56Q 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1817. 



Avith narrow pathways, occasion- 

 ally intersected by hedges of the 

 prickly milk bush, and low and 

 thick ramifications of the aloe 

 tree. 



The party beat about the jungle 

 (for it had this appearance, rather 

 than that of a garden) , when by 

 great good fortune it had a glimpse 

 of one of the animals making off 

 with some rapidity. It was first 

 taken for a large grown calf; a 

 misconception very natural, as the 

 sequel will shew, and as by the 

 report of the morning, the party 

 expected to meet with tigers. The 

 appearance of tiie animal, however, 

 gave a stimulus to the exertions of 

 the gentlemen, who moved for- 

 ward in tlie low jungle, surveying 

 every bush, and expecting each 

 instant to hear a tremendous roar, 

 or perhaps to encounter the savage 

 attacks of the animals. Little 

 more search brought the two 

 beasts in full view, when one of 

 them started ofiF, receiving a ball 

 from a gentleman in the side. It 

 went rapidly past two others of 

 the party, and was wounded by a 

 single shot in the flank. These 

 wounds appeared to have produced 

 no decided effect, and a quarter of 

 an hour had elapsed before it was 

 again discovered crouching in a 

 thick plantation of aloe trees. It 

 was here that a few Sepoys and 

 one of the gentlemen advancing 

 within eight paces, brought the 

 beast prostrate on the ground ; 

 when, for the first time, consider- 

 ing the indistinct view obtained in 

 the low jungle, dvring the pur- 

 suit, it was found that instead of 

 tigers the objects of the chace were 

 lions of considerable size ! Some 

 danger attended the death of this 

 animal, (which was a lioness) as 



the other party were diametrically 

 opposite to the aloe plantation when 

 the volley was fired into it. The 

 balls whistled over their heads and 

 around them, but happily without 

 bad consequences to any body. 



The success which attended the 

 first hunt, redoubled exertion ; and 

 with great management, the party 

 scoured the bushes in search of 

 the lioness's companion. Some 

 time passed, and a great deal of 

 laborious exertion, before the ani- 

 mal was traced by his footsteps to 

 one of the high hedges which in- 

 tersected the garden. The party 

 approached within eight yards, 

 when, by previous concert, two 

 gentlemen and two sepoys fired, 

 independently, with effect. The 

 animal moved off immediately on 

 the other side of the hedge, and in 

 ten minutes more, he was dis- 

 covered lying under another hedge, 

 groaning with rage and pain. 

 Some pieces were instantly fired, 

 which exasperating him, he rushed 

 out, and nobly charged his assail- 

 ants, his tail being curled over his 

 back. In his advance, he was sa- 

 luted witii great coolness with 

 several balls from all the gentle- 

 men, and a few sepoys of the 

 party who had come up ; and 

 though within a few yards of the 

 object of his attack, he suddenly 

 turned off, (it is supposed on ac- 

 count of being severely wounded) 

 and sprung upon a sepoy, detach- 

 ed to the right, with whom he 

 grappled, and afterwards by the 

 violence of the exertion fell to the 

 groimd, beyond him. 



It was at this moment that the 

 party gallantly, ar.d for the hu- 

 mane pm'pose of saving a fellow- 

 creature, rushed forward, and with 

 the bayonet and swords put an end 



to 



