THE HOAR AT MIDNIGHT. 1 j 



when sojourning with some natives that he fell in 

 with in his wanderings, who lived entirely on roots 

 and the produce of the chase, and who seemed per- 

 fectly versed in all the tactics of the lion " one 

 of those beasts passed near us, occasionally giving 

 a roar, which softly died away on the extended 

 plain, and it was responded to by another at a 

 distance. Directing the attention of these Balala, 

 and asking if they thought there was danger, they 

 turned their ears as to a voice with which they were 

 familiar, and after listening for a moment or two 

 replied. * There is no danger, he has eaten and is 

 going to sleep.' They were right, and we slept 

 also. Asking them in the morning how they knew 

 the lions were going to sleep, they replied : ' We 

 live with them, they are our companions.' ' 



Impressive and terrible as is the roar of the lion, 

 cattle, unless they scent the beast, or have been 

 previously wounded by him, would not appear to 

 take so much notice of it as is generally repre- 

 sented. I at least have known the lion to 

 growl ay, to roar most savagely within gun-shot 

 of my bivouac, and not an ox or sheep stirred.* 



* What Anderson here tells us seems somewhat contradictory to 

 the experiences of other travellers, to that of MofTatt. at least, who 

 at page lol says : " One night we were quietly bivouacked at a small 

 pool in the Orep river, where we never anticipated a visit from his 

 majesty; we had just closed our united evening worship, the hook 

 was still in my hand, and the closing notes of the song of praise 

 had scarcely fallen from our lips, when the territic roar of the lion 

 was heard; our oxen, which before were quietly chewing the cud, 

 rushed upon us, and over our fires, leaving us prostrated in a cloud 

 of dust and sand; hats and hymn-books, our biblo and our guns, 

 were all scattered in wild confusion. Providential 1}' no serious 



