The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-06-09
Adventure with IA Lion.

IT was warm. pleasant evening in No.
vember, and our ship was off the coast oI
Tripoli. A party of us, who sat upon the
quarterback, had been conversng upon
various subjects concerning the vast desert
to the southwark of u.s. #.-
Il think you have travelled across the de-
sert? said one of our numder, addressing
the captain. .........
Not exactly replied Captain Bushwick
Some years ago spent few months in
Absynia and the country south of it,
WAS it there you had your adventure with
the lionv
Ah-you've heard ofthat scrape, eh?'
Only that you had such an adventure
captain. Your mate told me you had met
the animal
well, have; and if you would like to
hear the yarn, will telIit.' .- ..
A vote was Immediately and unanimously
carried, that Captain Bushwick have permis-
sion to relate his adventure; and without
further preliminarcs he proceeded:
It is now five aud twenty years since
took the notion to travel among the Africa n
natives. had an uncle living in Mocha,
engaged in trading there, and had gone out
to see him. He was going into Absynia on
business, and | accompanied him. Our par
ty consisted of slx-my uncle and self and
four Nubian servants. These Nubians were
faithful fellows, and long tried, and were,
moreover, strong and fearless, having lived
with my relative several years. When the
business was over, proposed that we
| should take trip to the southwark and see
the country. The Nubiaus were anxious to
go, and after deal of persuasion, my uncle
consented to the arrangement.
On the seventh day we reached large
lake upon the extreme southern border of
Abysinia, where we pitched our tent, and
then went hunting for game, we having been
informed that we should find plenty of both
| fish, and meat-much more so than | had
| expected. Our luck was moderate; my un.
Gle was determined to return, but was bent
on having few more trials.
The only boat we had been able to find
was small canoe, fashioned from log, and
one morning declared my intention of ia
king a cruise in it if SOME one would accom-
pany me. The canoe would not carry more
than two of us with any degree of safety
| and as all four of the Nubans offered to go,
| was Obliged to make my own selection. So
| took Lari, the youngest of the lot, but the
| brightest and most cool and brave in the
presence of danger. | took ny rifle
and pistols, while Lari took his spear and
thus equipped, we set out. The canoe was
easily managed while we kept our proper
places, and all wenl on finely until afternoon
1t was very warm and sultry, and had
| removed my pistol-belt, and laid it in the
bottom of the boat with my rifle. Lari had
just proposed turning back, when saw a
large flock ofbirds settle down upon a tree
close by the shore, aud bade my compan-
ion to help me paddle in that direction. He
did not object, for he wanted shot at them
himself
We had come to within dozen fathoms
of the shore, when quick, loud cry from
Lari startled me from my aim, and in the
next instant the canoe struck upon some
hard substance. -.
| "A rock y | asked.
A hippopotamus?' the Nubian shouted
springing back towards me.
Hardly had the words escaped his lips
before huge black head was lifted above
the gunwales, and as l cast my eyes over
into the water, | saw the whole body of the
huge monster. 1t was as large as an ele-
phant, dut ten times more hideous in looks.
Its mouth was opened to distance of three
feet, or more, and its great teeth, all foot in
length, looked like obstruction itself. He
seized the bow Of the boat in his capacious
Jaws, and crushed it like an egg-shell-
With all the force | could muster leaped
into the water, and struck out for the shore.
| never swan faster, though when reached
the land l found that the hippopotamus had
not followed us, having sunk to the bottom,
probably as soon as he had destroyed the
canoe t
We ewere now in quandary. We had
come quite twelve or fifteen miles from the
camp, and we must foot it back the best way
We could. If we could have followed the
shore the task would have been easy enough,
but this we could not do, for deep, dark
swamp, overgrown with reeds and bushes,
and guarled trees, lay between us and our
tent, so we must strike up into the wood
upon the higher land and make the hest of it
Our only weapons were two knives and Lari S
spear The latter he had grasped as he
started from the boat, but the rifles and pistols
We're at the bottom of the lake | bade my
companion to take the lead, and he did so.
For three hours we tugged on through a
thick, matted forest, and at the end of that
time we reached the edge of wide expanse
of rocky desert There were clumps Of
bushes scattered over the place, but they
| lacl aI Ir,, nj ,,orahaI Hars, x,,, tn.l, !, -,