of the Old World. 355 



ahead, I soon had the gratification of seeing a full- 

 grown lion and lioness, with two half-grown cubs, 

 feasting on the remains of two spring-bucks. I 

 looked to my nipples, to see the powder was well 

 up, and rode towards them ; but my horse did not at 

 all like the sport, and became so extremely violent 

 and restive, from fear, as to be almost unmanageable, 

 and finding that I should have had no chance of firing 

 from the saddle with any precision, I had to return to 



S , who, with the Dutchman and servants, had 



pulled up, on observing the lions, which were game 

 none of them seemed inclined to attack, for although 



S was a fearless hunter, he had been suffering 



from an inflammation and weakness of the eyes, 

 caused by the excessive glare of the sun reflected 

 from the sand, and his sight was so much affected 

 that he could no longer depend upon his aim as in 

 days of yore. I therefore dismounted, and prepared 

 to open the campaign on my own hook trusting to 

 a steady hand and good weapons to see me safely 

 through it. On my retreat, on account of the restive- 

 ness of my horse, the lion had advanced nearly two 

 hundred yards from the spot where the dead spring- 

 bucks lay, leaving the lioness and cubs still feeding, 

 and he was now coolly surveying our party, stretched 

 out at full length on the grass, with his paws out 

 before him, and yawning listlessly, about four hundred 

 yards distant. On perceiving me advancing towards 



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