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。