1*20 LION-SHOOTING. 



likely scented the dead antelope behind it. A farmer 

 of the name of De Beer, and related to the proprietor 

 of this place, showed me the skin of a very fine lion 

 which he had recently shot. He had come upon the 

 animal by surprise, and was within thirty or forty 

 paces when he first noticed it lying behind a bush. 

 Levelling his piece, he took aim at its head, and as 

 the lion rose, shaking its mane with a terrible growl, 

 and seemed in the act of crouching to spring upon 

 him, he fired and shot it through the brain. This 

 man offered to accompany me to a spot where he felt 

 assured we should kill one of these ■' monarchs of 

 the waste " in less than an hour. Thinking, how- 

 ever, that it was just as probable the lion might kill 

 one of us in the same space of time, and moreover the 

 oxen being now yoked to the waggon, I felt desirous 

 of proceeding, particularly as I was going into the 

 lion country, where I expected to have many op- 

 portunities of procuring a specimen of this noble 

 animal, without deviating from my route. 



Young Joubert mentioned, that since the farm had 

 been in his father's possession, he had shot upwards 

 of fifty lions, which in the dry season come up from 

 the plains into the mountains to obtain water, and 

 are at such times extremely destructive to the 

 cattle. 



We had not long quitted Mr. Joubert's farm before 

 our attendants discovered another herd of spring- 

 boks on a plain immediately below us. This was an 



