DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70300#0034
SO kirby’s wonderful museum.
of Kentish hills, the force visibly abated; and if the matter
was not exhausted, yet it was so far diminished or chilled, as
to leave no appearance of its passage through the other part
of Kent.
A LIONESS
SEIZING ONE OF THE EXETER MAIL COACH HORSES.
The Exeter mail coach, on its way to London, was attack-
ed on Sunday night, Oct. 20,1816, at Winterslow Hut, seven
miles on this side of Salisbury, in a most extraordinary manner.
At the moment when the coachman pulled up to deliver his
bags, one of the leaders was suddenly seized by a ferocious
animal. This produced great confusion and alarm: two
passengers who were inside the mail got out, ran into the
house, and locked themselves up in a room above stairs ; the
horses kicked and plunged violently, and it was with diffi-
culty the coachman could prevent the carriage from being
overturned. It was soon perceived by the coachman and
guard, by the light of the lamps, that the animal which had
seized the horse was a huge lioness. A large mastiff dog
came up, and attacked her fiercely, on which she quitted the
horse, and turned upon him. The dog fled, but was pur-
sued and wounded by the lioness within about forty yards of
the place. It appears that the beast had escaped from a
caravan that was standing on the road side, belonging to the
proprietors of a menagerie, on their way to Salisbury fair.
An alarm being given, the keepers pursued and hunted the
lioness into an hovel under a granary, which served for keep-
ing agricultural implements. About half past eight they had
secured her so effectually, by barricading the place, as to
prevent her escape. The horse, when first attacked, fought
with great spirit, and if at liberty, would probably have
beaten down his antagonist with his fore feet, but in plunging
he embarrassed himself in the harness. The lioness, it ap-
of Kentish hills, the force visibly abated; and if the matter
was not exhausted, yet it was so far diminished or chilled, as
to leave no appearance of its passage through the other part
of Kent.
A LIONESS
SEIZING ONE OF THE EXETER MAIL COACH HORSES.
The Exeter mail coach, on its way to London, was attack-
ed on Sunday night, Oct. 20,1816, at Winterslow Hut, seven
miles on this side of Salisbury, in a most extraordinary manner.
At the moment when the coachman pulled up to deliver his
bags, one of the leaders was suddenly seized by a ferocious
animal. This produced great confusion and alarm: two
passengers who were inside the mail got out, ran into the
house, and locked themselves up in a room above stairs ; the
horses kicked and plunged violently, and it was with diffi-
culty the coachman could prevent the carriage from being
overturned. It was soon perceived by the coachman and
guard, by the light of the lamps, that the animal which had
seized the horse was a huge lioness. A large mastiff dog
came up, and attacked her fiercely, on which she quitted the
horse, and turned upon him. The dog fled, but was pur-
sued and wounded by the lioness within about forty yards of
the place. It appears that the beast had escaped from a
caravan that was standing on the road side, belonging to the
proprietors of a menagerie, on their way to Salisbury fair.
An alarm being given, the keepers pursued and hunted the
lioness into an hovel under a granary, which served for keep-
ing agricultural implements. About half past eight they had
secured her so effectually, by barricading the place, as to
prevent her escape. The horse, when first attacked, fought
with great spirit, and if at liberty, would probably have
beaten down his antagonist with his fore feet, but in plunging
he embarrassed himself in the harness. The lioness, it ap-