Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1861-03-08
AFRICAN LIFE.
From Dr. David Livingstone's Missionary Ira
vels and Researches in South Africa.

and spirit OF adventure aniDatlng the Anglo
Saxon race, viii soon bring us acquainted with
the whole habitable surface Of our globe, aud
with all the varied forms of human society
savage, semi-eivilized, and civilized. We are
gradually mapping the whole earth; and cur
children may live to see railroads across the
desert, unless some new method of locomotion,
as superior to railroads as railroads are TO
coaches and caravans, should arise meanwhile.
Africa, in the last few years, has been explor-
ed With great energy and great success, by
missionaries, geograpbers, and hunters. Be
sides opening new prospects for connnetoial
and missionary enterprise, there explorations
have furnished mass of precise information
which materially modifes our previous eoncep-
tions of the African race; and conspicuous
among all these works stands The admirable
narrative Of Dir. Livingstone, She missionary,
who is an honor to our country
THE LION
OF all the stories we have read of encoun-
ters with lions, it is by many degrees the most
valuable. An alarm of lions had called him
out with his men, and on returning unsuccess-
ful to the village be saw lion sitting on a
rock behind bush, st distance of about
thirty yards. He aimed deliberately, and sent
the contents of both barrels into the animals
body.
"The men then called out, sHe is shot, be is
shot!' Others cried, He has been shot by an-
other man, too; let US go to him. did not
see any one else shoot at him, but I saw the
lions tail erected in anger behind the bush,
and turning to the people, said, Stop little
till load again When in the act of ram
Il. IL
Starting, and looking half round, | saw the
lion just in the act of springing upon me.
was upon little height; he caught my shoul-
der as be sprang, and We both came to the
ground below together. Growing horribly
close to my ear, be shook me as a terrier dog
does rat. The shock produced stupor 81
miar to that which seems to be felt by mouse
after the first shake of the cat IL caused q
sort Of dreuminess, IN 1eAteh there sras 4enss
of pain nor feeling Of terror, though quite
conscious of all that t0GS happening. 1t was
like what patients partially under the iutu-
ence of chloroform describe, who see all the
operation, but feel not the knife. This siugu-
lar condition was not the resnlt OF any mental
process. The shake annihlated fear, and all
lowed no sense of horror in looking round at
the beast. This peculiar state is probably
produced in all animals killed by the carnivora,
and If so, is q merciful provision BY our bene-
VIOLENT Creator for lessening the pain of death.
Turning round to relieve myself Of the weight,
be had one paw on the back of my head, /
saw his eyes directed to Mebalwe, who was
trying to shoot him ct distance OF ten or
fifteen yards. His gun, a fiat one, missed fire
in both barrels the lion Immediately left me,
and, attacking Mebalwe, bit his thigh. Ano-
ther man, whose life had saved before, after
he had been tossed BY buffalo, attempted to
spear the lion while he was biting Mebalws.-
He left Mebalwe and caught this man by the
shoulder, but at that moment the bullets he
had received took effect, and be fell down
dead. Tie whole was the work of few mo-
ments, and must have been his paroxysm of
dying rage. In order to take out the charm
from him, the Bakstla, on the following day,
made g huge bonfire over the csrcase, which
was declared to be that of the largest lion
they had ever seen. Besides crunchiug the
bore into splinters, he left eleven teeth wounds
on the upper part of my arm."-pp. II, I3.
CHRISTIANITY.
DR.. Livingstone attached himself to the tribe
of Bakwsins Their chief, Sechele, embraced
Christianity, and became an assiduous reader
of the Bible, the eloquence of Isaiah being
peculiarly acceptable to hin, aud be was wont
to say, s'He was fne man, that Isaiah; be
knew how to speak" But his people were
not so ready for conversion, although he calm
ly proposed TO have them logged into faith.
ado you imagine be said, s'these people will
ever believe by your merely talking to theml
/ can make them do nothing except by thrash
ing them; and if you like, l shall call my
head men, AID with our litupa whips of rhi-
nocerous hide) we will soon make them believe
altogether" As this was declined, conversion
aid not extend.
"In the hope that others would be induced
TO join him 10 his attachment TO Christianity,
he asked me to begin family worship with him
in his house l did so; and by-and-by was
surprised to hear how we'll be conducted the
prayer in bis own simple and beautiful style,
for he was quite master of his own languages.
At this time we were suffering from the effect
of drought, which will be described further
on, and none except his family, whom be or.
dered to attend, came near his meeting. 'ln
former times said he, when a chief was fond
Of hunting, all his people got dogs and be-
came fond of hunting too. If he was foud Of
uaHeihg oE lnuelcs al ehV"eu iikihs 10 luese
anpsements TOO. If the chief loved beer,
they all rejolced in strong drink. But ID this
case it is different love the Word of God,
and not one of nv brethren will join n,e.'-
One reason why be bad 20 volunteer hypo-
critics was the hunger from drought, which was
associated 10 their minds with the presence Of
Christina Instruction aud hypocrisy IS not
prone to profess creed which seems 10 ensure
an empty stomach"
THE BUBHMAN.
Tho inhabitants Of the desart are Bush ncn