302 GOOD SPORT A LION DEVOURING A LIONESS. 



the purpose of replenishing our larder, which was but very 

 ill supplied. 



One day I made a capital shot at an ostrich, which, when 

 running at full speed, I brought down at the long distance 

 of two hundred and thirty paces. On a previous occasion I 

 killed one of these splendid birds when upward of three hund- 

 red paces from me. 



Another day I had the good fortune to shoot a rhinoceros. 

 He was probably a straggler, for these animals have long 

 since disappeared from the part of the country where we 

 were then encamped, and, indeed, are now very rarely to be 

 met with south of the Kuisip River. 



Early one morning one of our herdsmen came .running up 

 to us in great fright, and announced that a lion was devour- 

 ing a lioness ! We thought at first that the man must be 

 mistaken ; but his story was perfectly true, and only her 

 skull, the larger bones, and the skin were left. On examin- 

 ing the ground more closely, the fresh remains of a young 

 springbok were also discovered. We therefore conjectured 

 that the lion and lioness being very hungry, and the antelope 

 not proving a sufficient meal for both, they had quarreled, ; 

 and he, after killing his wife, had coolly eaten her also. A 

 most substantial breakfast it must have been ! 



On only one other occasion have I known lions to prey on 

 each other. This was when on my way to Lake Ngami. 

 On a certain night we had badly wounded a lion. He re- 

 treated growlingly into the bush, and immediately afterward 

 a whole troop of lions rushed upon their disabled brother 

 and tore him to pieces. 



A singular and interesting atmospheric phenomenon oc- 

 curred at Hountop. Between seven and eight o'clock in the 

 evening of the 24th of June, when reading by the side of my 

 bivouac fire, I was suddenly startled by the whole atmosphere 

 becoming brilliantly, nay, almost painfully illuminated. On 

 turning to the quarter of the heavens whence this radiance 



