Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-02-10

from scent or sight, they knew dangenVas
near. The two Baroongs had bro't bng
COW with them, and though l recop He'd
their making her fast also, they va mer-
ously replied that she was too VI leave
the wagon and oxen, even a lion
should be scented. We took, de supper
winch was followed by our ey DIg Hmm and
and prayer. had retired only few min
utes to my wagon to prepare for the night,
when the whole of the oxen started TO their
feet. A lion had seized the COW only few
steps from their tails, and dragged it to the
distance of thirty or forty yards, where we
distinctly heard u tearing the animal, and
breaking the hDnes, while its bcllowings were
most pitiful When these we're over, sciz-
ed my gu9, but as it was too dark to see any
object atShalf the distance, aimed at the
spot fere the devouring Jaws of the lion
wq Ieard. l fired again and again, TO which
N piled with tremendous roars, at the same
making rush towards the wagon, so as
eeedingly to terrIfy the oxen. The two
arolongs engaged to take firebrands, adj
lance few yards, and throw them at him,
$50 as to afford me degree Of light, that l
mighttake aim, the place being bushy. They
had scarcely discharged them from their
hands, when the flame went out, and the en-
ragged animal rushed towards them with such
swftness, that had barely time TO turn the
gun and fire between the men and the lion,
and providcniialy the ball struck the ground
Immediately under his head, as we found by
examination the following morning. From
this surprise he returned, growing dreadful
ly.-The men darted through some thorn
bushes with countcnances indicative of the
all that we had better let him alone if he
did not modest us.
Having but scanty supply of wood to
keep up fire, one man crept among the
bushes on one side of the pool, while ! pro-
ceeded for the same purpose on the other
:. side. had not gone far, when looking up
ward to the edge of the small basin, dis
cerned between me and the sky four ami
mails, whose attention appeared to be di-
rected to me. by the noise made in break
ing dry stick. On closer inspection,
found that the large, round, hairy headed
visitors were lions; and retreated on my
hands and feet towards the other side OF the
pool, when, coming to my wagon-driver, to
inform him of the danger, found him look.
ing, with no little alarm, in an opposite direc.
ton, and with good reason, as no fewer thar
two lions, with cub, were eyelng us both
apparently as uncertain about US as we were
distrustfn of them. They appeared, as they
always do in the dark, twice the usual size
We thankfully decamped to the wagon, ant
sat down to keep alive our scanty fire, while
we listened to the lion tearing and devourin.
his prey.-When any of the other hungr,
lions dared to approach, he would pursue
, them for some PAGES, with a horrible howl
which made our poor oxen tremblc, and pro
duced any thing but agreeable sensations il
ourselves. We had reason for alarm, les
any Of the six lions we saw, fearless of on
!; small fire, might rush in among us. TIN
two Barolones were grudging the lion hi
> ia, neal and would now and then break tn
= silence with deep sigh, and expression ofre
! gret that such vagabond lion should hav
such feast on their COW, which they antici
: pated would have afforded them many
y draught of luscious milk. Before the da
dawned, having deposited nearly the Who'll
of the carcase in his stomach, he collected til
. head, backbone, parts of the legs, the pauncl
. winch ne ei1ptieu VI us CoHteHlS, anu u'c !"
:, clubs, which had been THROWN at him, an
u :, walked off, leaving nothing but some frag
II ments of bones, and one of my balls, whic
had hit the carcase instead ofhimself.
y "When it was light we examined the spo
u and found, from the foot-marks, that the lilo
=. was large one, and had devoured the CO.
himself-I had some difficulty in believin
~ this, but was fully convinced by the Barolone
a pointing GU, to me that the foo,-marks, thatth
n other lions had not come within thirty yart
+ of the spot, two jackals only had approache
!. to lick up any little leavings. The men pun
d sued the spoor to find the fragments, wher
h the lion had deposited them, while he retire
Is to thickct to sleep during the day. l ha
l. often heard how much large, hungry lie
n could eat, but nothing less than demonstra
= ton would have convinced me that it wa
!. possible for him to have eaten all the flesh Of
10 good helfer, s. many of the bones, for scarce
9 ly rib was left, and even some of the maj
row. bones were broken as ifwith hammer
/,
- CoNsUMPTIoN.-lt is estimated that So,
.d 600 persons perish annually in Great Brita
10 from this disease. 1t is said also TO be @
in the increase, especially among the midd