46 NATURAL HISTORY IN ANECDOTE. 



lain almost across the youth, so nearly and dearly related 

 to them, without having done him any particular hurt. I 

 myself saw, near the upper part of Duyvenhoek River, an 

 elderly Hottentot who, at that time (his wounds being still 

 open), bore under one eye, and underneath his cheek bone 

 the ghastly marks of the bite of a lion, which did not think 

 it worth his while to give him any other chastisement for 

 having, together with his master (whom I also knew), and 

 several other Christians, hunted him with great intrepidity, 

 though without success. The conversation ran everywhere 

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

 captain in the militia, who had lain for sometime under a 

 lion, 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 him by; but, upon the whole, 

 had, in a manner, had his life given him by this noble animal. 

 The man was said then to be living in the district of Artaquas- 

 kloof." 



Discretion the ^e fM w i n g seems to show a curious power 

 better part of of reasoning on the part of the lion. " Diederik 

 Valour. Muller, one of the most intrepid and successful 

 of modern lion-hunters in South Africa, had," says Sir 

 William Jardine, " been out alone hunting in the wilds, when 

 he came suddently upon a lion, which, instead of giving way, 

 seemed disposed, from the angry attitude he assumed, to 

 dispute with him the dominion of the desert. Diederik 

 instantly alighted, and confident of his unerring aim levelled 

 his gun at the forehead of the lion, who was couched in the 

 act to spring, within fifteen paces of him ; but at the moment 

 the hunter fired, his horse, whose bridle was round his 

 arm, started back and caused him to miss. The lion, bounded 

 forward, but stopped within a few paces, confronting Diederik 

 who stood defenceless, his gun discharged, and his horse 

 running off. The man and the beast stood looking at each 

 other in the face for a short space. At length the lion 



