184 HISTORY OF QUADRUPEDS. 



The ftrength of this animal is great: One of them 

 was obferved to feize a. heifer, which it carried off in its 

 mouth with eafe, and leaped over a ditch without much 

 apparent difficulty. 



At the Cape of Good Hope, the Lion is frequently 

 hunted by the colonifts.— -In the day-time, and upon an 

 open plain, twelve or fixteen dogs will eafily get the bet- 

 ter of a large Lion. As the Lion is not remarkably 

 fwift, the dogs foon come pretty near him ; when, with 

 a fullen kind of magnanimity, he turns round, and waits 

 for the attack, making his mane, and roaring with a fhort 

 and fharp tone. The hounds furround him ; and, rufli- 

 ing upon him all at once, foon tear him to pieces. It is 

 faid, that he has feldom time to make more than two or 

 three ftrokes with his paws j each of which is attended 

 with the death of one of his affailants. 



The Lionefs goes with young five months, and brings 

 forth three or four at a time. The young ones are about 

 the fize of a large pug-dog, harmlefs, pretty, and playful. 

 They continue at the teat twelve months, and are abovQ 

 live years in coming to perfection. 



The Lion is a long-lived animal, although naturalifts 

 have differed greatly as to the precife period of its ex- 

 iftence. Buffon limits it to twenty, or twenty-two years 

 at moft'. It is however certain, that it lives much be- 

 yond that time. The great Lion, called Pompey, which 

 died in the year 1760, was known to have been in the 

 Tower above feventy years *, and one, brought from the 

 river Gambia, died there not long ago at the age of fixty- 



three.- Several of thefe animals have been bred in the 



Tower •, fo that the time of their geftation, the number 

 they produce, and the time of their arriving at perfection^ 

 are all pretty well known, 



