The Sun.
London, England, 1827-04-04 00:00:00

A LION HUNT.

We mustered by day-light ; and as we were anx-
ious, for th• sake of the novelty, to have some of
the Tambookies to accompany us, we promised to
kill them plenty of bucks,, and were not long in per-
suading thirty of them to follow us. In a short time
we observed them leading out of the cattle kraal two
milk-white oxen, with their horns bound round with
thongs, which, to all appearance, one might fancy
were intended for sacrifice, but on closer inspection
we found they were their pack oxen, prepared to
carry home such game as we might kill for them.—
We made a singular appearance as we cantered
along. Each Tambookie had a half-starved dog;
some of the best runners would keep close to us,
but on occasionally looking back, the plain seemed
covered with horsemen—whites and Hottentots,
blacks and dogs.
Our party was formed ipto two divisions. Mr.
S., Mr. R., and ourselves, were to cross the plain
about the centre. Diederick was our leader. The
other party were to skirt the base of the mountain,
about which grew a few tall mimosas, and to keep in
an even line with us, about half a mile distant.
The mountains seemed to meet just before us, but
as we approached we saw a pretty wide opeping
through which we passed, when another valley or
plain of similar character, but of much greater extent,
was presented to our view. Sere all animated
nature seemed collected, and to reign unmolested !
The signal was, however, soon given, that man, the
destroyer, was approaching, and all the various ani-
mals, with snorts and bounds, began to collect in
bodies, gnoos,harte-beests,quaggas, spring bucks, and
roe bucks. The gnoo is the animal so well described
by Barrow, the existence of which was but a very
few years ago disputed. They run sluggishly at
first, but at once they spring out, whisk their long
tails, about, and with their heads to the ground, defy
their pursuers. Their dusky colour and bushy heads
give them a strange appearance.

Mr. S. had chased some of these animals in the
direction of the mimosas, trenching on the ground
which our comrades were to take; he was getting
closer to his object, and was about to dismount a
second time, when his eyes glanced on the long
wished for game—an enormous lion I He was walk-
ing majestically slow—but when Mr. S. gave the
tally-ho to us, he couched, and seemed inclined to
wait, but soon afterwards cantered off to the mimosas.

In a few seconds we were all up, at least our di-
vision. The first object was to prevent him from
climbing the mountain, we therefore rode through
the mimosas, about three hundred yards from where
he had entered, and got between him and the
heights. Diederik Mulier and Mr. S., with their
servants and led horses, then rode round the little
grove, whilst we were stationed where we first en-
tered. The grove was hardly five hundred yards in
length, and twenty in breadth, consequently we
could by this arrangement command the whole of it.
True to our engagement, as well as heartily wish-
ing their assistance, we waited for the other party.
The other part of our division having rode round the
grove, came up opposite to us, but at a distance, and
as we saw them dismount, we did the same. Our
situation was not very enviable ; we had but one
large gun, but Mr. Rennie, who carried it, was per-
fectly collected. We were talking to each other
in a whisper, when Mr. Rennie very coolly said,
" Listen, the gentleman is grumbling." The sound
was so very like distant thunder, that we doubted
it, but at the same moment I caught a glimpse of the
lion walking away not a hundred and fifty yards from
us, and he must have been previously still nearer to
us than we had calculated. I gave the alarm, which
was echoed to our friend, who in an instant mounted
and rode up to the lOwer end, calling upon us to ad-
vance. We were moving down to gain a position
on a little height, when a gun was fired, followed by
four more. This convinced us our other division
had joined.
We thought there would have been an end to our
sport before it had well begun ; but on the contrary,
the shots were fired not only to prevent him, leav-
ing the copse, but to prove their guns, for a miss-
fire is frequently of consequence. The last shot
had the effect of turning him, and we now had a
full view of him returning to the centre, whisking
his tail about, and treading among the smaller
bushes as if they had been grass, reminding us
most forcibly of the paintings we had seen of this
majestic animal.
We had hardly began to tie . our horses, when
the Hottentots stationed on the hill cried out that
the lion was running off at the lower end, where
he had attempted to escape before. We were on
horseback in a second, but the lion had got a-head ;
we had him, however, in full view, as there was
nothing to intercept it. Off he scampered. The
Tambookies, who had just come up and mixed
amongst us, could scarcely clear themselves of our
horses; and their dogs howling and barking—we
hallooing—the lion still in view, making for a small
copse, about a mile distant—and the number and
variety of the antelopes on our left, scouring off
in different directions, formed one of the most ani-
mating spectacles the annals of sporting could pro-
duce.

Diederik and Mr. S. being on very spirited horses,
were the foremost, and we wondered to see them
pass on in a direction different from the copse 'where
we had seen the lion take covert. Christian gave
us the signal to dismount, when we were, as well as
could be judged, about two hundred yards from the
copse. He desired us to be quick in tying the
horses, which was done as fast as each came up.
And now the die was cast, there was no retreating.
We were on lower ground than the lion, with not
a bush around us. Diederik and Mr. S. had now
turned their horses, for, as we afterwards learned,
they had been run off with in consequence of their
bridles having broken. The plan was, to advance
in a body, leaving our horses with the Hottentots,
who were to keep their backs towards the lion, fear-
ing they should become unruly at the sight of him.
All these preparations occupied but a few seconds,
and were not completed—when we heard him growl,
and imagined he was making off again; but no—as
if to retrieve his character froth suspicion of coward-
ice from former flight, he had made up his mind in
turn to attack us. To the growl succeeded a roar,
and in the same instant we saw him bearing down
upon us, his eye-balls glistening with rage. We
were unprepared; his motion was so rapid, no
one could take aim, and he furiously darted at
one of our horses, whilst we were at their heads,
without a possibility of preventing it. The poor
horse sprung forward, and, with the force of the ac-
tion, wheeled all the horses round with him. The
lion likewise wheeled, but immediately couched
at less than ten yards from us. Our left flank
thus became exposed, and on it fortunately stood
C. Muller and Mr. Rennie. ' What an anxious
moment ! For a few seconds we saw the mon-
ster at this little distance, resolving, as it were, on
whom he should first spring. Never did I long so
ardently to hear the report of a gun. We looked
at them aiming, and then at the lion. It was abso-
lutely necessary to give a mortal blow, or the con-
sequences might be fatal to some one of the party.
A second seemed a minute. At length Christian
fired ; the under jaw of the lion dropped--blood
gushed from his mouth, and he turned round with a
view to escape. Mr. Rennie then shot him through
the spine—and he fell.
At this moment he looked grand beyond expres-
sioani.ice.Tulrineinagte
spring at us, but his hind
fore feet—his mouth bleeding,, his eyes flashing ven-
ge towards us, he rose upon his
legs denied him assistance; be dragged' them a little
aegampinted
space, when. Stephanus put a final period to his
existence, by shooting him through the brain. He
was a. noble .animal—measuring nearly twelve feet
' from the nose to the tip of the tail.
Thus ended a scene which I have in vain endea-
voured to describe, and which I never can forget,—
- •
ScenC4 in South Africa,

IMPORTED.

Same pe-
This lied last
year. year.
I

FX PORTED.

Bags, &c. Bags, &c.
3:)0 5,609
760 6,175

(Previous.
ly this

Bags, &c. Bags, &c..
Liverpool 142,414 102,867
London
Glasgow 13,415 4,031 1
Total exported in 1827 12,984.
COTTON WOOL—GLASGOW.

The sales during the week amounted to 1099 hales.
145 Sea Islands l2id. a 15d.
5 Ditto Stained '7d. a Od.
641 Bowed*
22 Orleans '7l4d. a 9d.
174 Egyptians
55 Demerara 7ld. a sy.d.
57 Surats
Imported from Mobile 689
Do. New York
Do. Demerara 205

2120 bales.

A pound note of the Bank of Scotland, dated
1748, of which the following is a correct copy, was some
time ago found in a book (not the Bible), in the house of
an old and highly respectable family in Forfarshire. From
its fresh and clean appearance, the probability is, that the
Laird had put it in as a mark in the volume soon after it
had been issued from the Bank. The note is in black letter
Roman character, and one of the first impression thrown off
by the Bank. Its value now, reckoning compound inte-
rest, should be about sixty pounds :

Edin. 2, June 1748

No. -
71794
The Governour and Company of the Bank of Scotland con.
stituted by Act of Parliament do hereby oblige themselves
to pay to James Spence or the Bearer one pound sterling
on demand or in the option of the Directors one pound
sixpence ster. at the end of six months after the demand
And option of the Directors. The Accomptant and one of
the Tellers of the Bank are hereby ordered to mark and
sign this note, on the back hereof,
By order of the Court of Directors
120

71'794
Robert Dundas Accomptant
John Spence Teller.

Dundee Advertiser.

Poor Gert Schepers, a vee-boor of the Cra-
bdoouckr,dlivshtroiscet,nwamase,out huntinsghal not in
make
company
with a neigh-
more notorious.
as he is yet alive, and has, perhaps,
been sufficiently punishetl, I
Coming to a fountain, surrounded, as is common, with tall
reeds and rushes, Gert handed his gun to his comrade, and
alighted to search for water. But he no sooner approached
the fountain, than an enormous lion started up close at his
side, and seized him by the left arm. The man, though
taken by surprise, stood stock still without struggling,
aware that the least attempt to escape would ensure his in-
stant destruction. The animal also remained motionless,
holding fast the boor's arm in his fangs, but without biting
it severely, and shutting his eyes at the same time, as if he
could not withstand the countenance of hie victim. As
they stood in this position, Gert, collecting his pre-
sence of mind, began to beckon to his comrade to ad-
vance and shoot the lion in the forehead. This might
have been easily effected, as the animal not only continued
still with closed eyes, but Gert's body concealed from his
notice any object advancing in front of him. But the fel-
low was a vile poltroon, and, in place of complying with hie
friend's directions, or snaking any other attempt to save
him, he began cautiously to retreat to the top of a neigh-
bouring rock. Gert continued earnestly to beckon for as-
sistance for a long time, the lion continuing perfectly
quiet ;—and the lion-hunters affirm, that if he had but
persevered a little longer, the animal would have at length
relaxed his hold, and left him uninjured. Such cases, at
least, they maintain, have occasionally occurred. But
Gert, indignant at the pusillanimity of his comrade, and
losing patience with the lion, at last drew his knife (a wea-
pon which every .back-country colonist wears sheathed at
his side), and, with the utmost force of his right arm,
plunged it into the animal's breast. The thrust was a '
deadly one, for Gert was a bold and powerful man; but it
did not prove effectual in time to save his own life--for the
enraged savage, striving to grapple with him, and held at
arm's length by the utmost efforts of Gert's strength and
desperation, so dreadfully lacerated the breast and arms of
the unfortunate man with his talons, that his bare bones
were laid open. The lion fell at last from loss of blood,
and Gert fell along with him. The cowardly companion
who had witnessed this fearful woggle from:the rock,
now, however, took courage to advancer ard lucceeded in
carrying his mangled friend to the
.nearest house, where
such surgical aid as the neighbours conk' give was immedi-
ately but vainly applied. Pooi Gert
expired on the third
day after 9k.% locked jayfemp ThOPTIPTeII Ngth
4.