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CHAPTER XXXII. 



FLOATING DOWN STREAM. 



Next morning I started for the raft at the head 

 of the same party as accompanied me yesterday, 

 amply provided with buffalo rheims. The tramp 

 was more enjoyable than heretofore, for it seemed 

 to be chequered with more than the usual amount 

 of interesting incidents. Sunday soon drew along- 

 side of me, and narrated a strange story, that 

 lionesses frequently suckled children which they had 

 carried off from native kraals or surprised upon the 

 vzldt. My doubting the truth of this warmed him 

 up to his subject. He asserted that he had not 

 only heard of one case, but knew of several. I 

 humoured him by requesting a description of what the 

 captive looked like after a residence of years among 

 such strange companions, In answer, he affirmed 

 that they were covered with hair, went on all fours, 

 had their elbows and all prominent parts of their 

 figures covered with callosities, that they had lost 

 the power of speech, but howled like their foster- 

 parents, and moreover smelt exactly like them. In 

 India I heard of eight or nine such cases, all of 

 which occurred in the Province of Oude, but the 

 nurse was on all occasions a wolf. Two or three of 



