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 Mebalwe, a most
excellent man, I saw one of the lions sitting on a piece of rock within
the now closed circle of men. Mebalwe 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 Bakatla 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 toward the village; in going round the end
of the hill, however, I saw one of the beasts sitting on a piece of rock
as before, but this time he had a little bush in front.
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