MISCELLANEA. 
355 
had not come within thirty yards of the spot ; two jackals only had 
approached to lick up any little leavings. The men pursued the 
spoor to find the fragments where the lion had deposited them, 
while he retired to a thicket to sleep during the day. I had often 
heard how much a large hungry lion could eat ; but nothing less 
than a demonstration could have convinced me that it was possible 
for him to have eaten all the flesh of a good heifer, and many of 
the bones, for scarcely a rib was left, and even some of the marrow- 
bones were broken as if with a hammer. Having travelled in a 
circuitous direction, we came to Kurrechane, or, as it is more com- 
monly called, Chuenyane, a noble mountain, in a fine, well-watered 
country. Here the number of lions was fearful ; and having in this 
part of the country gorged on human flesh, do not spend their time, 
if hungry, in looking at the human eye, as some are said to do, 
but seek the easiest and most expeditious way of making a meal 
of a man. 
The preceding lion story, selected from many more, will serve 
for the present to illustrate the character of that noble but dan- 
gerous creature. As to his being afraid of the human eye, I shall 
touch upon that subject in another part of my work, when I de- 
scribe those which have tasted human flesh, for which they ever 
afterwards retain an uncommon relish. With all their boldness 
they are sometimes arrant cowards. On one occasion, I remem- 
ber a man, who, coming unexpectedly on a lion, fainted. The lion 
raised himself to look over the bushes, and, seeing no one, seemed 
to suspect a plot, and scampered off with his tail between his 
legs. It is but justice to add, that the man was no less cowardly ; 
for on awaking from his swoon, and looking this way and that, he 
imagined the object of his terror was still there, and, taking to his 
heels, he made towards the wagon. I have known bushmen, and 
even women, drive the lion away from the prey he has just seized, 
by beating their clubs on dry hides, and shouting : nevertheless, 
by day, and especially by night, he is an object of terror. 
Moffat's Scenes and Labours in Southern Africa. 
An Encounter with Baboons, near the Kwees River. 
Having ascended a rugged height, I turned to descend, when, 
happening to cough, I was instantly surrounded by almost a 
hundred baboons, some of gigantic size : they grunted, grinned, and 
sprang from stone to stone, protruding their mouths, and drawing 
back the skin of their foreheads, threatening an instant attack. I 
kept parrying them with my gun, which was loaded ; but I knew 
their character and disposition too well to fire, for, if I had wounded 
one of them, I should have been skinned in five minutes. Some 
