THE LION. 75 



are exceptions: so many came about our half-deserted 

 houses at Chonuane while we were in the act of removing 

 to Kolobeng, that the natives who remained with Mrs, 

 Livingstone were terrified to stir out of doors in the even- 

 ing. Bitches, also, have been known to be guilty of the 

 horridly unnatural act of eating their own young, probably 

 from the great desire for animal food, which is experienced 

 by the inhabitants as well. 



When a lion is met in the daytime, a circumstance by no 

 means unfrequent to travellers in these parts, if precon- 

 ceived notions do not lead them to expect something very 

 "noble" or "majestic," they will see merely an animal 

 somewhat larger than the biggest dog they ever saw, and 

 partaking very strongly of the canine features : the face is 

 not much like the usual drawings of a lion, the nose being 

 prolonged like a dog's; not exactly such as our painters 

 make it, — though they might learn better at the Zoological 

 Gardens, — their ideas of majesty being usually shown by 

 making their lions' faces like old women in nightcaps. 

 When encountered in the daytime, the lion stands a second 

 or two, gazing, then turns slowly round, and walks as 

 slowly away for a dozen paces, looking over his shoulder, 

 then begins to trot, and, when he thinks himself out of 

 sight, bounds off like a greyhound. 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 when they possess the breeding (Tropyrj, (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 where 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, bui 



