MAN AND THE LION. 223 



the mere pleasure of killing, but for food, and to 

 defend himself from attack." 



That the lion in the daytime, unless previously 

 provoked, or exasperated by hunger, almost in- 

 variably retreats at the sight of a man, or on hearing 

 him approach, is a fact that almost every traveller 

 or sportsman (myself amongst the rest) who have 

 visited Southern Africa can testify to. 



Harris, for instance, at page 258 of his enter- 

 taining work, says : 



" Scarcely a day passed without our seeing two or 

 three lions, but, like the rest of the animal creation, 

 they uniformly retreated when disturbed by the 

 approach of men. However troublesome we found 

 the intrusions of the feline race during the night, 

 they seldom, at any other time, showed the least 

 disposition to molest us unless we commenced 

 hostilities; and this, owing to the badness of our 

 horses, we rarely felfe disposed to do." 



Delegorgue testifies to the same effect. " At the 

 sound of a man's steps or voice, the lion, whether 

 hidden in the wooded dell, in the deep ravine, 

 or stretched at length in the rank irrass, will 



O ij 



start from his hiding-place, and make a precipitate 

 retreat. In the bush he effects it noiselessly, and 

 by stealth ; but in the more exposed localities, it is 

 done slowly and with extreme caution, fearing, 

 perhaps, to compromise his dignity. He may then 

 be seen to turn round repeatedly, with a careless 

 air, as if his mind was pre-occupied, but at the same 

 time always taking care to increase the distance 

 between himself and his pursuer. Shout to him, 



