6 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Flesh of the lion eaten by Arabs. 



to the palace, and obtained the licence of the 

 sovereign, that he dared to attack those formida- 

 ble intruders. 



At the Cape of Good Hope, the natives betray 

 the lion into pit-falls, dug for that purpose; and 

 have sometimes the hardihood to attack him 

 with clubs and spears. His skin being extremely 

 firm and compact, and the hair very thick on the 

 fore-parts in particular, it is not easily penetrat- 

 ed ; but is not proof against a javelin or a mus- 

 ket-ball. Kolben says, that at the Cape, the flesh 

 of the lion is frequently eaten ; that its flavour is 

 excellent, and not unlike the taste of venison. 

 Mr. Bruce informs us, that in the deserts of Bar- 

 bary, there is a tribe of Arabs which almost en- 

 tirely subsist on the flesh of these animals, and 

 claim peculiar privileges on account of the pains 

 they take to destroy them. But that traveller, 

 who himself partook of this extraordinary fare, 

 describes it as being in general tough, and hav- 

 ing a strong smell of musk, which gave it a disa- 

 greeable flavour. 



The lion arrives at maturity at the age of five 

 years, and has been known to live upwards of 

 seventy. In his natural state, it is probable, that 

 he attains a much greater age. 



A lion and lioness, brought over from Africa, 

 about fourteen years ago, were placed in the 

 same den, at Exeter 'Change, being at that time 

 only eighteen months old. Their keeper, (a 

 negro, who had reared them from whelps, and 



