The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-05-13
An Encounter with Lsons.

Mr. 4. Falkper Carter, in charge OF
theelephant5 attached to the Royal Bel
CLAN Expedition into Africa. gives the
following exciting account of sudden
encounter which he had with lions at
kcrima, Central Africa, at which place
he and his caravan OF l80 men had ar.
rived. In letter received from him by
the last mail, dated from that station, he
mentions the difficulties he had expert
enced in procuring animal food 5for his
men. "Onr only food he says, Consists
| ofEIndian corn pounded between two
stones, with good share Of sand, and
only salt with il. 1t is we'll to have even
this, but still, men accustomed all their
lives to good animal food, cannot live on
such poor fare, and no 20 out every
second or third day with my guu and
kill zebra, Gland, water buck, etc. One
OF these enables us to live in clover for
single day. A recent expedition of this
k..a, however, :ees::iy ses:. ::e H;y i:Ge.
felt that must go in search of food, as
there was not at that timc morsel in
our camp, and SO forth I sailed. NY
arst shot was ct % giraffe, into whom I
put two bullets, and then followed him
over hill and dale until noon, when heat,
thirat and want Of food Obliged me To
give up the chase. After smoking pipe
and taxing some rest, r.as of again, got
q shot at o zebra, but missed him. The
zebra, should mention, Is the best meat
in Africa. Rather disheartened, and
growing for the poor hollow eyed felloUa
! should meet on my return, for whom
had nothing in the shape of food, I1urned
toward camp, and just at $50 p. IN. fine
boar dashed past me. sent q bullet
through him at once, but on he went.
knew, however, we should find him dead
q few hundred yards ahead by the guam
tity OF blood in the long grass, so fol-
lowed, but just then sighted three zebras
so dropped piggie's arail and went of
to try and stalk the zebras. In about ten
minutes after / heard fearful row, and
my two gunbearelT said it was q rhinoce-
ros. l laid hold Of my No. 10 lore.
handing my "exprc=s" to my bearer, tell.
ing him and the man carrying the smooth
bore to keep close to me. glided silent.
ly thrn"gh' the eigrass, over six feet high.
Until close 10 the spot then knew IF IL
were o rhinoceros that he was lying down.
as / could not see sign of him, 30 L de.
cided It must be two wild boars fighting,
Something told me they could not make
such o horrible noise, which actually
seemed to shake the ground and rend the
v5ry air around me-. Strange TO say, it
never struck me that the noise might
have proceeded from lions, although the
place is full of them; so / advanced
boldly, dividing the grass with my rife.
I then discovered three Hons devljsirlng
the pig I had shot, and 10 thutshoFt iitnse
had finished half of 1t. The two nearest
were within two feet of me, and the
furthest three and half feet. The
brutes' heads, chests, and claws were
covered. with blood. Though startled at
first, ] was IpsrfsctIy cool and vet, fsit
perfectly certain thaE I intiat be Killed. t,s
even tame lion is savage when eating
his food. The lion opposite caught sight
of mo at once, curled his lips, lashed his
eidea with his tail, but what the Others
were doing l cannot say, ias my friend
was in the act Of springing, and I dare
no. take my eye off him for q second,
AT last he crouched for the spring, and
let drive in his face, retreatfng q step to
give me chance with the other barrel at
one of the remaining two, determined to
sell my life dearly, but To my great de-
light these two sprang over the grass in
opposite directions. I gave sort of sigh
Of relief, looked round for my gunbearers.
and they were fifty yards of TREMBLING
with fear and blue with fright. The
rascals had run away, and had no gun
to fall back upon. returned to pick up
my dead lion, but found he had crept
away with bullet through him. fol-
lowed his trail until the jungle got too
thick, and IL being nearly dark.