46 
SPORT AND WAR. 
CHAP. VIII. 
CHAPTER VEIL 
MY FIRST LION-HUNT—1839. 
At the termination of the Kafir War of 1834-5, or 
rather when the Province of Queen Adelaide was sur¬ 
rendered back to the Kafirs, the troops were with¬ 
drawn to what was called the Fish River line of de¬ 
fence ; and the provisional officers, who had served first 
in battalions of native infantry, and were subsequently 
attached to the regiments of the line and Cape Mounted 
Rifles, were disbanded. This was towards the latter 
end of 1839. The officers received a gratuity of six 
months’ pay, and it was during this 4 interregnum ’ of 
my military life, or while I was in receipt of this pay 
without work, that the adventure happened which I am 
about relate. 
I must, however, observe that there was really no 
4 interregnum,’ as I was re-appointed to the Cape 
Mounted Rifles before these six months expired, and 
my pay thus 4 overlapped.’ But to proceed. I devoted 
these six months to a shooting expedition into the 
interior of Africa. Money was not very plentiful. I 
