THE LION COUNTRY 



near which hippopotamuses are said to be numerous. 

 The same day my wife experienced a rather unpleasant 

 adventure. As usual she was ahead, while I brought 

 up the rear behind the stragglers. Suddenly her 

 bearers stopped, laid the litter hastily on the ground, 

 and cried out : "A lion." My wife arose and not 

 seeing anything, got on to a small white-ants' nest. 

 She then perceived the animal, a lioness, which got up 

 about twenty yards away and walked off majestically. 

 When the coolies first saw the creature, it was 

 sharpening its claws on the trunk of a tree. Taken 

 by surprise, it had crouched in the grass to hide, then, 

 seeing that it was discovered and would not be left 

 in peace, had made off. I deeply regretted the missed 

 opportunity of acquiring my seventeenth Hon. This 

 unpleasant adventure caused my wife always to keep 

 a loaded rifle in her litter ; she had previously carried 

 no other weapon but her riding- whip. 



The day after my arrival I tried after hippopota- 

 muses, whose cries I could hear all night. They live 

 in a swamp full of crocodiles. We tried to reach the 

 place with the help of a guide, who did not seem very 

 sure of the way, as after the first few steps, he sank 

 up to the neck in a quagmire. Fortunately, I always 

 have ropes with me, which we passed under the man's 

 arms, pulling him out after a good deal of trouble. 

 Several other attempts proved equally fruitless. I 

 then turned my attention to easier game, of which, 

 however, there was very little. I crossed the Vunduzi, 



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