618 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Bamansrwatos. The margin of the Crocodile River here is covered 

 with thick timber or dense masses of reeds, but, as you retire a mile 

 from the above-named water-course, bush-veldt becomes the dominant 

 feature of the landscape, and is the haunt of innumerable species of 

 the larger descriptions of African antelope. This may well be accepted 

 when I state that from my wagon-box I have seen, at break of day, 

 hartebeeste, wildebeeste, eland, and sassabi within easy rifle range of 

 my position. Moreover, buffalo, quagga (the favorite food of lions), 

 and giraffe were far from scarce in this vicinity. Thus it is not to be 

 wondered at that the king of beasts should be found numerous where 

 there was to be obtained such an abundance of his favorite food, while 

 water and shelter, two necessaries to his existence, were ever close at 

 hand. 



Nightly we had heard for nearly a month the deep-muttered growl 

 or awful roar of the monarch of the waste, but, the weather being fine 

 and the nights clear, had little dread of his attacking either my bul- 

 locks or horses. Another protection I possessed against lions intrud- 

 ing themselves into my camp was, that with me were a troop of dogs 

 of such excellence as had seldom been seen in an African hunter's 

 camp. Several of these dogs had been imported, and great care was 

 taken in their selection that strength and courage was their sine qua 

 lion, as they were to be my companions in a very distant journey. 



The other dogs that completed the pack had been procured from 

 the colony, and therefore had considerable experience in the pursuit 

 of the smaller varieties of buck, as well as an occasional encounter 

 with some of the larger members of the cat family, such as leopards, 

 caracals, etc., for these species of the ferce natures still are to be found 

 in considerable abundance south of the Orange River. The morning 

 previous to the occurrence of the incident to which I owe the obtain- 

 ing of my two pets, Leo and Juno, broke with such an appearance of 

 bad weather that, by the advice of my servants, I determined to shift 

 my camping-place to more elevated and, therefore, drier ground. A 

 ridge, thickly covered with mapini brush, and here and there studded 

 with meruli and mimosa trees, was selected for our new encampment, 

 and, as the distance to it was not over six miles, it was not deemed 

 necessary to inspan the bullocks till three hours after noon. Although 

 the weather had threatened since sunrise, the rain kept off until we had 

 completed about half our journey, when, as is not unusual in tropical 

 climates, commenced one of those down-pours that have to be experi- 

 enced to be appreciated. But this was not all ; with the rain came thun- 

 der, and with the thunder, lightning, of which it would be difficult to 

 say whether the awe-inspiring voice of the one was more terrible to 

 listen to than the sight of the brilliant, rapidly repeated flashes of the 

 other. Bullocks can not trek with wet yokes, or their shoulders become 

 galled ; thus I had to call a halt, although no shelter was near to shield 

 us from the warring elements. I have witnessed thunder-storms in the 



