ARRIVE AT RICHTERFELDT A HEARTY WELCOME. 95 



At the first appearance of the lions the men took refuge 

 in the wagons, and long after the danger was over they 

 trembled violently from fear and apprehension. 



As a general rule, a lion, unless previously molested, will 

 seldom attack an ox in the yoke or when attended by man, 

 but long abstinence makes him desperate. 



After considerable trouble and difficulty, we succeeded in 

 rearranging the oxen, which had become excessively scared. 

 Two or three hom's' further traveling brought us, without 

 other mishap, safe to Richterfeldt, where our hair-breadth 

 escape was listened to with the deepest interest. 



We had left Scheppmansdorf, as said, in the afternoon 

 of the 13th of November, and reached our present quarters 

 early on the morning of the 22d of the same month. The 

 whole of the distance by road could not have been much lesi? 

 than one hundred an^ thirty miles. Having performed this 

 in five stages, and in about the same number of days, our 

 rate of traveling, at an average, had been twenty-five miles 

 daily. Taking into consideration the nature of the ground, 

 the young and half-broken oxen, &c., it may fairly be con- 

 sidered first-rate speed, and our efforts were loudly praised 

 by every one. 



CHAPTER VIII. 



A hearty Welcome. — "We remove the Encampment. — An Apparition. 

 — Audacity of wild Beasts. — Depriving Lions of their Prey. — Ex- 

 cessive Heat. — Singular effects of great Heat. — Depart for Bannen. 

 — Meet a ti'oop of Zebras. — Their flesh not equal to Venison. — The 

 Missionary's Wall. — A sad Catastrophe. — The " Kameel-Doorn." — 

 Buxton Fountain. — The Scorpion. — Arrival at Barmen. 



IivoiEDiATELT OH our arrival at Richterfeldt we were sur- 

 rounded by scores of natives, who, with yells, vociferations, 

 clapping of hands, grotesque dances, and so forth, testified 

 their joy at our return. Mr. Rath, moreover, highly compli' 



