AFRICA. 249 
profound filence that then prevailed was the 
llgnal for our departure. 
The thicket was about two hundred paces 
long and fixty wide. It occupied a fpot funk 
lower than the adjacent ground, fo that it was 
to be entered on a defcent. The whole con- 
fined of buflies and briers, except fome miino- 
fas which rofe from i:s centre. Thefe trees, 
could I have reached them, would have afforded 
me an advantag^us pofition for the attack. On 
their fummits I fhould have been fecure, and 
might have fhot the two animals at my eafe : 
but, not know^ing exadly the fituation of their 
lair, it would have been highly imprudent in 
me to traverfe the thicket, in order to reach thefc 
trees, fmce I fhould thereby have expofed my-» 
felf to the danger of being feized by the way. 
Unable to attack thefe formidable beafts in 
their retrenchments, all that remained was to 
tempt them out of their fort ; for it was difK- 
cult, not to fay impofTible, to come at them 
through the briers and bufhes that covered 
them, and my markfmen would vainly have 
attempted to manage or prefent with any aim, 
when thus entangled, their long fufees. I 
therefore determined to place them and the 
other 
