CHAP. V. DONKEYS' VOCAL POWERS. 127 



hunter who gets to the windward of the African beast, as 

 it cannot stand even the distant aroma of the human race, 

 so much dreaded by all wild animals. Is this the fear and 

 the dread of man, which the Almighty said to Noah was 

 to be upon every beast of the field ? A lion may, while 

 lying in wait for his prey, leap on a human being as he 

 would on any other animal, save a rhinoceros or an 

 elephant, that happened to pass ; or a lioness, when she 

 has cubs, might attack a man, who, passing " up the wind 

 of her," had unconsciously, by his scent, alarmed her for 

 the safety of her whelps ; or buffaloes, and other animals, 

 might rush at a line of travellers, in apprehension of being 

 surrounded by them; but neither beast nor snake will, 

 as a general rule, turn on man except when wounded, or 

 by mistake. If gorillas, unwounded, advance to do battle 

 with him, and beat their breasts in defiance, they are an 

 exception to all wild beasts known to us. From the way 

 an elephant runs at the first glance of man, it is inferred 

 that this huge brute, though really king of beasts, would 

 run even from a child. 



Our two donkeys caused as much admiration as the 

 three white men. Great was the astonishment when one 

 of the donkeys began to bray. The timid jumped more 

 than if a lion had roared beside them. All were startled, 

 and stared in mute amazement at the harsh-voiced one, till 

 the last broken note was uttered ; then, on being assured 

 that nothing in particular was meant, they looked at each 

 other, and burst into a loud laugh at their common sur- 

 prise. When one donkey stimulated the other to try his 

 vocal powers, the interest felt by the startled visitors, 

 must have equalled that of the Londoners, when they first 

 crowded to see the famous hippopotamus. 



We were now, when we crossed the boundary rivulet 

 Nyamatarara, out of Chicova and amongst sandstone rocks, 

 similar to those which prevail between Lupata and 



