737 



FELID^E. 



FELID^E. 



158 



seized with a panic and pursued, a timely recovery of self-possession 

 has saved him. Sparrman relates that Jacob Kok of Zee-Koe-llivier, 

 one day walking over his lands with his loaded gun, unexpectedly met 

 a lion. Being an excellent shot, he thought himself pretty certain, 

 from the position in which he was, of killing it, and therefore fired 

 his piece. Unfortunately he did not recollect that the charge had 

 been in it for some time, and consequently was damp ; so that his 

 piece hung fire, and the ball falling short, entered the ground close to 

 the lion. In consequence of this he was seized with a panic and took 

 directly to his heels ; but being soon out of breath and closely pursued 

 by the lion, he jumped up on a little heap of stones, and there made 

 a stand, presenting the butt end of his gun to his adversary, fully 

 resolved to defend his life as well as he could to the utmost. This 

 deportment had such an effect on his pursuer, that he also made a 

 stand, and lay down at the distance of a few paces from the heap of 

 stones seemingly quite unconcerned. Jacob, in the mean time, did 

 not stir from the spot ; besides he had in his flight unfortunately 

 dropped his powder-horn. At length, after waiting a good half-hour, 

 the lion rose up, and at first went very slowly, and step by step only, 

 as if he had a mind to steal off ; but as soon as he got to a greater 

 distance, he began to bound away at a great rate. There is hardly a 

 book of African travels which does not teem with the dangers and 

 hair-breadth escapes of the lion-hunters, and hardly one that does not 

 include a fatal issue to some engaged in this hazardous sport ; but 

 our limits will not allow us to enter into further details on this part 

 of the subject, and we must refer to such works for accounts and 

 they are very interesting of the different modes of destruction 

 employed against this powerful beast, from the poisoned arrow of the 

 Bushman to the rifle of the colonist. 



African Lion (Leo Africanut}. (Barbary.) 



The following extracts from an anonymous work entitled ' Zoolo- 

 gical Anecdotes' embody some of the observations made by Mr. 

 Cuming, whose collection of stuffed animals from Africa were so long 

 exhibited at Hyde Park Corner: 



" The following powerfully-drawn picture conveys a most accurate 

 idea of the fearful banquets held in the primteval forests of Africa, 

 and at the same tinfe is full of interest from the light it throws on 

 the habits of the Carnivora. Mr. Cuming had shot three rhinoceroses 

 near a fountain, and soon after twilight had died away he came down 

 to the water to watch for lions. With him was his Hottentot 

 Kleinboy. ' On reaching the water I looked towards the carcass of 

 the rhinoceros, and to my astonishment I beheld the ground alive 

 with large creatures, as though a troop of zebras were approaching 

 the water to drink. Kleinboy remarked to me that a troop of zebras 

 were standing on the height. I answered ' Yes ;' but I knew very 

 well that zebras would not be capering around the carcass of a rhino- 

 ceros. I quickly arranged my blankets, pillow, and guns in the hole, 

 and then lay down to feast my eyes on the interesting sight before 

 me. It was bright moonlight, aa clear as I need wish. There were 

 nix large lions, about twelve or fifteen hyaenas, and from twenty to 

 thirty jackalls, feasting on and around the carcasses of the three rhino- 

 ceroses. The lions feasted peaceably, but the hyxnas and jackalls 

 fought over every mouthful, and chased one another round and round 

 the carcasses, growling, laughing, screeching, chattering, and howling, 

 without any intermission. The hyaenas did not seem afraid of the 

 lions, although they always gave way before them ; for I observed 

 that they followed them in the most disrespectful manner, nnd stood 



laughing, one or two on either side, when any lions came after their 

 comrades to examine pieces of skin or bones which they were dragging 

 away." The following account of an attack by one of these man- 

 eaters, as they are called (for having once tasted human flesh they 

 will eat nothing else if it can be obtained), makes the blood run cold. 

 Mr. Cuming and his party had, unknown to them, pitched their camp 

 in the proximity of a lion of this description. All had retired to rest, 

 when (says Mr. C.) ' suddenly the appalling and murderous voice of 

 an angry bloodthirsty lion burst upon my ears 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 but chasing one of the dogs round the kraal, but the next 

 instant John Stofulus rushed into the midst of us, almost speechless 

 with fear and terror, his eyes bursting from their sockets, and shrieked 

 out, ' The lion ! the lion ! He has got Hendrick ! He dragged him 

 away from the fire beside me. I struck him with the burning brands 

 upon his head, but he wouldn't let go his hold. Hendrick is dead ! 

 God ! Hendrick is dead ! Let us take fire and seek him.' The 

 rest of my people rushed about shrieking and yelling as if they were 

 mad. I was at once 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 Hendrick's 

 name ; but all was still. I told my men that Hendrick was dead, and 

 that a regiment of soldiers could not now help him ; and hunting my 

 dogs forward, I had everything brought within my cattle kraal, when 

 we lighted our fire and closed the entrance as well as we could. Ifc 

 appeared that when the unfortunate Hendrick 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 blanket) 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 away backwards round the 

 bush into the dense shade. As the lion lay on the unfortunate man 

 he faintly cried, ' Help me ! help me ! O God ! men, help me ! ' 

 After which the fearful beast got hold of his neck, and then all was 

 still, except that his comrades heard the bones of his neck cracking 

 between the teeth of the lion.' It is satisfactory to know that on the 

 following day Mr. Cuming took revenge on the lion, whose huge grisly 

 hide is to be seen in his collection at Hyde Park Corner." 



Of Asiatic Lions three kinds are mentioned the Bengal Lion, the 

 Persian or Arabian Lion, and the Maneless Lion of Guzerat. 



The Bengal Lion. Mr. Bennett points out the characteristics by 

 which the Asiatic race is distinguished from that of Southern Africa, 

 as consisting principally in the larger size, the more regular and 

 graceful form, the generally darker colour, and the less extensive 

 mane of the African. He gives a beautiful cut of the Bengal Lion, 

 executed by Harvey, in the ' Tower Menagerie," from a very fine 

 specimen little more than five years old, then in that collection, but 

 called by the keepers ' The Old Lion.' The magnificent development 

 of the mane is very striking in this figure. 



I.ion (mane not quite fully developed) from Eastern Asia, with Lioness. 



The Persian or Arabian Lion. This is stated to be distinguishable 

 by the pale Isabella colour of the fur, and those which have been 



