The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-11-01

'" WV Nv'l'et eAh hAuHN lhHNplu manhtff nc
will face a thousand men. A remarkable In
stance Of this kind came under my own obssr-
walton, which confirmed the reports had be-
fore heard from tbs natiyesi One day when
GA. slePhaut hunting in the territory Of the
"liNsslekA, " accompanied by two hundred and
6fly msh, was astonished. suddenly 10 ba-
hold md jeatie lion slowly and steadily All
yaneing toward us with digni6ed step and
undaunted bearing, the most noble aud Inn
posing that can be conceived, LashIng bis
tail from side 10 side, And growing hsughtily
hh terribly expressive eye resOIu,ely Gsed
upon us, and displaying show of ivory we'll
calculated 10 inspire terror among the tiHaid
"BeohuanAa," he approached, A heAdlong
fight Of the two hundred aud 6iy raeh was
the immediate result, aud, la the confusion
Of the moment, four couples Of my dog, (which
they had been leading, we're allowed To es-
cape in their couples. Theae instantly fAoed
he lion nhn. Gndiae- -l.,s l.,ssl l,-arirrr 1u
had succeeded In puiting his enemies 10 Glght
now became solicitoua for the safety OF his1its
tic family, with which the lioness was retreat
ing in the background. Facing about, he
followed ailer them with hAughty and indie
pendent step, growing 6eroely at the dogs
which trolted along ON either side OF him
Three troops Of elephants having been discoy-
cred few minutes previous TO this, upon
which 1 was marching for tho attack, !, with
the most heariitli reluctance, reserved my
Gre. On running down the hillside 10 en-
deavor TO recall my dogs, observed, for the
first iime, the retreating lionesa with four
cubs. About twenty minutes aflerward two
noble elu .ss"i- repaid my forbeArNnee
Among Ir.,.Sn Nimroda. n certain class Of
royal tigers is dignifed with the appcilAton
Of mat eatcr." These .are tiges which,
having once tasted human flesh, show pro-
dileotion for the same, aud such characters arc
very naturally famed and dreaded among the
natives. Elderly gentlemen Of similar tAstes
and habits arc occasionally met with among
lions in the interior Of South Africa, aud the
danger Of such ncighbors may be easily i'm
agined. I account for lions frat acquiring
this taste in the following manner the Bccb-
i'ana tribes OF tho far interior do no; bury
their dead, but uncorcmoniously carry them
forth and leave them lying exposed in the
forest or on tho plain, prey 10 tho lion aud
hypnar or the ja"kal and yultnre aud eau
readily conceive that a lion having thus oncc
tasted human flesh, would have little hesita-
tion, when opportunity presented itsoif Of
springiug upon aud carrying OF the unwary
traveller or "BeohuanA" iphAbiting his coun-
try. BE this as it may, man eaters occur
and on my fourth hunting expedition, a hor-
rible tragedy was acted one dark night in my
+ little lonely camp by one of these formidable
ishAEaals'rai .Shivh deprived me, in the Tar
wilderness, OF my most valuable servant In
winding up these few observations ON the H.
on, which trust will not have been tircsome
to the reader,I may remark thO, lion hunting,
under any circumstances, is decidedly dan
gerous pursuit. Ii may nevertheless be fol-
lowed, to a certain extent with comparative
safety by those who have naturally turn for
that sort Of thing A recklessness of death,
perfect coolness and selfpossession, an ac-
quAintAnce with the disposition and manners
I OF lions, and tolerable knowledge of the use
Of the rifle, arc indispensable to him who
would shine in the overpoweringly exciting
paStime ofthe hunting this justly celebrated
king of beasts,