206 
DANGEROUS VISIT OF A LION. 
16 May, 
avidity drank the liquid, which it contained ; but this not being 
sufficient, they also drank the blood ; after which, they made a fire 
on the spot, and broiled some of the meat. It was the smoke of this 
fire which fortunately made their situation so soon known to the 
Bushmen whom we sent in search of them, and who were thus very 
opportunely and deservingly repaid for this friendly act, by receiving 
the whole of the game ; neither of my Hottentots having as yet 
recovered strength enough to bring away more than the tongue and 
two or three slices of the flesh. 
In the middle of the night I was awakened by the roaring of a 
lion ; but the sound was peculiar, and very different from that which 
the animal usually makes. I am assured by the inhabitants of these 
countries, who have had opportunities of ascertaining the fact, that 
he produces this noise by laying his head upon the ground and 
uttering, as it were, a half-stifled roar, or growl, by which means 
the sound is conveyed along the earth. It now seemed to us very 
much to resemble that which we had heard in Cape Town at the 
moment of the earthquake : it seemed also to have a progressive 
movement, as if it came from the west. I instantly sprang up, and 
seeing that our fires were nearly out, called to the Hottentots to put 
on a large quantity of fuel to make a blaze, for the purpose of keep- 
ing the beasts at a distance, as they are said to be afraid of flame. 
But though several of them were awake, they remained without at- 
tempting to move, until I called out. As they had supposed it to be 
really an earthquake, and knew that by sleeping in the open air, 
there was nothing to fear if such had been the case, they lay very 
quietly wrapped up in their karosses, till I ordered them to make up 
the fires. From the uneasiness of the oxen, two of which broke loose 
from the bushes to which they had been made fast, and from other 
circumstances, I was convinced that it was a lion ; and at length 
most of the people began to think the same as myself ; but Speelman 
persisted in declaring that it was only an earthquake, till, on examin- 
ing the ground the next morning, we found the animal's footmarks 
within fifty yards of the spot where we had been lying asleep. There 
is little doubt that the beast's intention was to have seized one of the 
oxen J and as little, that the timely making up our fires prevented 
