VISIT FROM A LEOPARD. . 133 



driven into the ground, will answer the purpose equally well. 

 To these trees or posts, as the case may be, the giin is firmly 

 lashed in a horizontal position, and with the muzzle pointing 

 slightly upward. A piece of wood about six inches in length 

 — the lever, in short — is tied to the side of the gun-stock in 

 such a manner as to move slightly forward and backward. 

 A short piece of string connects the trigger with the lower 

 part of the lever. To the upper extremity of the latter is 

 attached a longer piece of cord, to the outer end of which, 

 after it has been passed through one of the empty ramrod 

 tubes, is tied a lump of flesh, which is pushed over the muz- 

 zle of the gun. 



These matters being arranged, a sort of fence, consisting 

 of thorny bushes, is made around the spot, only one small, 

 narrow opening being left, and that right in front of the 

 muzzle of the gun. A " drag," consisting of tainted flesh or 

 other offal, is then trailed from different points of the sur- 

 rounding country directly up to the " toils." 



When the hyaena seizes the bait — which she can only do 

 by gaping across the muzzle of the weapon — and pulls at it, 

 the gun at once explodes, and the chances are a hundred to 

 one that the brains of the animal are scattered far and wide. 



During our stay at Schmelen's Hope we not unfrequently 

 received visits from leopards, by the Dutch erroneously call- 

 ed " tigers," under which denomination the panther is also 

 included; but I do not believe that tigers, at least of the 

 species common to the East Indies, exist on the African 

 continent. The Damaras, however, assert that the real tiger 

 is found in the country, and they once pointed out to Mr. 

 Rath the tracks of an animal which he declared to me were 

 very different from any he had ever before seen in Africa, 

 and which the natives assured him were those of the animal 

 in question. 



One night I was suddenly awoke by a furious barking of 

 oi;r doers, accompanied by cries of distress. Suspecting that 



