The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1836-10-11 00:00:00

THE LIONS OF SOUTH AFRICA

In South Africa are found the largest and the smallest of the
animated kingdom. Among the beasts are the elephant, weigh-
ing 4,0001b5., and the black-streaked mouse, only the fourth
part of an ounce! The cainelopardalis or giraffe 19 feet high,
and the elegant zhuik or viverra of three inches; and among
the feathered tribes, the ostrich, six feet high, and the creeper,
about the size of a cherry.

The lions inhabiting the Bushmen's country are said to be
remarkably fierce, and it is generally credited, that though at
first averse to attack man, yet when once they have tasted hu-
man flesh, they loose that awe of him which they usually evince,
unless when extremely hungry—indeed, it is asserted when a
lion has once succeeded in carrying off some unhappy wretch,
he will return regularly every night in search of another; and
there are instances where the native tribes have been so dread-
fully harassed as to be forced at times to desert their station,
and seek another settlement. It is also a singular fact that he
prefers black men to whites.
Several curious instances have been narrated of the unwil-
lingness of the lion to attack wan: the following will suffice,
and at the same time demonstrate the courage of the Cape
Dutchmen.

Diederick Muller, one of the most intrepid lion hunters in
South Africa, (he and his brother Christian having killed up-
wards of thirty) was once hunting alone in the wilds, when he
came suddenly on a lion, who, instead of giving way, as they
generally do, seemed disposed to dispute with him the dominion
of the desert. Diederick alighted, and when at 15 yards dis-
tance took aim at his forehead, the lion being then couched and
in the act of springing; the moment the hunter fired, his af-
frighted horse started back, and the bridle being round his arm
caused him to miss. The lion hounded forward, and at a few
paces dit!tafice confronted the hunter, who stood defenceless, his
gun having been discharged and his 'horse fled.
The man and the beast stared at each other with fixed eyes
fora few moments, at length the latter slowly drew backwards,
whilst Diederick began to load his gun • at this movement the
lion growled, looked over his shoulder' and returned. Diede-
rick stood still; the lion again sneaked back, when the boor
proceeded to rain down his bullet, on which the lion again re-
turned growling angrily. At length when he had increased his
distance to-20 yards, hesuddenlyturned round, and fairly took
to his heels. There can be no doubt that the resolution of Die.
derick saved his life, for had he exhibited the least sign of fear,
or given way one inch, the savage beast would have sprung'
upon him instantly.
The encounter of Gert Schepers, a Vee Boor of the Cradock
district, with a lion had however a less firfunate result. Gert
was out hunting in company with a neighbour, and coming to a
fountain surrounded with tall reeds, he handed his gun to his
comrade whilst he proceeded to search for water. He no sooner
approached the spring than an enormous lion, sprang close at
his side and seized him by the left arm. The man thus taken
by surprise' aware that the least motion would insure his instant
destruction, stood stock still and fixed his eyes on those of the
lion, who unable to withstand the gaze of his victim, closed his
own, still holding him fast with his fangs but without biting him
severely.. As they stood in this position for some moments,
G. est beckoned to his cominalion to approach and shoot the lion
in the forehead which he might have easily done, as the ani-
mal still kept his eves fast closed, but his cowardly comrade re-
treated to the top Of a neighbouring rock.
Had Gert remained quiet for a few moments, the hunters af-
firm that the lion would have released his hold and left him un-
injured, but he lost patience, and seeing himself abandoned,
drew his knife, and with his whole force plunged it in the ani-
mal's breast. The thrust was a deadly one, but the enraged beast
now strove to grapple with him; the hunter who was a powerful
man, used his utmost efforts to keep him at arms length, but the
beast in his dying agonies so dreadfully lacerated his breast and
arms as to lay the bones bare. At length they fell together, and
his cowardly companion, who had witnessed the earful struggle,
took courage to advance and succeeded in careying his mangled
friend to the nearest habitation, but he expired on the third day
of locked jaw.
Many authentic instances have been recorded of the affection
and gratitude of which the lion is susceptible; with the brief.
narration of one that was witnessed by myself, I close this ac-
count of the African Lion. Prince (the tone lion before men-
tioned) had a keeper to whom he was much attached; the keeper
got drunk one .lay. and as the captain never forgave this crime,
was ordered to be flogged; the gre ing was ragged on the main
deck opposite Prini;e's den, it large barred up: place, the pillars
very strong and cased with iron. When the keeper began to
strip, Prince rose gloomily from his couch and got as near to
his friend as possible; on beholding his hare hack he walked
hastily round the den, and when he saw the boatswain inflict
the first lah, his eves sparkled with fire, and his sides resounded
with the strong and quick lashings of his tail; at last when the
blood began to flow from the untortunate roan's back, and the
clotted cats' jerked their gory knots close to the liou's den,
his fury became tremendous, he roared with a voice of thunder,
shook the strung bars of his prison as if they had been osiers,
and finding his • efforts to break loose unavailing, he roiled and
shrieked io a manner the most terrific that it is possible to con-
ceive. The Captain fearing he might break loose, ordered the
marines to load and present at Prince : this threat redonoled his
rage, and at last the Captain (whether from fear or
clemency
I will nut say) desired the keeper to be cast off and go to his
friend ;it is isapossible to describe the joy evinced It the lion,
he licked with care the mangled and bleeding back of the cruelly
treated seaman—caressed him with his paws, which he folded
around the man as if to defy any one renewing: a similar treat-
went, and it was only after several hours that Prince would
allow the keeper to quit his piwvoion and return
_luring those
who bad so ill a ed hint.—Colonialiary, Cape of Good
hone.

DU. BELLUOMONI'S EXPLANATION OF MADAME

MALIBRAN'S ILLNESS

Dr. Beltuomini has sent the following letter to the Editor Of
the Mai ?tiny Post:-'-
" 79, Quadrant, Oct. 4, 1836;. •
" Sir,—So many different statements have appeared on tb
subject of the illness of Madame Malibran de Beriot, that I
the
have come to the determination of laying before the public
facts as they really happened, in the hope that you may be rt.l;
duced to give my cuininunication a place in your valuable
j ourual.
" At 6 o'clock p.m., on Saturday, the 17th of September last,
I received a letter from M. de Beriot. in which he expreeee..
d
thus:—'biuiself My poor dear Maria is seriously ill, and in bed.
She has. been bled, but the complaint has been only augment!
by it, and she is to day in a state of constant delirium. Itw
not know what to do, er what will happen. I am in despair.
Your presence would restore life to us both,'
"Three hours after the receipt of this letter 1 entered a post;
chaiie, and arrived at Manchester on the 18th, at half-pas! .
p.m. The patient Was then partly delirious only, for De loterw'
remarked to me, ' See, site knows you.' She did recognize ate,
in tact, and rose fruit her bed and embraced use i but she •illv
mediately sank down again.
" 1 was then told of all that had taken place. Since her are
rival at Manchester from 10 to 12 ounces of blood had bee!
taken front her, but on the following day, notwithstanding
great weakness, she would go to the church and sing, but slut
was totally incapable of so doing, and she was immediately
taken home. From that time until that of which I speak
nearly 24 hours, she bad been in a state of constant fever and
fiequent delirium, accompanied by stron and incessant con'
g
vulsious, which nothing could allay, and which brought on fre-
quent vomitings. She had no sleep, no nourishment, and sbei
took in part only the remedies prescribed for her.
" After-a scrupulous and most careful examination and consv:
deration I found that the viscera of the chest and abdomen had
not been attacked with malady, and I stated it as Illy uPI
that the disease was a nervous fever, uf a must dangerouslin
and attended vr;th extreme weakness.
" I immediately set to work to administer to the patienttbOt
remedies which I thought desirable, and while I was so eugagea'
it was announced to M. de Beriot that Dr. Bardsley and Mr;
Worthing,ton were in the adjoining chamber. • What to do?
said 1. Miss Novell°, who was there, answered, I will goal
speak to them,' and then, turning to me, she asked, Would
you wish to see them ?' Engaged as I was in adusinisterini
the medicine, 1 answered, ' I will do so if they wish it; bnt_,.
du not consider it necessary.' Miss Novello having returned
with an intimation that they wished to speak to me, 1 iustanuf
went to them. Dr. Bardsley was so good as to tell the what re-
medies he had prescribed. I thanked him, but at the same tin°
I apprised him of the fact that I considered any consultation
between myself and them on the subject of the future treatment
of the patient useless, as my system of treatment was that Of
hoincepatliv, with which, in all probability, they were un-
acquainted'. 1 added, that I considered the disease to be *
nervous fever, and Dr. Bardsley appeared to be of the same
opinion, as be repeated three titues---' Exhaustion, great el'
baustion.'

" The first effect of the medicine was to allay the coughs
little, and to procure fur the patient four hours of calm else?
When I saw her at about six o'clock the next morning lbe
fever had considerably decreased, the cough had nearly tits'
appeared, and there was no longer any delirium, except, ju-
deed, a musical movement which seemed constantly to recut 1(7
her mind. At nay request she took a cup of milk, refusing all
other sustenance.
" From this I began to conceive hopes of her recovery; but,
alas ! some hours after the fever increased, the cough and of
liriuin returned, and the pulse became again weak.. The Wow'
cines produced relief from time to time,.but the source of the die-
ease was continually augmented, and more so as the patient
positively refused to take any species of nourishment, even b'f
injection.
"On Thursday, the 22d, I began to lose all hope. Untie!
these circumstances, apprehending a miscarriage, I expresso' "
wish to put myself in communication with one of the best an'
couchers in the place, The name of Mr. Lewis having been
mentioned to me, I requestedhim to come, wishing particulatii
to know whether he would think with me that the child vl*
dead. He was of my opinion. He recommended that the Pt
tient's hair should be cut off, that embrocatious of water and
vinegar should be applied to the bead, and fomentations to the-
stotMch. I agreed with him, and hoped success from the ow
ploytnent of these means. She bad a very bad night, and pas:
for the most part insensible. Mr. Lewis, who remained with
her while I retired to take an hour or two's rest, thought it do'
sirable to administer certain remedies, which, however, pro-
duced no favourable result. On the morning of the 23d, a car'
tain symptom of an approaching effort of nature having or,
peared, Mr.-Lewis was sent fur, and shortly after a species °'
labour commenced, but without any effect save that of still more
weakening the patient, who at about half-past eight in 11'e
evening expired.
" During the course of the illness there appeared only one
slight affection of the'alimentar% organs, which entirely disar
peared after the first medicine I administered. The functions
of the stomach and intestines went on regularly up to the loot
moment. The aversion she exhibited to taking nutritive food
was but an increased symptom of that peculiarity of taste which
is so frequent with females encienle. This false appetite had
existed with Madame Malibran de Beriot more than two month!'
She had an aversion for meat and all nutritious things. SI
disliked sugar, and everything that was sweet, and was fon
only of oysters, fruit, anchovies, and other slight food, and she
sustained her strength "with porter and other artificial means-
" In the month of July she had a terrible fall from her horsel;
and was dragged along the ground for the space of severs,
yards. This caused a great shock of mind and body, contu-
sions on the head, and an imposibility of moving the left arm at
the shoulder. The medicines which I administered to her hav-
ing a little dissipated the pains and swellings, she would sing at
Drury-lane Theatre the same evening, contrary to my advice.--
a circumstance which much retarded her complete recovery.
During " her last illness the pains at the shoulder, in the arm.
and at the several contusions, returned. Her health had evi
dently been destroyed two months before, but her great bold-
ness of spirit prevented her from paying attention to the advice
of her husband, her medical adviser, or her friends.
" Here, sir, you have the plain and simple explanation of all
that passed relative to the illness of Madame Malibran de
Beriot. I trust that it will be sufficient to do away with the
many errors and misapprehensions that have existed.
JAMeS BELLUOMINI, M.D."

OBSERVATIONS
ON THE REGISTER AND MARRIAGE ACTS, AS FAR AS THEY

AFFECT THE CLERGY OF THE ESTADLISHMENT.

The old register act, 52 Geo. 111., and the old marriage.act,
4 Geo. IV., by which the clergy are now governed, are repealed,
as far as they relate to the register of marriages, but no further:
But, while the clergy still continue to register baptisms and
burials as before, the object of the new register act is to procure
a record of births and deaths; and this object it will fail to
accomplish.
1. BIRTHS.—Every person is directed to give notice of the
birth of his child to the registrar within six weeks: and as there
is seldom any motive for doing it, it will of course be generally
omitted. But if it is done, and the child is baptized within six,
months, the clergyman must give a certificate of the baptismal
name, on the payment of one shilling, in order that it may be
inserted in the civil register.
2. DEATHS.—The death of every person must be announced
to the registrar within eight days, of which the clergyman wh'
buries the corpse should receive a certificate. But, if no certifi-
cate is produced, he must report the omission to the registrar,
within seven days, under a penalty of ten pounds; whether by
post or otherwise is not said.
3. MARRIAGES.—Those who are not willing to have their
banns published in church, or to ask for the bishop's license,
may give a notice to the superintendent-registrar, who will cause
it to be read, on three successive weekly meetings, before the
guardians; and a certificate of this being produced to the cler-
gyman of the church therein named, he is to marry the parties.
But, it he performs the ceremony within three weeks after the
entry of the notice, or after three mouths fro.n such entry, he iS
guilty of felony.
4. REGISTER OF MARRIAGES.—Before the Ist of Maids
next, when the act begins to operate, the clergy will be furnished
with new registers, in duplicate, one of which when full is to be
kept in the parish chest, the other will be delivered to the su-
perintendent-registrar, to whom also a quarterly return must be
made in April, July, October, and January.
NOTE.—By Canon 62, a clergyman is liable to suspension for
three years who solemnizes marriage without license or banns ;
and by 4 Geo. IV. he is to be punished for so doing with trans-
portation for fourteen years. By the 7th Was. IV. the certificate
of the registrar is made equivalent to the pubiication of banns;
but those who perform the ceremony contrary to the provisions
of the act are simply declared to be guilty of felony.—Leeds
Inteltgencer.

A SUBSTITUTE FOR SPRING GUN s.—A gun-maker of Easi
ingwold, Yorkshire, has invented an alarm-lamp to replace
spring-guns, which it is nu longer legal to make use of. The
inventor states that the lamp may be placed against a tree or
poet in a stack-yard, or in any place where property is kept,
and if any one comes within its limits, it lights up and fires
fifteen or twenty reports, which may be }lewd at some mites•
distance. When used for preserves, it may be made to send uP
a sky-rocket to show in what direction the poacher may be
found. It is described as being perfectly free from danger to
servants or others having the care of it, but said to be calcu-
lated, when it goes off, to strike terror into the breast of the'
most audacious depredator.

EXTRAORDINARY RAILWAY PERFORMANCE.—The following
extract is from the American Rail Road Journal, relating to a
recent extraordinary performance of the George Washingtan,
locomotive, on the inclined plane, near Schuylkill, on the Phi-
ladelphia and Columbia railroad. The engine started at the.
foot of the plane and on the plane. After proceeding a few'
feet, the wheels were found to slip, and the engine returned-
It was said that the rails were found to have been oiled at this
place. A small quantity of sand was strowu over the spot and
l
the engine again proceeded. She regularly and steadily gained
speed as she advanced to the very top, passing over the plane,
in two minutes and twenty-four seconds. The enthusiasm 0,"
feeling manifested cannot be described. So complete a triumph'
had never been attained. The doubts that had been entertained
by some, and the fears of others, were dispelled in an instant.
The eager look that settled upon every one's face, gave wax te"
confident success, while all present expressed their gratification,
in loud and repeated cheers. The length of the plane is 2,B°e
feet. The grade, 369 feet to the mile, or one foot rise iu
which is a much steeper grade than the planes on the Moho"'
and Hudson railroad, those being 1 in 18., making an ascent of
196 feet in 2,800 feet. Weight of engine with water, 14,930114-
Load drawn up the plane, including weight of tender with Wit"
ter and coal, two passenger cars and 53 passengers, 31.27 u
Pressure in the boiler, less than eighty pounds to the Fear!'
inch. Time of running, 2 min. 24 sec. It is td be remembereG
that the rails were wet with dew. The following are the dimen-
sions of the Georye Washington engine of Mr. Win. Norris:Tii,
Diameter of cylinders, 10 1.4 inches, length of stroke, 17 5
inches; number of tubes, 78; outside diameter, 2 inches
length, 7 feet; diameter of driving. 'm
wheels, 4 feot; truck,
inches; the engine is six-wheeled, having two driving wheels'
Whole weight of engine, 14,930 lbs. Actual weight on driving
wheels, 8,700 lbs. It must be remembered that there is no con-
trivance, as in some engines, for increasing the adhesion axleby
throwing the weight of. the tender upon the engines. t)
being in front of the box, preventing any such arra.ngerrliepnst;'
This engine, we are informed, is making the re
of the
though a full load has not yet been obtained, on accgoubutrt..ot
scarcity of cars. The greatest load, as yet, dravt-1
the road, was 119 tons, gross weight, in 22 cars.
of steam-
hour. he now usually works with 70,1b5. pressure
wing to ac Un-
confidently expects to draw 150 tons, at 12 or 15 miles per
Mr. Norris considers that these fine effects are o
provement in the adjustment of the valves,
at-
tained after a long series of experiments. The eynigineer
which he has

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
TUESL_IY, OCTOBER
PRINTED .AND PUBLISHED
BY RICHARD -PATTISSON,
(of cottage, SOacombe, Ckeehire,e)
AT No. 4, NORTH CRESCENT, CASTUE-STRP,T

j