DeparturefromtheCountryoftheBakwainsLargeblackAnt
LandTortoisesDiseasesofwildAnimalsHabitsofoldLions
CowardiceoftheLionItsDreadofaSnareMajorVardon’sNote
TheRoaroftheLionresemblestheCryoftheOstrich
Seldomattacksfull-grownAnimalsBuffaloesandLions
MiceSerpentsTreadingononeVenomousandharmlessVarieties
FascinationSekomi’sIdeasofHonestyCeremonyoftheSechuforBoysTheBoyaleforyoungWomenBamangwatoHillsTheUnicorn’sPass
TheCountrybeyondGrainScarcityofWaterHonorableConductofEnglishGentlemenGordonCumming’shuntingAdventures
AWordofAdviceforyoungSportsmenBushwomendrawingWater
OstrichSillyHabitPacesEggsFood。
HavingremainedfivedayswiththewretchedBakwains，seeingtheeffectsofwar，ofwhichonlyaveryinadequateideacaneverbeformedbythosewhohavenotbeeneye-witnessesofitsmiseries，wepreparedtodepartonthe15thofJanuary，1853Severaldogs，inbetterconditionbyfarthananyofthepeople，hadtakenuptheirresidenceatthewaterNoonewouldownthem；theretheyhadremained，and，comingonthetrailofthepeople，longaftertheirdeparturefromthesceneofconflict，itwasplaintheyhad“Heldo’erthedeadtheircarnival。”
Hencethedisgustwithwhichtheywereviewed。
OnourwayfromKhopong，alongtheancientriver-bedwhichformsthepathwaytoBoatlanama，Ifoundaspeciesofcactus，beingthethirdIhaveseeninthecountry，namely，oneinthecolonywithabrightredflower，oneatLakeNgami，theflowerofwhichwasliver-colored，andthepresentone，flowerunknownThattheplantisuncommonmaybeinferredfromthefactthattheBakwainsfindsomuchdifficultyinrecognizingtheplantagainafterhavingonceseenit，thattheybelieveithasthepowerofchangingitslocality。
Onthe21stofJanuarywereachedthewellsofBoatlanama，andfoundthemforthefirsttimeemptyLopepe，whichIhadformerlyseenastreamrunningfromalargereedypool，wasalsodryThehotsaltspringofSerinane，eastofLopepe，beingundrinkable，wepushedontoMashueforitsdeliciouswatersIntravelingthroughthiscountry，theolfactorynervesarefrequentlyexcitedbyastrongdisagreeableodor。
Thisiscausedbyalargejet-blackantnamed“Leshonya“。
Itisnearlyaninchinlength，andemitsapungentsmellwhenalarmed，inthesamemannerastheskunkThescentmustbeasvolatileasether，for，onirritatingtheinsectwithasticksixfeetlong，theodorisinstantlyperceptible。
Occasionallywelighteduponlandtortoises，which，withtheirunlaideggs，makeaveryagreeabledishWesawmanyoftheirtrailsleadingtothesaltfountain；theymusthavecomegreatdistancesforthishealth-givingarticleInlieuthereoftheyoftendevourwood-ashes。
ItiswonderfulhowthisreptileholdsitsplaceinthecountryWhenseen，itneverescapesTheyoungaretakenforthesakeoftheirshells；
thesearemadeintoboxes，which，filledwithsweet-smellingroots，thewomenhangaroundtheirpersonsWhenolderitisusedasfood，andtheshellconvertedintoarudebasintoholdfoodorwater。
ItowesitscontinuanceneithertospeednorcunningItscolor，yellowanddarkbrown，iswelladapted，byitssimilaritytothesurroundinggrassandbrushwood，torenderitindistinguishable；
and，thoughitmakesanawkwardattempttorunontheapproachofman，itstrustisinitsbonycovering，fromwhicheventheteethofahyaenaglanceofffoiledWhenthislong-livedcreatureisabouttodeposithereggs，sheletsherselfintothegroundbythrowingtheearthuproundhershell，untilonlythetopisvisible；thencoveringuptheeggs，sheleavesthemuntiltherainsbegintofallandthefreshherbageappears；
theyoungonesthencomeout，theirshellsstillquitesoft，and，unattendedbytheirdam，begintheworldforthemselves。
Theirfoodistendergrassandaplantnamedthotona，andtheyfrequentlyresorttoheapsofashesandplacescontainingefflorescenceofthenitratesforthesaltsthesecontain。
InquiriesamongtheBushmenandBakalahari，whoareintimatelyacquaintedwiththehabitsofthegame，leadtothebeliefthatmanydiseasesprevailamongwildanimalsIhaveseenthekokongorgnu，kamaorhartebeest，thetsessebe，kukama，andthegiraffe，somangyastobeuneatableevenbythenativesReferencehasalreadybeenmadetotheperipneumoniawhichcutsoffhorses，tolosorkoodoosGreatnumbersalsoofzebrasarefounddeadwithmassesoffoamatthenostrils，exactlyasoccursinthecommon“horse-sickness“Theproductionofthemalignantcarbunclecalledkuatsi，orselonda，bythefleshwheneaten，isanotherproofofthediseaseofthetameandwildbeingidenticalIoncefoundabuffaloblindfromophthalmiastandingbythefountainOtse；whenheattemptedtorunhelifteduphisfeetinthemannerpeculiartoblindanimals。
Therhinoceroshasoftenwormsontheconjunctionofhiseyes；
butthesearenotthecauseofthedimnessofvisionwhichwillmakehimchargepastamanwhohaswoundedhim，ifhestandsperfectlystill，inthebeliefthathisenemyisatreeItprobablyarisesfromthehornbeinginthelineofvision，forthevarietynamedkuabaoba，whichhasastraighthorndirecteddownwardawayfromthatline，possessesacuteeyesight，andismuchmorewary。
AllthewildanimalsaresubjecttointestinalwormsbesidesIhaveobservedbunchesofatape-likethreadandshortwormsofenlargedsizesintherhinocerosThezebraandelephantsareseldomwithoutthem，andathread-wormmayoftenbeseenundertheperitoneumoftheseanimals。
Shortredlarvae，whichconveyastingingsensationtothehand，areseenclusteringroundtheorificeofthewindpipetracheaofthisanimalatthebackofthethroat；othersareseeninthefrontalsinusofantelopes；
andcuriousflat，leech-likeworms，withblackeyes，arefoundinthestomachsoflechesThezebra，giraffe，eland，andkukamahavebeenseenmereskeletonsfromdecayoftheirteethaswellasfromdisease。
Thecarnivora，too，becomediseasedandmangy；lionsbecomeleanandperishmiserablybyreasonofthedecayoftheteeth。
Whenalionbecomestoooldtocatchgame，hefrequentlytakestokillinggoatsinthevillages；awomanorchildhappeningtogooutatnightfallsapreytoo；andasthisishisonlysourceofsubsistencenow，hecontinuesitFromthiscircumstancehasarisentheideathatthelion，whenhehasoncetastedhumanflesh，lovesitbetterthananyother。
Aman-eaterisinvariablyanoldlion；andwhenheovercomeshisfearofmansofarastocometovillagesforgoats，thepeopleremark，“Histeethareworn，hewillsoonkillmen。”Theyatonceacknowledgethenecessityofinstantaction，andturnouttokillhim。
Whenlivingfarawayfrompopulation，orwhen，asisthecaseinsomeparts，heentertainsawholesomedreadoftheBushmenandBakalahari，assoonaseitherdiseaseoroldageovertakeshim，hebeginstocatchmiceandothersmallrodents，andeventoeatgrass；
thenatives，observingundigestedvegetablematterinhisdroppings，followuphistrailinthecertaintyoffindinghimscarcelyabletomoveundersometree，anddispatchhimwithoutdifficultyThegrassmayhavebeeneatenasmedicine，asisobservedindogs。
Thatthefearofmanoftenremainsexcessivelystronginthecarnivoraisprovedfromwell-authenticatedcasesinwhichthelioness，inthevicinityoftownswherethelargegamehadbeenunexpectedlydrivenawaybyfire-arms，hasbeenknowntoassuagetheparoxysmsofhungerbydevouringherownyoungItmustbeadded，that，thoughtheeffluviumwhichisleftbythefootstepsofmanisingeneralsufficienttoinducelionstoavoidavillage，thereareexceptions；somanycameaboutourhalf-desertedhousesatChonuanewhilewewereintheactofremovingtoKolobeng，thatthenativeswhoremainedwithMrsLivingstonewereterrifiedtostiroutofdoorsintheeveningsBitches，also，havebeenknowntobeguiltyofthehorridlyunnaturalactofeatingtheirownyoung，probablyfromthegreatdesireforanimalfood，whichisexperiencedbytheinhabitantsaswell。
Whenalionismetinthedaytime，acircumstancebynomeansunfrequenttotravelersintheseparts，ifpreconceivednotionsdonotleadthemtoexpectsomethingvery“noble“or“majestic“，theywillseemerelyananimalsomewhatlargerthanthebiggestdogtheyeversaw，andpartakingverystronglyofthecaninefeatures；thefaceisnotmuchliketheusualdrawingsofalion，thenosebeingprolongedlikeadog’s；
notexactlysuchasourpaintersmakeitthoughtheymightlearnbetterattheZoologicalGardenstheirideasofmajestybeingusuallyshownbymakingtheirlions’faceslikeoldwomeninnightcaps。
Whenencounteredinthedaytime，thelionstandsasecondortwo，gazing，thenturnsslowlyround，andwalksasslowlyawayforadozenpaces，lookingoverhisshoulder；thenbeginstotrot，and，whenhethinkshimselfoutofsight，boundsofflikeagreyhoundBydaythereisnot，asarule，thesmallestdangeroflionswhicharenotmolestedattackingman，norevenonaclearmoonlightnight，exceptwhentheypossessthebreedingstorgh*naturalaffection；thismakesthembravealmostanydanger；andifamanhappenstocrosstothewindwardofthem，bothlionandlionesswillrushathim，inthemannerofabitchwithwhelps。
Thisdoesnotoftenhappen，asIonlybecameawareoftwoorthreeinstancesofitInonecaseaman，passingwherethewindblewfromhimtotheanimals，wasbittenbeforehecouldclimbatree；
andoccasionallyamanonhorsebackhasbeencaughtbythelegunderthesamecircumstancesSogeneral，however，isthesenseofsecurityonmoonlightnights，thatweseldomtiedupouroxen，butletthemlieloosebythewagons；whileonadark，rainynight，ifalionisintheneighborhood，heisalmostsuretoventuretokillanoxHisapproachisalwaysstealthy，exceptwhenwounded；andanyappearanceofatrapisenoughtocausehimtorefrainfrommakingthelastspringThisseemscharacteristicofthefelinespecies；whenagoatispicketedinIndiaforthepurposeofenablingthehuntsmentoshootatigerbynight，ifonaplain，hewouldwhipofftheanimalsoquicklybyastrokeofthepawthatnoonecouldtakeaim；toobviatethis，asmallpitisdug，andthegoatispicketedtoastakeinthebottom；asmallstoneistiedintheearofthegoat，whichmakeshimcrythewholenightWhenthetigerseestheappearanceofatrap，hewalksroundandroundthepit，andallowsthehunter，whoislyinginwait，tohaveafairshot。
*Greeksigma-tau-omicron-rho-gamma-eta。
Whenalionisveryhungry，andlyinginwait，thesightofananimalmaymakehimcommencestalkingitInonecaseaman，whilestealthilycrawlingtowardsarhinoceros，happenedtoglancebehindhim，andfoundtohishorroralionSTALKINGHIM；heonlyescapedbyspringingupatreelikeacatAtLopepealionesssprangontheafterquarterofMrOswell’shorse，andwhenwecameuptohimwefoundthemarksoftheclawsonthehorse，andascratchonMrO。’shand。
Thehorse，onfeelingtheliononhim，sprangaway，andtherider，caughtbyawait-a-bitthorn，wasbroughttothegroundandrenderedinsensible。
HisdogssavedhimAnotherEnglishgentlemanCaptainCodrington
wassurprisedinthesameway，thoughnothuntingthelionatthetime，butturningroundheshothimdeadintheneckByaccidentahorsebelongingtoCodringtonranaway，butwasstoppedbythebridlecatchingastump；thereheremainedaprisonertwodays，andwhenfoundthewholespacearoundwasmarkedbythefootprintsoflions。
TheyhadevidentlybeenafraidtoattackthehalteredhorsefromfearthatitwasatrapTwolionscameupbynighttowithinthreeyardsofoxentiedtoawagon，andasheeptiedtoatree，andstoodroaring，butafraidtomakeaspringOnanotheroccasiononeofourpartywaslyingsoundasleepandunconsciousofdangerbetweentwonativesbehindabushatMashue；thefirewasnearlyoutattheirfeetinconsequenceofallbeingcompletelytiredoutbythefatiguesofthepreviousday；alioncameuptowithinthreeyardsofthefire，andtherecommencedroaringinsteadofmakingaspring：
thefactoftheirriding-oxbeingtiedtothebushwastheonlyreasonthelionhadfornotfollowinghisinstinct，andmakingamealofflesh。
Hethenstoodonaknollthreehundredyardsdistant，androaredallnight，andcontinuedhisgrowlingasthepartymovedoffbydaylightnextmorning。
NothingthatIeverlearnedofthelionwouldleadmetoattributetoiteithertheferociousornoblecharacterascribedtoitelsewhere。
ItpossessesnoneofthenobilityoftheNewfoundlandorStBernarddogs。
Withrespecttoitsgreatstrengththerecanbenodoubt。