IX 
THE LION 
331 
family of lions throughout the world. Roualeyn 
Gordon Gumming gave a terrible description of a 
night attack upon his camp, when a lion bounded 
over the thorn fence, and seizing a sleeping servant 
from beneath his blanket close to the camp fire, 
carried him off into the surrounding darkness, and 
deliberately devoured every portion, excepting one 
leg, which was found on the following morning, 
bitten off at the knee-joint. This was the more 
extraordinary, as another man was at the same time 
asleep under the blanket with the unfortunate 
victim; this courageous fellow snatched a heavy 
firebrand from the pile, and beat the lion on the 
head in the endeavour to save his friend. Instead 
of relinquishing its prey, the lion dragged the man 
only a short distance, and commenced its meal so 
immediately that the cracking of bones could be 
heard throughout the night. 
In southern Africa a night attack by lions upon 
the oxen belonging to the waggons is by no means 
uncommon, in books published concerning expedi¬ 
tions to that country, but in nine years’ experience 
of camp life in Africa, both equatorial and to 14° 
north of the equator, I have never even heard of 
any actual depredation committed by lions upon a 
camp or upon a night’s bivouac; the nearest 
approach was the threatening nocturnal visit 
already described, where no actual damage was 
inflicted.' 
There is an instinct natural to all animals which 
gives them due warning whether man approaches 
