'lOS THE LION", 



jng a whole republic of nests in one clump, and 

 under one cover. One of these clumps of nest? 

 sometimes extends a space of ten feet in diameter, 

 and contains a population of several hundred indi- 

 viduals. It was under the cover of one of these 

 structures, that the Hottentot screened himself from 

 the viev/ of the Lion. Having remained silent and 

 motionless for a length of time, he ventured to peep 

 over the side of the nest, hoping that the Lion had 

 departed ; when, to his great terror and astonish^ 

 mcnt, his eyes met those of the animal, which, as 

 the poor fellow afterwards expressed himself, " flash- 

 ed fire at him." In short, the Lion laid himself 

 down at the foot of the tree, "^ and did not move from 

 the place for four-and-twenty hours. At the end 

 of this time, becoming parched with thirst, the 

 beast went to a spring at some distance in order to 

 drink. The Hottentot now, with trepidation, ven- 

 tured to descend ; and ran off to his home, which 

 was not more than a mile distant, as fast as his feet 

 could carry him, where he arrived in safety. The 

 perseverance of the Lion was such, that, it appeared 

 afterwards, he returned to tlie tree, and, hnding 

 the man had descended, hunted liim by the scent 

 to within three hundred paces of the house. 



It seems to be a well-established fact, that the 

 Lion prefers the flesh of a Hottentot to any other 

 food. One of these people has been frequently singled 

 out from a party of Dutch. Tlie latter, however, 

 being disguised in clothing, and the former going 

 generally naked, mny perhaps account for this dis- 

 tinction. The Horse, next to the Hottentot^ seems 



