Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-04-20

The following extract from DR.. Living.
stones account of his adventures in Africa
during one Of his early visits, may be new to
some Of our readers; In going round the
end of the hill 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. The men then called out He has been
shot by another man, too Let us 90 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 little till load again = When
in the act Of ramming down the bullets,
heard a shout
Starting and looking half round, | saw
the lion just in the act o'spriuging upon me.
| was upon little height he caught my
shoulder as he sprang, and we both came to
the ground below together. Growing horri-
bly, close to my ear he shook me as a terrier
dog does rat. This shock produced a stupor
similar to that which seems to be felt By
mouse after the first shake of the cat 1t
caused sort of drcaminess, in which there
was no sense OF pain, nor feeling OF terror,
though quite conscious Of all that was hap
poning. 1t was like what patients partially
under the influence Of chloroform describe,
who see all the operation, but feel not the
knife, This singular condition was not the
result Of any mental process. The shake an-
initiated fear, aud allowed no sense Of horror
in looking round at the beast. This peculiar
state is probably produced in all animals kill
ed by the carnivora and if so, is merci-
ful provision by our benevolent Creator for
lessenng the pain Of death. Turning round
to relieve myself Of the weight, as he had
one paw on the back of my head, saw his eyes
directed towards Mebalwe, who was trying to
shoot him at distance of ten or fifteen yards.
His gun, a flint one, missed fire in both bar.
res f; the lion Immediately left me, and at.
tacking Mebalwe, bit his thigh.
" Another man, whose life had saved be-
fore, after he had been tossed by buffalo,
attempted to spear the lion while he was biting
Mebalwe. He left Mebalwe and caught this
man by the shoulders, but at this moment the
bullets he had received took effect, and he fell
down dead. The whole was the work of q
few minutes, and must have been his paroxysm
Of dying rage In order to take out the
charm from him the Baktala on the following
day made huge bonfire over the carcass,
which was declared 10 be that of the largest
lion they had ever seen. Besides crrnohing
the bone into splinters, he left eleven teeth
wounds on the upper part of my arm. A
wound from this animals tooth resembles
gun-shot wound it is generally followed by
a great deal Of sloughing and discharge, and
pains are felt periodically ever afterward. /
had on tartan jacket on the occasion, and
believe that it wiped off all the virus from the
teeth that pierced the flesh for my two COM
panions in this afray have both suffered from
the peculiar pains, while have escaped with
only the Inconvenience of false joint in the
limb. The man whose shoulder was wounded
showed me his wound which actually burst
forth afresh on the same month Of the follow
ing year. This curious point deserves the
attention of inquirers."