THE LION (FELIS LEO)
I have left this grand example of the genus Felis to conclude the
species, as the tiger is so closely associated with the elephant that I
was forced to accord it a place in direct sequence.
In the early days of the world's history the lion occupied a very
extensive area; it was common in Mesopotamia, and in Syria, in Persia,
and throughout the whole of India. It is now confined to a limited
number in Guzerat, and a few in Persia. Beyond these localities it has
ceased to exist in Asia. There can be little doubt that, unless
specially protected, it will become extinct in Asia within the next
hundred years.
Africa is the only portion of the globe where the lion remains lord of
the forest, as the king of beasts. The question has frequently been
discussed, "Why should the lion have vanished from the scene where in
ancient days he reigned in all his glory?" The answer is simple, the
lions have been exterminated.
There is a nobility in the character of a lion which differs entirely
from the slinking habits of tigers, leopards, and the feline race in
general. Although the lion is fond of dense retreats, he exposes himself
in many ways, which the tiger seldom or never does, unless compelled by
a line of beaters. This exposure, or carelessness of concealment,
renders his destruction comparatively easy.
On the other hand, the lioness brings forth a numerous family, generally
five or six at a birth, which should keep up the number of the race; in
spite of this prolific nature, the lion having from time immemorial been
an attraction to the mighty hunter, man has proved too much for him.
The Indian species is considerably smaller than the African variety, and
the mane is seldom so dark in colour, or so shaggy. tiger, as the
animals differ in form and muscular development. I have never weighed a
lion, but I feel convinced that a fine specimen would be heavier than an
equally well selected example of a tiger, as the former is immensely
massive, especially about the chest and shoulders. The head and neck are
larger, although, when boiled and cleaned, the skull does not exceed in
size that of an ordinary tiger. It may be safely stated that a lion
which measures 9 ft. 8 inches in length would weigh heavier than a tiger
of the same dimensions. I have already described that the tiger when
springing to the attack does not strike a crushing blow, but merely
seizes with its claws. A lion, on the contrary, strikes with terrible
strength, at the same time that it fixes its claws upon its victim. The
force of this blow is terrific, and many a man has been killed outright
as though struck with a sledge-hammer. An instance of this fatal onset
deprived me of a most intelligent and excellent German, with whom I was
associated during a hunting season in the Soudan.
Florian was a Bavarian who came to Khartoum in the service of the
Austrian Mission, employed as a mason. This man had a natural aptitude
for mechanical contrivances, and quickly abandoning the Jesuit Mission,
after the completion of the extensive convent at the junction of the two
Niles, he and a carpenter of the same nation formed a partnership of
hunters and traders, establishing themselves at Sofi on the frontier of
Abyssinia. They built a couple of circular huts of neatly squared
stones, and not only shot hippopotami in the Atbara river, but
manufactured extremely good whips from their skins. These were very
superior in finish to the ordinary "courbatch" of the Arabs, and they
met with a ready sale. Florian excelled as a carpenter, although a mason
by profession; he made exquisite camel saddles for the Arab sheiks;
these (moghaloufa) were cut from the heart of a tough wood which never
warped (Rhamnus Lotus), and were highly prized by the experienced Arabs
of the desert. The rainy season was industriously employed in such
useful manufactures, and when the dry months arrived, these two
excellent men started upon hunting expeditions, and combined business
with pleasure.
Although Florian was clever with both head and hands, he was a bad shot;
his guns were of a common and dangerous description, one of which burst,
and blew his left thumb and forefinger off. After his recovery from this
accident he still excelled in work, but he was exceedingly clumsy with
his weapons, which were always going off by accident. Upon several
occasions these unintentional explosions took place so close to my own
head that I suggested it would be safer should he adopt solitary rambles
instead of shooting in company.
One night he killed an elephant while watching by moonlight at a
drinking-place. On the following morning he sent a trustworthy Tokroori
native with an axe to cut out the tusks. The man presently returned with
the news that a large lion had eaten a portion of the elephant, and was
lying asleep close by, beneath a tree.
Florian immediately gave his man a single-barrelled rifle, and taking a
double smooth-bore himself, the two proceeded together towards the spot.
Upon arrival at the place where the body of the elephant was lying, the
lion was immediately discovered beneath a leafless bush, where it had
been seen by the Tokroori. The animal appeared to be thoroughly gorged
with elephant's flesh, and, half asleep in the hot sun, it took very
little notice of the two men, but remained crouched upon the bare
ground, neither grass nor leaves at that dry season existing to form a
cover for retreat.
Florian advanced boldly to within about 20 yards, the lion merely
regarding him with sleepy astonishment, until he took aim and fired. He
missed! The lion instantly assumed an attitude ready for a spring.
Florian aimed between the eyes, and again fired. He missed again! The
response was immediate: the lion gave a roar, and bounded forward; with
a terrific blow upon the head it felled the unfortunate Florian to the
ground, and seized him by the neck. Almost at the same moment the
faithful Tokroori rushed forward to assist his master, and, afraid to
fire lest he should hit him by mistake during the confusion of the
struggle, he actually pushed the muzzle of the rifle into the lion's ear
and pulled the trigger. The lion fell dead upon the lifeless body of
Florian.
Dr. Ori, an Italian in the service of the Egyptian Dr. Ori, an Italian
in the service of the Egyptian Government, was at that time purchasing
wild animals of the Hamran Arab sword-hunters, and was in camp within a
half-hour's march. The Tokroori brought the tragic news, and a party
started for the fatal spot. Dr. Ori subsequently described to me the
effect of the lion's blow. The skull, which had received its full force,
was completely shattered, as if it had been a cocoa-nut struck with a
hammer, and several of the lion's claws had penetrated through the bone,
as though they had been driven like a nail.
If that had been the attack of a tiger, the skull would not have been
injured, although the scalp would have been badly lacerated, and death
would have been occasioned by the grip of the jaws upon the neck, not by
the blow.
Another instance of the great force of a lion's blow was witnessed by my
late friend, Monsieur Lafargue, whom I knew when he was a resident of
Berber in the Soudan. This French gentleman was agent to Halim Pasha,
the uncle of His Highness Ismail the Ex-Khedive. Halim Pasha was a man
of great energy, and he was the first personage in the history of Egypt
who sent a steamer from Cairo to ascend the cataracts of the Nile and
reach Khartoum. This was accomplished after extreme difficulty in
experimenting upon the course of nearly 1600 miles of river, the
navigation of which was then unknown to others beyond the native owners
of small vessels. Halim Pasha was the first to attempt the commercial
development of the White Nile, and Monsieur Lafargue was an admirable
representative of his august employer. The steamer arrived safely at
Khartoum, and was engaged in the trade of the Blue Nile to Fazocle, and
through the White Nile to the unknown, as in those days Khartoum was the
southern boundary of Egypt.
Monsieur Lafargue was a charming man, highly educated, with a mind of a
peculiar character, that enabled him to lead a happy life in the remote
wilderness of the Soudan. It was difficult to understand, when
conversing with him in his beautiful house at Berber, or sitting
together in his garden on the extreme margin of the Nile, while the
desert sands upon the east side of the wall showed the limit of
civilisation and fertility, how any man of culture could endure to pass
his entire existence in such a narrow boundary--the Nile, the fruitful
source, upon one side, and the desert 200 yards beyond; sterile, only
because the water could not reach its surface.
He had his books, all the monthly periodicals from Europe, and his
newspapers; he also had his private affairs, his agency, which occupied
his time; in addition, he had a wife, an Abyssinian lady of great
beauty, and of gentle sympathetic disposition. To her husband she was as
the moon is to the traveller upon an otherwise dark night. Her story was
too romantic and sad to be lightly introduced, but her husband had given
up his country, and his family in France, after having made his fortune
in the Soudan, entirely upon her account. He described her to me as the
"gazelle of the desert, that was contented and happy in its native
sands, but would die in the atmosphere of conventional civilisation."
Monsieur Lafargue held a deservedly high position among all classes in
the Soudan. He had discovered that no legitimate commerce was possible
with the savages of the White Nile; he had therefore advised his
employer to that effect, and he had resigned all hope of effecting the
original object of his expedition. He was therefore carrying on a
business with the native merchants, from whom he purchased gum-arabic
from Kordofan, ivory from the White Nile, hides from the Arabs
generally, cotton, and cereals, all of which, as opportunity offered, he
either sent down the river or across the Korosko desert to Egypt proper.
We were talking about lions, and he told me the following account of
what he witnessed as he was returning from the White Nile upon the
steamer, then en route towards Khartoum.
The dry season was at its height; all the high grass and other herbage
along the river's banks had been burnt by the natives, and the surface
of the earth was black and bare. The steamer was going easily down
stream, saving her fuel, and as they floated along, with the paddles
revolving slowly, a lion was observed upon the dark and lately blackened
bank. The vessel was at once stopped, and a trustworthy Tokroori hunter
of Lafargue's volunteered to shoot the lion. The man was confident;
accordingly he was put ashore, armed only with a single-barrelled rifle.
From the poop-deck of the steamer the whole affair was distinctly
visible. They saw the bold Tokroori advance unconcernedly towards the
lion, which, although standing when first observed, now immediately
crouched. The Tokroori advanced until he was only a few yards distant:
he then halted, and fired. With a loud roar the lion flew to the attack,
and with a terrific blow it struck the hunter upon the shoulder. The
effect was awful; the man was dashed violently upon the ground, and the
lion fell across his body; after a few gasps it rolled over and died.
The Tokroori never moved.
The steamer was now run alongside the bank, and Monsieur Lafargue, with
a number of men, quickly went ashore. Both the Tokroori and the lion
were quite dead. The bullet had struck the animal in the chest, and had
passed through the heart. The Tokroori's arm was hanging from the hip!
It had not only been completely dislocated at the shoulder by the blow,
but it had been torn or struck downwards with such extreme force that
the flesh had been entirely stripped off the ribs and the side; the arm
at the extremity of this ruin was dangling upon the ground, hanging only
to the hip by the flesh attached. The Tokroori had been killed on the
spot by the shock to the system. This was a remarkable example of force.
On the other hand, although the lion frequently uses this dreadful power
of striking when in full charge, there are many cases when the animal
seizes simply with teeth and claws, like a tiger or others of the race.
(A tiger possesses the power to deliver a tremendous blow, but it
seldom exercises this force.)
I am of opinion that the act of striking would depend upon the position
of the animal or person attacked. There can be no doubt that a lion
could fell an ordinary bullock by a blow upon the neck, should it attack
from one side, but it would be extremely unlikely that it would strike
any horned animal upon the head, as it would risk serious damage to the
paw. We have seen that the cheetah strikes the haunch of a black-buck
when coursing at full speed, and it is highly probable that the lion
would exert its prodigious strength in the same manner, to stun the
hind-quarters by the stroke, and, by throwing the animal upon one side,
to expose the throat to the grip of the powerful jaws. All beasts of
prey occasionally meet with dangerous antagonists, and should the first
spring fail, the lion may find an adversary worthy of its fangs in a
staunch old African buffalo, in which case the battle would be worth a
journey to be witnessed. I once discovered the dislocated skeleton of a
buffalo almost intermingled with the broken bones of a lion, the skull
of which was lying near, while the skull of the buffalo, devoid of the
nasal bones, was lying within a few feet distant, gnawed by jackals and
hyenas. The ground had been deeply trampled, showing the desperate
character of the recent struggle, which had terminated in the death of
both combatants. It is highly probable that two lions had simultaneously
attacked the buffalo, who had succumbed after having vanquished one
assailant. This is a very common practice among lions, to hunt in
company. Mr. Oswell in South Africa had a peculiar example of this when
in a day's hunting his friend Major Vardon had wounded a bull buffalo,
which had retreated within the forest. The two hunters carefully
followed the blood-track, but after a short advance they were startled
by a succession of loud roars, which betokened lions close at hand.
There could be little doubt that the wounded buffalo had been attacked;
therefore, with proper precaution, they warily approached the spot,
until the exciting scene presented itself suddenly on the other side of
a large fallen tree, which happily concealed the approach of the two
companions.
Three lions were engaged in a life-and-death combat with the gallant old
bull, who made a desperate defence, first knocking over one of his
enemies, then boring another to the ground, and exhibiting a strength
which appeared sufficient to defeat the combination. Suddenly the
buffalo fell dead; this was the result of the original wound, as the
rifle bullet had passed through the lungs.
The lions were not aware of this, and a quarrel among themselves
commenced after their imagined victory. One huge beast reared to half
its full height and placed its fore paws upon the body of the prostrate
buffalo, while at the head and the hindquarters an angry lion clutched
the dead body in its spreading paws, and growled at the possessor of the
centre. This formed a grand picture within only a few yards' distance,
but a couple of shots from either rifle stretched two lions rolling upon
the ground, and the third, terrified at the unexpected reports, bounded
into the thick covert and disappeared.
A very good sportsman named Johann Schmidt, a Bavarian who died in my
service when in Africa, killed two lions in the act of attacking a
giraffe. I saw the skeletons of these animals in the bed of the river
Royan a few days after the incident. At that dry season of the year the
Royan was devoid of water, except at certain bends where the current had
scooped out a deep hole beneath the bank. Johann Schmidt was a poor man,
who could not afford the luxury of first-rate rifles; he therefore did
his best with most inferior arms, one of which was a light
double-barrelled smooth-bore muzzle-loader No. 16. This was a French
gun, for which he had given 50 francs at Cairo. By some chance, this
common little weapon shot remarkably well with ball and 3 drams of
powder. It became his favourite companion. He was strolling one day
along the bank of the Royan in Abyssinia, looking carefully down its
sandy bed, when he came near to a water-hole in the long intervals, and
he suddenly heard the peculiar sounds of a great encounter. The dust was
flying high in the air, and as he approached the spot, within the yellow
surface of the river's bed, he saw a cloud of sand, in the centre of
which was the large body and long neck of a bull giraffe struggling
against the attack of two lions. One of these was fastened upon its
throat, while the other was mounted upon its hind-quarters, where it was
holding on with teeth and claws. Johann concealed himself behind a large
tree which grew upon the bank; this abrupt margin was about 20 feet
above the river's bed, and not 50 yards from the scene of a hopeless
conflict.
The giraffe had no chance; and after a sharp struggle before the eyes of
the well-concealed spectator, it was pulled down, and both lions
commenced to growl over their contested prey. The position upon a
perpendicular bank being thoroughly secure, Johann took a steady shot,
and rolled one lion over, close to the dying giraffe; the other looked
round for a moment, and sprang up the bank upon the opposite side of the
river, but this, being perpendicular, was too high to permit of a direct
retreat; a bullet from the remaining barrel struck it through the back,
and paralysed the hind-quarters. The animal fell backwards upon the
sandy surface of the river, and rolled over helplessly, as the hind legs
had lost all power. This gave Johann time to reload, and, seeing that
the lion was completely at his mercy, he descended into the river's bed
and put a bullet through its head.
The giraffe was still alive, therefore another ball was necessary to
complete its despatch; and Johann remained in triumph, having bagged two
lions and a giraffe with a gun worth only 50 francs.
I have heard so many tales of lions which have carried away oxen from a
kraal, that I have endeavoured to unravel what appears to be a
mysterious impossibility. An experienced friend of mine was present
when, during the night, a lion bounded over the fence of thorns which
formed a protection to the camp, and seizing a full-grown bullock, it
jumped the fence, carrying the victim with it.
In the confusion of a night attack the scare is stupendous, and no
person would be able to declare that he actually saw the lion jump the
fence with the bullock in its grip. It might appear to do this, but the
ox would struggle violently, and in this struggle it would most probably
burst through the fence, and subsequently be dragged away by the lion,
in a similar manner to the custom already described of tigers. It is
quite a mistake to suppose that a lion can carry a full-grown ox; it
will partially lift the fore-quarters, and drag the carcase along the
ground.
Upon one occasion I was strolling through the forest on the margin of
the Settite river in Abyssinia, and I suddenly met a large bull buffalo
which was exactly facing me, having probably obtained my wind
beforehand. It was not more than 20 yards distant, and it threw up its
wicked head with the nose pointed directly at me, in the well-known
fashion which makes a shot at the forehead utterly impossible. Knowing
that my double-barrelled No. 10 with 7 drams of powder would have
sufficient penetration, I aimed exactly at the nostril, then fully
dilated by the excitement of the animal, and fired. The shot was
instantly fatal, as the hard bullet of quicksilver and lead not only
passed through the brain, having entered at the nose, but it penetrated
far into the neck and cavity of the chest. This was a very large beast,
and knowing that the dense covert of nabbuk (Rhamnus Lotus) close by was
a great resort of lions, I determined to leave the carcase for the night
in the spot where it was then lying.
On the following morning I revisited the place with two of my excellent
Tokrooris; we found many fresh footprints of lions in the sandy soil,
and a broad trace about 4 feet wide, where the body had been dragged
away. This had apparently been effected by more than one lion, as the
footprints varied in size.
There was a vast mass of dense green nabbuk growing parallel with the
banks of the river. This was an opaque screen of thorny foliage,
covering an area of about 200 yards in width, but extending for a great
distance. The nabbuk tree bears a small apple the size of a nutmeg,
rather sweet, and pleasant to the taste; but the tangled mass, when
growing upon the sandy loam near water, is absolutely impenetrable to a
human being. Into this secure retreat the lions had crept, forming dark
tunnels about 3 1/2 or 4 feet high, for some unknown distance.
The trace of the dragged buffalo led direct to the entrance of one of
these obscure tunnels, and there could be no doubt that the carcase was
within, and the lions not far distant. I have frequently looked back to
absurdities that have been scathelessly committed; among these on more
than one occasion I have foolishly ventured upon the exploration of a
lion's retreat. With two of my Tokrooris following with spare rifles
(all muzzle-loaders) I crept upon hands and knees into the dark tunnel,
upon the trace of the dragged buffalo. A light double-barrelled '577 was
my companion.
After a few yards the tunnel became much narrowed, and was hardly more
than 3 feet 6 inches in height. The bush (evergreen) was so dense that
it was very dark, and I could not see any tracks of lions upon the
ground over which I crept; cautiously, advancing, with both barrels upon
full cock. About 70 yards had been passed in this manner when I
distinctly smelt the heavy odour of raw flesh and offal. I looked behind
me, and my two men were keeping well together. There could be no doubt
that the carcase of the buffalo was not far off, and it was highly
probable that the lions would be in forcible possession. We crept
forward with extreme caution. The faint and disagreeable smell
increased, and was almost insupportable. I presently heard the cracking
of a bone, and there could be no doubt that the lions were close at
hand. I once more looked round to see if my men were coming on; they
were both close up. We crept noiselessly forward for a few yards, and
suddenly a dark object appeared to block the tunnel; in another moment I
distinguished the grand head and dark mane of a noble lion on the other
side of a mass which proved to be the remains of the bull buffalo;
another head, of a lioness, arose upon the right, and at the same
instant, with a tremendous roar, the scene changed before I had time to
fire. We were alone with the remains of the buffalo, and I believe three
lions had decamped, never to be seen again in the obscurity of the dense
green nabbuk. We were actually in possession, having driven the lions
from their prey, simply by our cautious advance, without a shot.
It required some time and trouble to cut off the head of that bull
buffalo in the narrow limits of the lion's den, but it hangs upon my
walls now as a trophy that might be won from a lion, but never could
have been wrested in the same manner from a tiger.
Upon another occasion I crept in a similar manner into one of their
dark tunnels, and shot the lion within a distance of four paces, but I
never recovered the body, as the animal bounded into the dense thorny
substance, which it was impossible for any human being to penetrate.
The Hamran Arabs persuaded me to discontinue this kind of exploration,
and my Tokrooris having taken the same view of the performance, I gave
up the practice, as I did not succeed in actually bagging a lion by the
attempt.
In the locality which I have mentioned, the lions, although numerous,
were never regarded as dangerous unless attacked; there was an abundance
of game, therefore the carnivora were plentifully supplied, and a large
area of country being entirely uninhabited, the lions were unaccustomed
to the sight of human beings, and held them in respect. During the night
we took the precaution to light extensive bonfires within our camp,
which was well protected by a circular fence of impenetrable thorns, but
we were never threatened by wild animals except upon one occasion.
I was strolling in search of food, with a particular two-grooved single
rifle No. 14 which was extremely accurate. Having shot a nellut (A.
Strepsiceros), the animal was fixed upon a camel and immediately
forwarded to camp, towards which I advanced by a circuitous direction in
the expectation of finding other game. The country was perfectly flat in
the vicinity of the river, and although much covered with dense bush, it
was interspersed with numerous small glades, covered with parched
herbage 2 or 3 feet in height. A few Tokrooris accompanied me with spare
rifles (all muzzle-loaders, as the breech action had not been introduced
in those days), and I was leading the way, occasionally breaking through
the intervening bush, with as little noise as possible.
Suddenly, as I was only half emerged from a line of dark green nabbuk, I
was surprised by a short roar close to me, and I immediately saw the
shoulders and the hinder portion of a lion, the head being concealed by
the bush, from which I had not completely emerged. I could have touched
it by stretching out my rifle, but personally I was quite unobserved.
There was not a moment to lose, and I fired through the centre of the
shoulder. With a short roar the lion disappeared; there was a rushing
sound in the bushes, and almost immediately another lion occupied the
exact position that had been quitted by the lioness. They must have been
lying down together when startled by our appearance, or rather by the
noise of our approach. This was a splendid chance, but I was unloaded; I
stretched my right arm behind me, expecting to receive a spare rifle
from my faithful Tokrooris, but they had retreated from the scene, and I
remained within 6 feet of a lion's flank with an unloaded rifle and no
companion. The lion's head and neck were quite concealed by the dense
green bush, and I had no other course to pursue than to reload my rifle.
The first tap that I gave the bullet when ramming it home, scared the
lion, and with a loud roar it sprang forward and disappeared. My
recreant followers now returned, and having administered a few kicks, I
took a double-barrelled rifle and we commenced a strict search for the
wounded animal. Directed by a low moan, we found her within a few yards,
dying; it was a lioness, but there was no trace of her companion, which
had been so lately within my reach.
The spare camel was now brought up, and with great difficulty my three
Tokrooris, the Hamran Arab, and myself succeeded in placing the lioness
across the saddle, having first opened and cleaned the body to reduce
the weight.
Blood trickled from the carcase, and dropped upon the ground, thus
forming a trace throughout the route until we reached the camp. The
lioness was 9 feet 1 inch in length, and, when skinned, the body was
dragged to a considerable distance and left for the hyenas.
The fires were blazing after sunset; the horses of my Hamran hunters,
and my own, were picqueted within the centre of our enclosure, near the
tent, and we were about to retire for the night, when a deep guttural
sigh was heard close to the high and impervious fence of kittur thorns.
This had been carefully constructed, as life was most uncertain within
that questionable district, where the Arab hunting parties invariably
killed all natives of the crafty Base tribe whenever met, and they
incurred a similar retaliation. The fence was made of entire trees cut
off near the roots, and then dragged by the stems into line, with their
wide-spreading heads of sharp hooked thorns forming the outside surface;
these were locked together by their hooks, entangled, and nothing could
possibly have broken through, except an elephant or rhinoceros.
Prowling around this excellent protection was a lion, who was pronounced
by my hunters to be the mate of the lioness which I had killed; it was
declared that the disconsolate husband had followed the course of his
wife's body, denoted by the drops of blood that had dripped upon the
ground when carried by the camel towards the camp. My people were of
opinion that the lion was determined upon vengeance, and that he would
assuredly bound over our fence, although he could not absolutely break
through it.
The night was always interesting upon the banks of the Settite river, as
vast numbers of wild animals were astir half an hour after sunset, which
either came down to drink, or to wander in search of green pasturage,
that was only to be found in places from which the water had retreated.
The lions were accordingly on the alert, and the threatening sound of
their deep voices was to be heard in every direction, until approaching
daylight drove them to their thickets.
There is nothing so beautiful, or enjoyable to my ears, as the roar of a
lion upon a still night, when everything is calm, and no sound disturbs
the solitude except the awe-inspiring notes, like the rumble of distant
thunder, as they die away into the deepest bass. The first few notes
somewhat resemble the bellow of a bull; these are repeated in slow
succession four or five times, after which the voice is sunk into a
lower key, and a number of quick short roars are at length followed by
rapid coughing notes, so deep and powerful that they seem to vibrate
through the earth.
Our nocturnal visitor did not indulge in the usual solo, but he
continued throughout the night to patrol the circuit of the camp,
occasionally betraying his presence by a guttural roar, or by the well-
known deep sigh which exhibited the capacity of his lungs. We could not
see to shoot, owing to the darkness outside the fence, and the
brightness of our fire within the camp; this my men industriously
replenished with wood, and occasionally hurled fire-brands in the
direction of the intruder.
At length we went to sleep, leaving the natives to keep watch; they
declared that nothing would induce them to close their eyes, as the lion
would assuredly carry off one of the party before the morning. To their
great discontent, I refused to disturb the night by firing a gun, as I
had determined to hunt up the lion on the following day at sunrise.
Upon waking early, we discovered the deep footprints upon the sandy
soil, which had marked a well-beaten path around our impenetrable fence,
showing that the lion had been patrolling steadily throughout the night.
This fact led me to suppose that I should most probably find him
somewhere within a very short distance of the camp. I started with some
of my best men, and instead of a light single-barrel I carried my '577
rifle.
The position of our camp was exceedingly favourable for game, as the
river made a circuitous bend, which had in ages past thrown up a mass of
alluvial soil of several hundred acres, all of which was now covered
with a succession of dense patches of nabbuk jungle, interspersed with
forest trees and numerous small glades of fine dwarf grass, which formed
a sward. I felt certain that our visitor of the last night must be
somewhere in this neighbourhood, and I determined to devote the entire
day to a rigorous search; in this my men were unanimous, as they
objected to passing another night in sleepless excitement and anxiety.
Luck was against us. I had numerous opportunities during the day of
shooting other animals, but I was devoted entirely to the lion, which we
could not find.
I was scratched with countless thorns, as we broke through the thickest
bushes, peering beneath their dark shade, and searching every acre of
the ground in vain. In spite of the great heat, we worked from early
morning until half an hour before sunset without resting from our work;
all to no purpose; there were tracks of lions in all directions, but the
animal itself was invisible. It was time to turn towards home, and I led
the way through low bush and sandy glades not larger than an ordinary
room, all of which were so much alike that it was difficult to decide
whether we had examined them before, during the day's hard march. In
several places we discovered our own footprints, and thus cheerlessly we
sauntered homewards, tired, and somewhat disgusted at the failure.
We were within half a mile of the camp, and I was pushing my way through
some dwarf green nabbuk about 5 feet high, when, upon breaking into a
small open glade, a large lion with a dark shaggy mane started to its
feet from the spot where it had been lying, probably half asleep. I
instantly fired, before it had time to bound into the thick jungle, and
with tremendous roars it rolled over beneath the dense nabbuk bushes,
where at this late hour the shade was almost dark. As quick as possible
I fired a second shot, as it was rolling over and over, with
extraordinary struggles, and it disappeared in the almost impervious
bush, dragging its hind legs in such a manner that I felt sure the spine
was broken by the bullet. It was so dark that we could not discern the
figure of the animal beneath the thorns, although it was only a few feet
distant. Having reloaded, I hardly knew what course to pursue; we had no
means of driving the lion from the bush, I therefore examined the
ground, and we discovered that the nabbuk into which it had retreated
was simply an isolated clump, surrounded by narrow glades of sandy turf.
From this asylum I felt sure it could not move, and although it would
have been more heroic to have crept into the dark cover and have given
it a quietus, or more probably to have received it myself, we came to
the wise conclusion that if the lion could not move, it would be there
on the following morning, when we should have daylight in our favour.
We returned to camp, and the night passed without disturbance. Directly
after sunrise we returned to the spot, and we found the lion still
alive, although completely paralysed in the hinder portions. A shot in
the centre of the forehead terminated the affair, and the joint efforts
of ten men succeeded after great exertion in sliding the carcase upon
three inclined poles from the ground to the saddle, while the camel was
kneeling in a slight hollow, which the people had scraped away for the
purpose.
I had no means of weighing this animal, but it was immensely massive,
and would according to my estimation have exceeded 500 lbs.
The accounts published respecting the character of lions differ to such
a degree that incidents which are considered natural in one portion of
Africa may be regarded as incredible in other districts; there can be
little doubt that the character of the animal is influenced by the
conditions of its surroundings, which renders it extremely difficult to
write a comprehensive account, that will embrace the entire family of
lions throughout the world. Roualeyn Gordon Cumming gave a terrible
description of a night attack upon his camp, when a lion bounded over
the thorn fence, and seizing a sleeping servant from beneath his blanket
close to the camp fire, carried him off into the surrounding darkness,
and deliberately devoured every portion, excepting one leg, which was
found on the following morning, bitten off at the knee-joint. This was
the more extraordinary, as another man was at the same time asleep under
the blanket with the unfortunate victim; this courageous fellow snatched
a heavy firebrand from the pile, and beat the lion on the head in the
endeavour to save his friend. Instead of relinquishing its prey, the
lion dragged the man only a short distance, and commenced its meal so
immediately that the cracking of bones could be heard throughout the
night.
In southern Africa a night attack by lions upon the oxen belonging to
the waggons is by no means uncommon, in books published concerning
expeditions to that country, but in nine years' experience of camp life
in Africa, both equatorial and to 14 degrees north of the equator, I
have never even heard of any actual depredation committed by lions upon
a camp or upon a night's bivouac; the nearest approach was the
threatening nocturnal visit already described, where no actual damage
was inflicted.
There is an instinct natural to all animals which gives them due warning
whether man approaches them with hostile intent, and there can be no
doubt that every wild animal possesses this discriminating power, and
would be influenced according to circumstances. My own experience has
led me to an opinion that the lion is not so dangerous as the tiger,
although, if wounded and followed up, there cannot be a more formidable
antagonist.
Upon several occasions I have seen lions close to me when I have had no
opportunity of shooting, and they have invariably passed on without the
slightest signs of angry feeling. I was riding along a very desolate
path, and a lioness, followed by five nearly full-grown young ones,
walked quietly from the jungle, and they crossed within a few yards of
my horse's head, apparently without fear or evil disposition. I well
remember, at the close of a long march we halted beneath a large tree,
which I considered would form an agreeable shade for our tent. I gave my
rifle to a servant, who deposited it against the tree, preparatory to my
dismounting, when a lioness emerged from the bushes, and walked
unconcernedly through our party, within only a few feet of the startled
horses. She disappeared without having condescended to increase her
pace.
Upon another occasion I had fired the grass, which had left a perfectly
clean surface after the blaze. The night was bright moonlight, and I was
standing in front of the tent door, when a large, maned lion and a
lioness crossed the open space within 10 or 12 yards of my position, and
stood for a few moments regarding the white tent; they passed slowly
forward, but had disappeared before I had time to return with a rifle.
I once saw a wounded lion decline a challenge from a single hunter. It
is possible that a tiger might have behaved in the same manner, but it
would be dangerous to allow the opportunity. I had taken a stroll in the
hope of obtaining a shot at large antelopes, to procure flesh for camp,
and I was attended by only one Arab, a Hamran hunter armed with his
customary sword and shield. Having a peculiar confidence in the accuracy
of a two-grooved single rifle of small bore, I took no other, and we
walked cautiously through the jungle, expecting to meet some animal that
would supply the necessary food. We had not walked half a mile when we
emerged upon a narrow glade about 80 yards in length, surrounded by
thick bush. At one end of this secluded and shady spot an immense lion
was lying asleep upon the ground, about 70 yards distant, on the verge
of the dense nabbuk.
He rose majestically as we disturbed him by our noise in breaking
through the bushes, and before he had time to arrange his ideas, I
fired, hitting him through the shoulder. With the usual roars he rolled
several times in apparent convulsive struggles, until half hidden
beneath the dense jungle; there he remained.
If I had had a double rifle I could have repeated the shot, but in those
days of muzzle-loaders I had to reload a single rifle, and as usual,
when in a hurry, the bullet stuck in the barrel and I could not drive it
home.
In this perplexity, to my astonishment my Arab hunter advanced towards
the wounded lion, with his drawn sword grasped firmly in his right hand,
while his left held his projected shield, and thus unsupported and
alone, this determined fellow marched slowly forward until within a few
yards of the lion, which, instead of rushing to attack, crept like a
coward into impenetrable thorns, and was seen no more. The Arab
subsequently explained that he had acted in this manner, hoping that the
lion would have crouched preparatory to a spring; he would then have
halted, and the delay would have given me time to load.
I have before remarked upon the extreme danger of despising an
adversary, and although I do not consider the lion to be so formidable
or ferocious as the tiger, that is no reason for despising an animal
which has always been respected from remote antiquity to the present
day. It is impossible to be too careful when in pursuit of dangerous
game. My friend Colonel Knox of the Scots Fusilier Guards, an
experienced and fearless sportsman, very nearly lost his life in an
encounter with a lioness, although under the circumstances he could
hardly be blamed for want of due precaution. He had shot the animal,
which was lying stretched out, as though dead. Being alone, he returned
to camp to procure the necessary people, and together with these he went
to the spot where he found the lioness in the same position. Naturally
he considered that it was dead, but upon approaching the prostrate body
he was instantly attacked, knocked down, and seized by the back; he
would assuredly have been killed had he not been assisted by his
followers. Although he killed the lioness, he was seriously mauled, and
was laid up for a considerable period in consequence.
It would be easy to produce cases where lions have caused terrible
fatalities, and others where they have failed to support their
reputation for nobility and valour; but as I have already observed,
there is no absolute certainty or undeviating rule in the behaviour of
any animal. The natives of Central Africa, who are first-rate sportsmen,
have no fear of the lion when undisturbed by hunters, but they hold him
in the highest respect when he becomes the object of the chase. I have
known a lion which, when stopped by the nets in one of the great African
hunts, knocked over five men, all of whom were seriously wounded, and,
although it was impaled by spears, it succeeded in evading a crowd of
its pursuers.
Stories of lions are endless, and were they compiled, a most interesting
work might result, but my object in producing a few anecdotes, mostly of
my own personal experience, is to elucidate the character of the animals
by various examples, which prove the impossibility of laying down any
fixed or invariable rule.
There can be no doubt that the mode of hunting generally adopted in
Central Africa is far more dangerous than the careful contrivances of
India, where the tiger, as fully described, is hunted either upon
elephants or by posting the guns in secure positions. Even in
Rajpootana, where hunting is frequently conducted upon foot, the ground
is specially favourable among deep and precipitous ravines, where abrupt
rocks and perpendicular banks afford protection to the hunter.
In Central Africa the climate and fodder are so detrimental to horses
that the explorer quickly discovers the utility of his own legs, and no
experience is so conducive to steady and accurate shooting as the
knowledge of an impossibility to escape by speed. We are all creatures
of habit, and are more or less the slaves of custom; this is proved AD
ABSURDUM by the peculiar feeling when a man who is accustomed to shoot
tigers from the secure and lofty position in a tree, finds himself
compelled to seek the animal upon foot. In Africa, also in Ceylon, the
hunter is so much in the habit of standing upon his own legs that he
ceases to fear the attack of any creature, feeling certain of the
accuracy of his rifle; but this same individual would begin to feel
unnaturally exposed if, after a continuous experience in secure mucharns
and mounted upon elephants, he should be suddenly called upon to seek a
wounded tiger or lion upon foot. I have never followed lions except on
foot. They are killed by the Hamran Arabs on horseback; fairly hunted by
two or three of these splendid fellows, and cut down by a stroke across
the spine with the heavy broadsword.
The lion is never specially sought for by the natives of Central Africa,
but should he be met with in their ordinary hunting expeditions, he
takes his chance like all other animals, and is attacked either with
arrows or the spear.
Many of the natives are exceedingly courageous, and will advance to the
attack upon a lion with spear and shield, or even without the latter
safeguard, as they are confident in the support of their companions in
case of an emergency. I remember upon one occasion I had wounded a
lioness by a shot in the chest from a very accurate but extremely
ineffective rifle, which, although _'577_, carried a small charge of 2
1/2 drams of powder. The animal took refuge in a patch of high grass
only a few yards square. Invisible in this retreat, my three hardy
natives offered to go in and throw their spears at her, provided I would
be ready to support them should she charge into the open when they had
failed. This proceeding would have been a reflection upon our superior
weapons, and I declined the proposal, as too dangerous to the men. I
sent the natives to the summit of a white ant-hill about 7 feet high;
from this they espied the animal lying in the yellow grass, but so
indistinct that it was impossible to determine her exact position. I
accordingly instructed the men to keep a sharp look-out, and to throw
their spears should the lioness charge, as I would provoke an attack by
firing a shot at hazard into the long grass. Placing Lieut. Baker, R.
N., upon my right, with instructions to enfilade the expected attack, I
advanced to within 20 yards of the grass, and fired into the spot she
was supposed to occupy. The effect was instantaneous. At the report of
the rifle the lioness uttered a loud roar and charged directly upon
myself, the most prominent antagonist. I fired the left-hand barrel at
her chest, but this miserable weapon had no penetration (it was the
first and last that I ever possessed with a hollow bullet); the natives
hurled their spears, but missed the flying mark; Lieut. Baker fired
right and left with a No. 70 small-bore, which hit, but without effect.
Everybody turned and ran at their best speed, as the lioness in hot
pursuit was within a few feet of us. A native servant of Lieut. Baker
passed me with his master's spare gun in his hand. To snatch this from
the man, and to turn round and face the still roaring pursuer, was the
work of an instant, and I fired into her chest a No. 12 spherical ball
with 4 1/2 drams of powder from an ordinary smooth-bore. To my delight,
this rolled her over and checked her onset; but she immediately sprang
back to her asylum of yellow grass. We were now reduced to our original
position, but I knew the wound would be quickly fatal.
The natives recovered their spears, while we all reloaded, and presently
one of our people from the summit of the ant-hill excitedly pointed to
an object in the high grass; within a distance of about eight yards I
distinguished the back of the head and neck of the lioness. She was
looking in the opposite direction; this gave me a fatal opportunity, and
a shot in the nape of the neck settled the affair, after a
well-contested struggle.
It was impossible to carry this animal, we therefore skinned it, and
upon opening the stomach we found the sections of a fawn antelope; these
when placed in position showed the entire animal, which she must have
eaten a few hours previously. This was so fresh that my natives
immediately made a fire and roasted the meat, which they ate with great
enjoyment as a feast of victory. (We measured this lioness carefully
with a piece of string; she was 9 feet 6 inches from nose to tip of
tail.)
I shall say no more concerning lions, but I shall always admire the calm
dignity of appearance, the massive strength, the quiet determination of
expression, and the NOLI ME TANGERE decision, that represent the
character of the nation which has selected this noble animal for its
emblem.
I do not venture upon the extensive variety of smaller species of the
genus Felis; but there is one in India which I have only observed upon
two occasions; this is the colour of a puma, rather long in the leg,
with pointed tufts of black hair at the tips of the ears, giving it the
appearance of a lynx. I have a skin in my possession which I shot in the
Central Provinces of India in 1888. The whole of the genus Felis, from
the lion to the ordinary cat, have the same number of teeth-six cutting
teeth, six front teeth, and two incisors in either jaw. The tongues are
invariably rough, and in the lion and the tiger they are prickly to such
a degree that flesh could be licked clean off the bone without the
preliminary and impatient process of tearing by the teeth.
The often-questioned thorn in the extreme end of a lion's tail is by no
means a fallacy; this is a distinct termination in a sharp horny point,
which, although only a quarter of an inch or less in length, is most
decided. I do not consider that there is any special use for this
termination, any more than there would be for the tuft of black hair
which forms the extremity, and which conceals the thorny substance.