STRENGTH AND PROWESS. 
19 
Notwithstanding the above proofs of the great 
strength and power of the South African lion, 
Englishmen who have hunted in India, where, as 
said, this animal also abounds in certain districts, 
are inclined to think that in these respects he is 
inferior to the royal tiger, who has been known to 
smash a bullock’s head by a single blow of his paw! 
That the strength of the lion should be inferior to 
that of the tiger can, however, hardly be the case, 
since their relative size is, I take it, much the same, 
and the structure of the skeleton (however different 
the outward form of the animal may be) is so 
nearly alike as to make it difficult, if not impossible, 
to distinguish the one from the other. The notion 
in question is not unlikely to arise from the tiger 
being in the habit of striking his victim; whilst the 
action of the lion, when despatching his prey, is 
more cat-like—scratching as it were. 
Speaking of the lion’s strength and prowess, 
it may be proper here to remark that English 
naturalists, after telling us that in the Cape Colony 
the lion is hunted with dogs, go on to say: cc The 
hounds surround him ; and rushing upon him all at 
once, soon tear him to pieces.” It is not, of course, 
for me to gainsay such high authorities; but I 
strongly suspect that the reader, after perusing 
these pages, will agree with me in thinking that 
even if a score of dogs were simultaneously to 
attack the king of beasts, not only would a few 
of them bite the dust, but he himself would come 
out of the conflict all but, or altogether unscathed ! 
The usual pace of a lion is a walk, and though 
c 2 
