THE LION AND OTHER BEASTS OF PREY 229 



ran everywhere in this part of the country upon one Bota, a farmer, 

 and captain in the mihtia, who had lain for some time under a Hon, 

 and had received several bruises from the beast, having been, at the 

 same time, a good deal bitten by him in one arm, as a token to remember 

 liim by; but upon the whole, had, in a manner, his life given him by 

 this noble animal!" 



Mr. Smith, of Cape Town, went with about forty others to a 

 neighboring hill to hunt wolves, which had committed various depre- 

 dations among the sheep. While engaged in the chase, a lion sprang 

 from a bush, and seized one of the Hottentots by the forehead. "I 

 could not leave the man to be killed," he said, "I therefore went with 

 my gun to shoot the lion. On observing me, he left the Hottentot and 

 attacked me ; my gun was useless, for, in a moment, he caught my arm 

 in his mouth, having directed my elbow towards him to defend my 

 face. I held his throat down with my other hand, with my knee on 

 his belly, and called out to the Hottentots to come to my assistance. 

 When they heard I was in danger, they ventured their lives to save 

 mine; — they came running, and one of them shot him dead; and we 

 brought home his skin." His teeth met to the very bone of Mr. Smith's 

 arm, and it was a long time before he recovered. The Hottentot who 

 was first attacked, carried the marks of the lion tusks in his forehead 

 all his days. 



The mode of Hottentot hunting has been described in terms of 

 eulogy, from the earliest times. When the men of a kraal are out on 

 the chase, and discover a wild beast of any considerable size, strength, 

 and fierceness, they divide themselves into several parties, and endeavor 

 to surround the beast, which, through their nimbleness of foot, they 

 generally do very quickly; though, on the sight of such danger, "the 

 beast, of whatsoever kind," says Kolben, ''always betakes himself to 

 all his shifts and to all his heels." 



When a lion, tiger, or leopard, is thus encompased, they attack 

 him with spears and arrows. With flaming eyes and the wildest rage, 

 the creature flies on the Hottentots who threw them. He is nimble; 

 tliey are nimbler, and avoid him with astonishing dexterity, till they are 

 relieved by others of the ring, who, plying him with fresh arrows and 

 spears, bring him and all his fury on themselves. 



