COMPOUND MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION. A. (av.) 19 cwt. 17 lbs. 10 oz. 7 dr. F. (cub.) 187 yds. 16 ft. 1289 in. ADVENTURES IN AFRICA. en-cour'-age, to give courage to re-lease' (v.), to set free cow par'-ox-ysm, a fit a-bund'-ant-ly, liberally, fully AN ESCAPE FROM A LION. It is well known that if one of a troop of lions is killed the others take the hint, and leave that part of the country. So the next time the herds were attacked, I went with the people, in order to encourage them to rid themselves of the annoyance by destroying one of the marauders. We found the lions on a small hill about a quarter of a mile in length, and covered with trees. A circle of men was formed round it, and they gradually closed up, ascending pretty near to each other. Being down below on the plain with a native schoolmaster, named Mebálwe, a most excellent man, I saw one saw of the lions sitting on a piece of rock within the now closed circle of men. Mebálwe fired at him before I could, and the ball struck the rock on which the animal was sitting. He bit at the spot struck, as a dog does at a stick or stone thrown at him; then, leaping away, broke through the opening circle, and escaped unhurt. The men were afraid to attack him, perhaps on account of their belief in witchcraft. When the circle was re-formed, we saw two other lions in it, but we were afraid to fire lest we should strike the men, and they allowed the beasts to burst through also. If the Bakatta had acted according to the custom of the country, they would have speared the lions in their attempt to get out. Seeing we could not get them to kill one of the lions, we bent our footsteps towards the village. In going round the end of the hill, however, I one of the beasts sitting on a rock as before, but this time he had a little bush in front. Being about thirty yards off, I took a good aim at his body through the bush, and fired both barrels into it. The men called out, He is shot, he is shot!' Others cried, He has been shot by another man too; let us go to him!' I did not see anyone else shoot at him, but I saw the lion's tail erected in anger behind the bush, and turning to the people, said: Stop a little till I load again.' When in the act of ramming down the bullets, I heard a shout. Starting, and looking half round, I saw the lion just in the act of springing upon me. I was upon a little height. He caught my shoulder as he sprang, and we both came to the ground below together. Growling horribly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a rat. The shock produced a stupor similar to that which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first shake of the cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there was no sense of pain nor feeling 6 of terror, though I was quite conscious of all that was happening. It was like what patients partly under the influence of chloroform describe, who see all the operation, but feel not the knife. This singular condition was not the result of any mental process. The shake annihilated fear, and allowed no sense of horror in looking round at the beast. This peculiar state is probably produced in all animals killed by the carnivora; and, if so, is a merciful provision by our beneficent Creator for lessening the pain of death. Turning round to relieve myself of the weight, as he had one paw on the back of my head, I saw his eyes directed to Mebálwe, who was trying to shoot him at a distance of ten or fifteen yards. His gun, a flint one, missed fire in both barrels; the lion immediately left me, and, attacking Mebálwe, bit his thigh. Another man, whose life I had saved before, after he had been tossed by a buffalo, attempted to spear the lion while he was biting Mebálwe. He left Mebálwe and caught this man by the shoulder, but at that moment the bullets he had received took effect, and he fell down dead. The whole was the work of a few moments, and must have been his paroxysm of dying rage. In order to take out the charm from him, the Bakatta on the following day made a huge bonfire over the carcase, which was declared to be that of the largest lion they had ever seen. Besides crunching the bone into splinters, he left eleven teeth-wounds on the upper part of my arm.-LIVINGSTONE (Missionary Travels in South Africa). HOSPITALITY AND DIGNITY OF AN AFRICAN CHIEF. We reached the collection of straggling villages over which Katema rules, and were thankful to see old familiar faces again. Shakatwala performed the part of a chief by bringing forward abundant supplies of food in his master's name. He informed us that Katema, too, was out, hunting skins for Matiamoo. 6 In different parts of this country, we remarked that when old friends were inquired for, the reply was, Ba pola - they are getting better;' or, if the people of a village were inquired for, the answer was, They are recovering,' as if sickness was quite a common thing. Indeed, many with whom we had made acquaintance in going north, we now found were in their graves. On the fifteenth, Katema came home from his hunting, having heard of our arrival. He desired me to rest myself, and eat abundantly, for, being a great man, I must feel tired; and he took good care to give the means of doing so. All the people in these parts are extremely kind and liberal with their food, and Katema was not behindhand. When he visited our encampment, I presented him with a cloak of red baize, ornamented with gold tinsel, which cost thirty shillings, according to the promise I had made in going to Loanda; also a cotton robe, both large and small beads, an iron spoon, and a tin pannikin containing a quarter of a pound of powder. He seemed greatly pleased with the liberality shown, and assured me that the way was mine, and that no one should molest me in it, if he could help it. We were informed by Shakatwala that the chief never used any part of a present before making an offer of it to his mother, or the departed spirit to whom he prayed. Katema asked if I could not make a dress for him like the one I wore, so that he might appear as a white man when any stranger visited him. One of the councillors imagining that he ought to second this by begging, Katema checked him by saying, Whatever strangers give, be it little or much, I always receive it with thankfulness, and never trouble them for more.' On departing, he mounted on the shoulders of his spokesman, as the most dignified mode of retiring. The spokesman being a slender man, and the chief six feet high, and stout in proportion, there would have been a break down, had he not been accustomed to it. We were very much pleased with Katema; and next day he presented us with a cow, that we might enjoy the abundant supplies of meal he had given, with good animal food. He then departed for the huntingground, after assuring me that the town and everything in it were mine, and that his factotum, Shakatwala, would remain and attend to every want, and also conduct us to Leba.-LIVINGSTONE (Missionary Travels in South Africa). COMPOUND MULTIPLICATION AND DIVISION. A. (av.) 26 tons 12 cwt. 27 lbs. |
