ADVENTURES WITH LIONS. 582 
As to his being afraid of the human eye, I shall touch on 
that subject in another part of my work, when I describe 
those which have tasted human flesh, for which they ever 
afterwards retain an uncommon relish. With all their bold- 
ness, they are sometimes arrant cowards. On one occasion, 
I remember a man who, coming unexpectedly on a lion, 
fainted. The lion raised himself to look over the bushes, 
7 seeing no one, seemed to suspect a plot, and scampered 
off with his tail between his legs. It is but justice to add, 
that the man was no less cowardly; for, on awaking from his 
swoon, and looking this way and that, he imagined the object 
of his terror was still there, and taking to his heels, he made 
towards the wagon. I have known Bushmen, and even 
women, drive the lion away from the prey he has just seized, 
by beating their clubs on dry hides, and shouting; neverthe- 
less, by day, and especially by night, he is an object of terror. 
Here is yet another, from a Missionary of South Africa, 
which is analogous. It is from a narrative of a visit to the 
Mauritius and South Africa, by James Backhouse. 
A Bushman residing near the Orange river, in the direc- 
tion of Hardcastle Kloof, was hunting with some companions, 
and observing a considerable number of vultures soaring in 
the air, he concluded that some animal had been accidentally 
killed, of which he might possibly obtain a share; he therefore 
left his companions and repaired to the spot, where he found 
a hartebeest lying, off which he drove a number of these birds. 
On doing this, a lion, which he supposed had killed the harte- 
beest and satisfied its hunger, came from behind a neighboring 
bush and growled at him. 
Petrified with fear, the Bushman stood perfectly still. The 
lion walked round him, so close as to brush him with its tail, 
uttering at the same time a low growl; it went to a short 
distance and sat down, looking at the Bushman, who kept his 
eye upon it and drew back a few paces; but when he drew 
back the lion advanced, he therefore stood quite still till the 
