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: "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
THE LION.
apparently rather slow, yet, from the great length of his body, he is able to get over a good deal of ground in a short time. Indeed, he has been known, in the course of the night, to cross a plain which, at that particular point, was, as the crow flies, forty-five miles in width.
Occasionally he trots, when his speed is not inconsiderable.
His gallop—or rather succession of bounds—is, for a short distance, very fast; nearly or quite equal to that of a horse. Indeed, unless the steed has somewhat the start when the beast charges, it will be puzzled to escape. Many instances are on record of horsemen who have incautiously ap- proached too near to the lion, prior to firing, who have been pulled down by him before they could get out of harm's way. Happily, however, the beast soon tires of the exertion of galloping, and unless his first rush succeeds, he, for the most part, soon halts and beats a retreat.
CHAPTER II.
NATURE OF THE LION'S PREY—SAID TO EAT HIS MATE—DESTRUC- TIVE TO CATTLE—THE LION A "MAN-EATER"—THE WHITE MAN VERSUS THE BLACK—NATIVES COMPELLED TO LIVE IN TREES MANNER IN WHICH THE LION SEIZES HIS PREY—THE LION'S BOUND—THE WOUNDS HE INFLICTS—FOOT OF THE LION—HIS GLUTTONY—FAMILIARITY OF INFERIOR ANIMALS WITH HIM— THE LION'S FLESH—AGE TO WHICH HE ATTAINS ATTEMPTS SUICIDE.
T
HE lion preys on most of the animals inhabit- ing the African wilds that chance to fall in his way; but the antelope tribe would, seem to be the chief objects of his pursuit. It happens, how- ever, that the beast is beaten off by the powerful gemsbok, or oryx, on whose long and sharp horns, indeed, he is occasionally impaled, and in such wise that, being unable to extricate himself, both in con- sequence perish. Even the tall giraffe, as will here- after be seen, is not unfrequently his victim.
At times, likewise, the young of the elephant becomes his prey. "He lies in ambush for it," says Delegorgue, "and pulls it to the ground; and after strangling it, walks off without disputing his prize with its dam, being certain of recovering it at an after-period."
Occasionally, moreover, he attacks and kills the
THE LION.
buffalo, one of the fiercest and most formidable of African beasts but often has to pay dear for his temerity; for should there be several buffaloes in company, or others near at hand, the probability is he will be gored to death.
Delegorgue even goes so far as to say that the lion not unfrequently destroys the huge white rhinoceros, an animal which all but rivals the elephant in regard to strength and bulk. His words are:
"Maintes fois trouvai-je des rhinocéros de la plus haute taille, que ni leur poids, ni leur force, ii leur fureur, n'avaieut pu préserver de la mort. La place de combat était visible; partout elle était foulée, et I'empreinte du lion s'y lisait sur chaque point,"
This, however, is quite contrary to my own ex- perience, and that of some of the most celebrated African hunters. As a rule, indeed, lions arc said to make themselves scarce where the rhinoceros abounds. Occasionally, it is true, the lion will surprise and destroy the young of this animal as well as that of the elephant; but even the hyena is known to accomplish this feat.
Unless the rhinoceros be previously wounded, I myself am doubtful if the lion ever ventures to attack the adult animal; and even if it be maimed, he would not always seem to prove the victor. I judge so because when on one occasion I was fol- lowing the spoor of a black rhinoceros (which is greatly inferior in size and strength to the white) that I had wounded on the preceding day, I came
SAID TO EAT HIS MATE.
to a spot where one, if not two lions, probably taking advantage of his crippled condition, bad evidently attacked him, and, after a desperate scuffle, bad been compelled to beat a precipitate retreat. In this case, however, the wounded animal would appear to have been aided by a companion, who had evidently only left him when he could walk no further. This is the sole instance that has come to my knowledge of the lion having the daring to attack the rhinoceros, though I have seen it stated in print that he not only frequently assails, but even masters that horned monster.
Once in a time, moreover, the lion kills and eats his brother lion. On only a single occasion, how- ever, has an instance of the kind come to my know- ledge. This was when I was on my way to the Lake Ngami. On a certain night we had badly wounded a lion, which retreated growling into the bush, and shortly afterwards a whole troop of lions rushed on their disabled brother, and tore him to pieces.
And once in a time the lion makes a meal of his mate, an instance of which came under my personal notice; it occurred thus:—
Early one morning a herdsman of ours came run- ning up to us in great fright, and announced "that a lion was devouring a lioness." We thought at first that the man must be mistaken, but on proceeding to the spot found his story to be perfectly true, and that only the skull, the large bones, and the skin of the animal were left. On examining the ground more closely, the fresh remains of a young spring-
THE LION.
bok were discovered. We, therefore, conjectured that the lion and lioness being very hungry, and the antelope not proving a sufficient meal for both, they had quarreled, and that he, after killing his wife, had coolly eaten her also. And certainly, a most substantial breakfast it must have been.
The lion is very destructive to the cattle and sheep of the colonists and natives, especially when several of them are in company, and many in- stances have come to my knowledge where a troop of these beasts have dashed into the fold and destroyed a number of oxen equal to their own. One night, indeed, when on my way from Damara land to the Cape, and close to my bivouac, five lions broke into a kraal belonging to a famous hunter, afterwards in my employ, and slaughtered no fewer than five cows.
But great as are the ravages of the lion amongst the domestic animals of Southern Africa, they are trifling in comparison with those the inhabitants of Algeria have to complain of, which, as will hereafter be shewn, are something terrible.
The lion, as is known, becomes occasionally a regular "man-eater," and when such is the case proves a dreadful scourge to the country. Happily, however, not one lion perhaps in fifty can properly come under the above denomina- tion.
Various reasons are assigned for lions becoming "man-eaters." Some imagine they first acquire the taste for human flesh (which subsequently they are said to prefer to that of all other) to certain tribes
