THE LION OP SOUTH AFRICA. 81 



for my sleeping just on that particular spot. ' Oh ! ' 

 said he, * the lion would never have had the audacity 

 to leap on you ! ' " 



It would doubtless be scarcely wise to trust abso- 

 lutely in that; but since the lion can learn to fear man, 

 one can understand that he would have more respect 

 for a white man than a black one. 



As to the lion's caution, it is so great, that to him 

 who only knew him from this side of his character, he 

 would seem to be the most pusillanimous of animals. 



One of the horses belonging to Mr. Codrington, an 

 Englishman who was travelling in Africa, having broken 

 loose, he was caught in his flight by the trunk of a 

 broken tree, round which the bridle had become entan- 

 gled, and he was found on this spot forty-eight hours 

 afterwards. 



All around him were to be seen numerous footmarks 

 of lions, but the horse was safe and sound. Evidently 

 this animal, thus fastened in the open country, was to 

 them a very suspicious object ; they believed in a trap, 

 and did not venture to make the attack. Livingstone 

 says : " Two lions came up by night to within three 

 yards of oxen tied to a waggon, and a sheep tied to a 

 tree, and stood roaring, but afraid to make a spring, 

 fearing a trap. On another occasion one of our party 

 was lying sound asleep, and unconscious of danger, 

 between two natives behind a bush at Mashue ; the fire 



a 



