Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1870-11-04
A DAY WITH A LION.

Many years ago while residing at
the Cape, I became acquainted with
several of those enterprising traders
who are engaged in the lucrative but
rather hazardous traffic with the ma
tiVes north of the Orange river.
One of the boldest and most success
ful of these adventurous traders was a
Mr.. Hutton, a respectable English col
Onist, who had accumulated small
fortune by his excursions among the
Namaquas and the Dammaras, and
was talking of retiring from the busi-
ness. had heard of him not only as
a lucky dealer and daring hunter, but
also as being one of the ms st intelli-
gent explorers of South Africa; and,
having been able on one occasion to
render him service, obtained from
him in return a good deal lOfinfOrmation
concerning those parts of the interior
with which he was familiar.
Some of his own adventures, which
he occasionally related in illustration
of the facts thus communicated, seem
ed to me to be curious and interesting
enough to be worth preserving. One
of them I will endeavor to repeat as
nearly as possible in the words in
which ne told it:
81 was on my way to Dammara-
Land, with two wagons and about a
dozen people. Two of them were Mo
zambiqe blacks, whom 1 had brought
with me from cape 1OWng anu Lu6 re-
mainder were HottentotS and Mama
quas that I had picked up on the way.
Most of them got at old Schmelen'S IS
Missionary Station, on this side of the
Orange river. The two negroes were
tolerably good servants they had
gained some knowledge of civilized
habits in Ctpe Town. The others
could do little beside helping to drive
the wagons; though sometimes they
were of service in following 'tspoor"-
traces of game, you know They
knew the country well, and, by keep
ing a pretty sharp eye upon them.
was abled to make them useful.
SIN tracking game, as I said, they
sometimes rendered good service; but
they were great towards, and though
some of them could handle firearms
tolerably we'll, 1 never could get them
to face any dangerous animal such as
a buffalo or rhinOcerOs, and least OF
all a lion, with any steadiness. I shot
two or three rhinOceroseS with little
support from any of them, except
Apollo, a young HottentOt, whom Mr.
Hutton had picked up and befriended
few years previous to the incident
relatedl who always stood by me like
Trojan, though his teeth sometimes
chattered, and his eyes became like
saucers as we approached the enemy.
''One afternoon" ;" continued Hu t.
ton, "I out-spanned near pool, where
many animals of different sorts came
at night to drink. We could see their
tracks all about the margin. The Ma
maquas knew the place well, and urg-
ed me to encamp at little distance
off, saying that the lions were 'al te
kwaad,' or very angry, in that region
and if we rested near the water we
should be very likely to lose some oi
our oxen, and might perhaps be our.
selves attacked. For it is a curious
/ fact that when lion has once tasted
4 human flesh, he seems to acq uire a pc
culiar relish for it, and will leave al
other game untouched if he has {
| chance of seizing upon man. die
not wish to run any risk, so far as my
people, or my oxen either were con
| cerned and so, after making then
| drink heartily, drove off to distancl
small valley, out of sight from the
awe kindIed a large fire to keep of
I any wild beasts that might he prOwl
ing about, and then turned the oxel
loose to pick up what little herbagl
they could find among the rocks abou
us. For myself, i felt strong desire
to have a shot at lion. I had not bag
ged one for more than three years. II
fact, I had been nnluoky in two o
three long shots, and began to fea
that should get out of practice in tina
sort OF sport, which requires goo'
nerves and experience more than any
thing else. asked four or five of m,
best men, including Apollo, if the
would watch with me at the pool tha
night for lions. Three of them con
sented, and we left the others with tn
wagons, with strict injunctions t.
\ keep the fire burning, and not to le
1.-THE oxen stray to distance.
1--WE reached the water just at sun
set; and set to work at once with tn
spades and hoes which we had brouRh
with us, to dig a hole in the sand thre
or four feet deep, about twenty yard
from the pool.
In about an hour we had finishes
our hiding-plaee, throwing up th
earth about 1t so as to conceal us still
better from the sight of the wild ami
mails. We then settled ourselves com
fortably in the trench, and lay ther
with our guns in readiness, Yaitin
for the lions. y