Chap. I. BAVAGES OF LIONS. 11 



the Bechuanas ever knew, and this they thought might portend 

 something as bad, or it might only foreshadow the death of 

 some great chief. On the subject of comets I knew little more 

 than they did themselves, but I had that confidence in a kind 

 over-ruling Providence which makes sucli a difference between 

 Christians and both the ancient and modern heathen. 



As some of the Bamangwato people had accompanied me to 

 Kuruman, I was obliged to restore them and their goods to their 

 chief Sekonri. This made a journey to the residence of that 

 chief again necessary, and, for the first time, I performed a dis- 

 tance of some hundred miles on ox-back. 



Returning towards Kuruman, I selected the beautiful valley 

 of Mabotsa (lat. 25° 14' south, long. 26° 30' ?) as the site of a 

 missionary station ; and thither I removed in 1843. Here an 

 occurrence took place concerning which I have frequently been 

 questioned in England, and which, but for the importunities of 

 friends, I meant to have kept in store to tell my children when 

 in my dotage. The Bakatla of the village Mabotsa were much 

 troubled by lions, which leaped into the cattle-pens by night, 

 and destroyed their cows. They even attacked the herds in open 

 day. This was so unusual an occurrence that the people believed 

 that they were bewitched — "given," as they said, "into the 

 power of the lions by a neighbouring tribe." They went once to 

 attack the animals, but, being rather a cowardly people compared 

 to Bechuanas in general on such occasions, they returned without 

 killing any. 



It is well known that if one in a troop of lions is killed the 

 others take the hint and leave that part of the country. So the 

 next time the herds were attacked, I went with the people, in 

 order to encourage them to rid themselves of the annoyance by 

 destroying one of the marauders. We found the lions on a small 

 hill about a quarter of a mile in length, and covered with trees. 

 A circle of men was formed round it, and they gradually closed 

 up, ascending pretty near to each other. Being down below 

 on the plain with a native schoolmaster, named Mebalwe, a most 

 excellent man, I saw one of the lions sitting on a piece of rock 

 within the now closed circle of men. Mebalwe fired at him before 

 I could, and the ball struck the rock on which the animal was 

 sitting. He bit at the spot struck, as a dog does at a stick or stone 



