The Nevada Democrat., 1858-01-27
How a Man feels In n Lions Grasp.

ri Travels and Researches in South Africa. gives a
curious description of his sensations when in
the grasp of an enraged lion. The whole story
is interesting as we'll Tor its narrative as for its
psychological remarks. The writer says:
1t is well known that il one in troop Of H.
ons is killed the others take the hint aud leave
that part Of the country. So the next time the
herds were attacked, l went with the people, in
order to encourage them to rid themselves Of
the annoyance by destroying one Of the marau-
ders. We found the lions on a small hill about
a quarter of mile in length, and covered with
trees. A circle of men was formed round it,
and they gradually closed up. ascending pretty
near to each other Being down below on the
plain with a native schoolmaster, named Meb-
alive. most excellent man, | saw one Of the
lions sitting on piece of rock within the now
closed circle of men. Mebawe fired before |
could, and the ball struck on the rock on which
the animal was sitting. He bit at the spot
struck as a dog 0oes at a stick or stone thrown
at him; then leaping away. broke through the
opening circle aud escaped unhurt. The men
were afraid 10 attack hlm, perhaps on account
of their belief in witcbcraf5. When the circle
was reformed, we saw two other lions In it /;
but we were afraid to FIRE lest We should strike
the men, and they allowed the beasts to burst
through also. II the Bakatla had acted accOr-
ding to the custom Of the country they would
have speared the lions in their attempt TO get
out. Seeing we could not get them to kill one
of the lions, we bent our footsteps towards the
village; in going round the end OF the hill
however saw one of the beasts sitting on
piece of rock as before. but this time he had
little bush in front. Being about thirty yards
off, took good aim at his body through the
bush and fired both barrels into it,
Il 1. 4 aaII + H.
shot!'
Others cried. He has been shot by another
man, too let us go To him!'
did not see any one else shoot at him, but
saw the LIONS tail erected in anger behind the
bush, and. turning to the people. said, Stop a
little till load again"
When in the act oframming down the bullets
| heard shout. Starting aud looking half
round, | saw the lion just in the act OF spring
ing upon me. ! was upon a Little height; he
caught nv shoulder as he sprang and we both
came to the ground below together Growing
horribly close to my ear. he shook me as ter
rier dog does a rat The shock produced II stu
por similar TO that which seems to be felt by
mouse after the first shake Of cat. 1t caused
a sort of dreaminess. in which there was no
sense of pain nor feeling Of terror though quite
conscious of all that was happening. 1t was
like what patients, partially under the influence
OF choroform describe. who see all the opera
tion. but feel not the knife. This singular con
dition was not the result of any mental process
The shake annihilated fear and allowed no
sense of horror in looking round ut the beast
This peculiar state is probably produced in all
animals killed by the carniyora; and if so, is a
mercful provision by our benevolent Creator
for lesseninR the pain OF death. Turning round
to relieve myself Of the weight, rs he had one
paw on the back of my head, | saw his eyes di-
rected to Mebalwe, who was trying 10 shoot him
at distance of ten or fifteen yards. His gun,
a flint one. missed fire in both barrels the lion
imncd atrly left me- and attacking Mebawe.
bit his thigh. Another man, whose life had
saved before. after he had been tossed by buf-
falO attempted to spear the lion while be was
biting Mehalwc. He left Mebalwe and caught
this man by the shoulder. but al that moment
the bullets he had received took effect, aud he
fell down d 'ad. The whole was the work Of q
few moments. aud must have been his paroxvsm
of dying rage. In order to take ont the charm
from him. the Bakatla on the following day
made a huge boniire over the carcase. which
was declared to be that o. the largest lion they
had ever seen. Besides crunchng the bone in
to splnters he left eleven teeth wounds on the
upper part Of my arm. A wound from this an
mal's tooth resembles gunslot wound it is
generally followed by great deal of sloughng
and discharge. and pains are felt in the part pc
riodcally ever afterwards. | had on n tartan
Jacket on the occasion. and | believed that II
wiped off all the virus from the teeth that pier
ced the flesh. for my two companions in this af-
fray have both suffered from the peculiar pains.
while have escaped with only the inconven-
ence Of false joint in my limb. The man
whose shoulder was wounded showed me his
wound actually burst forth afresh on the same
month Of the following year.