Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-08-26
MISCELLANEOUS.
A DAY WITH A LION.

MANY years ago, while residing at the
Cape, became acquainted with several
of those enterprising traders who are en-
gagged In the lucrative but rather hazard
GUS traffic with the natives north of the
Orange river.
One of the boldest and most successful
ofthese adventurous traders was Mr..
.- Hutton, a respectable English colonist,
who had accumulated small fortune by
his excursions among the Namaquas and
the Dammaras, and was talking of retir-
ing from the business. had heard of
him not only as lucky dealer and dar-
ing hunter, but also as being one of the
most intelligent explorers OF South Africa;
and, having been able on one occasion to
render HIM slight service, l obtained
from him in return good deal of infor-
nation concerning those parts of the in
terror with which he was familiar.
Some of his own adventures, which he
occasionally related in illustration of the
facts thus communicated, seenned to me
to be curious and interesting enough to
be worth preserving. One of them will
endeavor to repeat as nearly as possible
in the words In which he told it:
, !" was on my way to Dsmmara Land,
with two wagons and about a dozen peo-
pie. Two Of them were Mozambique
blacks, whom had brought with me
from Cape Town, and the remainder were
Hottentots and Namaquas that had
picked up on the way. Most of them /
got at old Schmelen's Missionary Station,
on this SIDE of the Orange river. The
two negroes were tolerably good servants
they had gained some knowledge of ciVi.
lized habits in Cape Town. The others
could do little beside helping to drive the
wagons though sometimes they were of
service in following 'spoor'-trsces oi
game, you know. They knew the coun,
try well, and, by keepinga pretty sharp
eye upon them, was able to make. them
useful. e. &
In tracking game, as I said, they some.
times rendered good service; but they
were great towards, and though some OF
them could handle firearms tolerahly well
never could get them to face any dan
3 gerous animal such as buffalo or rhi.
noceros, and least of all lion, with any
, steadiness, ] shot two or three rhinocer
oses with little support from any of them
except Apollo, La young Hottentot, whom
Mr.. Hutton had picked up and bettiended
a few years previous to the incident re-
ated], who always stood by me like a
Trojan, though his teeth sometimes chat
as we approached the enemy.
Zone afternoon" continued Hutton, 81
out-spanned near pool, where many ami.
mails of different sorts came at night tC
drink. We could see their tracks al
about the margin. The Namaquas knew
the place well, and urged me to encsmp al
a little distance of, saying that the lions
were tal te kWaad5 or very angry, in that
region; and that if we rested near the
water we should be very likely to lose some
of our oxen, and might perhaps be our.
selves attacked. For it is curious fact
y that when a lion has once tasted human
flesh, he seems to acquire peculiar relish
for it, and will leave all other game un
touched If he has chance of seizing
upon man. l did not wish to run any
risk, so far as my people, or my oxen
either were concerned; and so, after max
ing them drink heartily, drove off to &
distance of about two miles, and out
spanned in small valley, out of sight
from the pool.
" "We kindled q large fire to keep off any
wild beasts that might be prowling ABOUT
and then turned the oxen loose to pick W
what little herbage they could find among
the rocks about us. For myself, l felt {
strong desire to have shot at lion.
had not begged one for more than thret
years. In TACT, l had been unlucky IL
two or thrs G long shots, and began to feal
that should get out of practice in tina
sort of sport, which requires good nerves
and experience more than anything else
asked four or five of my best men, in
Guiding Apollo, if they would watch will
me at the pool that night for lions. Three
of them consented, and we left the other
with the wagons, with strict Injunction
to keep the fire burning, and not to lie
the oxen stray to distance.
"We reached the water just at sunset
and set to work at once with the spade
and hoes which we had brought with us
to dig hole in the sand three or fou
feet deep, about twenty yards from tn
pool.
'1n about an hour we finished our hid
ing'place, throwing up the earth about
i so as 10 conceal US still better from tn
sight Of the wild animals. We then set
tied ourselves comfortably in the trench
and lay there with our guns in readiness
waiting for the lions.
eve stayed there all night TO no puI
pose. A good many animals came dow
to drink, but no lions. There were spring
boks, gemsboks, zebras, quaggas, ant
some ether creatures, but we did no
were in no want of meat; and, besides,
single shot would have alarmed the lions
aud prevented them from approaching
the water. However, as it happened, w
Jared no better for keeping quiet AM
soon after dawn we came out of ou
- grave, stif, sleepy and sulky, withou
having had glimpse of lion, thougl
We had heard them roaring in the dis
tance. ,.citi f'anf r'IrHr#H
f, "They had probably been attracted b.
our wagons and oxen; for they wer
prowling about them all night, as we a
terward learned. The people whom W
had left with them were IN mortal terror
but had sense enough to keep up goo
blaze. The oxen, in their fright, crowde
almost into the hre and by good luck tn
lions did not venture to attack them.
now gave upsh hope OF meeting tn
game I had come out for; but was dt
termined not to return to the wagon
without something to show for our night
watching, We had gone but few rod
from the pool, when small herd Of spring
boks came bounding through thicket {
thorn trees just in front of US. They ra
and leaped as though something ha
frightened them; but without waiting I
sec what it was, fred both barrels
among them, and knocked over one
the largest. My men all blazed away /
the same time, but without the smallei
effect. ~
"I had just taken my gun from m
shoulder, when an enormous lion wake
out of the thicket and came slowly Il
ward us He was not more than 80 yarC
off, and there was no time to re load.
was taken 30 completely by surprise thu
for the frat few seconds stood quite m
-ti0nlsss and uncertain what to do. But
then saw there was but one course for u
When q party OF natives go out vii
their assagais and knives TO attack a liol
as they sometimes do, their custom