CHAP. XIV. THE HY^NA. 1,59 



ass. It sometimes attacks cattle and men, and is 

 particularly dreaded by the modern peasants ; but 

 I never found one which ventured to attack a man 

 who fearlessly advanced towards it, except when 

 rendered savage by a wound, or by the desire 

 natural to all animals of defending its young. On 

 these occasions it is a rude and dangerous anta- 

 gonist. Its general mode of attacking a man is by 

 rushing furiously against him, and throwing him 

 down by a blow of its large bony head ; and in 

 a sandy place it is said first to throw up a cloud 

 of dust with its hind legs, and then to close with 

 its opponent, while disconcerted by this w^ily arti- 

 fice. 



The Abyssinians have an extraordinary fancy 

 respecting the hyaena. They affirm that a race of 

 people who inhabit their country, and who usually 

 follow the trade of blacksmiths, have the power of 

 changing their form at pleasure, and assuming that 

 of the hyjEna. I had often heard this tale from 

 natives of Abyssinia living in Egypt, and having 

 been told many equally extravagant I was not sur- 

 prised at their credulity. Meeting accidentally 

 with an Englishman who had lived about thirty 

 years there, and who on his way to Europe was 

 staying a few days at Cairo, I mentioned, in the 

 course of conversation, this singular notion, with 

 an evident demonstration of my own disbelief, and 

 with an inquiry whether it was generally credited. 

 Looking at me with an unequivocal expression of 

 pity for my ignorance, he answered that no Abys- 

 sinian ever doubted it, and that no one at all ac- 



