THE LION. 15 



Perilous situation of a Hottentot. 



Under the cover of one of these clumps of 

 nests the Hottentot concealed himself from the 

 sight of his inexorable foe. At the moment of 

 his ascending, the lion made a spring at him ; but 

 missing his aim, he walked in sullen silence round 

 the tree, casting at times, a terrific look towards 

 the poor Hottentot, who had crept behind the 

 nests. The latter having long remained silent 

 and motionless, ventured to peep out of his hid- 

 ing-place, hoping his enemy had taken his de- 

 parture ; but to his no small astonishment and 

 affright, his eyes met those of the animal, which, 

 as he afterwards declared, flashed lire at him. 



The lion then lay down at the foot of the tree, 

 where he remained without stirring for twenty- 

 four hours ; but being then parched with thirst, 

 he went to a spring, at some distance, to drink. 

 The Hottentot, seizing this opportunity, descend- 

 ed the tree with trepidation, and hastened with 

 all possible expedition to his home, not more 

 than a mile from the spot, where he arrived in 

 safety. It afterwards appeared, that his enemy 

 had returned to the tree, and rinding that the 

 man had escaped, had hunted him, by the scent, 

 to within three hundred paces of the house. 



In the more northern parts of the African con- 

 tinent, which are infested with this animal, the 

 natives display extraordinary address and intre- 

 pidity in attacking him. Claude Jannequin, in 

 his voyage to Senegal, describes one of these 

 combats, on the banks of the Niger, between a 



