The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-07-23
THE kEPUBLIG.


usual acccptatiOn Of the term, the adventures of
MIR. Gordon Cumming, in his hunting expedition
in South Africa, will OCCASION astoniahment. His
preparation of wagons, oxen, horses, attendants,
his provision and ammunition, seem rather in
tended for warlike invasion than an expedition
affording the amusement TO be anticipated from
hunting. His encounters with the ferocious am
mails which inhaht interior Africa, remind us oil
the terrible conflicts between armed knights and
dragons Of which we read in romance. indeed'
the war Of MIR. Cumming against the hons, eie-
phants buffalo, river horses, giraffes, and lackals,
possesses no one attribute of a similar expedition
against the insignificant animals of the American
forests; and the very ofthe terms of venerc
so far reversed that the chase consists very fire.
quenty OF the flight Of the terrified hunter and the
pursuit of the enraged ssgame."
Suddenly observed number of vultures seat
ed the plain about quarter of mile ahead OF
US, and close beside them stood huge loness,
consuming blesbok which she had killed. She
WAS assisted i'll her repast by about dozen jack
ais, which were feasng along with her in the most
friendly aud confidential manner Directing my
followers attention to the spot, remarked, 81 see
the hon. to which they replied, ''Whar: whari
Yah Almagtig dat is hes" and instantly refining
in their steeds and wheeling about, they pressed
their heels to their horses sides, and were pre-
pairing to betake themselves to fight. ! asked
them what they were going to do. To which
they answered, "We have not yet placed caps on
our rifles This was true but while this short con-
conversation was passing the lioness had observed
u.s. Raising her FULL round face, she overhauled us
for few seconds, and then set off at smart canter
toward range of mountains some miles to the
northward; the whole troop of iackals also start
cd off in another direction; there was, therefore,
no time to think of caps. The first move was to
bring her to bay, and not second was to be lost.
Squirting my good and lively steed, and shouting
to my men to follow, l flew across the plain, and,
being fortunately mounted ON Colesberg, the flow
er Of my stud, gained upon her at every stride.
This was to me joyful moment, and at once
made up my mind that she or must die.
The Honess having had long start of me, we
went over considerable extent of ground before
came up with her. She was large, full-grown
beast, and the bare and level nature of the plain
added to her imposing appearance. Finding that
| gained upon her, she reduced her pace from a
canter to trot, carrying her tail stuck out be-
hind her, and slowed little to one side. shout
ed loudly to her to halt, as wished to speak with
her, upon which she suddenly pulled up, and sat
on her launches like dog, with her back toward
me, not even deigning to look round. She then
appeared to say to herself, ssDoes this fellow
know who he is after;'' Having thus sat for
half a minute, as if involved in thought, she
sprang to her feet, and facing about, stood look
ing at me for few seconds, moving her tail slow
ly from side to side, showing her teeth and
growing fercey. She next made short rur
forward, making loud, runbling noise, like
thunder. This she did to intimidate me; but
finding that did not finch an inch, seem to
heed her hostile demonstrations, she quietly
stretched out her massive arms and lay down on
the grass. My Hottentots now coming up, we
all three dismounted, and, drawing. our rifles from
their holsters, we looked to if the powder was
up in the nipples, and put our caps. While
this was doing the lioness sat up, and showed evi
dent symptoms of uneasness. She looked first a
us, and then behind her, as if to see if the coas
were clear; after which she made short run to
ward us, utterng her deep drawn murderou,
growls. Having secured the three horses to one
another by their rheims we led them if we
intended to pass her, in the hope of obtaining a
broadside But this she carefully avoided to ex-
pose, presenting only her full front. had given
Stofolus my Moore rifle, with orders to shoot hel
if she should spring upon me, but on no account
to fire before me. keinboy was to stand ready
to hand me my Purdey rifle, in case the two
grooved Dixon should not prove sufficient. nj,
men us yet had been steady, but they were in .
precious stew, their faces having assumed ghast
ly Paleness, and | had a painful feeling that
could place no reliance on them.
Now, then, for it; neck or nothing She is
within sixty yards of us, and she keeps advancing
We turned the horses tails to her. | knelt on
one side, and, taking steady aim at her breast,
let fly. The ball cracked loudly on her tawny
hide, and crippled her in the shoulder, upon
which she charged with an appalling roar and in
the twinkling Of an eye she was in the midst of
us. At this moment Stofolus's rifle exploded in
his hand, and klenboy, whom ] had ordered to
stand ready by me, danced about like duck in a
gale of wind. The lioness sprang upon Coles
berg, and fearfuly lacerated his ribs and haunch-
cs with her horrid teeth and claws; the worst
wound was his haunch, which exhibited a
sickening, yawning cash. more than twelve inch
cs long, almost laying bare the very bone. was
very cool and steady, and did not feel in the least
degree nervous, having fortunately great conf
dence in my own shooting; but must confess,
when the whole affair over, | felt that it was
very awful situation, and attended with extreme
peril, as had no friend with me on whom
could rely.
When the lioness sprang on Colesbcrg, stood
QUIZ From the horses, ready with my second barrel
for the first chance she should give me of a clear
shot. This she quickly did; for, seemingly salts
fled with the revenge she had now taken, she
Quilted Colesberg, and, Slowing her tail to one
side, trotted sulkiy past within few PAGES of
me, taking one step to the left pitched my
rifle to my shoulder, and in another second the
oness was stretched on the plain lfeless corpse.
In the struggles of death she half turned on her
back, and stretched her neck and fore-arms con-
vulsvely, when she fell back to her former posi-
ton; her mighty arms hung powerless by her
side, her lower jaw fell, blood streamed from her
mouth, and she expired. At the moment l fired
my second shot, Stofolus, who hardly knew whe-
Their he was alive or dead, allowed the three
horses to escape. These galloped frantically
across the plain, on which he and kleinboy in
stantly started after them, leaving me standing
alone and unarmed within few PAGES of the
lioness, which they, from their anxiety to be out
of the way, evidently considered quite capable of
doing further mischief
Such is ever the with these worthless, and
with nearly all the natives of South Africa. No
reliance can be placed on them. They will to a
certainty forsake their master in the most bastard
~ manner in the hour of peril, and leave him in
the Z, iurch. stranger, however, hearing these