I must be allowed to give a somewhat more lengthened description than I
have bestowed on other animals, to the Felidæ, or Cat-tribe, because
the same characters serve for all; size and colour being almost the only
difference among those of which I shall treat. Grace and strength are
their universal attributes, the latter lying chiefly in the fore parts
of their frames; such as their paws, legs, shoulders, neck and jaws; the
former in their arched and rounded form, and the extreme suppleness of
their joints. Their muzzle is short and round, some of their teeth are
of enormous size and strength, their sight is very acute both by night
and day; their eyes are set obliquely in the head, and always glare in
the dark; and sometimes by day when they are in a rage. It is only in
the smaller tribes that the pupil is vertically linear, when the full
light causes it to contract. The ears are large, and the sense of
hearing much developed. Their smell is not equally perfect, and the
roughness of their tongue shews, that their taste cannot be very
delicate. This roughness is caused by the horny papillæ, or small
projections, with points directed backwards, which cover the tongue, and
enable it to lick the flesh from the bones of their food. They have long
bristles on each side of the mouth, which form the most sensitive organs
of touch; each bristle being inserted in a bed of glands under the skin,
communicating with a nerve. The claws of the Felidæ are extremely
strong, sharp, and crooked; and all four-feet are furnished with them,
five before, and four behind; and the most effective system of muscular
contrivance not only gives such force to the fore-paws, that a blow from
one of these will fracture a man's skull, but keeps these claws from
touching the ground, and enables the animal to draw them back into a
sheath. In aid of this, the sole of the foot, and each of the toes, has
a soft, elastic pad, or cushion under it, on which they walk, and as
they never set the heel to the ground, their footsteps are noiseless,
unless they choose them to be otherwise. It is with their formidable
claws, and still more formidable teeth, that they tear their prey to
pieces.
None of the Feline tribe will eat vegetables, unless domesticated, even
then but rarely; and in their wild state, unless pressed by hunger, they
will only eat what they themselves have killed. They have an abhorrence
of anything which is decomposed. The fur, with the exception of the
Lion's mane, and that of the cat, is short, close, and soft; capable,
when dressed, of receiving a high polish. Many are striped and spotted
with black, and the larger kinds, are generally of a warm, fulvous
colour. The domestic cat is, however, often white, black, gray, and
brindled; some leopards are black, and there is a small, beautiful wild
cat, marked like the panther. All are very wary and cunning, and seldom
face their foes. They lie in ambush for them, and suddenly spring upon
them, seeming to take a pleasure in prolonging their torments. They are
very sensible to caresses and affection, but a blow, or angry word,
rouses them to fury. They are certainly capricious, and sometimes
without any apparent cause burst into fits of ill temper, therefore are
by no means to be trusted, even in the midst of love and docility.
The backward carriage of his head, his majestic stride, and the
deliberate manner in which he looks at his enemy, have caused the Lion
to be called the king of beasts. He is only occasionally seen in the
forests, and inhabits plains, where rocks, or low jungle, afford him a
shelter. He, however, retreats before the advance of men, and has now
deserted many of those regions where he was once undisputed lord of the
country. The Lion of America is altogether different; therefore it may
be said, that only Central Asia, and almost all Africa are traversed by
him. Formerly the eastern boundary of Europe scarcely formed a limit to
his presence; the Arabian literature is full of allusions to him, and
the Holy Scriptures constantly attest his presence in Syria, during the
times in which they were written.
The beauty of the Lion's mane is well known. According to Mr. Gordon
Cumming, its colour varies with age, being fulvous and bright when
young, black when the animal is in his full strength, and grisly with
old age. There has been, however, a species recently discovered in
Guzerat, which has but little or no mane, it also has shorter limbs and
tail, the latter having a larger brush at the end. It is bold, commits
great havoc among the cattle; and is supposed to have been driven out of
Cutch, by the practice adopted by the natives, of burning their grass. A
nail or prickle at the end of a lion's tail is often found, but has
nothing to do with the caudal vertebræ. It is probably a hardened piece
of skin, or a mass of agglutinated hairs, in the manner of horn; it
comes off with only a slight touch.
Lions come to their full strength at five years, but live a long time;
for instance, one from the Gambia was proved to be sixty-three years of
age. They sleep by day, and feed by night, lap their drink, and delight
in coming forth in the midst of furious storms, when they add their
mighty roars to those of the elements. Seldom does a tempest rage in
tropical Africa, but its fearful sounds are increased by the din of wild
animals; that of the lion being heard above all others. Countless are
the histories of his depredations, and numerous are the daring and
gallant exploits performed by Europeans against this noble game; the
following is an abridgment of a narrative, from the pen of the
Marchioness of Hastings; and published in the Miscellany of Natural
History; herself being the heroine of the chase.
"The field was taken in quest of three lions, supposed to be lurking
near the tents. The ground was flat and ploughed. When we came to the
edge of the jungle, we halted a little; the people came round in crowds,
and, in a few minutes, the trees were covered with men, placed there by
Fraser for observation. When we were sent for, we found Fraser by the
side of the great canal--he had received intelligence of both a lion and
a tiger, and he desired Barton and myself to go down upon an elephant,
watch the bed of the canal, and move slowly to the south, while he
advanced in a contrary direction. The rest of the party were to beat the
jungle above, which was too thick to admit the passage of an elephant
through it. We fell in with Fraser where the canal was a little wider,
and neither of us had been successful, though we had searched every bush
with our eyes, in passing along. He desired us to wait till he had
mounted the bank to look after the rest of the elephants. He had hardly
gone away before a lioness crossed the narrow neck of the canal, just
before us, and clambered up the opposite bank. I fired, but missed her,
and she ran along the bank to the westward. We turned round and had the
mortification of seeing her again go through the water, at which our
elephant became refractory, wheeled about, and was so unsteady as to
prevent us from firing. We followed her up to the thicket, put the
elephant's head into it, and we heard the lioness growling close to us.
Just as we were expecting her charge and had prepared our guns, round
wheeled the elephant again, and became perfectly unmanageable. During
the scuffle between the elephant and his driver, we heard the cry that
the lioness was again off. She again crossed the Nullah, and just as we
had got our elephant to go well in, the lioness ran back, and crouched
under a thicket on our left, where she had been originally started. All
this happened in less than a minute. Fraser then called to us to come
round the bush, as the lioness being on a line with us, we prevented him
from firing. Just as we got out of his reach, he fired, and when the
elephant stopped I did the same. Both shots took effect, and the lioness
lay and growled in a hollow, mellow tone. After a few discharges she
tried to sally forth, but her loins were cut to pieces, which was
fortunate for us, as her fore parts seemed strong and unhurt. She reared
herself upon them, and cast towards us a look that bespoke revenge,
complaint, and dignity. Her head, half averted from us, was turned back
as if ready to start at us, if the wounds in her loins had not disabled
her. As it was now a mercy to put an end to her sufferings, I took a
steady aim, and shot her through the head. She fell dead at once, and
her lower jaw was carried away; she was drawn up the bank and pronounced
to be two years old. She had thrown one man down, and got him
completely under her with his turban in her mouth, when a shot grazed
her side. She immediately left her hold and crossed the canal, where we
first perceived her."
There used to be, and perhaps is still, a lion in the menagerie of
Brussels, whose cell requiring some repairs, his keeper desired a
carpenter to set about them; but when he saw the lion, he drew back with
terror. The keeper entered the cell, and then led the animal to the
upper part of it, where he amused himself by playing with him, and then
fell asleep. The carpenter, fully trusting to the vigilance of the
keeper, pursued his work, and when he had finished, called to him to
inspect what he had done. The man made no answer; the carpenter called
again and again, but to no purpose, and, being alarmed, went to the
upper part of the den, and looked through the railing. Seeing the lion
and his keeper sleeping side by side, he uttered a loud cry. The lion
suddenly awakened, started up, looked furiously at the carpenter, and
placing his paw on the breast of his keeper, lay down to sleep again.
The carpenter was dreadfully frightened, and ran out, telling what he
had seen. Some of the attendants went and opened the door which the
carpenter had secured with several bars, and contrived to wake the
keeper; who, on opening his eyes, did not appear to be in the least
frightened at his situation. He took the paw of the lion, shook it, and
quietly led him down to the lower part of his residence.
It is from Mr. Pringle and Mr. Gordon Cumming that we derive the most
stirring adventures with lions; and I profit by the advantage afforded
me by their pages. The first was a relation of mine by marriage, and I
have enjoyed frequent conversations with him concerning his travels;
rendered the more extraordinary by his lameness, which proved the energy
of that mind which could thus surmount bodily infirmity.
Mr. Cumming still lives to tell his own tales; and no one can hear or
read his words without seeing that he has one of those ardent spirits
which loves danger for the sake of danger, and that his indomitable
courage and hardihood, from his early years, when he killed the deer on
his father's domains, prepared him to be what he now is, the most
successful of all men in his warfare with wild animals.
In a note to the "Poetical Remains of Mr. Pringle," I find the following
remarkable escape:--"Lucas Van Buren usually carried a huge elephant
gun, as long and unwieldy as himself; but left it at home one day when
he had most need of it. He was riding across the open plains, near the
Little Fish river, one morning about day break, when observing a lion at
a distance, he endeavoured to avoid him by making a circuit. There were
thousands of spring-bocks scattered over the extensive flats; but from
the open nature of the country, the lion had probably been unsuccessful
in his hunting. Lucas soon perceived that he was not disposed to let
_him_ pass without further parlance, and that he was rapidly approaching
to the encounter. Being without his gun, the farmer, little inclined to
cultivate his acquaintance, turned his horse off at a right angle, and
galloped for life. But it was too late; the horse was fagged, and bore a
heavy man upon his back; the lion was fresh, furious with hunger, and
came down upon him like a thunder-bolt. In a few minutes he brought man
and horse to the ground. Luckily, the man was not hurt, and the lion was
too much occupied with the horse to pay any attention to him. Hardly
knowing how he escaped, he contrived to do so, and reached the nearest
house. His remarks, when he related his adventure, were concerning the
audacity of the lion in attacking a Christian man; but his chief
vexation was about the saddle. He returned to the spot the next day, and
found the horse's bones picked clean, lion and saddle having both
disappeared. Lucas said he could excuse the beast for killing the horse,
as he had allowed himself to escape; but the abstraction of the saddle,
for which, he added, the lion could not possibly have any use, raised
his spleen, and called down a shower of abuse whenever he related the
story.
"We had," says Mr. Pringle, "been to tea with Captain Cameron's family,
to whom, as we were only three miles distant, we considered ourselves
next-door neighbours; and as the weather was fine, we rode home by
moonlight, jesting all the way about wild beasts and Caffres, and not at
all suspecting that a lion was dogging us through the bushes the whole
way home.
"About midnight I was awakened by an unusual noise in the cattle-fold,
and looking out, saw all our horned cattle spring over the high thorn
fence, and scamper round the place. Fancying that a hyæna, which I had
heard howling when I went to bed, had alarmed the animals, I sallied
forth to have a shot at it. I, however, could not find any cause for the
disturbance, and calling a Hottentot to drive back the cattle, and shut
them in, I again went to bed. The next morning Captain Cameron rode over
to say, his herdsman had discovered that a large lion had followed us up
the valley, and then, on further inspection, we found he had visited the
fold, and carried off a sheep. He appeared to have retreated to the
mountains, and we did not pursue him.
"The lion, however, was not disposed to let us off so easily. He
returned that night, and killed my favourite riding-horse, a little more
than a hundred yards from my door; I then considered it right to take
measures for defence, and called forth a party for his pursuit, the
Hottentots saying that as he had only eaten a small part of the horse he
would be in the vicinity. Seventeen horsemen, Mulattoes and Hottentots,
and a number of strong hounds, soon assembled.
"The Hottentots traced the lion on foot, discovering his spoor, or
track, with surprising dexterity, and found him in a large thicket about
a mile distant. The dogs failed to dislodge him, the Mulattoes rode
round the jungle, and fired into it, but without effect. At last three
Scotchmen determined to march in, provided the Mulattoes would support
their fire. Regardless of the warnings of more prudent men, they went
in, and, as they thought, found the lion crouched among the roots of a
large evergreen bush, glaring at them from under the foliage. They fired
and struck, not the lion, but a great block of sand-stone, which they
bad mistaken for him; but beyond which he was actually lying. With a
furious growl he bolted from the bush; the Mulattoes fled
helter-skelter, leaving the Scots with empty guns, tumbling over each
other in their haste to escape. In a twinkling he was upon them, with
one stroke of his paw dashed John Rennie to the ground, and with one
foot upon him, looked round upon his assailants in conscious power and
pride, and with the most noble and imposing port that could be
conceived. It was the most magnificent thing I ever witnessed; but the
danger of our friends was too great to enjoy the picture. We expected
every minute to see one or more of them torn to pieces; and yet in their
position, one lying under the lion's paw, and the others scrambling
towards us, we dared not fire. Fortunately, however, the lion, after
steadily surveying us, turned calmly away, drove off the hounds with his
heels, as if they had been rats, and bounded over the adjoining thicket
like a cat, clearing bushes twelve or fifteen feet high, as if they had
been tufts of grass.
"Our comrade had sustained no other injury than a scratch upon the back,
and a severe bruise, and we renewed the chase. We found the enemy
standing at bay under a mimosa tree. The dogs barked round him, but were
afraid to approach; for he growled fiercely, and brandished his tail in
a manner that showed he meditated mischief. The Hottentots, by taking a
circuit, reached a precipice above him, another party of us occupied a
position on the other side of the glen, so that the lion was between two
fires; he became confused, we battered away at him, and he fell, pierced
with many wounds. He appeared to be full grown, and six years old,
measuring eleven feet from the nose to the tip of the tail. His fore
leg, below the knee, was so thick, that I could not span it with both
hands; his head was almost as large as that of an ordinary ox. His
flesh, which I had the curiosity to taste, resembled very white, coarse
beef, and was insipid rather than disagreeable."
The ensuing histories are from Mr. Gordon Cumming's pen;--"A buffalo was
wounded, and two hunters in pursuit of him were joined by three lions,
who also gave chase, and getting before the gentlemen sprang upon the
buffalo. The latter, being very large, struggled much; the hunters fired
upon the lions, and as each ball struck, the latter seemed to think the
blood which flowed came from the buffalo's bones; consequently, two were
easily secured, but the third had the sense to walk away.
"The Oryx sometimes fights the lion, and is victorious; but the bodies
have been seen lying close together, the lion having been pierced
through by the horns of the gemsbok, and as he could not draw them out
again, each died from the mortal blow inflicted by, at least, one of
them.
"Hendrick and Ruyter lay on one side of the fire under one blanket, and
John Stefolus on the other; the fire was very small, and the night was
pitch dark and windy. Suddenly the appalling and murderous voice of an
angry, blood-thirsty lion burst upon my ear, within a few yards of us,
followed by the shrieking of the Hottentots. Again and again the
terrific roar of attack was repeated. We heard John and Ruyter shriek,
'The lion! the lion!' Still, for a few minutes, all thought he was only
chasing one of the dogs round the kraal; but the next instant John
Stefolus rushed into the midst of us almost speechless with fear, his
eyes bursting from their sockets, and shrieked out, 'The lion! the lion!
he has got Hendrick; he dragged him away from the fire; I struck him
with the burning brand upon his head, but he would not let go his hold.
Hendrick is dead! Let us take fire and look for him!' The rest of my
people rushed about, shrieking and yelling as if they were mad. I was
angry with them for their folly, and told them if they did not stand
still and keep quiet, the lion would have another of us; most likely
there was a troop of them. The dogs were let loose, and the fire
increased. Hendrick's name was shouted; but all was then still. I told
the men he was dead, and had everything brought within the cattle-fold,
lighted a fire, and closed the entrance as well as we could. We sat with
our guns in our hands till daylight, expecting a lion every moment; the
dogs fought one another, then got scent of the lion, and barked at him
till day broke, he now and then driving them back; and he lay all the
night within forty yards of the party, having dragged the man into a
little hollow at the back of the bush. He had grappled him with his
claws, and bitten him in the breast and shoulder, all the while feeling
for his neck, and when he got hold of that dragged him into the shade.
The poor man cried, 'Help me, help me, oh God! Men, help me!' then all
was still, except that his comrades heard the cracking of his bones. The
beast did not heed the beating about the head with the burning wood. The
lion dragged the remains of him away the next morning, but in the hollow
was found one of poor Hendrick's legs, the shoe still on the foot, with
fragments of his coat. The next day came the lion's turn; for the party,
by killing him, avenged the death of poor Hendrick."
It has often been said that the human voice has great power over the
fiercest animals; and I do not think a stronger proof of it can be met
with, than in this adventure of Mr. Gordon Cumming's:--"I fired at the
nearest lioness, having only one shot in my rifle. The ball told badly;
the lioness at which I had fired wheeled right round, and came on,
lashing her tail, showing her teeth, and making that horrid, murderous,
deep growl, which an angry lion generally utters. Her comrade hastily
retreated. The instant the lioness came on, I stood up to my full
height, holding my rifle, and my arms extended high above my head. This
checked her in her course, but on looking round, and missing her
comrade, and observing Ruyter slowly advancing, she was still more
exasperated, and fancying that she was near being surrounded, she made
another forward movement, growling terribly. This was a moment of great
danger, I felt that my only chance of safety was extreme steadiness, so,
standing motionless as a rock, with my eyes firmly fixed upon her, I
called in a clear, commanding voice, 'Holloa, old girl! What's the
hurry? take it easy! Holloa! holloa!' She once more halted and seemed
perplexed, looking round for her comrade. I then thought it prudent to
beat a retreat, which I very slowly did, talking to the lioness all the
time. She seemed undecided as to her future movements, and was gazing
after me, and snuffing the ground, when I last beheld her."
I copy the ensuing anecdote from Mr. Campbell's second journey to
Africa. "A lion had been near to a bushman's hut the whole night,
waiting, it was supposed for the arrival of his companions, to assist in
attacking the family; and if they had made the attack in conjunction
with each other, it is probable they would have met with success. Two
Bootchuana herdsmen, attending near the place next morning, saw him and
ran to inform the people. On their way they met six Griquas coming to
attack the formidable creature, having already heard he was there.
Advancing towards him, they fired, and wounded, but did not disable him.
Enraged by pain, he advanced to take revenge on his assailants. On
seeing him approach, the Griquas leaped from their horses, formed them
into a close line with their tails towards the lion, and took their
stand at the horse's heads. The enraged animal flew upon a Bootchuana
who was not protected by the horses, and who tried to defend himself
with his kaross, or skin cloak. The lion, however, caught him by the
arm, threw him on the ground; and while the poor man still tried to
defend himself, by keeping the kaross round him, the lion got under it,
and gnawed part of his thigh. His Bootchuana companion at that time
threw his assagai, which entered the lion's back. The Griquas would have
fired, but were afraid of shooting the man; in order then to drive him
away, they made a great noise, and threw some stones. The lion then left
the man, and rushed on them, when they again checked his attack by
turning the horses round. He next crept under the belly of a mare, and
seized her by the fore legs, but with a powerful kick she made him let
go his hold. In revenge, and by one stroke of his paw, he tore open the
body of the mare, and retired. After this, he tried to get round the
horses to the men, but when on the point of making a spring, he was
happily killed by a musket ball, the ball penetrating behind the ear."
It is singular, says Mr. Sparrman in his African travels, that the lion
is reported frequently, although provoked, to content himself with
sometimes only wounding the human species, or at least to wait some time
before he gives the fatal blow to the unhappy victim he has got under
him. A farmer had the misfortune to see a lion seize two of his oxen, at
the very instant he had taken them out of the wagon, but they fell
down dead, having had their backs broken. A father and two sons were in
search of a lion, when he rushed upon them, threw one of them under his
feet, but he received no great hurt, for the two others shot him dead
upon the spot. Another farmer had lain some time under a lion, received
several bruises from the beast, and was a good deal bitten by him in one
arm, but the noble animal, as it were, gave him his life: nevertheless,
others say, that if a lion once taste human blood, he for ever after
thirsts for it. So strong is this opinion in India, that an officer who
was asleep with his left hand out of bed, was awoke by his pet lion
licking him. Of course the rough tongue brought blood, and he tried to
withdraw his hand. The lion gave a slight growl, upon which the officer
took a loaded pistol from under his pillow, and shot him dead, feeling
convinced if he escaped then, he should never again be safe.
I might multiply my stories of destruction and escapes, till they alone
would form a volume, but I would rather give a few instances of the
gratitude of this magnificent creature. "One day," relates Mr. Hope,
"the company attended the Duchess of Hamilton to see her lion fed; and
while they were teasing and provoking him, the porter came and said,
that a sergeant with some recruits at the gate begged to see the lion.
Her grace afforded permission; the lion was growling over his prey, the
sergeant advanced to the cage, called "Nero, Nero, don't you know me,"
and the animal instantly raised his head; rose, left his food, and
wagging his tail went to the bars of his cage. The man patted him, and
then said it was three years since they had seen each other, that he had
taken charge of the lion from Gibraltar, and he was glad to see the poor
beast shew so much gratitude. The lion, indeed, seemed to be perfectly
pleased, went to and fro, rubbing himself against the place where his
old friend stood, and licked the sergeant's hand as he held it out to
him."
A lion, which, for its extreme beauty, was to be sent to Paris from
Senegal, fell sick before the departure of the vessel, and was let loose
to die on an open space of ground. A traveller there, as he returned
home from a hunting excursion, found him in a very exhausted state, and
compassionately poured a quantity of milk down his throat. Thus
refreshed, the poor beast recovered. From that time he became so tame,
and was so attached to his benefactor, that he afterwards ate from his
hand and followed him like a dog, with only a string tied round his
neck.
M. Felix, one of the keepers of the animals of the Menagerie in Paris,
became so ill, that another person was obliged to perform his duty. A
male lion, whom, with a female, he himself had brought to the place,
remained constantly at one end of his cage, and refused to eat anything
given him by the stranger, at whom he often roared. He even disliked the
company of the female, and paid no attention to her. The animal was
supposed to be ill, and yet no one dared to approach him. At length M.
Felix recovered, and intending to surprise the lion, showed his face
between the bars. In a moment the beast made a bound, leaped against the
bars, caressed him with his paws, licked his face, and trembled with
pleasure. The female also ran to him; but the lion drove her back, as if
she were not to snatch any of the favours from Felix, and he was about
to quarrel with her. The keeper then entered the cage, and caressed them
by turns, and after that often went to them, and had complete control
over them. They would obey all his commands, and all their recompense
was to lick his hand.
A curious circumstance took place at New Orleans in the year 1832, when
a bear was let down into the cage of an old African lion, supposing it
would be torn to pieces. As many people were assembled to see the
barbarous exhibition, the bear placed himself in a fighting posture, and
flew at the lion; but, to the great disappointment of all present, the
lion placed his paw upon the bear's head, as if to express his pity, and
tried to make friends with him. He took the bear under his protection,
suffered no one to approach close to the cage, and did not sleep till
he was exhausted, so closely did he watch over his new friend. He
suffered the bear to eat, but long refused food for himself, and when
the last accounts were received, continued to guard the bear as
jealously as possible.
The lioness has no mane; is smaller, and more slender in her proportions
than the male; she carries her head even with the line of her back, and
wants the majestic courage of the lion, but she is more agile. Her
temper is more irritable, and Mr. Gordon Cumming says:--"She is more
dangerous before she has been a mother; yet every vestige of tameness or
docility vanishes when she _is_ a mother, and she is then in a constant
state of excitement, getting into the most violent fury if any one
should attempt to touch her cubs." The story of the lioness which one
night attacked one of the horses of the Exeter mail has been told so
many different ways, that I am glad to copy the correct account from
Captain Brown's "Popular Natural History":--"She had made her escape
from a travelling Menagerie, on its way to Salisbury fair, and suddenly
seized one of the leading horses. This, of course, produced great alarm
and confusion, which was not lessened by perceiving what the enemy was;
and two inside passengers took refuge in a house. A large mastiff
attacked the intruder, upon which she quited the horse, and turned upon
him; he fled, but she pursued and killed him, after running forty
yards. On the alarm being given, her keepers went after her, till she
took refuge under a granary, with the dog still within her teeth. They
barricaded her there to prevent her escape, and she roared there so
loudly, that she was heard half a mile off. She was afterwards secured
and taken to her den; and of course her adventure increased the
celebrity of the menagerie to which she belonged. Before this happened,
she was considered as very tame, and never had given any signs of
ferocity; she therefore affords another example, that it is not safe to
trust these animals: of course the poor horse was dreadfully torn, and
the expressions of his agony were most affecting; the lioness, however,
had missed the vital parts."
The Puma or Cougar, of North and South America, is generally called a
lion, but he has no mane, or tufted tail, and when young, his pale, fawn
coat, is striped with blackish brown. These marks however, disappear
with age. He is the largest of the feline tribe on that continent, and
is very destructive to smaller animals. He rarely attacks man, and on
some occasions evinces as much courage as the true lion, and a curious
observation has been made by travellers, that he becomes less bold as he
approaches to the north. One given to Professor Jamieson of Edinburgh,
seemed to delight in playing with a tub of water, he also played with
dogs and monkeys without the slightest interruption to their good
understanding; but if a goat or a fowl came in sight, they were snapped
up immediately. He made his escape one night in London; and offered no
resistance when caught by a watchman. He is hunted on the Pampas by
dogs, and the Indians secure him with the bolas or the lasso. He climbs
trees with great facility; his skin makes excellent gloves; and many
persons consider his flesh to be dainty food.
Mr. Waterton, in one of his essays, makes some remarks, and relates a
story which ought to be inserted in every book which treats of feline
animals; therefore, although many others have quoted them, I do not
apologize for inserting an abridgment of them here. He says, all animals
of the dog tribe must be combated with might and main, and with
unceasing exertion, in their attacks upon man; for from the moment they
obtain the mastery, they worry and tear their victim as long as life
remains in it. On the contrary, animals of the cat tribe, having once
overcome their prey, cease for a certain time to inflict further injury
upon it. Thus, during the momentous intervals, from the stroke which has
laid a man beneath a lion, to the time when the lion shall begin to
devour him, the man may have it in his power to rise again; either by
his own exertions, or by the fortunate intervention of an armed friend.
But then all depends upon quiet on the part of the man, until he
plunges his dagger into the heart of the animal; for if he tries to
resist, he is sure to feel the force of his adversary's claws and teeth
with redoubled vengeance. Many years ago, Colonel Duff, in India, was
laid low by the stroke of a Bengal tiger. On coming to himself, he found
the animal standing over him. Recollecting that he had his dirk by his
side, he drew it out of the case, in the most cautious manner possible,
and by one happy thrust quite through the heart, he laid the tiger dead
at his side.
The particular instance, however, to which Mr. Waterton alludes, and
which was told him by the parties themselves, I now briefly give:--The
weather was intolerably sultry. After vainly spending a considerable
time in creeping through the grass and bushes, with the hope of
discovering the place of the lion's retreat, they (the party) concluded
that he had passed quite through the jungle, and gone off in an opposite
direction. Resolved not to let their game escape, Lieutenants Delamain
and Lang returned to the elephant, and immediately proceeded round the
jungle, expecting to discover the route which they conjectured the lion
had taken. Captain Woodhouse, however, remained in the thicket, and as
he could discern the print of the animal's foot on the ground, he boldly
resolved to follow up the track at all hazards. The Indian game-finder
who continued with his commander, at last espied the lion in the covert,
and pointed him out to the Captain, who fired, but unfortunately missed
his mark. There was now no alternative left but to retreat and load his
rifle. Having retired to a distance he was joined by Lieutenant
Delamain, who had dismounted from his elephant on hearing the report of
the gun. This unexpected meeting increased the Captain's hopes of
ultimate success. He pointed out to the Lieutenant the place where he
would probably find the lion, and said he would be up with him in a
moment or two.
Lieutenant Delamain on going eight or ten paces down, got a sight of the
lion and discharged his rifle at him. This irritated the mighty king,
and he rushed towards him. Captain Woodhouse now found himself placed in
an awkward situation. He was aware that if he retraced his steps in
order to put himself in a better position for attack he would just get
to the point to which the lion was making, wherefore he instantly
resolved to stand still, in the hopes that the lion would pass by at a
distance of four yards or so, without perceiving him, as the intervening
cover was thick and strong. In this, however, he was deceived; for the
enraged lion saw him as he passed, and flew at him with a dreadful roar.
In an instant, as though it had been done by a stroke of lightning, the
rifle was broken and thrown out of the Captain's hand, his left leg at
the same moment being seized by the claws, and his right arm by the
teeth, of his desperate antagonist. Lieutenant Delamain ran up and
discharged his piece full at the lion; and this caused the lion and the
Captain to come to the ground together, whilst the Lieutenant hastened
out of the jungle to re-load his gun. The lion now began to crunch the
Captain's arm; but the brave fellow, notwithstanding the pain, had the
cool determined resolution to lie still. The lordly savage let the arm
drop out of his mouth, and quietly placed himself in a couching
position, with both his paws upon the thigh of his fallen foe. While
things were in this untoward situation, the Captain unthinkingly, raised
his hand to support his head, which had got placed ill at ease in the
fall. No sooner, however, had he moved it, than the lion seized the
lacerated arm a second time; crunched it as before, and fractured the
bone still higher up. This additional _memento mori_ from the lion was
not lost on Captain Woodhouse; it immediately put him in mind that he
had committed an act of imprudence in stirring. The motionless state in
which he persevered after this broad hint, shewed that he had learnt to
profit by the painful lesson.
The two Lieutenants were now hastening to his assistance, and he heard
the welcome sound of feet approaching; but unfortunately they were in a
wrong direction, as the lion was betwixt them and him. Aware that if
his friends fired, the balls would hit him, after they had passed
through the lion's body, Captain Woodhouse quietly pronounced, in a low
and subdued tone, "to the other side! to the other side!" Hearing the
voice, they looked in the direction from whence it proceeded, and to
their horror saw their brave comrade in his utmost need. Having made a
circuit, they cautiously came up on the other side; and Lieutenant
Delamain, whose coolness in encounters with wild beasts had always been
conspicuous, from a distance of about a dozen yards, fired at the lion
over the person of the prostrate warrior. The lion merely quivered; his
head dropped upon the ground, and in an instant he lay dead on his side,
close to his intended victim.