ADVENTURE WITH A LION. 39 



hard at -work, and remained with them a few months, familiarising himself 

 with their mode of operations, visiting and making himself acquainted with 

 the Bechuana people, their manners and customs, language and country, with 

 a view to settling amongst them ; the chief of one of the Bechuana tribes 

 being favourable to his projects. 



In his second preparatory excursion into the Bechuana country, he 

 settled for sis months at a place called Lepelole, and with characteristic 

 thoroughness of purpose completely isolated himself from European society, 

 in order to obtain an accurate knowledge of the language. Deeming that 

 this was to be the scene and centre of his future labours, he commenced his pre- 

 parations for a settlement among the Bakwains, as that section of the Be- 

 chuana people who inhabited the district round Lepelole was named. When 

 these arrangements were almost completed, he made a journey, principally 

 on foot, to the north, and penetrated within ten days' journey of the lower 

 part of the river Zouga ; and if discovery had been his object, he might even 

 then have discovered Lake Ngami. At this time the great traveller's slim 

 appearance gave little token of the hardy physique which was to enable him 

 afterwards to undergo months and years of toilsome journeyings in regions 

 never before visited by civilized man ; but this trial trip proved the pluck 

 and stamina which were to stand him in so good stead in many undertakings 

 of much greater magnitude, and gave him a gratifying notion of his power of 

 overcoming difficulties of a novel and trying character. 



Beturning to Kuruman, intelligence followed him that the Bakwains, 

 among whom he had made up his mind to settle, had been driven from Le- 

 pelole by the Barolongs, a neighbouring tribe, so that he was obliged to set 

 out anew in search of another locality in which to establish his mission station ; 

 when, after some time spent in inspecting he fixed upon the valley of Mabotsa. 

 Here he had an extraordinary adventure with a Hon, which, from the singular 

 nature of his experiences, merits insertion here. Several lions had been car- 

 rying destruction among the cattle of the natives, and Livingstone went with 

 the people to assist in the extermination of the marauders. The lions were 

 traced to a small wooded hill, which the people surrounded, and proceeded to 

 beat through the underwood, with the view of driving the prey into a position 

 where the shooters could see and fire at them. Livingstone, having fired at 

 one of the animals, was in the act of reloading, when he heard a shout of 

 warning from the people near. 



" Starting and looking half round, I saw the Hon just in the act of 

 springing upon me. I was upon a Httle height. He caught my shoulder as 

 he sprang, and we both came to the ground below together. Growling 

 horribly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a rat. The 

 shock produced a stupor similar to that which seems to be felt by a mouse 

 after the first shake of the cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there 



