THE LION. 



" A farmer, who had the misfortune to fee a Lion feize two of his Oxen, 

 at the very inftant that he had taken them from his waggon, informed me 

 that they immediately fell down dead upon the fpot, clofe by each other, 

 though, upon examining the carcafes afterwards, it appeared that their backs 

 had only been broken." But his conduct towards the human fpecies 

 appears to be more noble; fatisfied with merely wounding his unhappy 

 victim, he feldom deprives it of life, unlefs he is very much provoked; or at 

 leaft he waits fome time before he gives the fatal blow. In fupport of this 

 opinion, the Doctor has favoured us with the two following narratives : " Near 

 the upper part of Dayven-hoek Rivier, I myfelf," fays he, f* faw an elderly 

 Hottentot, who at that time, his wounds being ftill open, bore under one 

 eye and directly upon his cheek-bone, the ghaftly marks of a Lion's bite, 

 which was the only chaftifement this noble animal had thought it worth his 

 while to inflict upon him, for having, along with his mafter, whom I alfo 

 knew, and feveral other Chriftians, hunted him with great intrepidity, though 

 unfuccefsfully." ".The converfation turned every where, in this part of the 

 country, upon one Bota, a farmer and a militia captain, who had lain for 

 fome time under a Lion, and had received feveral bruifes from the bead, 

 having been, at the fame time, feverely bitten by him in one arm, as a 

 memorial to remember him by; but, upon the whole, had his life given him 

 by this generous animal." It mull ftill, however, remain a matter of doubt, 

 whether this merciful difpofition of the Lion, towards man, is the effecT: of 

 real generofity; or whether it is the confequence of mere caprice or want of 

 appetite. 



But let us take a view of the Lion in a ftate of favage freedom, uncontrolled 

 by the confinement of a cage, or the chains of llavery ; and this we are enabled 

 to do by the afliftance of Dr. Sparrman, who penetrated far into the interior 

 parts of Africa, and had frequent opportunities of obferving the habits of this 

 animal, as well as of being informed of them by the natives; we mail 

 therefore clofe this account with fome obfervations and anecdotes chiefly on 

 his authority. 



