THE LION. 



difcharge his gun ; then inftantly recovering his feat, he mult, ride obliquely 

 athwart his companions, and, giving the reins to his Horfe, mull trull entirely 

 to his fpeed and fear, to convey him from the reach and fury of the enraged 

 heart, if he has only wounded, or totally milled him. In either cafe, a fair 

 opportunity offers for fome of the other hunters to lire in their turn, in the 

 fame manner, and divert the attention of the Lion from their companion. In 

 this manner they mutually relieve each other, till the definition of thebeaft 

 clofes the fcene. There has never been an infiance known of any accident 

 happening to thofe who hunt the Lion on horfeback, provided they are 

 accuftomed to the fport, and conduct themfelves with prudence. The 

 African Colonilts being in general good markfmen, and far from deficient in 

 courage. 



The Lion is ealily killed with a bullet : if it enters the heart or lungs, his 

 death is immediate; but mould it wound the interlines, or lodge in the 

 cavity of the abdomen, he is prefently thrown into vomitings, which difable 

 him from running. 



The larger! Lion is ealily overcome by twelve or lixteen of the common 

 farm-houfe Dogs, provided they attack him in the day time, and on an open 

 plain. As foon as the Dogs approach the Lion, he difdains to fly any farther, 

 but fits himfelf down. The Hounds then get round him, and rulhing on 

 him all at once, are thus, with their united firength, enabled to tear in 

 pieces, almolt in an infiant, the ftrongeft of all wild bearts, before he has 

 time to give more than two or three flight Itrokes with his paws ; each of 

 which, however, is inftant death to the dog which is unfortunate enough 

 to receive it. 



It is difficult to defcribe the roaring of the Lion, fo as to convey an 

 adequate idea of it : it confifts of a hoarfe, inarticulate, hollow found, 

 fomething like that which proceeds from a fpeaking trumpet, but much more 

 tremendous : it feems as if it proceeded from under the earth, and its flow, 

 prolonged note, accompanied by the nocturnal darknefs, and the terrible 

 idea one is ready to form of this tremendous animal, never fails to make the 

 moll; alarming imprefHon on the hearer, and ferves as a warning to other 



