170 ADVENTURES IW SOUTH AFRIGA- 



kicking up his heels and flourishing his long white tail, 

 the old bull bounded forth, and, disappearing over a 

 ridge, I saw him no more. 



The night of the 19th was to me rather a memora- 

 ble one, as being the first on which I had the satisfac- 

 tion of hearing the deep-toned thunder of the lion's roar 

 Although there was no one near to inform me by what 

 beast the haughty and impressive sounds which echo- 

 ed through the wilderness were produced, I had little 

 difliculty in divining. There was no mistake about it; 

 and on hearing it I at once knew, as well as if accus- 

 tomed to the sound from my infancy, that the appall- 

 ing roar which was uttered within half a mile of me 

 was no other than that of the mighty and terrible king 

 of beasts. Although the dignified and truly monarch- 

 ical appearance of the lion has long rendered him fa- 

 mous among his fellow quadrupeds, and his appearance 

 and habits have often been described by abler pens than 

 mine, nevertheless I consider that a few remarks, re- 

 sulting from my own personal experience, formed by a 

 tolerably long acquaintance with him both by day and 

 by night, may not prove uninteresting to the reader. 

 There is something so noble and imposing in the pres- 

 ence of the lion, when seen walking with dignified self- 

 possession, free and undaunted, on his native soil, that 

 no description can convey an adequate idea of his strik- 

 ing appearance. The lion is exquisitely formed by na- 

 ture for the predatory habits which he is destined to 

 pursue. Combining in comparatively small compass 

 the qualities of power and agility, he is enabled, by 

 means of the tremendous machinery with which nature 

 has gifted him, easily to overcome and destroy almost 

 every beast of the forest, however superior to him in 

 weight and stature. 



