ADVENTURES WITH LIONS. 579 



years was exposed to all the perils of general resident, and 

 travelling supervision, of the Society operations in that wild 

 region, has given many striking and memorable anecdotes 

 of the lion, which are worth comparison with the rabidly 

 egotistical narratives of Gumming, &c. We quote one, in 

 his own language, of the authenticity of which there can be 

 no reasonable doubt at least it stands upon quite as broad a 

 basis of authenticity as any thing in that species of literature. 

 Conversing with the party one evening, when sitting around 

 the fire, on the conduct of children to their parents, I observed 

 that they were as bad as lions. " They are worse," replied 

 Africaner. This he illustrated from the well-known charac- 

 teristics of the king of beasts ; or, more properly, king of the 

 beasts of prey. Much has been written about African lions, 

 but the half has not been told. The following trait in their 

 character may not be intrusive, or partaking of the marvelous, 

 with which the tales of some travellers are said to abound. I 

 give it as received from men of God, and men who had been 

 experienced Nimrods, too. The old lion, when in company 

 with his children as the natives call them, though they are 

 nearly as big as himself; or, when numbers together happen 

 to come upon game, the oldest or ablest creeps to the object, 

 while the others crouch on the grass ; if he be successful, 

 which he generally is, he retires from his victim, and lies 

 down to breathe and rest, for perhaps a quarter of an hour ; 

 in the meantime, the others draw around, and lie down at a 

 respectful distance. When the chief one has got his rest, he 

 commences at the abdomen and breast, and after making 

 havoc with the tit-bits of the carcass, he will take a second 

 rest, none of the others presuming to move. Having made 

 a second gorge, he retires, the others watching his motions, 

 rush on the remainder, and it is soon devoured. At other 

 times, if a young lion seizes the prey, and an old one happens 

 to come up, the younger retires till the elder has dined. This 



