216 THE LION'. 



as I understand, that when a man has only one 

 barrel to depend upon he always takes a deliberate 

 aim, whereas, if he has a second barrel in reserve, 

 he is very apt to fire the first hurriedly, and, as a 

 consequence, to shoot wide of the mark. This 

 single rifle, which in the Cape Colony is called a 

 " Roer," is a very formidable-looking affair, and 

 carries balls of several ounces in weight. 



Singularly enough, I may here remark in paren- 

 thesis, that, should the ball aimed at the lion miss its 

 mark and form a lodgment in the ground imme- 

 diately near to him, he imagines it is the mis- 

 sile itself, and not the hunter, that has attempted to 

 injure him, and resents the offence accordingly. 



" On discharging the first barrel of my double 

 gun at the lion, who was couched," says Delegorgue, 

 " the bullet imbedded itself in the earth at only a 

 few paces from his feet ; the beast made a furious 

 dash at the spot with his paw, thinking, perhaps, 

 to seize a portion of my person. This movement 

 he repeated on my sending him a second equally 

 unsuccessful missile. Isaac Neiokerk dispatched 

 a third ball, which whistled about his ears ; the 

 animal appeared exasperated at only having to do 

 with invisible objects ; he rose to depart, presenting 

 to us his broadside, when 1 lodged a ball in his 

 shoulder-blade, which passed clean through his 

 body. It was a mortal wound." 



The bayonet, in lion-shooting, is never, I believe, 

 made use of in Southern Africa, and with good 

 reason ; for to say nothing of intervening boughs 

 and bushes impeding the use of the weapon, and its 



