448 THE TROPICAL WORLD. 



a single man thus meeting with a lion is possessed of an un- 

 daunted heart, lie advances towards tlie monster brandishing 

 liis sword or flourishing his rifle high in the air, and, taking 

 good care not to strike or to shoot, contents himself with 

 jDOuring forth a torrent of abuse : — ' Oh, thou mean-spirited 

 thief ! thou pitiful way layer ! thou son of one that never 

 ventured to say no I think'st thou I fear thee ? Knowest thou 

 whose son I am ? Arise, and let me pass ! ' The lion waits 

 till the man approaches quite near to him ; then he retires, 

 but soon stretches himself once more across the path ; and thus 

 by many a repeated trial puts the courage of the wanderer to 

 the test. All the time the movements of the lion are attended 

 with a dreadful noise, he breaks numberless branches with his 

 tail, he roars, he growls ; like the cat with the mouse, he plays 

 with the object of his repeated and singular attacks, keeping 

 him perpetually suspended between hope and fear. If the man 

 engaged in this combat keeps up his courage, — if, as the Arabs 

 express tliemselves, ' he holds fast his soul,' then the brute at 

 last quits him and seeks some other prey. But if the lion per- 

 ceives that he has to do with an opponent whose courage falters, 

 whose voice trembles, who does not venture to utter a menace, 

 then to terrify him still more he redoubles the described 

 manoeuvres. He approaches his victim, pushes him from the 

 path, then leaves him and approaches again, and enjoys the 

 agony of the wretch, until at last he tears him to pieces. 



The lion is said to have a particular liking for the flesh of 

 the Hottentots, and it is surprising with what obstinacy he will 

 follow one of these unfortunate savages. Thus Mr. Barrow 

 relates the adventure of a Namaqua Hottentot, who, endeavour- 

 ing to drive his master's cattle into a pool of water enclosed 

 between two ridges of rocks, espied a huge lion couching in the 

 midst of the pool. Terrified at the unexpected sight of such a 

 beast, that seemed to have his eyes fixed upon him, he instantly 

 took to his heels. In doing this he had presence of mind 

 enough to run through the herd, concluding that if the lion 

 should pursue he would take up with the first beast that pre- 

 sented itself. In this, however, he was mistaken. The ]ion 

 broke through the herd, making directly after the Hottentot, 

 who, on turning round and perceiving that the monster had 

 singled him out, breathless and half dead with fear, scrambled 



