52 SOUTH AFRICA. 



I had got altered to percussion before leaving 

 England. As it weighed fourteen pounds, it 

 was not ideally handy on horseback, but I shot 

 an immense quantity of game with it, ranging from 

 elephants to the small steinbuck antelope, and lost 

 very few animals wounded by its large spherical 

 bullet, which it shot accurately at quite outside 

 distances. 



Lions are very skilful strategists, and do not 

 as a rule show much dangerous fight unless in a 

 well-selected position. When attacked on rough 

 stony ground they are very reluctant to charge and 

 thus endanger the integrity of their claws, upon 

 which they are in a great measure dependent for 

 a livelihood ; but when on the open alluvial plains, 

 although they generally try to elude pursuit by a 

 sulky retreat, if pressed upon too rudely they soon 

 become very ugly customers to deal with, and 

 straight powder becomes an essential element on 

 the hunter's side. 



I will now allude more especially to the Boer 

 method of lion hunting, when it is customary to 

 assemble as many men as possible (generally 

 twenty or so) and ride on the quest in more or 

 less close order. When a view of the game is 



