LIONS. 65 



few days afterwards some Kaffirs appeared with 

 a stretcher and carried the sufferer to the mine, 

 where he got medical assistance. Whether he 

 lived or died I never heard. 



What with the long grass, full of hidden boulders, 

 and of the unusually good supplies of water, the 

 greater part of the country near the Lebombo is 

 very difficult, and more or less dangerous to hunt. 

 Fresh " spoor " is always to be seen, but all kinds 

 of game know well how to avail themselves of 

 cover, and but few shots are obtainable. As a 

 wholly impenetrable jungle, not to mention 

 tsetse-fly, extends from the eastern side of the 

 range at intervals down to the coast, all kinds of 

 game will find in these parts secure sanctuary for 

 an indefinite but most probably long time. 



Man-eating lions were never numerous in South 

 Africa, but they existed, and a Kaffir of mine, by 

 name Aaron, was killed by one while washing 

 clothes, against my positive orders, in the Marico 

 River; I think in 1864. We had been warned 

 of the lion's probable presence near at hand by 

 some Kaffirs, whose kraal was not far from the 

 waggons, who had lost seven of their number from 

 his attacks within a short time. This was indeed 



F 



