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pit, sun'ound it with an enclosure of stones to prevent its being 

 seen, and suspend a lamb from the top of a column erected in the 

 middle of it. The lion, allured by the bleating of the lamb, makes 

 a spring at it, over the fence, and falls into the snare. A trap is 

 then let down by ropes, and the lion, invited by the meat within, 

 enters it and is drawn up. 



On the banks of the Euphrates are a swift grey-coloured race of 

 horses, so courageous that they dare to meet the lion : — mounted 

 on these the hunters start and pursue him, while another party 

 on foot, having spread the toils, and taken their aj)pointed stations, 

 shaking burning torches, and beating shields which they carry on 

 their left arms, join in the pursuit, and drive the prey into their 

 toils, as fishermen drive a shoal of fishes scared by the torches' 

 blaze. 



A third mode of taking lions, as practised by the Ethiopians, is 

 wonderful as it is dangerous. Four men take as many shields, 

 composed of flexible twigs, round and covered with bull hides, to 

 defend themselves against both the claws and the teeth of the lion. 

 They clothe themselves in sheep skins, and tie on their heads a 

 helmet which leaves no part uncovered except the eyes, nose, and 

 lips. Thus armed, they approach the lion's den, loudly cracking 

 their whips ; — he, provoked by the sound, springs out with a tre- 

 mendous roar, swelling with rage, — his eyes darting fire, — impe- 

 tuous as a thundei'bdlt. The woods and rocks and all the welkin 

 re-echo to the roar, which is loud as the cataracts of the Ganges, 

 augmented by the confluence of twenty torrents. He rushes against 

 them like a wintry tempest. But they wait his onsef firm, — and 

 while his rage is directed against one in front, he is assailed by 

 another behind, and he quits the former object of his fury to take 

 vengeance on his latter assailant. But he spends his rage in vain. 



