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 Cumming, &. 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,” réplied 
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 
