a4 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER: 
and for a confiderable length of time, but they feemed to - 
‘go juft fo much the worfe for it. 
Upon approaching the pool, that had water in it, though 
‘yet at fome diftance from it, my fervants fent 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, buthad retired upon the noife we had made in alight- 
ing. In place of him, five or fix hyenas 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 muiket 
and bayonet, and a fhip blunderbufs, with about forty fmall 
bullets in it. I crept through the bufhes, and under banks 
as near to them as poffible, 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, fhaking themfelves as a dog does 
when he comes out of water, and giving a fhort but terrible 
grunt. After which they fell to their prey again, as if they 
meant to difpatch their deer firft, 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 ftill crepra little nearer, till I got as favourable a po- 
fition as I could wifh behind the root of a large tree that had 
fallen into the lake. Having fet my mufket at my hand, 
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 {pot ; two more 
3 } ‘died — 
