Year: 1870

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 a piece of rock as before, but
this time he had a little bush in front. Be-
ing 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 is shOt-hc is shOt!'
Others cried: 'He has been shot by
another man, too! Let us go to him! |
did not see any one else shoot at him, but
saw the lions tail erected in anger be-
hind the bush, and, turning to the people,
said: Stop a little till | load again
When in the act of ramming down the
bullets, heard shout.


Starting and looking half round, | saw
the lion just in the act of springing upon
me. was upon little height; he caught
my shoulder as he sprang, and we both
came to the ground below together.
Growing horribly close to my ear, he
shook me as a terrier does a rat. This
shock produced a stupor similar to that
which seems to be felt by mouse
after the first shake of cat, 1t
caused q sort of dreaminess, in which
there was no sense of pain, no feeling Of
terror, though quite conscious of al that
waShappening. 1t was like what patients
partially under the influence Of cholroform
describe, who see all the operation, but
feel not the knife. This singular cOndi-
ton was not the result of any mental pro-
cess. The shake annihilated fear, and al
lowed no sense of horror in looking round
at the beast This peculiar state is prob
ably produced in all animals killed by the
carnivora; and, if SO, is a merciful pro
vision by the benevolent Creator for less
ening the pain of death. Turning round
to relieve myself Of the weight, as he had
but one paw on the back Of my head, l
saw his eyes directed towards Mcbalwe,
who was trying to shoot him at a distance
of ten or fifteen yards. His gun, a flint
one, missed fire in both barrels; the lion
immediately 1ofe mo, o-1I attoolxi1aS M
balwe, bit his thigh. Another man,
whose life had saved before, after he had
been tossed by buffalo, attempted to spear
the lion while he was biting Mebalwe. He
left Mebalwc 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
a few minutes, and must have been his
paroXysm u dying rage. In order TO take
out the charm from him the Saktala on
the following day made a huge bonfire
over the carcass, which was declared to he
that of the largest lion they had ever
seen. Besiles crunching the bone INTO
splintcrs, he left eleven teeth wounds ON
the upper part of my arm. 4 wound
from this animals tooth resembles a gun
Shot wound it is generally followed by a
great deal of sloughing and discharge, and
pains are felt periodically ever afterward.
[ had on a tartan jacket on the occasion,
and believe that it wiped off al the virus
from the teeth that pierced the flesh; for
my two companions in this aiiray have
both suffered from the peculiar pains,
while have escaped with only the incon-
vcDicnce of a false joint in the limb. The
man whose shoulder was wounded showed
ne his wound actually burst forth afresh
on the same month OF the following year.
This curious point deserves the attention
of inquirers."