Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-19
The Lion.
From GooG Words.


Considered as a direct foe TO man the
lion is not nearly as fOrmidab BILE as its first
cousin, the tiger. Formidable il certainly
Is, but 1t is losing power yearly. 1t 10
being "crowded out" and many lands
through which IL roamed at will can never
again tremble at the thunder OF It's earth
shaking roar. Taking, for example, &C
knowledged history, which is but a grain
of sand on the shore of creation, we find
that the lion Inhabited Europe. Suppos-
ing that general European war were TO
break out, neither of the combatants
would be obliged TO take precautions
against the lion as hindTance TO the
transport service. Yet we lind Herodo-
tus, 1.-THE Father OF History" az he has
often been called, to the utter oblivion of
Moses and his unknown predecessor, the
writer of the "Book of the Wars of Jeho-
YAH" stating that the army Of Xerxes
was attacked by lions near Thessalonica
(now known as Salonica J, and that the
lions only attacked the camels, not med
ding with the men or even with the
horses. The reason is evident enough.
The lions knew by experience that man
possessed bows, arrows, spears and nets,
and was a mysterious animal which could
not be attacked without danger. Horses,
too, were swift OF foot and could not be
captured without more trouble than a
lion cares to take. Moreover, the horse
an awkward way OF lashing out with its
hind hoofs when 10 can turn upon its
enemy. Whereas, the camel is too slow
OF foot TO escape by speed and has no
hoofs OF which the lion would be afraid.
That the lion was once plentiful we find
from many passages Of the Old Testament
too numerous ;0r quotation. At the pres
ent day the lion Is as extinct in Palestine
as it is In Europe, and the shepherd need
no longer fear ID as q devastation OF his
hOcks. The lion Ia "crowded out" obey
Ing the same law as that which has extir-
pated the aboriginal Tasmanians, and
which Is gradually destroying the Maori
OF New Zealand, the Papuan OF Fiji, the
black man OF Australia and the red man
OF Northern America. They want too
much room. 1t is impossible, for example,
for a red man TO maintain his family in
comfort on less than a thousand acres OF
soil, so that when he comes in contact
with races TO whom a hundredth part OF
that land IL sufficient he is obliged to re-
tire before them. So IL is with the lion
His stronghold Is Africa, though be ex,
tends partly into Asia. where he Overlaps,
as has been well said, the domain OF the
tiger. But Africa Is being invaded on all
sides by Europeans, and In consequence
the lion has to retire before the conquer
ing race. The animal is as practically
extinct in Durham. Graham's Town, Cape
Town or indeed any European settle
ment, as in Greece or Palestine. Still,
throughout the greater part OF Africa the
lion maintains its sway, though IL is never
as actively aggressive as the tiger. Even
when age and infrmity compel II to be-
come a man eater il does not desolate
whole districts, as does the tiger, but
confines its depredations within a COM
paratively small limit. Except when an
intruder passes near the spot where IL Is
nurturing its young, it will seldom take
the initiative and attack man, but will try
TO slip away quietly.