58 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 
Jan Stamansz fired a bail into his eye, which made him 
turn over, and he was then shot dead by the other people. 
He was a tremendously large beast, and had hut a short 
time before carried off a Hottentot from the kraal, and 
devoured him. ” 
Mr. Pringle, who had extraordinary opportunities of 
observing the habits of the half-civilized natives of South- 
ern Africa, and of becoming acquainted with the character- 
istics of the wild beasts with which that part of the world 
abounds, has given us a very good description of the Lion 
hunt, in which he and several of his countrymen, all 
somewhat inexperienced in such adventures, was engaged. 
Mr. Pringle was a settler on the eastern frontier of the 
Cape Colony; and in 1822 was residing on his farm, or 
“ location,” at Bavian’s River. We should deprive his 
account of a Lion hunt of its interest, if we attempted to 
give it in any other than his own words: — 
“One night a Lion, that had previously purloined a few 
sheep out of my kraal, came down and killed my riding 
horse, about a hundred yards from the door of my cabin. 
Knowing that the Lion, when he does not carry off his 
prey, usually conceals himself in the vicinity, and is very 
apt to be dangerous, by prowling about the place in search 
of more game, I resolved to have him destroyed or dislodged 
without delay. I therefore sent a messenger round the 
location, to invite all who were willing to assist in the 
enterprise, to repair to the place of rendezvous as speedily 
as possible. In an hour every man of the party, (with the ex- 
ception of two pluckless fellows who were kept at home by 
the women,) appeared ready mounted, and armed. We were 
also reinforced hy about a dozen of the ‘ Bastaard’ or Mu- 
latto Hottentots, who resided at that time upon our terri- 
tory as tenants, or herdsmen, — an active and enterprising, 
though rather an unsteady race of men. Our friends, the 
Tarka boors, many of whom are excellent Lion hunters, 
were all too far distant to assist us — our nearest neighbours, 
residing at least twenty miles from the location. We were, 
therefore, on account of our own inexperience, obliged to 
make our Hottentots the leaders of the chase. 
' “ The first point was to track the Lion to his covert. 
This was effected by a few of the Hottentots, on foot. 
Commencing from the spot where the horse was killed, 
they followed the spoor * through grass, and gravel, and 
brushwood, with astonishing ease and dexterity, where an 
inexperienced eye could discern neither footprint nor mark 
of any kind, — until, at length, we fairly tracked him into 
a large bosch, or straggling thicket of brushwood and ever- 
greens, about a mile distant. 
“ The next object was to drive him out of this retreat, 
* The Hottentot name for a footmark. 
in order to attack him in close phalanx, and with more 
safety and effect. The approved mode in such cases is to 
torment him with dogs till he abandons his covert, and stands 
at bay in the open plain. The whole band of hunters then 
march forward together, and fire deliberately, one by one. 
If he does not speedily fall, and grows angry, and turns 
upon his enemies, they must then stand close in a circle, 
and turn their horses rear-outward; some holding them 
fast by the bridles, while the others kneel to take a steady 
aim at the Lion as he approaches, sometimes up to the 
very horses’ heels — crouching every now and then, as if 
to measure the distance and strength of his enemies. This 
is the moment to shoot him fairly in the forehead, or some 
other mortal part. If they continue to wound him inef- 
fectually till he waxes furious and desperate; or if the horses, 
startled by his terrific roar, grow frantic with terror, and 
burst loose, the business becomes rather serious, and may 
end in mischief — especially if all the party are not men of 
courage, coolness, and experience. The frontier boors are, 
however, generally such excellent marksmen, and withal 
so cool and deliberate, that they seldom fail to shoot him 
dead, as soon as they get within a fair distance. 
“ In the present instance, we did not manage matters 
quite so scientifically. The Bastaards, after recounting to 
us all these and other sage laws of Lion hunting, were 
themselves the first to depart from them. Finding that 
the few indifferent hounds we had made little impression 
on the enemy, they divided themselves into two or three 
parties, and rode round the jungle, firing into the spot 
where the dogs were barking round him, but without 
effect. At length, after some hours spent in thus beating 
about the bush, the Scottish blood of some of my country- 
men began to get impatient; and three of them announced 
their determination to march in and beard the Lion in his 
den, provided three of the Bastaards, (who were superior 
marksmen,) would support them, and follow up their fire, 
should the enemy venture to give battle. Accordingly, 
in they went, (in spite of the warnings of some more 
prudent men among us,) to within fifteen or twenty paces 
of the spot where the animal lay concealed. He was 
couched among the roots of a large evergreen bush, with a 
small space of open ground on one side of it; and they 
fancied on approaching, that they saw him distinctly, lying 
glaring at them from under the foliage. Charging the 
Bastaards to stand firm and level fair should they miss, the 
Scottish champions let fly together, and struck — not the 
Lion, as it afterwards proved — but a great block of red 
stone, beyond which he was actually lying. Whether any 
of the shot grazed him is uncertain, but, with no other 
warning than a furious growl, forth he bolted from the bush. 
The pusillanimous Bastaards, in place of now pouring in 
