190 THE LION. 



continues to discharge his musketoon until tlio 



O 



lion is at length killed. 



"It happened, however, during the last hunt, that 

 the enraged animal leaped over the net, rushed upon 

 a cavalier, whose horse he killed, and then effected 

 his escape fora time. Being pursued by the hunts- 

 men, he was at length found, and again enclosed in 

 nets. The whole army was on that occasion sub- 

 jected to great inconveniences, and thrown into a 

 considerable degree of confusion. We remained 

 three or four days patrolling in a country intersected 

 with torrents from the mountains, and covered with 

 underwood and long grass that nearly concealed 



ft t-j tJ 



the camels. 'No bazaars had been formed, and there 

 were no towns or villages near the army. Happy 

 those who, during this scene of disorder, could 

 satisfy the cravings of hunger ! Shall I explain the 

 weighty reason for this long detention in such 

 abominable quarters ? You must know then, that it is 

 considered a favourable omen when the king kills a 

 lion, as the escape of that animal is portentous of 

 infinite evil to the State. Accordingly, the termina- 

 tion of the hunt is attended with much grave 

 ceremony. The king being seated in the general 

 assemblage of the omrahs, the dead lion is brought 

 before him, and when the carcass has been accurately 

 measured and minutely examined, it is recorded in 

 the royal archives that such a king on such a day 

 slew a lion of such a size and with such a skin, 

 teeth were of such a length, and claws of such 

 dimensions." 



We find in the Annals of Ilindoostan, that the 



