24 NATURAL HISTORY. 



man whose loss Englishmen have not yet ceased to deplore ; a man who, by universal consent, \sfacile 

 princeps in the ranks of African explorers : 



" By day there is not, as a rule, the smallest danger of Lions which are not molested attacking 

 man, nor even on a clear moonlight night, except they possess a breeding <rrarrf (natural affection). 

 This' makes them brave almost any danger. And, if a man happens to cross to the windward of them, 

 both Lion and Lioness will rush at him, in the manner of a bitch with whelps. This does not often 

 happen, as I only became aware of two or three instances of it. In one case a man, passing when the 

 wind blew from him to the animals, was bitten before he could climb a tree. And, occasionally, a 

 man on horseback has been caught by the leg under the same circumstances. So general, however, is 

 the sense of security, on moonlight nights, that we seldom tied up our Oxen, but let them lie loose by 

 the wagons. While, on a dark, rainy night, if a Lion is in the neighbourhood, he is almost sure to 

 venture to kill an Ox."* 



The following passage shows how unusual it is for a Lion to do any damage by day ; so un- 

 common that the natives consider a supernatural cause necessary to account for so remarkable 

 an occurrence : 



"The Bakatla of the village Mabatsa were much troubled by Lions, which leaped into the 

 cattle-pens by night, and destroyed their Cows. They even attacked the herds in open day. 

 This was so unusual an occurrence that the people believed that they were bewitched : ' given,' 

 as they said, ' into the power of the Lions by a neighbouring tribe.' They went once to attack the 

 animals, but, being rather a cowardly people compared to Bechuanas in general, on such occasions, 

 they returned without killing any." 



The darker and stormier the night is the better the Lions like it, and the more persistent will be 

 their attacks. " The new moon brought, if possible, a more abundant supply of rain than usual ; nor 

 did the Lions fail to take advantage of the nocturnal tempest, having twice endeavoured to effect an 

 entrance into the cattle-fold. It continued, until nine o'clock the next morning, to pour with 

 such violence, that we were unable to open the canvas curtains of the wagon. Peeping out, however s 

 to ascertain if there was any prospect of its clearing up, we perceived three Lions squatted within a 

 hundred yards, in open plain, attentively watching the Oxen. Our rifles were hastily seized, but the 

 dampness of the atmosphere prevented their exploding. One after another, too, the Hottentots 

 sprang out of the pack-wagons and snapped their guns at the unwelcome intruders, as they trotted 

 sulkily away, and took up their position on a stony eminence at no great distance. Fresh caps and 

 priming were applied, and a broadside was followed by the instantaneous demise of the largest, whose 

 cranium was perforated by two bullets at the same instant. Swinging their tails over their backs, 

 the survivors took warning by the fate of their companion, and dashed into the thicket with a roar." 



When a Lion is fortunate enough to live in the neighbourhood of villages, he naturally prefers 

 the least troublesome course of selecting his supper from the flocks and herds of the inhabitants. It 

 is said that in Algeria, some thirty years ago, each Lion, in the course of his life, cost the Arabs 

 upwards of 8,400, as he destroys every year Cattle, Horses, Camels, &c., to the value of .240, and 

 the average duration of a Lion's life may be taken at thirty-five years. Thus, Jules Gerard, the 

 celebrated Lion-killer, remarks, that in one district the Arab who paid five francs a-year to the 

 State, paid fifty to the Lion ! 



If there are no farms or villages handy, the Lion has to content himself with the more trouble- 

 some course of catching wild prey. To this end he lies in ambush, in some convenient spot, and 

 waits patiently or impatiently until a herd of Antelopes or Zebras passes by, when he leaps upon one 

 of the number, roaring terribly. He usually strikes the animal down at once, by the immense 

 weight of his body, the terrible blow of his paw, and the fearful grip of his teeth in the neck of 

 his victim. If he misses his aim, he never pursues the flying herd, but returns dejectedly to his lair 

 and waits for another opportunity. The Lion's mode of attack is described with all the marvellous 

 accuracy and fire of his transcendent genius by the great Grecian :- 



as leaps a famish' d Lion fell 



On beeves that graze some marshy meadow's breadth 

 * Livingstone. 



