508 A NIGHT ADVENTURE WITH A LION. 



home, four months had elapsed ; but, though this portion of 

 my travels was not devoid of interest, the volume has already 

 swelled to such a bulk that I must content myself with re- 

 lating merely one striking incident that befell me, and a few 

 general remarks. 



Journeying in a very lonely part of the country, and only 

 accompanied by a single native, I arrived one day at a fount- 

 ain, situated in a defile between some craggy rocks. The 

 v/ater issued from different parts among these cliffs, forming 

 little pools here and there ; and though the place was difficult 

 of access, elephants and other large game were in the habit 

 of flocking to the water nightly. As the stony nature of 

 the ground afforded excellent " ambuscades," and being much 

 in want of provision, I determined to watch the pools in 

 question for a night or two. 



The first night was a failure, but in the second I succeed- 

 ed in killing a white rhinoceros. After this, though I watch- 

 ed long and well, nothing appeared, and at last sleep overtook 

 me. How long I slumbered I know not ; but on a sudden I 

 thought, or dreamed, that I was in danger. From much 

 night-watching, my hearing and sight had gradually acquired 

 such an acuteness that even in sleep I was able to retain a 

 certain consciousness of what was passing around me, and 

 it is probable that I was indebted to this remarkable faculty 

 for the preservation of my life on the present occasion. At 

 first I could not divest myself of fear, and for a while my 

 senses were too confused to enable me to form any accurate 

 notion of the imagined danger. Gradually, however, con- 

 sciousness returned, and I could distinctly hear the breathing 

 of an animal close to my face, accompanied by a purr like 

 that of a cat. I knew that only one animal existed in these 

 parts capable of producing the sound, and at once I came to 

 the conclusion that a lion was actually stooping over me. 



If a man had ever cause for dread, I think I certainly had 

 on this occasion. I became seriously alarmed. My first im- 



