Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-04-16

qulfeQ. At tne age OF TOUR or nye mOntlS liit
children follow their mother to the border Of
the forest, where the father brings them their
supper. At six months old they accompany
father and mother on all nocturnal expeditions
From eight to twelve months they learn to at
tack sheep, goats, and even bulls but they are
fso awkward that they usually wound ten Tor
one they kill it is not till they are two years
old that they can kill horse or bull with one
bite While their education is thus in progress,
they are ten times more ruinous to the Arabs,
since the family does not content with killing
the cattle required for its own consumption,
but kills that the children may learn how to
kill At three years old the children quit home
and set up for themselves, becoming fathers and
mothers in their turn Their places are occu-
cupied by another brood. At eight years old,
the lion reaches maturity, and lives to thirty or
forty. When adult he is magnificent creature
very different in size, aspect and disposition,
from the lions to be seen in menageries and ZOO
logical gardens-animals taken from the moth
er's breast, bred like rabbits, deprived of the
fresh mountain air and ample nourishment As
an indication of the size attained by lions IN q
state of nature, we may cite the fact mentioned
by Gerard, that the strongest man in the caval-
ry regiment, to which he belonged, was unable
to carry the skin and head of the lion Gerard
had killed.
tits quite clear, on comparing the works OF
Gerard and Gordon Cumming, that the lion OF
northern Africa is far more formidable enemy
than the lion of southern Africa. Not only does
Cumming seem to have triumphed without dit
ficulty, but he had to combat lions who ran a.
way from dogs and generally avoided coming
to blows with him. This is quite contrary to
Gerard's experience. The lion of northern AT
rca is but too ready to attack; hungry or not,
the sight of an enemy rouses his fury at once
and as to cowardice Gerard's narrative leaves no
room for such suspicion. Indeed, the hon, so
far from running away from the hunter, attacks
whole tribes of armed Arabs, often scattering
them TO the winds. No Arab thinks of attacking
a lion unless supported by at least twenty mus
kets and even then if the lion is killed. it is not
until he has committed serious damage i'll their
ranks For q long while they suffer him to de-
vastate their dOuars and carry off their cattle
in helpless resignation. 1t is not till their losses
have driven them to desperation, that they re-
solve on attacking him in his lair, and then al
WAYS choose the DAYTIME Having ascertained
his lair and having decided in full conclave that
| the attack is to be made, they assemble at the
| foot of the mountain, and in groups of thirty
or forty march towards the lair, shouting at the
top of their lungs On hearing the noise the lion il
Young at once quits his lair the lioness does the
same, unless she have her infants with her. But,
as he does not fly he is soon in sight, and dis
charge of musketry brings him down upon tien
like a thunderbolt.
If the lion is adult he knows the meaning OF
this noise which wakes him, and he rises slowly
vawnine and stretching his limbs, rubbing his
sides against the tree, and sinking back his ma
iestic name He listens; and the approaching
cries cause him to sharpen his claws, with GER
tain premonitory growls. He then stalks slow
" towards the first ledge Of rock which COM
mands the country, and espying his enemies
from this height, he crouches and awaits. The
Arab who first sees him, cries There he Is !"
and deathlike stiffness succeeds. They pause to
contemplate him, and to look well to their arms
while the lion slowly licks his paws and name,
thus making his toilette de combat After long
pause, an Arab advances in front OF the group,
and in tone of defiance, shouts "Ihou knowest
us not. then, that thou hest before us Rise
and fiy for we belong to such tribe and am
Abdailah! ~ The lion, who has before this eaten
more than one warrior who apostrophized him
in precisely the same terms, continues passing
his enormous paws over his face to beautify
himself; and makes no reply to the challenge
nor to the second challenge, nor to the eplthets
of Sew !''-''Christian !"-''Infidel literally
bestowed upon him, until the voices swell IN a
chorus. which makes him impatient. He then
rises, lashes his sides with his tail and marches
strait towards his insulters, The timid are al
ready in flight; the brave remain and wait his
attack-muskets ready, hearts beating. He is
beyond their reach, and walks leisurely towards
them. They now begin to retreat slowly, in
order. their faces turned to him, until they re-
Join the horsemen waiting at the foot OF the
mountain, who immediately commence gallop-
ping about, brandishing their muskets and yata-
gans, shouting defiance. The lion, seeing the
horsemen on the plain, pauses to reconnoltre.--
No cries or insults move him. Nothing but
powder will do that. 1t is heard at last and
then he changes his leisure march for charge
which scatters the little army.
No one is ashamed of flying now each tries
to secure a favorable position from which to fire
as the lion passes. The horsemen then advance.
If, as is usual, the lion has clutched one OF the
retreating troop, it is only necessary for horse
man to approach within reasonable distance and
discharge his gun; the lion at once quits his VIC
tim to charge his assailant. After While, the
lion, wounded and tired, crouches like cat and
awaits his end. This is a terrible moment. lie
is fired at and receives all their balls without
moving; but should horse gallop near enough
10 be reached in two or three bounds, either the
rider or the horse is doomed, for the lion is upon
him in an instant, and never quits his hold. 1t
will astonish European hunters to hear that thlr-
ty balls, at distance of twenty PAGES, are not
ALWAYS enough to kill the lion; it is only when
the heart or brain is touched that death Is GER
tain; and the nearer he Is to death the more
dangerous he is. During the fight, hut before
he is wounded, if he clutches man. he is satls-
fed with knocking him down; and the man,
probably protected by his burnous, gets OFT with
a mere flesh wound from the terrible talons.-
But after the lion has been wounded, he tears
his victim, mangles him in his jaws till he sees
other men upon whom to spring; and when
mortally wounded, his rage is something awful.
He crushes his victim under him, and crouches
over him, as if rejoicing in his agony While
his talons slowly tear the flesh of the unhappy
wretch, his flaming eyes are fixed on the eyes of
his victim, who fascinated by them is unable to
cry for help or even to groan. From time to
time the lion passes his large rough tongue over
the face of his enemy, curs his lip, and shows
all his teeth Meanwhile the relatives OF the
unhappy man appeal to the most courageous Of
the troop and they advance, guns cooked, to-
wards the lion, who sees them coming but never
moves. Fearing lest their balls should miss the
lion and hit the man, they are forced to ap-
proach so close, that they can place the musket
in the ear of the lion This is critical mo-
ment. If the lion has any force left him. he kills
the man lying beneath him, and bounds on the
one who has come to the rescue; and as he lies
motionless on the body of his victim it is impos-
sible to know whether he will bound or not In
case his strength is too much wasted, the lion
crnsbes the head of the man beneath him the
moment he sees the musket approach his ear,
and then closing his eyes, awaits death.
Snch is the lion of Northern Africa and the
.:. =, +ba brave Arabs who know