Chapman's Travels in South Africa 209 



of it. Altliough effective and free from danger with elephants, 

 rhinoceroses, and other animals, whose eyes are no better adapted 

 than our own for vision by night, it has always seemed to us a very 

 risky business with lions and noclurnal beasts of prey, there being 

 a great chance that they might be the first to find out the watcher, 

 when the consequences of such a mischance would be serious. 

 That this might very well happen, appears from an adventure which 

 Mr Chapman once had during a night's stalking, when no less than 

 ten lions made strenuous efforts to spend the evening with him in 

 his " skaarm," as the ambush is called. 



" A number of lions being in the habit of resorting nightly to the spring, 

 either to drink or to waylay the game, I went out early in the evening to kill 

 some animal for a bait to attract them to some spot convenient to my skaarm. 

 I knocked over two quaggas at my first shot, one of which I had dragged up to 

 within five or six yards of my shooting-box, when my man, Molihie, declared 

 his intention of occupying another position, where there seemed little likelihood 

 of his being visited by lions ; but he completely outwitted himself, for soon after 

 dark, and before the moon rose above the horizon, I observed some object 

 crouching towards his post, and my cry of warning was lost in the report made 

 by his large rifle. The animal he fired at did not move ; and five other lions, 

 which were lying within a few yards of his position, now got on their legs, 

 while two others were observed moving round the pond above the wind. My 

 faculties being now also quickened I observed two lionesses facing me within 

 twenty feet from another direction, at which I instantaneously fired, and pro- 

 bably prevented their springing into my skaarm. Abraham, who was with 

 me, now discharged both ban-els of his gun, and while I held my rifle pointed 

 at them he reloaded his, when I again fired with the same success. The lions 

 not seeming inclined to beat a retreat, Molihie's courage was well tested, and 

 he cried lustily for his master to come to his aid. Of course I could not comply 

 with this demand, being myself placed in a similar position. Having continued 

 firing till nearly all my ammunition was expended, I became more cautious, and 

 taking deliberate aim, was delighted to find the bullet tell, and to see the lioness 

 bound off with a growl. In this movement she was instantly followed by the 

 rest ; the troop, numbering ten in all, having beseiged us for a short but anxious 

 period, during which it seemed as if not even thunder and lightning could 

 terrify them. After their retreat, we heard them for a long time tearing with 

 tooth and nail at the second quagga which lay about 200 yards off, but having 

 only three bullets left we did not dare meddle with them, although for the rest 

 of the night we had the advantage of a bright moonlight. Having feasted 

 themselves on the flesh of the quagga, and killed and devoured another, they 

 came again towards the water to quench their thirst, but the recollection of our 

 engagement with them some hours before probably checked their advance, as 

 they halted midway and set up a terrific roaring. Two others also approached 

 in a different direction with fearful roars, but Molihie having fired a shot which 

 mortally wounded a white rhinoceros, the lions feared to venture near the water. 

 Game of all sorts came and went in vast multitudes all night, many passing 



