344 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



and for a confiderablc length of time, biu they feemcd to 

 go juft fo much the worfe for it. 



Upon approaching the pool, that had water in it, though 

 yet at fome dillance from it, my fervants fcnt me word to 

 come up fpeedily, and bring fire-arms with me. A lion 

 had killed one of the deer, called Ariel, and had ate a part 

 of it, but had retired upon the noife we had made in alight- 

 ing. In place of him, five or fix hysenas had feized the 

 carcafe, and feveral others were at the inftant arriving to 

 join them, and partake of the prey the lion had abandoned. 

 I haftened upon the fummons, carrying with me a mufket 

 and bayonet, and a fhip blunderbufs, with about forty fmall 

 bullets in it. I crept through the bullies, and under banks 

 as near to them as poflible, for fear of being feen ; but the 

 precaution feemed entirely fuperfluous ; for though they 

 obferved me approaching, they did not feem difpofed to 

 leave their prey, but in their turn looked at me, raifing the 

 briftles upon their back, fliaking themfelves as a dog does 

 when he comes out of water, and giving a fliort but terrible 

 grunt. After which they fell to their prey again, as if they 

 meant to difpatch their deerfirft, and then come and fettle 

 their affairs with me. I now began to repent having ven- 

 tured alone fo near ; but knowing, with the fhort weapon 

 I had, the execution depended a good deal upon the di- 

 ftance, I flill crept a little nearer, till I got as favourable a po- 

 fition as I could wifli behind the root of a large tree that had 

 fallen into the lake. Having fet my mufl^et at my hau'l, 

 near and ready, I levelled my blunderbufs at the middle of 

 the group, which were feeding voracioufly like as many 

 fwine, with a confiderable noife, and a civil war with each 

 other. Two of them fell dead upon the fpot ; two more 

 7 died 



