Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-09-23
The Trateler.
LION HUNTING.

lhe following from Dir Samuel Bakers
work on the Exploration Of the Nile Tribu-
taries Of Abyssinia is replete with interest
Every day, from sunrise to sunset, I was
either ON foot or in the saddle without rest
except on Sundays There was an immense
quantity of large game, and had made
mixed bag Of elephants, hippopotami buffa-
locs, rhinoceros girahes, and great numbers
of the large antelopes Lions, although nu-
merous, were exceedingly difficult to bag
there was no chance but in the extreme risk
of creeping through the thickest Jungle
Upon two or three occasions | had shot them
by crawling into their very dens, where they
had dragged their prey and | must acknowl-
edge that they were much more frightened at
me than | was at them. | had generally OBJ
tanned most difficult and unsatisfactory shot
at close quarters sometimes | rolled them
over with mortal wound, and they disap-
peared, to die in impenetrable jungles but
at all times fortune was on my side. On
moonlight nights | generally lay in wait for
these animals with great patience +; sometimes
| shot hippopotami aud used hind-quartcr
as bait for lions, while | watched in am
bush at about twenty yards distant but the
hyenas generally appeared like evil spirits,
and dragged away the bait before the lions
had a chance never fred at these scaven-
gers, as they are most useful creatures, and
are contemplate as game. My Arabs had
made their fortune, as | had given them all
the meat Of the various animals, which they
dried and transported to Geera, together with
fat, hides, &c. Ii would be wearying to emu
merato the happy hunting.days passed through
out this country. We wSSs never i'll for a
moment Although the thermometer was
seldom below SS 9 during the day, the coun-
try was healthy, as it was intensely dry, and
| therefore free from malaria. At night tLe
| thermometer averaged 70 ., which was a de-
lightful temperature for those who exist in
| the open air
As our camp was full of meat, either dried
or in the process Of drying in festoons upon
the trees, we had been great attraction to
the beasts of prey, that constantly prowled
around our thorn fence during the night
| One night in particular lion attempted to
enter, but had been repulsed by the Tokrooris,
who pelted him with firebrands my people
woke me up, and begged me to shoot him,
but as it was perfectly impossible to fire cor
rectly through the edge of thorns, | refus-
ed to be disturbed yet | promised to hunt
for him on the following day. Throughout
the entire night the lion prowled around the
camp, growing and uttering his peculiar gut
tural sigh Notone ofmy men slept, as they de-
clared he would bound into the camp and
take somebody, unless they kept up the watch
fires and drove him away with brands. The
next day, before sunrise, | called Hassan and
Iladji Ali, whom | lectured severely upon
their cowardce ON former occasion, and re-
ceived their promise to follow me to death.
entrusted them with my two Reillys No.
10 and with my little Fletcher in hand, |
determined to spend the whole day in search
ing every thicket of the forest for lions, as
felt convinced that the animal that had dis
turbed US during the night was concealed
somewhere within the neighboring Jungle
The whole day passed fruitlessly. | had
crept through the thickest thorns in vain;
having an abundance of meats | had refused
the most tempting shots at buffaloes and large
antelopes, as | had devoted myself exclu-
siyely to lions was much disappointed as
the evening had arrived without shot having
been fired, and as the sun had nearly set
wandered slowly towards home. Passing
through alternate open gades few yards in
width, hemmed in on ell sides by thick jungle,
was careessly carrying my rifle upon my
shoulder as | pushed my way through the
Opposing thorns, when a sudden roar just be-
fore me, at once brought the rifle upon full
cock, and saw magnificent lion standing
in the middle of the glade, about ten yards
from me- He had been lying on the ground,
and had started to his feet upon hearing me
approach through the jungle. For an instant
he stood in an attitude Of attention, as we
were hardly visible; but at the same moment
| took a quick but sure shot with the little
Fletcher He gave convulsive bound but
rolled over backwards. Before he could re-
, cover himself fired the left-hand barrel 1t
was glorious sight had advanced few
steps into the glade, and Hassan had quickly
handed me spare rifle, while Taher Moor
stood by me sword in hand. The lion, in the
greatest fury, with his shaggy name brstling
in the air, roared with death-like growls, as
open-mouthod he endeavored to charge upon
} us but he dragged his headquarters upon
7 the ground, and | saw Immediately that the
J little Fletcher had broken his SPINE In his
tremendous exertons TO attack he rolled over
and over, gnashing his horrible jaws, and
I tearing holes in the sandy ground at each
? blow Of his tremendous paws, that would
have crushed mans skull like an egg-shell.
r Seeing that he was Aors de combat, | took il
ooolly, as it was already dusk, and the lion
having rolled into dark and thick bush,
thought il would be advisable to defer the
final attack, as he would be dead before morn
, inc. We were not ten minutes walk from
/ II ...l.,al s.,,t.l lu arrttsal and
my men greatly rejoiced at the discontinue
, of their enemy, as they were convinced that
he was the same lion that had attempted to
enter the zareeba.
r On the following morning, before sunrise,
started with nearly all my people and a
powerful camel, with the intention of bring
! ing the lion home entire. rode my horse
: Tetel, as he had frequently shown great cour-
age, and | wished 70 prove whether he would
} advance to the body of lion.
Jlpon arrival near the spot which We sup
posed TO have been the scene Of the encounter
; we we're rather puzzled, rs there was nothing
to distinguish the locality; one place exactly
resombled another, as the country was Hat
and sandy, interspersed with thick jungle Of
! green nabbuk. We accordingly spread out
to beat for the lion. Presently Hadji Ali
} cried out There he lies, dead !" and |
Immediately rode to the spot together with
the people, A tremendous roar greeted us,
as the lion started to his fore feet, and with
his beautiful name erect and his great hazel
: eyes flashing fire, he gave succession oil deep,
short roals, and challenged US to night This
was grand picture; he looked like a true
lord OF the forest, but Piiied the poor brute
! as he was helpless, and although the spirit
was game to the last, his strength was Paral-
L.. . l.olan hack