190 
THE LION. 
continues to discharge his musketoon until the 
lion is at length killed. 
sc It happened, however, during the last hunt, that 
the enraged animal leaped over the net, rushed upon 
a cavalier, whose horse he killed, and then effected 
his escape for a time. Being pursued by the hunts¬ 
men, he was at length found, and again enclosed in 
nets. The whole army was on that occasion sub¬ 
jected to great inconveniences, and thrown into a 
considerable degree of confusion. We remained 
three or four days patrolling in a country intersected 
with torrents from the mountains, and covered with 
underwood and long grass that nearly concealed 
the camels. No bazaars had been formed, and there 
were no towns or villages near the army. Happy 
those who, during this scene of disorder, could 
satisfy the cravings of hunger ! Shall I explain the 
weighty reason for this long detention in such 
abominable quarters ? You must know then, that it is 
considered a favourable omen when the king kills a 
lion, as the escape of that animal is portentous of 
infinite evil to the State. Accordingly, the termina¬ 
tion of the hunt is attended with much grave 
ceremony. The king being seated in the general 
assemblage of the omrahs, the dead lion is brought 
before him, and when the carcass has been accurately 
measured and minutely examined, it is recorded in 
the royal archives that such a king on such a day 
slew a lion of such a size and with such a skin, 
teeth were of such a length, and claws of such 
dimensions.” 
We find in the Annals of Hindoostan, that the 
