394 TRAVELS IN 
Each neft, however, has a feparate entrance on the under fide^ 
and has no communication with its neighbour from within. 
Sometimes one of thefe clumps of nefts will extend a fpace of ten 
feet in diameter, and contain a population of fevera.1 hundred 
individuals. The aloe dichotoma, being the only plant met 
with on the hills of this country approaching to the fize of a tree, 
except the mimofa, which grows only on the borders of peri- 
odical rivers, is generally the refort of thefe gregarious birds, 
where they conftrud: their temporary dwellings, when nature 
calls upon them to fulfil the end of their creation. 
It was on one of thefe edifices that the Hottentot fcreened 
himfelf from the fight of the lion. Having remained filent and 
motionlefs for a length of time, he ventured to peep over the 
fide of the neft, hoping that the lion had taken his departure ; 
when, to his great terror and aftonifhment, his eyes met thofe of 
the animal, to ufe his own expreffion, " flafhing fire at him.'* 
In fliort, the lion laid himfelf down at the foot of the tree, and 
ftirred not from the place for four-and-twenty hours. He then 
returned to the fpring to quench his thirft, and, in the mean 
time, the Hottentot defcended the tree, and fcampered to his 
home which was not more than a mile diftant, as faft as his 
feet could carry him. The perfeverance of the lion was fuch, 
that it appeared afterwards he had returned to the tree, and from 
thence had hunted the Hottentot by the fcent within three 
hundred paces of the houfe. 
It feems to be a fa£t well eftablifhed, that the lion prefers the 
flefh of a Hottentot to that of any other creature. He has fre- 
quently 
