200 VORACIOUS CHARACTER OF THE HYAENA. 



dreadful havoc. " To show clearly," he says, u the 

 preference of the wolf for human flesh, it will be 

 necessary to notice, that when the Mambookies build 

 their houses, which are in form like beehives, and 

 tolerably large, often eighteen or twenty feet in 

 diameter, the floor is raised at the higher or back 

 part of the house, until within three or four feet of 

 the front, where it suddenly terminates, leaving an 

 area from thence to the wall, in which every night 

 the calves are tied, to protect them from the storms 

 or from wild beasts. Now it would be natural to sup- 

 pose, that, should the wolf enter, he would seize the 

 first object for his prey, especially as the natives always 

 lie with the fire at their feet. But, notwithstanding 

 this, the constant practice of this animal has been in 

 every instance to pass by the calves in the area, and 

 even by the fire, and to take the children from under 

 the mother's kaross, and this in such a gentle and 

 cautious manner, that the poor parent has been un- 

 conscious of her loss, until the cries of her little 

 innocent have reached her from without, when a 

 close prisoner in the jaws of the monster. To give 

 all the instances I could adduce would tire your 

 patience ; I will therefore only give two, with which 

 we have been more immediately concerned ; and 

 which, while they show how much they want who 

 want the Gospel, will also show that the tender 

 mercies of the wicked are cruel. 



" The first I shall mention is that of Dapa's great 



