334 JOURNEY BEYOND THE GREAT RIVER. [1813. 
igih. All was in motion before sun-rise, to prepare 
for departing. Adam Kok, who was the only one in 
our company who knew the way by which we were to 
travel, not having fresh oxen, went on before us, and 
we were to follow the track of his waggon. At eleven, 
A.M. we left the confluence of the Yellow and Mala- 
lareen rivers, and soon came to rocks which were very 
troublesome to get over, endangering the waggons. At 
two, P.M. we lost Kok's track, and got among worse 
rocks in a narrow valley between mountains. About 
sun-set I observed one of our men standing for several 
minutes motionless : when our waggons came near he 
turned about, and walked to us rather agitated. On in- 
quiry we found he had come suddenly on two lions, and 
they stood looking at each other, until the great noise of 
our waggons among the stones inclined them to walk off. 
Had he not possessed sufficient fortitude to continue 
looking directly at them, he certainly would have been 
torn to pieces ; but so long as you can steadily look a 
lion in the face, he will not attack you. He declared 
that he trembled before ever he saw the lions. At one 
time my oxen made a dead halt, and would not go 
forward, in consequence of fatigue ; however, by much 
exertion, we got them to push forward a little farther 
through the bushes, which soon became almost im- 
penetrable, and it being dark, we could discover no way 
of getting out of this thicket ; of course we were under 
the necessity of halting where we were, at seven, P.M. 
We lighted a great fire, and also fired two musket 
shots as signals to Adam Kok, but they were not 
answered. A great fire appeared on a hill to the 
