]2 LEAVES FROM THE 



prey when no better may be had, and Bruce gives an 

 anecdote of its pertinacity and audacity on one of these 

 occasions so graphically, that it would be unjust to the 

 reader to give it in other than the slandered Abyssinian 

 traveller's own words: — 



Upon the highest top of the mountain Lamalmon, while my 

 servants were refi'eshing themselves from that toilsome, rugged 

 ascent, and enjoying the pleasure of a most delightful climate, 

 eating their dinner in the outer air, with several large dishes of 

 boiled goat's flesh before them, this enemy, as he tiu-iied out to be 

 to them, appeared suddenly. He did not stoop i-apidly from a 

 height, but came flying slowly along the ground, and sat down 

 close to the meat, within the ring the men had made round it. A 

 great shout, or rather cry of distress, called me to the place. I 

 saw the eagle stand for a minute, as if to recollect himself, while 

 the servants ran for their lances and shields. I walked up as near 

 to him as I had time to do. His attention was fully fixed upon 

 the flesh. I saw him jiut his foot into the pan, where was a 

 large piece in water, prepared for boiling ; but finding the smart 

 which he had not expected, he withdrew it, and forsook this piece 

 which he held. 



There were two large pieces, a leg and a shoulder, lying upon 

 a wooden platter; into these he trussed both his claws, and 

 carried them oflp; but I thought he looked wistfully at the large 

 piece which remained in the warm water. Away he went slowly 

 along the ground as he had come. The face of the cliff over 

 which criminals are thrown took him from our sight. The Maho- 

 metans that drove the asses, who had suffered from the hyajna, 

 were much alarmed, and assured me of his return. My servants, 

 on the other hand, very unwillingly expected him, and thought he 

 had already more than his share. 



As I had myself a desire of more intimate acquaintance with 

 him, I loaded a rifle gun with ball and sat down close to the 

 platter by the meat. It was not many minutes before he came, 

 and a prodigious shout was raised by my attendants, ' He is 

 coming ! he is coming !' enough to have discouraged a less 

 courageous animal. ^Miether he was not quite so hungry as at 

 first, or susjiected something from my appearance, I know not, but 

 he made a small tm-n and sat down about ten yards from me, the 

 pan with the meat being between me and him. As the field was 

 clear before me, and I did not know but his next move might 

 bring him opposite to one of my people, and so that he might 

 actually get the rest of the meat and make off, I shot him with 



