THE” LION. 43 
one set of hills or jungles to some far distant range or fresh 
hunting-grounds.” 
Our account of the present species may be fitly concluded 
with the description of a Lion-hunt in South Africa, taken from 
“Thompson’s Travels,” at a time when repeating rifles and ex- 
plosive bullets were things undreamt of. After stating that his 
party consisted of several Europeans, enforced by a company 
of the so-called Bastaard Hottentots, the narrator writes: “The 
first point was to track the Lion to his covert. This was 
effected by a few of the Hottentots on foot. Commencing 
from the spot where the horse was killed, we followed the spoor 
through grass, and gravel, and brushwood, with astonishing 
ease and dexterity, where an inexperienced eye could discern 
neither footprint nor mark of any kind; until, at length, we 
fairly tracked him into a large bosch, or straggling thicket of 
brushwood and evergreens, about a mile distant. 
“The next object was to drive him out of this retreat, in 
order to attack him in a close phalanx, with more safety and 
effect. The approved mode in such cases is to torment him 
with dogs till he abandons his covert, and stands at bay in the 
open plain. The whole band of hunters then march forward 
together, and fire deliberately one by one. If he does not 
speedily fall, but grows angry, and turns upon his enemies, they 
must stand close in a circle, and turn their horse’s rear out- 
ward ; some holding them fast by the bridles, while the others 
kneel to take a steady aim at tts Lion as he approaches, some- 
times up to the very horses’ heels, couching every now and 
then, as if to measure the distance and strength of his ene- 
mies.” 
After some hours spent in searching, the Lion was event- 
ually found “couched among the roots of a large evergreen, 
but with a small space of open ground on one side of it ; and 
they fancied, on approaching, that they saw him distinctly lying 
