December ^ *s particularly neat rivers and iprings, that the lion O rW finds it belt anfwers his purpofe to lie in wait. Any animal whatever that is obliged to go thither in order to quench its thirft, is in danger, tanquam canis ad Nilum, o f becoming a viótim to the irrefiftible power o f this blood-thirfty tyrant. It Ihould feem, that in cafe gazels, and other fuch animals had fcent o f the fioii when he was near them, as ftrortg as it appeared to be in my horfes and oxen, they might eafily avoid the danger. I do not know hoW the faét really ftands ; but it is pofiible that the lion, like the fportf- men o f this country, may know fo well how to chufe the place o f its concealment, that the wind may drive its effluvia from the fide whence it might be perceived by its prey. Following the example o f other travellers in füch traéis o f this part of Africa as are infefted by lions, we always took the precaution to make loud cracks with our large ox-whip, Whenever we were going to pafs à river, Thefe cracks o f a Whip, which, in faft, make a louder noife, and a greater vibration in the air than the difchatge from a piftol, nay, are heard much farther than the report o f a gun, is looked upon as a very efficacious method o f fearing away wild beafts. Thefe large whips feem, therefore, to have contributed not a little to the greater degree o f dread which, fince the arrivai o f the colonifts, the lions have of mankind. The lion’s method o f taking its prey, as defcribëd above, is not, however, probably, fo univerfal as to be Without exception. Soon after my arrival at the Cape, I heard 6 fpeak C.A P E o f G 0 0 D H O P E , 47 ‘ 775* fpeak of a.maryied woman, who fomewhere in the Cat row December, country was killed at her own door by a lion; which likewife ate up her hand 5 though others, indeed, thought flie came by hef death in a different manner, f Several farmers related to me the following lingular j freak of a lion in Camdebo. , f* A few years ago a farmer on hprfeb.aek, with a led horfe in hand, met with a lion* which had laid,itfejf down in the public road where the farmer was to pafs. Thus circumftanced, he thought’it „moft advjfeable to turn back, but found the lion had taken a circle, and laid itfejf in his way again 5 he wa$ therefore obliged to turn back again, and fo alternately backwards and forwards. Whether the lion was feared away by feyeraj more travellers coming up or no, I cannot fay that I recollect; for I find, that I have forgot to jnake a minute of the ftory, probably, becaufq 1 did not think my authority fufficiently to, be depended upon* The following occurrence, however, I think I may relate, as being tolerably well authenticated, andferv- ing to ihew the cowardice and infidious difpofition o f the lion,■ “ An elderly Hottentot in the fervice o f a Chriftian, near the upper part of Sunday-river on the Camdebo fide, perceived a lion following him at a great diftance for two hours together. Thence he naturally concluded, that the lion only waited for the approach of darknefs, in order to make him his prey ; and in the mean time, could not expert any other than to ferve for this fierce animal’s fupper, inafmuch as he had no other weapon of defence than a .ftick, and knew that he could not get home before it was dark.
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