The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-07-15

solution become cOlds a part OF the
material is deposited In so doing each
metallic salt assumes particular shape
of crystals, as If endowed with vitality.
These crystals vary ID form according
to the salt, but are invariably the same
for the same salt, and as characteristic
of their origin.
Experiences of an American Natu-
ralist.
Mr.. ". 81. DrummOnd has written
book narrating his experiences as q
hunter southeastern Africs. Apart
from the graphic accounts of the buff
faIo. rhinocsros. 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 IN
which Mr.. Drummond appears rather
as a naturalist than an e1terminator
- Perhaps the most beautiful sight
that I ever saw IN connection with them
was on a morning when had gone out
to hunt with one bearer at dawn. I had
not gone far from camp, and, most
earelessly, my gun was still unloaded
while I was examining some buffllo
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, did not shout, but
went to where he had been standing,
few yards ahead, and there, sure enough,
not twenty yards ahead, were pair of
lions they were both full grown, and
the male had an immense name, and
they formed altogether as handsome
pair as I ever saw. The liOness was
rolling on her back, playfully striking
out at her lord and master with her
forepaws like a kitten, while he stood
gravelv and maiestically looking on. l
stopped a moment to watch them,
though the ground was quite open, and
they must have 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 might have
killed one to a certainty, if not both;
but when I had succeeded in getting
him down from the top of big tree and
went back, they had gone. I suppose
thew 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.
al once had the pleasure of, unob-
served myself, watching lion family
feeding. I was eDcamped on the Black
Umfolosi. Zululand, and toward even
ing, expecting a friend, went out to
meet him, and instead OF taking a
gun, which I should have done nine
ty nine times out of a hundred, I
only took one of the Kaffirs' spears,
not intending to go beyond a couple
of hundred yards. However, not
meeting my friend, 1 went on, and at
about half a mile from camp I saw a
herd of zebras galloping across me, and
when they were nearly two hundred
yards off, saw yellow body flash to-
ward the leader, and / saw him fall be
meath the lions weight. There was
tall tree about sixty yards from the
place. and anxious to see what went on,
I stalked 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 a few
minutes a honess, accompanied by four
whelps, came trOtting mp from the same
direction as the zebra, where no doubt
she had been to drive toward her hus-
band They formed a fue picture as
they all stood around the carcass, the
whelps tearing and biting at it, but I'M
able to get through the tough skin.
Then the lion lay down, and the lion
ess, driving her offsoring before her,
hid the same four or five yards of, upon
which he got up, and commencing to
eat, had soon finished a hind leg, re-
firing few yards upon one side as soon
as he had done SO. The liOness came
mn roavk o11d kCvo tho aorao IN
boiling huge mouthfuls, but not OBJ
iecting to the whelps eating as much as
as they could find. There was
good deal of snarling and quarrelipg
among these young lions, and occasion
ally stand up fight for a minute, but
their mother did not take any notice of
them, except to give them a smart blow
with her paw if they got in her way.
At last one of the whelps, having prob
ably eaten as much as it could gorge,
began to wander about and in a few
minutes came my way. Seeing it so
near. the idea of catching it entered my
head, aud descending to the lower
branch, waited till it came underneath
and dropped down over it seizing it
with both hands but I had counted
without my host; the little beast snarIei
and bit and tore at my bare arms in
such a fashion that l was glad to fling it
away and scuttle up the tree again as
fast as I could out of the way of the
enraged mother, who was coming down
at foil gallop, her tail carried out
straight behind, and looking the very
personifcation of fury. She rushed
right against the tree IN her blind fury,
and then running up, glared at me and
rOared terribly. I might easily enough
hnUn can't inf, hay-. 1,r1k
there was not the faintest chance of its
killing her, and it would answer no use
fUi purpose, / refrained and watched her
instead as she few at her offspring,
and drove it, yelling at her rough
treatment, toward the others. There
was now left of the zebra but few bones,
which hundreds of vultures were cir
cling round wanting to pick, while
almost an equal number hoped awk-
waTdly on the ground within fifty or
sixty yards of it /; and the whole lion
family walked quietly away, the lioness
leading, and the lion, often turning his
head to see that they were not followed,
bringing up the rear.
With the exceptiSa of crocodiles,
lions are the only man. eaters. Mr..
Drummond says there are no man-eat-
ing leopards. Hyenas are sometimes
asserts that he knows of no we'll anthem
ticated instance of any but tho so called
king of beasts MAXIM human beings
his sic or chief source of food. He
does not believe what has been written
concerning their craving for human
blood after once tasting it. Lions have
some slight instructive fear of human
beings, so that they do not touch men
as long as they are able to provide
themselves with their usual food. It is
only when they become unable from
wounds and sickness to catch other
game that they learn to be man eaters.
Having ence, found out with how little
danger aud difficulty natives may be
killed, they do not unlearn their knowl-
edge. Mr.. Drummond's lion is in cour-
age and nobility much nearer the con
ventional lion of literature than that
described by some other travellers, DR..
for instance. He is here
shown to be a terrible beast. MI.
Drummond says that a lion will seldom
stand much bullying. He msy often
get ont of the way, may even leave his
prey if you approach it, and should you