The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-07-09
Experiences of an American Natu-
ralist.

book narrating his experiences as a |
hunter in southeastern Africa. Apart |
from the graphic acc cunts of the but
faIo, rhinOceros, and lion fights, the re- |
marks upon the natural history of the |
land, so full of mighty and terrible |
beasts, are extremely interesting. The
chapter upon lions is full of thrilling
battles, but contains nothing better
than this passage, one of the few ID
which Mr.. Drummond appears rather
as naturalist than an e1terminatOr
- Perhaps the most beautiful sight
that ever saw in connection with them
was on a morning when had gone out
to hunt with one bearer at dawn. had
not gone far from camp, and, most
carelessly, my gun was still unlOaded
while l was examining some buffalo
spOor, when, on looking up, [ saw my
gun. bearer, who had my cartridges,
running away at full speed. Knowing
that he must have seen something to
brighten him so, l did not shout, but
went to where he bal been standing,
few Yards ahead, and there, sure enough
not twenty yards ahead, were a pair of
lions they were both full grown, and
the male bad On immense name, and
they formed altogether as handsome a
pair as 7 ever saw. The HOness was
rolling on her back, play ully striking
out at her lord and master with her
fOrepaws like a kitten, while he stood
gravely and majestic2lly looking on.
stopped a moment to watch them,
though the ground was quite open, and
they must hare seen me if they had
looked round, and then I rushed off
after my Kafir to load. The position
they were In was good, and I might have
killed one to a certainty, if not both
but when 1 had succeeded in getting
him down from the top of big tree and
went back, they had gone. [ suppose
they must have got our wind. No
doubt they had been hunting all night,
and had been down TO the river to drink
preparatory TO going to bed.
81 once had the pleasure of, unOb-
served my 'elf, watching a lion family
feeding, [ was encamped on the Black
Umfolosi, Zululand, and toward even
ing, expecting n friend, I went ont to
meet him, and insteaI of taking a
gun, which / should have done nine
ty nine times out of hundred, 1
only took one of the Kaffirs' spears,
not intending to go beyond couple
of hundred yards - However, not
meeting my friend, 1 went on, and at
about half a mile from camp l saw
herd of zebras gallOping across me, and
when they were nearly two hundred
yards of, I saw a yellow body flash to
ward the leader, and ] saw him fall be
meath the lions weight. There was a
tall tree about sixty yards from the
place, and anxious to see what went on,
I staIked up to it, while the lion was
still too much occupied to look about
him, and climbed up. He had by this
time quite killed the beautifully striped
animal, but instead of proceeding to eat
it, he got up and rOared vigorously,
until there was an answer, and In n few
minutes a liOness, accompanied by fouI
whelps, came trOtting up from the same
direction as the zebra, where no doubt
she had been TO drive toward her hus
band They formed a foe picture as
they all stood aTOund the carcass, the
whelps tearing ana biting at it, but IN
able to get through the tough skin.
Then the lion lay down, and the lion
ess, driving her offsrring before her,
hid the same four or five yards off, upon
which he got mp, and commencing to
eat, had soon finished hind leg, re
firing few yards upon one side as soon
as he had done SO. The HOness came
up next and tore the carcass to shreds,
boiling huge mOuthfuls, but not OBJ
jecling TO the whelps eating as much as
as they could find. There was 9
good deal of snarling and quarreliue
among these young lions, and occasion.
ally stand up fight for a minute, but
their mother did not take any notice o.
them, except to give them q smart blow
with her paw if they got in her way
At last one of the whclps, having prob
uhlvy % Tgannh "a "a
began TO wander about and In IA few
minutes came my way. Seeing it. s,
near. the idea of catching it entered M
head, and descending to the lowe
branch. / waited till it came underneath
and dropped down over it Selling
with both hands but ] had cOunte,
without my host; the little beast snarIe
aud bit and tore ut my bare arms il
Huch fashion that was glad to fling
away and rcuttle mp the tree again n
fast as l could out of the way of tn
euraged mother, who was coming dow
at full gallop, her tail carried on
straight behind, aud looking the yer
personiicatiOn of fury. She rushe,
right against the tree IN her blind fary
and then running up, glared at me an
roared terribly / might easily enoug
have sent my spear into her bu, a
there was not the tal0beBG C1anC9 OF 1t
killing her, and it would answer no use
ful purpose, I refrained and watched he
instead as she few at her Offspring
and drove it, yelling at her roug
treatment, toward the others. Their
was now left of the zebra but few bone,
which hundreds of vultures were eli
cling round wanting to pick, whll
almost an equal number hoped awl
wardly on the ground within fifty {
sixty yards If it and the whole Ito
family walked quietly away, the liones
leading, and the lion, often turning n
bead to see that they were not followed
BRINGING up the rs ar.
With the exception of croCOdIIe
lions are the only man caters. NJ
Drummond says there are no man ca
ing Ieopards. Hyenas are sometime
KIN WI 80 Kill children, but the auth,
asserts that he knows of no we'll autbel
ticated instance of any but tho so calie
king of beasts maxim human being
his E le or chief source of food. II
does not believe what has been write
concerning their craving for humu
blood after once tasting it. Lions hay
some slight instructive fear of huma
beings, 70 that they do not touch me
as long as they are able to lerovid
Themselves with their usual food. 1t
.nlv when they become unable frOl