rendering it anything but palateable. If this be really the fact, the lion is a much more delicate feeder than the natives, whom I have frequently seen cooking their viands in the half liquid and disagree- able matter in question.

The quantity of flesh that a lion in a wild state devours at a meal is something enormous. On more than one occasion, I have known him to dispatch the greater part of a zebra in the course of the night. The lion eating up the lioness, as related, is another proof of the extraordinary capabilities of his capacious and elastic stomach.*

*The regular daily allowance for a full-grown lion at the Zoolo- gical Gardens, Regent's Park, London, is eleven pounds of meat, with which the animal would seem to be perfectly satisfied. But of

GLUTTONY.

Moffatt also seems to have been "taken aback" by the gluttony of the lion. After describing an attack made on his party by one of these beasts, on which occasion it not only carried off a cow, but ate up the poor creature within gunshot of the bivouac fire, he goes on to say:

"When it was light we examined the spot, and found, from the foot-marks, that the lion was a large one, and had devoured the cow himself. I had some difficulty in believing this, but was fully convinced by the Baralongs pointing out to me that the foot-marks of the other lions had not come within thirty yards of the spot: two jackals only had approached to lick up any little leavings. The men pursued the "spoor,"* to find the fragments where the lion had deposited them, while he retired to a thicket to sleep during the day. I had often heard how much a large hungry lion could eat, but nothing less than a demonstration would have con- vinced me that it was possible for him to have eaten the flesh of a good-sized heifer, and many of the bones besides, for scarcely a rib was left, and some of the marrow-bones were broken as with a hammer."✝

course the appetite of one in a state of nature, who can only eat his fill occasionally, cannot be compared with that of one- imprisoned.

* Gerard, when speaking of the track of the lion, says: "Place your hand upon the foot-marks, and if the. claws of the animal are not covered by the fingers when spread out. it is a male and full grown; if your hand covers the track, it is a lioness or a young lion."

✝ "The excrement of the lion," pays Gerard "is white, and filled with large fragments of bone, If those are of the thickness of one's

THE LION.

The lion in the Cape Colony, and other more in- habited parts of Southern Africa, frequently—as shewn——carries, or drags, his prey to a considerable distance before devouring it; but in the interior of the country, where the population is scanty, and the beast subject to but little molestation, he, for the most part, either feasts on it where it fell, or removes it to some thicket in the immediate vicinity; and after he has satisfied his hunger for the time being, which with a half-famished lion occupies no little time, he either crouches beside it, or in some retired spot near at hand. "Here," according to Delegorgue, "he keeps guard over the remainder of the carcase, from which both by night and day lie drives away all carnivorous animals that would share it with him. As regards quadrupeds, he has little trouble, for they, knowing his powers, obey without reflection, and remain on the watch at twenty, thirty, and forty paces distance, waiting until such time as the 'Master' leaves the spot with a firm and grave step, and abandons to them the residue of his royal repast; but those who give him most trouble are the vultures,* who, alighting on the carcase, are always bearing away something in spite of the king of the forest, or the flourish of his formidable paws."

Notwithstanding the respect usually shewn to the

wrist, they are those of a full grown male lion; if smaller, of a lioness or a young lion."

* Elsewhere Delegorgue, in his interesting work, tolls us "that on one occasion he came on the carcase of a newly slain elephant, so thickly covered with vultures that with a single ball he put no fewer than nine of these disgusting birds hors de combat.

STEAK AU LION

monarch of the desert by his inferiors, they some- times have the impertinence to feed in company with him on the same carcase. I myself have known this to be the case with the dog, the jackal,* and the hyena.

It happens occasionally, however, that the in- truder pays dearly for his audacity. It is indeed asserted by more than one experienced hunter that, when the hyena proves troublesome, the lion has been known to bite off all its feet, ✝ and when thus mutilated, leave the poor animal to its fate. Though unable to vouch for the truth of the story, yet, as in some degree corroborative of it, I may mention that I myself, on one occasion, fell in with a hyena walking on his four stumps.

The flesh of the lion has a somewhat bad name with naturalists and others, who, though admitting that the natives of the countries inhabited by the beast occasionally partake of it, describe it as having a strong disagreeable smell and flavour. And M. Delegorgue, when speaking of a lion that he had recently killed, goes so far as to say "that the odour of it was so rank and disgusting that he had not the courage to taste it, but abandoned it to the vultures." Of course it is not for me to con- tradict great authorities, but, as stated in the "River

*It is difficult to account for the popular notion as to the jackal being the lion's provider. To my mind it would be far more correct to reverse the adage, and say that the lion caters for the jackal, as it is in great measure on the leavings of his royal friend that this pretty little animal subsists.

✝ The same refined kind of cruelty has been witnessed amongst a certain species of African ants.

p 2

THE LION.

Okovango," "I on one occasion dined off steak au lion, and found it very palateable and juicy, not unlike veal, and very white."

In Northern* as in Southern Africa, lion's flesh is eaten by the natives, though in the former rather I believe as a charm. In Algeria, according to Gerard, special value is set upon the heart of the animal, which is chopped into small pieces, and given to the children "to make them strong and courageous."! "A lock of hair plucked from the mane of the beast, and worn about the person, is an amulet which will, it is believed, render the wearer unconquerable in battle."

But, after all, why should not the flesh of the lion be both eatable and nutritious? Mr. Charles Darwin writes me that that of the puma, which he once partook of, is very palateable, whence he infers that the lion's may not be bad-tasted. Then again Mr. Lloyd, in his "Scandinavian Adventures," Vol. II. page 7, says: "The flesh of all the tiger tribe is, in England, considered the worst of carrion; but

*"These Arabs," says Bruce, when speaking of a certain tribe on the frontiers of Algiers and Tunis, "are immensely rich, paying no tribute either to Tunis or Algiers. The pretence for this ex- emption is a very singular one. By the institution of their founder they are obliged to live upon lions' flesh for their daily food, as far as they can procure it; with this they strictly comply, and in con- sideration of the utility of this their vow, they are not taxed, like other Arabs, with payments to the State. The consequence of this life is, that they are excellent and well-armed horsemen, exceedingly bold and undaunted hunters."

✝Hence possibly the old saw, "wine is composed of women's tongues and lions' hearts, for if a man partakes of a few glasses of the generous liquor he will talk forever, and if needs be, fight the devil himself."

THE SKIN A TROPHY.

this is a mistake, as regards the lynx at least, which greatly resembles veal in appearance, and to my personal knowledge, for I have often partaken of it, is very palateable. Grimalkin in the hands of Mr. Soyer would probably prove equally good."*

In Southern Africa, the skin of the lion, though of little intrinsic value, is, as a trophy, greatly prized by the hunters, and the like is the case, General Dumas tells us, in Algeria.

"Les Arabes," says he, "croient qu'il est bon de dormir sur un peau de lion; on éloigne ainsi les démons, on conjure le malheur, et on se préserve de certaines maladies.

"Les griffes du lion montées en argent deviennent des ornements pour les femmes, la peau de son front est un talisman que certains homines placent sur leurs tetes pour maintenir dans leurs cervelles l'audace et l'énergie."

The lion is a long-lived animal. Buffon and other naturalists, it is true, estimate its age at only

* May not the prejudice against lion's flesh have more or less originated with people who had only tasted that of beasts ancient as the hills, or of such as had met their death in a way greatly to deteriorate it!" That of a young bear, or even of one in-.its prime.js, as I can certify, very good eating, whether roasted, boiled, or smoked; whereas that of a very old gentleman, or of one shot under peculiar circumstances, will hardly tempt the appetite of the least fastidious; as a proof of this I, on one occasion, killed a large old male after so severe a run on "skedor" ii. deep snow, that on cut- ting up the beast twenty-four hours afterwards, all which time he had lain exposed in the forest during very severe weather, his interior fat was found to be in so liquid a state as to necessitate its removal with a coffee cup. and the flesh, as a consequence which was sub- sequently smoked), was so tainted as to render it utterly unfit for human food.—ED.

THE LION.

twenty or thirty years, and Gerard, on the authority of the Arabs, at from thirty to forty; but unless its days be cut short by accident, its existence is much more prolonged than the above authorities imagine. Even when in confinement, it has attained to a most venerable age. The famous lion, Pompey, which died in the Tower of London in 1760, was known to have been there above seventy years; and one brought from the river Gambia, and which also died in that fortress not many years ago, had attained to the venerable age of sixty-three.

It is asserted that when a lion finds himself dis- abled, and Tillable to attack his pursuers, he will not unfrequently turn his ire upon himself and mutilate his own body.

Delegorgue's remarks on this subject are both curious and interesting; he says:—

"Certain animals, when they have been mortally wounded, evince a weakness resulting either from their inadequate means of defence, or from the mild- ness of their disposition. Some utter plaintive cries, the like of which are never heard except at this critical moment. Others shed tears. The elam (Boselaphus Oreas), especially, patiently awaits the chasseur, whom it seems to implore instead of opposing to him its formidable horns. Others again simply resign themselves to their fate without showing any signs either of courage or of weakness.

The lion differs from all these. . . . If the vital parts of its body be pierced, so that it is unable to leave the spot, and its enemies keep at a dis- tance, it abandons itself to despair, and its teeth and

SELF-MUTILATION.

claws are turned against its own person; it crushes its paws, and it breaks its talons, as if it wished to be the author of its own annihilation. It is a verit- able suicide, but which the weapons provided by Nature do not permit it to consummate."

The fact that the lion, when, disabled by wounds, it is prevented from either attacking or fleeing from its enemies, mutilates itself in the manner de- scribed above, is not, I believe, uncommon. Sir Samuel Baker, indeed, records an instance to this effect that came under his own eye; for when de- scribing (as will hereafter be seen) the dying moments of a lioness, he says:—"Occasionally in her rage she bit her own paws violently, and then struck and clawed the ground."*

* Something of the kind described by Delegorgue and Sir Samuel Baker occurs, I take it, with other beasts besides the lion in their death-struggles. Once indeed, I myself saw a large and badly wounded bear rear itself up on its hind legs against a young spruce pine, which it very deeply scored with its fangs; and when at a dis- tance of some thirty or forty paces I killed it whilst in that posi- tion.—ED.

CHAPTER III.

THE LION MONOGAMOUS—HIS GALLANTRY TO HIS MATE—LOVE AND GALLANTRY AMONG LIONS—THE LIONESS A JILT—COMBATS OF RIVAL SUITORS—THE PAIRING SEASON—PERIOD OF GESTATION— THE CUBS THEIR SIZE, APPEARANCE, AND COLOUR DISPARITY IN THE NUMBER OF THE SEXES—THE YOUNG LION'S APPRENTICE- SHIP—DEPRIVING THE LIONESS OF HER CUBS.

T

HE lion is monogamous, and by all accounts most faithful to his mate. "He never leaves her," says Gerard, "unless from compulsion, and entertains for her a most enduring affection. The lion and the lioness usually hunt in company. From the moment the pair leave their den until their return to it, it is always the lioness who proceeds in advance, and when it is her pleasure to halt, he halts also. Ar- riving near the "douar" that is to furnish a supper, the lioness crouches outside of the fence that pro- tects it, while her mate bounds bravely over the im- pediment into the midst of the fold, and after helping himself to what he deems best, carries it to his better half. He regards her, whilst feeding, with infinite pleasure, and keeps guard that no ill may

LOVE AND GALLANTRY.

befall her; thinking not of satisfying his own hunger until such times as his wife has eaten her fill. His love is not confined to the pairing season, for at all times, and under all circumstances, He evinces for her the tenderest regard."

But the love and affection thus shewn by the lion for the lioness, would not seem to be always duly reciprocated. Indeed, according to the author just quoted, "she is of a somewhat fickle disposition, for if a stronger and more courageous lion presents himself and solicits her favours, she deserts her spouse, and places herself under the protection of his rival." "What she seeks for in the first in- stance," Gerard goes on to say, "is a full-grown and adult mate, who is able to rid her of the young lions, her suitors, whose constant combats with each other on her account weary her out." In Algeria, according to Gerard, at the end of January, when adult male lions, strangers to each other, meet at the fountain, or elsewhere, desperate battles, not unfrequently ending in the death of one or both of the combatants, take place, yet it is more espe- cially during the pairing season that those animals exhibit a belligerent disposition.

"It is then not uncommon," says Gerard, in his usual poetical style, "to see a lioness accompanied by three or four young lions, her admirers, who fight desperately amongst themselves for her favours; but as she at length becomes weary of seeing that they are unable to destroy one another on her account, she leads them towards a grand old lion, whose

THE LION.

valour she appreciates on hearing his roar- ings.

"The lovers bravely play their part, and arrive, with the lioness, in presence of the preferred rival.

"The preliminaries are soon settled, and the re- sult of these battles is always certain. Attacked by the three impudent youngsters, the old lion reviews them without stirring; with the first grasp of his jaws, he dispatches one of his assailants, with the next he crushes the leg of a second, and the third beast is only too happy if he escapes with an eye, leaving the other eye at the end of the claw of the victor.

"The arena free, the noble animal proudly shakes his mane, and then crouches near to the lioness, who, as the first token of affection, licks with a fondling look the wounds he has received on her account.

"When two adult lions meet," Gerard goes on to say, "the affair does not terminate thus easily. An Arab, of the tribe of Kesenna, related to me a com- bat of the kind to which he himself was an eye-wit- ness.

"It was during the rutting season with deer, Mohammed, my informant, a great lover of the chase, was one fine moonlight night perched among the branches of an oak standing in the midst of an extensive glade of the wood, and near to a foot-path, awaiting the arrival of a hind he had pre- viously observed in company with several stags.

"Towards midnight he saw a lioness, followed by a full grown fawn-coloured lion, approaching his

TERRIFIC COMBAT.

ambush. The lioness left the path, advanced up to the tree in which the man was seated, and crouched at the foot of it. The lion in the meanwhile remained stationary in the path- way, and appeared to listen.

"Mohammed now heard in the distance a scarcely distinguishable roaring, to which the lioness re- sponded. The fawn-coloured lion then began to roar most awfully, which so frightened the chasseur that, to prevent himself from falling to the ground, he clung to the branches, and in the act of so doing his gun dropped from out of his hands.

"The nearer the stranger lion approached the spot, the louder roared the lioness. The fawn- coloured lion now became furious, left the pathway and went up to her, apparently to impose silence, and then retraced his steps to the spot he had just quitted, as if to say, 'Well! let him come, I am quite ready for him!'

"An hour afterwards, a lion, black as a wild boar, made his appearance at the lower end of the glade mentioned. The lioness rose from the ground, seemingly with the intention of going up to him; bat the fawn-coloured lion, divining her purpose, bounded past her direct for the enemy. Both lions crouched prior to taking their spring, and then rushing on one another fell together on the sward, never again to rise!

"The duel was long, and terrible to the witness of it.

"Whilst the bones cracked under the jaws of the two powerful combatants, their claws strewed the glade with each others' entrails, and their roars,

THE LION.

at times subdued, and at others loud, told of their wrath and their sufferings.

"At the commencement of the battle, the lioness was crouched on her belly, and until its termination she evinced, by the wagging of her tail, the pleasure she experienced in seeing these two lions slaughter- ing each other.

"When all was over, she advanced cautiously up to the corpses, smelt them, then retreated, and that without replying to the somewhat gross epithet (though applicable enough to the occasion) which Mohammed could not refrain from casting at her, in lieu of a bullet, which was out of his power, his gun, as I said, having fallen to the ground."

The period of gestation with the lioness is about four months (French naturalists say one hundred and eight days), and she usually brings forth her young in the most solitary, inaccessible places. The cubs are from two to four in number, according to the age and strength of the mother, but commonly there are only two, a male and a female. At their birth they are nearly as large as an adult female domestic cat, and their eyes are open, but they continue helpless for several weeks. When newly whelped, the fur is of a woolly or frizzled texture, the shade of colour a little darker than at a more mature age; and they are distinctly clouded or brushed with deep brown, and have a line of the same dark colour running along the centre of the back. About the commencement of the second year these markings begin to disappear. Whilst the cubs are young, they are harm-

CUBS.

less, pretty, and playful. Many are said to die during dentition, more especially females; and this circumstance probably accounts for the dis- parity observable between the sexes; male lions, it is calculated, being one third more numerous than females.

"During the first days succeeding the birth of the cubs," says Gerard, who gives us very valuable information respecting the habits of lions during the breeding season, "the mother never quits them for a moment, leaving the father to provide for their wants. It is not until they have attained the age of three months, and the crisis of dentition is passed, that she weans them, absenting herself from the lair during several hours each day, and supply- ing them with the flesh of sheep carefully divided into small pieces.

"The lion, whose character, when arrived at mature age, is very grave, is not fond of remaining with his 'children,' who tire him with their gambols; and in order, therefore, to enjoy his rest undisturbed, as also to be in readiness to come to the aid of his family should it be required, he makes for himself a lair in the vicinity.

"At the age of four to five months, the cubs follow the mother to the skirts of the wood where the lion brings them food.

"At six months, and during a dark night, the whole family change their abode; and from this time up to the period when the cubs separate from their parents they are constantly on the move.

"At eight months, to a year, after their birth,

THE LION.

the cubs commence attacking the flocks of sheep and goats which, during the day-time, chance to approach the neighbourhood of their lair. Some- times they attack cattle; but they are still so in- experienced that it often happens they wound ten where they kill a single one; and the father, in this case, is necessitated to interfere.

"It is not until the young lions are two years old that they are able to slay a horse, an ox, or a camel by a single grasp of the jaws at the throat, and to leap over the fence, two metres in height, that surrounds the 'Douar.'

"The period between the first and second year is truly ruinous to the inhabitants. In fact, the leonine family not only kill for their subsistence, but to acquire the art of killing. It is easy to un- derstand what such an apprenticeship must cost those who furnish the materials.

"At the age of three years the cubs leave the parents, that they may propagate their species; but it is not until their eighth year that they attain to their full growth. They have then acquired all their powers, and the males, who are one-third larger than the females, have full manes.

"Whilst the cubs are in their infancy the mother guards them with the tenderest care, and for their support is more daring and ferocious than usual; making excursions with greater boldness, and de- stroying every animal that falls in her way, which she afterwards carries to her progeny."

By all accounts, moreover, the lion himself is never so much to be dreaded as when his partner

ABSTRACTION OF CUBS

has a young family. "He then knows no fear," writes Gordon Gumming, " and will face a thousand men. A remarkable instance of this kind came under my own observation, which confirmed the reports 1 had before heard from the natives. One day, when out elephant-hunting in the territory of the 'Baseleka,' accompanied by 250 men, I was astonished suddenly to behold a majestic lion slowly and steadily advancing towards us with a dignified step and undaunted bearing, the most noble and imposing that can be conceived. Lashing his tail from side to side, and growling haughtily, his ter- ribly expressive eye resolutely fixed upon us, and displaying a show of ivory well calculated to inspire terror amongst the timid 'Becuanas,' he approached. A headlong flight of the 250 men was the imme- diate result; and, in the confusion of the moment, four couple of my dogs, which they had been lead- ing, were allowed to escape in their couples. These instantly faced the lion, who, finding that by his bold bearing he had succeeded in putting his enemies to flight, now became anxious for the safely of his little family, with which the lioness was re- treating in the background. Facing about, he fol- lowed alter them with a haughty and independent step, growling fiercely at the dogs which trotted along on either side of him."

In Southern Africa, the cubs, when of a tender age, are not un frequently abstracted from the den during the absence of the mother; but the act is accompanied witli much danger; for, should the lioness return whilst the man is in the ac; ot de-

THE LION.

priving her of her progeny, or should she meet him whilst bearing them away, the chances are he will have to pay dearly for his temerity.

In Northern Africa, again, where, from the ravages the lion commits amongst the herds of the natives, every man's hand is against him, and he, in con- sequence, is rendered more than usually savage, the act of robbing the lioness of her whelps—one of somewhat common occurrence—is rendered doubly hazardous. The manner of proceeding on these occasions is, Gérard tells us, as follows:—

"The situation of the lair having been ascer- tained, the movements of the mother arc watched by a scout from a neighbouring tree or high rock, and when she is seen to absent herself from the den, an Arab glides into it, and, after wrapping his burnous around the cubs to stifle their cries, he carries them away; a horseman is commonly near at hand, who places the captives before him, and rides off at speed.

"But thus to deprive the lioness of her young," Gerard goes on to say, "is very perilous, and often attended with fatal results;" in proof of which he cites the following instance:—

"During the month of March, 1840, a lioness deposited her cubs in a wood called 'El Guèla,' situated in the mountains of Mezioun. The chief of the country, Zeiden, made application for assist- ance to Sedek-ben-Oumbark, sheik of the tribe Beni-Fourraz, his neighbour; and at the appointed day thirty men from each of those tribes assembled in the defile of Mezioun at first dawn.

ARAB STORY OF A LION.

"These sixty Arabs, after having surrounded the thickets, gave several shouts, and as the lioness did not appear, they entered it and took possession of her two cubs.

"They were retiring noisily, imagining they had nothing more to fear from the mother, when tho Sheik, Sedek, who was somewhat behind the rest, perceived the beast coming out of the wood and making directly towards him.

"He instantly called out to his nephew, Mecaoud and his friend Ali-ben-Braham, who ran to his as- sistance. The lioness, however, instead of attack- ing the sheik, who was mounted, rushed upon his nephew, who was on foot.

"This man bravely awaited her approach, and did not pull the trigger until the muzzle of his gun touched the beast.

"The piece merely flashed in the pan!

"Mecaoud threw down his gun, and presented to the lioness his left arm, enveloped in his bour- nous.

"The beast seized hold of his arm and crushed it into a pulp. The brave young man, without re- treating a single step, and without uttering a com- plaint, drew a pistol from under his bournous, and lodged two balls in the lioness's belly, which com- pelled her to let go her hold.

"In another moment she rushed upon Ali-ben- Braham, who sent a ball, though without much effect, between her distended jaws. He was seized by the shoulder and thrown to the ground. His right hand is crushed, several of his ribs are laid

THE LION.

bare, and he owed his life solely to the death of the lioness, which expired on his body."

"Ali-Ben-Braham," Gérard goes on to say, " lives still, but is a cripple. Mecaoud died twenty- four days subsequent to the above rencontre."

"After a coup of the above nature," observes General Dumas, when speaking of depriving the mother of her offspring in the manner alluded to, the whole country must be on their guard. For seven or eight days together the lion traverses the district in every direction, and all the while his roarings are atrocious. He has become terrible. It will not then be prudent to meet him."

CHAPTER IV.

DARING OF THE LION SENTINEL CARRIED OFF BY A LION— TERRIBLE TRAGEDY—TWO FORMIDABLE "MAN-EATERS"— BUSHMAN KILLED BY A LION—UNSUCCESSFUL PURSUIT OF A "MAN-KILLER"—BENEFIT CONFERRED ON THE CHILDREN OF THE DESERT BY THE DEATH OF THE LION—APPALLING CATAS- TROPHE—IRRUPTION OF A LION INTO A KRAAL—DARING SHOT OF A LION-HUNTER—AUDACITY OF THE LION.

B

UT it is not only during the breeding season, and when the cubs are small, that the lion shows a bold front to the enemy, for at other times, more especially in the night season, he frequently exhibits a decree of courage and audacity that almost exceeds belief.

"The waggons and cattle had been put up for the night," says the Landrost, Jah Steneberg, in de- scribing a journey of his into the interior, "when about midnight the cattle suddenly got into complete confusion. About thirty paces from the tent Mood a lion, which on seeing us walked away deliberately about thirty paces farther, behind a small thorn- bush, carrying something with him which I look to be a young ox. We fired more than sixty shots at the bush. The south-east wind blew strong, the sky was clear, and the moon shone very brightly, so that we could perceive anything at short dis-

E 2

THE LION.

tance. After the cattle had been quieted again, and I had looked over everything, I missed the sentry before the tent. We called as loudly as possible, but in vain, nobody answered, from which I con- cluded, he was carried off. Three or four men then advanced very cautiously to the bush, which stood right opposite the door of the tent, to see if they could discover anything of the man; but retired helter-skelter, for the lion, who was still there, rose up and began to roar.

"About a hundred shots were again fired at the bush, without our perceiving anything of the beast. This induced one of the men again to approach it with a firebrand in his hand, but as soon as he neared the bush, the lion roared terribly, and leaped at him, on which he threw the firebrand at the animal, and the other people having fired about ten shots at him, he returned immediately to his former station.

"The firebrand which the man had thrown at the lion had fallen in the midst of the bush, and favoured by the wind, it began to burn with a great flame, so that we could see very clearly into it, and through it. We continued our firing into it. The night passed away, and the day began to break, which animated everyone to fire at the lion, because he could not bo there without exposing himself entirely. Seven men posted at the farthest waggons watched to take him as he came out. At last, before it became quite light, he walked up the hill with the man in his mouth, when about forty shots were fired without hitting him. He persevered in retaining

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.

his prey amidst fire and shots, and amidst it all carried it securely off."

"When the day was more advanced," the Land- rost further informs us, "the lion was tracked to his lair and killed whilst lying over the mangled re- mains of the poor sentinel."

Scenes of a similar nature to the above have occurred on two several occasions, in the encamp- ment of my friend, Frederick Green. The par- ticulars of the first is from his journal, kindly placed by him at my disposal.

"October 21, 1858. Last night, a terrible tragedy was enacted in my cattle-fold by two daring lions. The night was intensely dark, with occasional rain; and, fearing lions might select such a night to sur- prise their prey, I sat up watching until a late hour. I had just lain down, remarking to my friend that, in case of a visit from these brutes, the oxen would give the alarm, when on a sudden there arose an awful scream, followed by a death-like groan, such as I shall never forget; the very recollection of it chills my blood. Two lions had entered the enclosures, and succeeded in carrying away a poor fellow, whom they tore to pieces and devoured within a short distance of our camp. We neither could nor dared attempt a rescue. The unfortunate man was lying in his hut, with his wife and two little children, when one of the monsters forced his way through from the back, and seized him, at the same time inflicting two wounds upon the woman. Tho poor wretch, in his hurried exit, had evidently, in endeavouring to save himself, laid hold of the poles

THE LION.

of the hovel, for the whole back part of the tene- ment was carried away.

"On making the terrible discovery, a scene ensued which defies description, and which must have been seen to be fully realized. Of course, sleep was afterwards out of the question ; and, in order to guard as far as possible against a similar occurrence, we kept up a constant discharge of firearms during the remainder of this woful night.

"This morning, as soon as it was light enough to see, we took up the spoor of the lions, and, within about 200 yards of the kraal, discovered the spot where it was evident the poor man had been destroyed and devoured. The belt he had worn round his waist was alone left to tell of his dreadful fate, though in following up the trail some parts of his leg-bones were afterwards found. We chased the brutes for about twelve miles, when we were compelled to relinquish the pursuit, without having obtained a shot at them without, indeed, having caught more than one glimpse of them in the distance. I much regretted having started with- out my horse, which, though useless as a hunter, would undoubtedly have taken me sufficiently near to get a shot, and to lead the pack of dogs up to the enemy."

On the second day after the fatal accident, I should add, Mr. Green bid farewell to the dreadful place, thinking thereby to get rid of his terrible foes; but they followed on his "spoor;" and on the evening of the third day one of the " man- eaters" once more entered his enclosures. On this

FEARFUL CATASTROPHE.

occasion, however, the horrid monster passed by the oxen without molesting them, and entered the sheep kraal and carried off one of its inmates, putting the remainder to flight. " What with the screechings of the terrified women and children," writes my friend, "the hallooings of the men, the rush of the cattle and the sheep, firebrands whizzing through the air, the discharge of the firearms, the growls of the lions, and other discordant noises, the scene was one which baffles description. I levelled my rifle at the marauder as he was passing the waggon, not above five paces distant; but my gun unfor- tunately missed fire, and, when I again pulled the trigger, he had disappeared in the darkness. This lion was almost immediately joined by his com- panion, when they set up a roaring duet that lasted, with very little intermission, until break of day. Continued discharges of firearms kept them from doing further mischief."

The particulars of the second catastrophe in my friend's encampment, which occurred at an after- period, he communicated to me by letter in the fol- lowing words:—

"At about 11 o'clock, P.M., I was startled out of my sleep by a fearful shriek, such as I had only once before heard uttered by a human being. The thought at once struck me that the two notorious 'man-caters,' who had enacted so horrible a tragedy in my bivouac on a former occasion, were again prowling about, and had perhaps seized some of the Bushmen lately come to pay me a visit, and who were encamped at the back of my kraal. Snatching

THE LION.

up my rifle and pistol, I bounded out of my bed, and soon found my suspicions confirmed by the dismal bowls and wailings of several terrified Bush- men, whom I met hastening towards my waggon for protection; and a poor youth, whom we had cap- tured the day before, was giving vent to his distress in piteous lamentations for the loss of his father, the Bushman Chief, whom one of the lions had, be said, destroyed.

"Calling to some of my people to follow, I hur- ried away in the direction pointed out by the lad. The night, which in itself was intensely dark, re- ceived an additional gloom from the shadow of a cluster of thick-boughed trees under which we were encamped. In order, therefore, to throw some light on surrounding objects, we set fire to the temporary huts, and commenced our search. M. Hahn, the missionary, who was of our party, also came to our assistance with a lanthorn. The dogs, meantime, kept up a furious barking; yet with the certain knowledge that the cowardly murderer was only a few paces from us, we could not obtain even a glimpse of him.

"At length, to the horror of us all, we stumbled on the mangled remains of the unfortunate Bushman who had fallen a victim to the monster. One of his arms was bitten off at the shoulder, whilst his hand still convulsively clutched a part of his dress. This, and some portions of his intestines, was all that remained of a man, alive and quite unconscious of bis fate only a very few minutes before. The sight was both shocking and sickening in the extreme;

A NOTORIOUS "MAN-EATER."

but, as it was now useless to continue a further search in the dark, we returned to our respective bivouacs. Sleep was, of course, out of the question. The dreadful scene haunted my imagination un- ceasingly, and I resolved, as soon as the day should dawn, to pursue the horrible 'man-eater,' and, if possible, to terminate his existence.

"Accordingly, on the following morning," my friend goes on to say. " Every man possessed of .a gun joined in the chase. At a short distance from the camp the brute was discovered; but though wo followed him up for a long time, we could never get a shot at him. The cowardly night-prowler took care not to expose himself; and unfortunately only two dogs ventured to face him. Had the whole pack assailed the beast, he would certainly have been brought to bay and despatched. We were on several occasions close upon him, but the dense- ness of the bush always helped him to escape before we could get a good aim. At length we lost his track, and after endeavouring in vain to recover it, were compelled to face homewards without ridding the country of so dire a "pest."

Though the lion in question escaped Mr. Green for the time, yet it is satisfactory to add that at an after-period this same animal (as there was every reason to believe) met its death at his hands, though this was at a considerable distance from the spot where the melancholy catastrophe, just related, occurred. It was further believed that this beast was one of the two notorious "man-eaters" that

THE LION.

had some time previously carried off one of ray friend's people.

These animals were very accurately described by the natives, who said that the smaller of them catered for the larger ; and that this daring monster had been known to enter a village arid carry off no fewer than three individuals the same night, returning in the day- time to feast on the remains of the victims. They told my friend, moreover, that upwards of one hundred human beings had already fallen a prey to the beasts in question, adding "that the Bushmen, located in the neighbourhood, had been necessitated to fly the country in consequence of so many of their kith and kin having been killed by them."

"A Bushman, whom we found in the vicinity, on our way northward," Mr. Green further wrote, "fully corroborated this statement; and on being interrogated as to whether there were any villages of his countrymen along the Omuramba to the east- ward, replied at once that they could not live there, as the lions destroyed so many of them." The Damaras, moreover, when speaking of these formidable foes always said, "Those lions! the smaller alone killing the people, are known through- out all this region, pointing at the same time to the north, south, east, and west, and are the dread of every one."

"Now it was the lesser of the 'man-eaters,'" my friend went on to say," of which I had so happily rid the country, and I consequently felt more pleased than if I had killed the largest bull- elephant that roams the wastes of Africa. I had

DREADFUL INCIDENT.

by this act conferred a benefit on my friends, 'the children of the desert,' and had doubtless been the means of saving many from the horrible fate that had of late fallen to the lot of numbers of their intimates and relatives."

Gordon Gumming, again, very graphically de- scribes a like dreadful incident to those just named, and of which, like Mr. Steneberg and Mr. Green, he was himself, so to say, a spectator.

"Having outspanned, we at once set about making a 'kraal' for the cattle, and that of the worst description of thorn trees, as I had now become very particular since my severe loss by lions on the first of the month. I had yet, however, a fearful lesson to learn, as to the nature and character of those beasts, of which I had at one time entertained so little fear; and on this night a horrible tragedy was to be enacted in my little lonely camp of so very awful and appalling a, nature as to make the blood curdle in my veins. I worked till near sundown at one side of the 'kraal' with Hendrich, my first waggon-driver, I cutting down the trees with my axe, and he dragging them to the spot. When the 'kraal' was completed, and the cattle secured within it (as were also my two waggons, the horses being made fast, to a trekton stretched between the hind wheels of the vehicles), [ turned my attention to preparing a pot of barley-broth. For this purpose, I light oil a fire outside of the 'kraal,' between it and the water, close on the river-bank, and under a dense bush grove of shady trees, but made no kind of

THE LION.

fence around this, our sitting place for the evening.

"The Hottentots, without any reason, made their fire about fifty paces from mine; they, according to their usual custom, being satisfied with the shelter of a large dense bush. The evening passed away cheer- fully. Soon after it was dark we heard elephants breaking the trees in the forest across the river; and once or twice I strode away into the dark- ness some distance from the fireside, to stand and listen to them. I little, at that moment, imagined the imminent peril to which I was exposing my life, or thought that a blood thirsty 'man-eater' lion was couching near, and only watching his opportunity to consign one of us to a most horrible death. About three hours after the sun went down, I called my men to come and take their coffee and supper, which was ready for them at my fire, and after supper three of them re- turned before their comrades to their own fireside and lay down: these were John Stofolus, Hendrich, and Ruyter. In a few minutes an ox came out by the gate of the 'kraal' and walked round the back of it, Hendrich got up and drove him in again, and then went back to his fireside and lay down. Hendrich and Ruyter lay on one side of the fire under one blanket, and John Stofolus lay on the other. At this moment I was sitting taking some barley-broth, our fire was very small, and the night pitchy dark and windy. Owing to our proximity to the village the wood was very scarce, the Bakalahari having burnt it all in their fires.

"Suddenly the appalling and murderous voice

DEATH OF HENDRlCH.

of an angry, blood-thirsty lion burst upon my car within a few yards of us, followed by the shrieking of the Hottentots; again and again the murderous roar of attack was repeated. We heard John and Ruyter shriek, 'The lion! the lion!' Still for a few moments we thought he was chasing one of the dogs round the kraal: but next instant John Stofolus rushed into the midst of us almost speech- less with fear and terror, his eyes bursting from their sockets, and shrieked out, 'The lion! the lion! he has got Hendrich, he dragged him away from the fire beside me, I struck him with the burn- ing brand upon the head, and he would not let go his hold. Hendrich is dead! God! Hendrich is dead! Let us take fire and seek him.' On hearing this the rest of my people rushed about, shrieking and yelling as if they were mad. I was angry with them for their folly, and told them that if they did not stand still and keep quiet the lion would have another of us, and that very likely there was a troop of them. I ordered the dogs, which were nearly all fast, to be made loose, and the fire to be increased as far as could be. I then shouted Hendrich's name, but all was still. I told my men that Hendrich was dead, and that a regiment of soldiers could not now help him, and, hunting my dogs forward, had every- thing brought within the kraal, when we lighted our fire and closed the entrance as well as we could.

"My terrified people sat round the fire with guns in their hands till the day broke, still fancying that every moment the lion would return and spring again into the midst of us. When the dogs were

THE LION.

first let go, the stupid brutes, as clogs often prove when most required, instead of going at the lion, rushed fiercely on one another, and fought des- perately for several minutes ; after this they got his wind, and, going at him, disclosed to us his posi- tion. They kept up a continued barking until the day dawned, the lion occasionally springing after them and driving them in upon the kraal. The horrible monster lay all night within forty yards of us, consuming the wretched man whom he had chosen for his prey. He had dragged him into a little hollow at the back of the thick bush, beside which the fire was kindled, and there he remained until the day dawned, careless of our proximity.

"It appeared that when the unfortunate Hen d rich rose to drive in the ox, the lion had watched him to his fireside, and he had scarcely lain down when the brute sprang upon him and Ruyter (for both lay under one blanklet) with his appalling murderous roar, and roaring as he lay, grappled him with his fearful claws, and kept biting him on the breast and shoulder, all the while feeling for his neck ; having got hold of which, he at once dragged him back- wards, round the bush into the dense shade.

"As the lion lay upon the unfortunate man, lie faintly cried, 'Help me, help me! O God! men, help me!' After which the fearful beast got a hold of his neck, and then all was still, except that his comrades heard the bones of the neck crashing between the teeth of the lion. John Stofolus had lain with his back to the fire on the opposite side, and on hearing the lion he sprang up, and, seizing a

THE "MAN-EATER" SLAIN.

large flaming brand belaboured him on the head with the burning wood; but the brute did not take any notice of him. The Bushman had a nar- row escape, the lion having inflicted two gashes in his seat with his claws.

"The next morning, just as the day began to dawn, we heard the lion dragging something up the river-side, under cover of the bank. We drove the cattle out of the kraal, and then proceeded to in- spect the scene of the night's awful tragedy. In the hollow, where the lion had lain consuming his prey, we found one leg of the unfortunate Hendrich, bitten off below the knee, the shoe still on the foot, and fragments -of the pea-coat lay around. Poor Hendrich ! I knew the fragments of that old coat, and had often marked them hanging in the dense covers where the elephant had charged after my unfortunate after-rider. Hendrich was by far the best man 1 had about my waggon, of a most cheer- ful disposition, a first-rate waggon-driver, fearless in the field, ever active, willing, and obliging; his loss to us all was very serious. I felt confounded and utterly sick in my heart."

It is satisfactory to add that the poor Hottentot, who met so horrible a death, was revenged on the afternoon of the following day, when Gordon Cum- ming gallantly attacked and slew the "man-eater."

Happily, I may here remark in parenthesis, a similar calamity to those just recorded never occurred in my own encampment, though on various occasions, during the hours of darkness, lions have prowled about in its immediate vicinity,

THE LION.

making the welkin ring with their horrible roar- ing. On a certain night, indeed, as was seen by their tracks, they approached to within a dozen paces of the fire of one of ray men. On this occasion, they, moreover, killed ray two best dogs, who had attacked them, and so cowed the remaining two that for a long time afterwards they would hardly leave my heels. When lions thus visited our bivouac, the Damaras accompanying me were in the habit of making the most hideous noises, cursing and swearing at the beasts—a custom also prevalent amongst the North African Arabs.

"On another occasion at about midnight," Gordon Gumming elsewhere tells us, "a lion made a most daring attack on my cattle 'kraal' charging com- pletely through the thick thorn hedge; he sent the panic-stricken cattle flying in dire confusion, and dashed to the ground a valuable ox, which lay groaning in his powerful grasp. I was awakened by the noise, and instantly directing a troop of the dogs to be let loose, the cowardly beast was put to flight. The poor ox sprang to his feet, and joined his companions, but his fore and hind quarters were so fearfully lacerated that I was necessitated to shoot him on the following morning."

On a dark and stormy night, it is to be noted, the lion, " the stealthy prowling tyrant of the wilderness," is ever the most active and daring, and consequently, at such times, it behoves the traveller to be more specially on his guard.

Moffatt also testifies to the daring of the lion.

DARING OF THE LION.

"On the night of our third day's journey in the country of the Balalas," writes the worthy Missionary, "we halted at a pool (khokhale), and listened on the lonely plain for the sounds of an inhabitant, but could discover no light, and, amid the darkness, were unable to trace footsteps to the water. We let loose the wearied oxen to drink and graze ; but as we were ignorant of the character of the company with which we might have to spend the night, we took a fire-brand, and examined the edges of the pool, to see, from the imprints, what animals were in the habit of drinking there, and with terror discovered many 'spoors' of lions. We immediately collected the oxen, and brought them to the waggon, to which we fastened them with the strongest thongs we had, having discovered in their appearance something which indicated that, either from scent or sight, they knew danger was near. The two Barolongs had brought a young cow with them, and though I recommended their making her fast also, they very humorously replied * that she was too wise to leave the waggons and oxen, even though a lion should be scented.' We took a little supper, which was followed by our even- ing hymn and prayer. I retired only a few minutes to my waggon to prepare for the night, when the whole of the oxen started to their feet. A lion had seized the cow in question only a few steps from their tails, and dragged it to the distance of thirty or forty paces, where we distinctly heard it tearing the animal and breaking its bones, whilst its bellow- ings were most pitiful. When these were over, I

F

THE LION

seized my gun, but as it was too dark to see any object at half the distance., I aimed at the spot where the devouring jaws of the lion were heard. I fired again and again, to which he replied with tremendous roars, at the same time making a rush towards the waggons, so as exceedingly to terrify the oxen. The two Barolongs engaged to take fire-brands, advanced a few yards, and threw them at him so as to afford me a degree of light that I might take aim, the place being bushy. They had scarcely dis- charged them from their hands when the flame went out, and the enraged animal rushed towards them with such swiftness that I had barely time to turn the gun and fire between the men and the lion, and providentially the ball struck the ground immediately under his head, as we found by examina- tion the following morning. From this surprise he returned, growling fearfully. The men darted through some thorn-bushes, with countenances indicative of the utmost terror. It was now the opinion of all that we had better let him alone if he did not molest us.

"Having but a scanty supply of wood to keep up a fire, one man crept among the bushes on one side of the pool, while I proceeded for the same purpose on the other side. I had not gone far when, look- ing upwards to the edge of the small basin, I dis- cerned between me and the sky four animals, whose attention appeared to be directed to me by the noise I made in breaking a dry stick. On closer inspection, I found that the large, round, hairy- headed visitors were lions and retreated on my

A FORMIDABLE LION.

hands and foot towards the other side of the pool; when, coming to my waggon-driver, to inform him of our danger, I found him looking, with no little alarm, in an opposite direction, and with good reason, as no fewer than two lions, with a cub, were eyeing us both, apparently as uncertain about us as we were distrustful of them. They appeared, as they always do in the dark, twice the usual size. We thankfully decamped to the waggon, and sat down to keep alive our scanty fire, while we listened to the lion tearing and devouring his prey. When any of the other hungry lions dared to approach, he would pursue them for some paces, with a horrible howl, which made our poor oxen tremble, and produced anything but agreeable sensations in ourselves. We had reason for alarm, lest any of the six lions we saw, fearless of our small tire, might rush in among: us. The two Barolongs were grudging the lion his fat meal, and would now and then break the silence with a deep sigh and expressions of regret ' that a vagabond lion should have such a feast on their cow,' which they anticipated would have afforded them many a draught of luscious milk. Before the day dawned, having deposited nearly the whole of the carcase in his stomach, he collected the head, backbone, parts of the legs, the paunch, which lie emptied of its contents, and the two clubs which had been thrown at him, and walked oil, leaving nothing but some fragments of bones, and one of my balls, which had hit the carcase, instead of himself."

Again, "It is now more than two years ago,

F 2

THE LION.

and in the very place where we now stand," said Van Wyk, the Dutch colonist, to Professor Lich- tenstein, " that 1 ventured to take one of the most daring shots that ever was hazarded ; my wife was sitting within the house near the door, the children were playing about her; and I was without, near to the house, busied in doing something to a waggon, when suddenly, though it was mid-day, an enor- mous lion appeared, came up and laid himself down in the shade, upon the very threshold of the door. My wife, either frozen with fear, or aware of the danger of any attempt to fly, remained motion- less in her place, while the children took refuge in her lap. The cry they uttered attracted my atten- tion, and I hastened towards the door; but my astonishment may well be conceived when I found the entrance to it barred in such a way. Although the animal had not seen me, unarmed as 1 was, escape seemed almost impossible, yet I glided gently, scarcely knowing what I meant to do, to the side of the house, up to the window of my chamber, where I knew my loaded gun was stand- ing. By a most happy chance I had set it in the corner close by the window, so that I could reach it with my hand ; for, as you perceive, the opening is too small to admit of my having got in ; and still more fortunately the door of the room was open, so that I could see the whole danger of the scene.

The lion was beginning to move, perhaps with the intention of making a spring. There was no longer any time to think; I called softly to the mother not to be alarmed, and, invoking the name of the

A DARING SHOT.

Lord, fired my piece. The ball passed directly over my boy's head, and lodged in the forehead of the lion immediately above his eyes, which shot forth, as it were, sparks of fire, and stretched him on the ground, so that he never stirred more. Had I failed in my aim," Van Wyk went on to say, "mother and children were all inevitably lost. Had the boy moved he would have been struck, the least turn in the lion and the shot had not been mortal. To have taken an aim from without was impossible, as the shadow of anyone advancing in the bright sun would have betrayed him, and in addition to all these chances against me, the head of the creature was in some sort protected by the door-post."

Freeman tells a somewhat similar story.

"A native was fearful," says he, " that ere long he himself would be the victim of a lion that haunted the neighbourhood, and had already preyed on more than one of his family, unless he succeeded in getting him killed. He therefore placed a kid near to the door of his house to attract the beast, intending to shoot him while he was attacking the animal. The lion, however, leaped over the kid, as if of no value, or not sufficiently dainty to satisfy his wishes, and then walked deliberately into the house. The man, however, had taken higher views ; ho had climbed up outside, and was wait- ing with his loaded gun on the roof, and on the beast walking out of the house lie aimed his gun well and shot him dead on the spot, thankful, no doubt, at having saved himself and his kid."

THE LION.

However fabulous it may appear that a lion should actually make his way into a dwelling house, there can be little doubt that this has happened. Once, indeed, as recorded in "Lake Ngami," one of these beasts actually found its way into the church at Richterfeldt. The alarm being given, the Damaras, assegai in hand, rushed to the spot, and seizing- him by the tail and ears, dragged him bodily out of the sacred edifice. The poor brute was actually dying of starvation, and offered but a very feeble resistance. I myself saw his skin.

In further proof that the lion is not at all times shy of approaching the abodes of men, I may men- tion, in parenthesis, that I was informed by Mr. Rath, the Rhenish missionary at Richterfeldt, in Damaraland, that lions, as well as other beasts of prey, not seldom harboured in a tamarind grove near at hand, and that it was no uncommon tiling even for lions to proceed from thence into his gar- den, and to approach to within a few paces of the dwelling-house itself.

In corroboration of Mr. Rath, I may here state that when, many years ago, Mr. Galton and myself were encamped near to the tamarind grove just spoken of, the men on a certain occasion asked and obtained permission to spend the evening with an acquaintance whose kraal was not far distant, and as Mr. (jail on was then absent at the Mission House and the dogs had followed our people, 1 was thus left quite, alone. The night, though somewhat warm, was delightfully bright and still. To enjoy the beautiful weather I had taken my bedding out

GRAND APPEARANCE OF THE LION.

of the waggon and placed it on the ground along- side the wheels of the vehicle, which stood not more than twenty paces distant from the brake hi question. Being a bad sleeper I lay awake until a very late hour. All nature was hushed and silent, and the night so calm that I might have heard the falling of a leaf. Suddenly my attention was drawn to the tamarind clump, whence proceeded a low rustling noise, like that of some animal cautiously making its way through its mazes. Thinking it probable that a hyena or a jackal was about to pay me a visit, 1 sat up in my bed, and seizing my gun, which I invariably kept within reach, prepared to give the intruder a warm reception. Imagine my surprise, however, when, instead of one or other of these skulking animals, a stately lion stood sud- denly before me ! In an instant my gun was pointed at his breast, but hoping he would presently turn his broadside towards me, which would have given me a much better chance of destroying him, I refrained from firing. In this expectation, how- ever, 1 was disappointed, for on perceiving the waggon, he retreated a step or two, and uttering a low growl, vanished the next moment amongst the bushes.

There is something so grand and imposing in the appearance of the king of the beasts in his native wilds, more especially when he stands in an atti- tude of surprise or defiance, that it is impossible not to be more or less awed in his presence.

To proceed with my story, and further to show the great daring of the lion, I may mention an

THE LION.

incident that occurred when Mr. Galton and myself were travelling in company in Damaraland.

"With the exception of resting an hour or two by the way, we had pushed on with the two waggons (each, as is usual in Africa, drawn by twelve oxen) during the night, when at day-break, and just as we had reached the Swakop river, we were suddenly startled by the most tremendous roaring of lions, which, evidently, were close at hand. In a few moments afterwards, two of those magnificent beasts—male and female—emerged from the bushes at about one hundred and fifty paces a-head of us. On perceiving the cavalcade, they gave another terrific roar, of so angry a nature as to cause the greatest consternation amongst the cattle. Those attached to the foremost waggon wheeled round instantaneously; and, before it was possible to prevent them, ran right into the midst of the after- most team, and I expected every moment to see the vehicles capsized or smashed to atoms.

What with the bellowing of the oxen, the shout- ing and screaming of the men, the smashing and breaking of yokes, &c., and the continued roar of the lions, the scene was such as to baffle all de- scription.

The lion, himself, after having approached very near to us, again retreated into the bushes ; but the lioness seated herself quietly within less than a hundred yards of the waggons growling most furiously. Throwing the reins over the saddle of 'Spring,' who, by-the-bye, had nearly unseated me on the first appearance of the lions, I sprang

DAMARA CHASED BY A LIONESS.

to the ground, and seizing a double-barrelled gun, which I always kept loaded for emergencies, I made towards the beast, intending to punish her for her audacity, when Hans imploringly begged me to desist. "For," said he, " if you do not shoot her dead on the spot, she will be down upon us in an instant."

Allowing myself to be guided by his advice, I refrained from firing, but, nevertheless, took up my position within about fifty paces of, and op- posite to, the lioness, as well to draw off her atten- tion from the men, and thus enable them to put the cattle and vehicles to rights, so as to be in readi- ness to give her a warm reception, should she think proper to charge.

A short time before we were thus unceremoniously attacked, one of the draught oxen, which had always been very wild, managed to escape from the yoke, and a fleet-footed Damara was left behind to bring him on. In the midst of our confusion, we heard cries of distress and loud shouting behind us ; and, on looking round, we saw, to our horror, tho lion in full chase both of the refractory ox and of the man, who was trying to keep off his fierce pursuer by violently waving the fire-brand which he carried in his hand.* Telling Hans to mind the lioness as well as he could in my absence, I immediately ran to the rescue of the Damara and his charge ; but, before I had proceeded far, the ox, catching sight

* In the nights the Damaras invariably carry a fire-brand, which they hold close to their bodies, in order to shelter themselves, in some degree, from the wind and cold.

THE LION.

of the remainder of the herd, made a successful dash right across the lion's path, and fortunately rejoined us in safety. The object of the lion was clearly more the beast than the man ; for, upon find- ing himself thus suddenly baffled, lie stopped short, and, with a savage look at us, and an angry growl, bounded out of sight as quick as thought; and by the time I returned to the waggons, the lioness had thought fit to follow her lord's example. Thus, almost without any effort on our side, we were providentially saved from this most extraordinary and dangerous attack.

At the first appearance of the lions, the men took refuge in the waggons, and, long after the danger was over, they trembled violently from fear and apprehension.

As a general rule, a lion, unless previously molested, will seldom attack an ox in the yoke, or when attended by man, but long abstinence makes him desperate.

After considerable trouble and difficulty, wo succeeded in re-arranging the oxen, which had become excessively scared. Two or three hours' further travelling brought us, without other mishap, safe to Richterfeldt, where our hair-breadth escape was listened to with the deepest interest.

CHAPTER V.

INFLUENCE OF THE HUMAN EYE UPON THE LION—DIEDRICH MüLLER—GERT SCHEPER'S ENCOUNTER WITH A LION MOF- FATT POWER OF THE HUMAN VOICE OVER THE MONARCH OF BEASTS—THE ALGERIAN ARABS—GORDON CUMMING IN DANGER —THE LION AFRAID OF RUSES— CUNNING OF THE LION— ILLUS- TRATIONS FROM GREEN, CUMMING, MOFFATT.