ADVENTURES WITH LIONS. 593 



them many a draught of luscious milk. Before the day 

 dawned, having deposited nearly the whole of the carcass in 

 his stomach, he collected the head, back bone, parts of the 

 legs, the paunch, which he emptied of its contents, and the 

 two clubs which had been thrown at him, and walked off, 

 leaving nothing but some fragments of bones, and one of my 

 balls, which had hit the carcass instead of himself. 



When it was light we examined the spot, and found, from 

 the foot-marks, that the lion was a large one, and had 

 devoured the cow himself. I had some difficulty in believing 

 this, but was fully convinced by the Barolongs pointing out 

 to me 'that the foot-marks of the other lions had not come 

 within thirty yards of the spot, two jackals only had 

 approached to lick up any little leavings. The men pursued 

 the spoor to find the fragments, where the lion had deposited 

 them, while he retired to a thicket to sleep during the day. 

 I had often heard how much a large, hungry lion would eat, 

 but nothing less than a demonstration would have convinced 

 me that it was possible for him to have eaten all the flesh of 

 a good heifer, and many of the bones, for scarcely a rib was 

 left, and even some of the marrow bones were broke as if 

 with a hammer. 



After this, I think the curiosity of few would carry them 

 BO far as to desire to test the appetite of a hungry South 

 African lion under any circumstances, where "proxy" could 

 not conveniently be substituted as in this case, with the poor 

 cow. Here I will take leave of the South African lion with 

 the remark, that with all the grandeur of his roarings, his 

 strength, and his appetite, he is on the whole a most pusil- 

 lanimous sneak ; and in consistent ferocity, is not near so 

 much to be dreaded, or so formidable, indeed, as our Grisly 

 Bear, which is not only fully his equal in strength, but sur- 

 passes him in courage altogether. 



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