VISIT TO SOUTH AFRICA. 507 
to the missionary to return. Me therefore, with Piiilip, began to 
retreat backwards, pointing his gun, and ready to fire, in case the 
animal made his appearance. Suddenly a tyger sprang forward, 
but from a quarter not expected, and by a flying leap over the 
bushes, fastened upon the Hottentot, seizing his nose and face with 
claws and teeth. I measured the distanceof the place, from whence 
the tyger made his spring, to that on which the Hottentot stood, and 
found it full twenty feet, over bushes from six to eight feet high. 
Brother Schmitt observed, that if it had not been for the horror of 
the scene, it would have been a most amusing sight, to behold the 
enraged creature fly, like a bird, over that length of ground and 
bushes, with open jaw and lashing tail, screaming with the greatest 
violence. Poor Philip was thrown down, and in the conflict lay 
now upon, and then under, the tyger. The missionary might easily 
have eff'ected his escape, but his own safety never entered his 
thoughts. Duty and pity made him instantly run forward to the 
assistance of the sufferer. He pointed his gun, but the motions 
of both the Hottentot and the tyger, in rolling about and strug- 
gling, were so swift, that he durst not venture to pull the trigger, 
lest he should injure Philip. The tyger, perceiving him take aim, 
instantly quitted his hold, w^orked himself from under the Hotten- 
tot, and flew like lightning upon Brother Schmitt. As the gun 
was of no use in such close quarters, he let it fall, and presented 
his left arm, to shield his face. The tyger instantly seized it v/ith 
his jaw, Brother Schmitt with the same arm catching one of his 
paws, to prevent his outstretched claws from reaching his body. 
With the other paw, however, the tyger continued striking towards 
his breast, and tearing his clothes. Both fell in the scuflle, and 
providentially, in such a position, that the missionary's knee, without 
design, came to rest on the pit of the tyger's stomach. At the same 
time, he grasped the animal's throat with his right hand, keeping him 
down with all his might. The seizure of his throat, made the tyger 
instantly let go his hold, but not before Brother Schmitt had received 
another bite, nearer the elbow. His face lay right over that ot the 
