194 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



Africa, but should he be met with in their ordinary hunting ex- 

 peditions, he takes his chance like all other animals, and is attacked 

 either with arrows or the spear. 



Many of the natives are exceedingly courageous, and will 

 advance to the attack ujwn a lion with spear and shield, or even 

 without the latter safeguard, as they are confident in the support 

 of their companions in case of an emergency. I remember 

 upon one occasion I had wounded a lioness by a shot in the chest 

 from a very accurate but extremely ineffective rifle, which, although 

 577, carried a small charge of 2 drams of powder. The animal 

 took refuge in a patch of high grass only a few yards square. 

 Invisible in this retreat, my three hardy natives offered to go in 

 and throw their spears at her, provided I would be ready to support 

 them should she charge into the open when they had failed. 

 This proceeding would have been a reflection upon our superior 

 weapons, and I declined the proposal, as too dangerous to the men. 

 I sent the natives to the summit of a white ant-hill about 7 feet 

 high ; from this they espied the animal lying in the yellow grass, 

 but so indistinct that it was impossible to determine her exact 

 position. I accordingly instructed the men to keep a sharp look- 

 out, and to throw their spears should the lioness charge, as I would 

 provoke an attack by firing a shot at hazard into the long grass. 

 Placing Lieut. Baker, R.N., upon my right, with instructions to 

 enfilade the expected attack, I advanced to within 20 yards of the 

 grass, and fired into the spot she was supposed to occupy. The 

 effect was instantaneous. At the report of the rifle the lioness 

 uttered a loud roar and charged directly upon myself, the most 

 prominent antagonist. I fired the left-hand barrel at her chest, 

 but this miserable weapon had no penetration (it was the first and 

 last that I ever possessed with a hollow bullet) ; the natives hurled 

 their spears, but missed the flying mark ; Lieut. Baker fired right 

 and left with a No. 70 small-bore, which hit, but without effect. 

 Everybody turned and ran at their best speed,as the lioness in hot pur- 

 suit was within a few feet of us. A native servant of Lieut. Baker 

 passed me with his master's spare gun in his hand. To snatch 

 this from the man, and to turn round and face the still roaring 

 pursuer, was the work of an instant, and I fired into her chest a 

 No. 1 2 spherical ball with 4 drams of powder from an ordinary 

 smooth-bore. To my delight, this rolled her over and checked her 

 onset ; but she immediately sprang back to her asylum of yellow 

 grass. We were now reduced to our original position, but I knew 

 the wound would be quickly fatal. 



The natives recovered their spears, while we all reloaded, and 



