Year: 1873

must nave got our WlnQ.@ NO doubt tley
had been hunting all night and had been
down to the river to drink preparatory to
going to bed.


do not think the lion deserves his
title as king of beasts, though perhaps he
is the most noble looking. Elephants are
decidedly more sagacious, and the black
rhinoceros (upetyd7ae) is certainly more
dangerous, and either of the two could
kill him in few moments, with but little
danger to themselves. Indeed, he cannot
manage an old buffalo bull, unless he
takes it by surprise.


Until lately they were to be found in
Natal, and in troops in the Zulu country,
but have retired back with the game, and,
except on the Zulu coast, there are now
only few stray ones until you reach the
Ubombo Mountains. There, along the
banks of the-rivers Pongolo, Nkwavuma,
Usutu, and more especially the Mbuluzi
and Mbulzane, they, abound, troops of ten
or twelve being by no means rare. Like
all the feline tribe they hunt more by
night than by day, but in the uninhabited
districts they prowl about by daylight,
especially when hungry. When their
hunting has been successful they sleep the
whole day in some thicket hard by their





drink, as, like all carnivora, they must
drink frequently, and their presence is
sure sign Of water being near.


Their favorite food is buffalo and zebra,
preferably the latter, though they gener-
ally go after the former, as they are more
easily stalked from frequenting the thick
er parts of the jungle.


Sometimes when attracted by meat,
tloxr will 1r1,t
few yards of the camp, and cases have
occurred when they have attacked it. /
remember one man, a European, who had
spent the night in tree watching male
lion which had sprung into the camp and
seized piece of meat, kindly taking no
notice of the terrified scramble he caused,
and which, after roaring for little, was
joined by two lionesses, the three proceed
ing to eat all the buffalo-meat in stock,
one always keeping guard while the other
two went to water.


This is habit of theirs when they have
killed anything, to protect it from vul-
lures, wolves, aRd jackals, which, if not
prevented, would pick the bones clean in
a few minutes.


know a Dutch hunter, a very power
full man, who was once sleeping out near
the Nkwavuma. He had been unsuccess-
fully pursuing game all day, and had
made no camp fence or other protection,
as he had got no meat with him. During
the night he was awoke by something
catching hold of hold of his arm. Think
ing it was wolf he made a tremendous
effort to free himself, striking out at it
with the disengaged arm. The blow was
such that if it did not knock the animal
down it any rate drove it back, and en-
abled him to snatch up his rifle and fire.
The lion, as to his astonishment it turned
out to be, jumped away roaring, and next
morning was found dead few yards off.


They are excessively fond of eating
buffalo and other game killed too late in
the day to be broken up, and, even when
the hunters are sleeping by it, they will
come almost within the glare of the fire,
and tear and crunch away, taking no
notice of shots or stones, but an occasion
al growl, unless hit, when they are pretty
certain to make one spring into the center
of the camp and do all the mischief they
can. Apropos of this, remember hear
ing of very plucky thing done by a
native hunter of friend of mine. He had
killed buffalo and was sleeping out by
it alone, and during the night heard
crunching going on that only lions
powerful jaw could produce. He got up,
and by the dim light of third-quarter
moon could just make out the outlines of
two lions, about two yards off. He took a
steady aim-he only had a single barrel
and fired at the nearest, which made
bound upward and fell dead The other
took no notice, and after minute resum-
ed it's meal, upon which he quietly loaded
and shot it dead upon the spot. 1t show
ed great pluck, for, alone in the dark with
two lions, and only one shot to trust to, is
anything but pleasant position.


Sometimes l have heard the most eX-
traordinary concerts going on round
game the lions were feeding on, wolves,
hyenas, and jackals keeping up a contin-
laughing, which, being interpreted, meant,
| suppose, that they were very hungry
and wished the lions would clear out and
let them begin. 1t is by no means un-
usual to find wolf or .jackal lying dead,
punished on the spot for daring to ap-
proach too near the bigger robbers sup
per, and | have often seen the spoor of
where lion had chased wolves several
hundred yards away from his prey.
! Much has been written abOutthe roar,
and must confess to having been disap-
pointed in It at first; but after a time |
discovered that, though it has no resem-
blance to thunder, or anything of that
sort, it really is a very awe-inspiring
sound. 1t commences by a low booming
growl, repeated two or three times, and
Increasing in loudness until it becomes a
roar that fills the air, and dies away again
in low muttering. Lions coming from
a different direction will often keep it up
| for half an hour, answering one another
and it shows how the animal is dreaded,
that the moment it is heard near camp
there is dead silence. More wood is
hastily heaped on the fire, and all the
natives uneasily shift their positions and
take up their guns and spears. More
than once I have lost nights sleep by
| serenade of this description, the lions,
being hungry, smelling our meat and
keeping prowling about close to until
dawn The low, warning moan uttered
by them, if you approach too near
thicket where they are concealed, is
most unpleasant noise, and when | first
! heard it almost mistook it for the moan
of some large animal in pain; but it in
variably means that the lion is in bad
temper, and you had better not go too
| close.


The danger, if you come to close quar-
| ters with them, can hardly be exaggerated.
There are cases where, single-handed, and
armed only with spear, native has sue
ceeded in killing one that has sprung on
him mwithoutreceiving anything but trifling
| injuries; but these are only exceptions
that prove the rule that where they strike
| +Lo1r I,;l1 JTnIika other larpe Uame thew