LION-HUNTING AT THE CAPE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 70, 17 August 1844, Page 3

LION-HUNTING AT THE CAPE.

Tho principal management and lead in these parties is vested, by a sort of prescriptive right, in three gentlemen, who are the A. B. C. of lion-hunting. Tho namos of Major C, Captain A., and Mr. 8., aro so well known to the colony, that I trust they will excuse my alluding to them so openly. As tho best method of giving a correct idea of the stylo of tho thing, I shall attempt a description of a lion-hunt at which I "assisted" in March 1833, the scenes and occurrences of which made a vivid impression on mo at tho time. Four other officers boside myself were invited to join tho party, which was the largest that had ever gono out. "Wo wero to be absent for ten days, and tho Commandant and another officer were to join us on tho ground for a couple of days. Wo were accompanied by two dogs, ono a favourite pointer belonging to Captain A. ; the other a great mongrel hound, as largo as a Newfoundland dog, which had been employed in former hunts After arriving at the hunting-ground, tho narrator proceeds — Wo had gained the summit of a considerable eminence, and nought but a few scattered spring-bucks and quaggas wero visiblo over tho widely-extended slopes. It was about mid-day. Wo resolved to descend to the valley, whero there was a largo pool of water, and unsaddlo our horses for half an hour. As wo moved on for this purpose in no very compact order, happening to drop behind, I observed two of the Hotton- ; tots riding in tho rear alongsido of each other, conversing in a whisper, and with their eyed steadily fixed on some distant point in tho hollow below. After a long, silent, and intent gaze, their eyes met, as they simultaneously looked up as if to read each other's and ono said in a low, cautious tone, in Dutch, "They aro lions." The other thought them too dark, and both renewed their earnest scrutiny of the suspected objects with greater eagerness, and soon with symptoms (but in silence) of jputual understanding. Riding up to Major C, I informed him that the men undoubtedly saw lions, and tho intelligence caused an instant halt. While ho and Captain A. strained their eyes to make out the various indistinct objects, tho two Hottentots coming up, made hi decided and animated voices the cheering announcement of "Lions below!" and pointed to two brownish objects now beginning to bo in motion in the dark green bottom of the valley. A short examination left no doubt of the joyful fact ; and after a hasty exhortation to keep together, and to pull up and dismount at once on receiving the word from Captain A., we grasped our double-barrels, and gave tho spur to our steeds to overtake the chase, who wex-e soon out of tho long grass, and going off up the opposite slopo. Captain A.'s clear "Tally ho!" was chorussod loudly as wo galloped down tho brao, cheering to bring them to ; when from tho same rushy bottom emerged two others, going off to the right, and for them wo immediately rode, and quickly swept through the fihn, though rank, grassy hollow. As wo were fast gaining on them up tho rise, thoy quickly swung round in succession, like two cutters suddenly letting go anchor while carrying a press of canvas off tho wind ; and there they lay couched, two lionesses seemingly, with heads erect, glaring eyes, jaws half opening, and swinging tails. Captain A., warning us to bo cool and steady, or else there would be mischief, directed us rather to the left, that we might gain equality of ground, and keep a wary eye on tho nearest, said quickly, as we came within about sixty paces of her, " Let's dismount, and be smart, or she'll be in upon us before we know where wo are — .she looks d d savage." There was an immediato halt and dismounting. Two seconds sufficed for Captain A. and myself to stand " ready/ gun in hand, and after a rapid glance at our locks and copper caps, we advanced in a lino

at about two paces distant from each other, tlie servants in our rear. The scene was now magnificently grand and exciting. Broad sheets of lightning flashed from every part of the heavens ; heavy drops were falling, and a general gloomy mist half veiled the hills, but unheeded, for every eye was fixed on one spot, where the noble savage lay facing us witli a stern countenance ; her wide, round, yellow eyes, with small jet-black pupils, glaring fiercely, and her massy fore-paws half raising from the turf her milk-white chest and throat. She lashed the ground heavily on cither side alternately with her tail, which swung over her back in regular pendulumlike vibrations, and her formidable jaws opening with a grim yawn, seemed to emit from time to time hollow, half-suppressed roars, which, however, were inaudible from the now uninterrupted rattle of the thunder. Her companion lay about twenty paces behind her. Major C. begged us to let him have a first shot at her, to try a new rifle he had brought as his second gun, and we halted while he fired at about thirty-five paces ; but his ball fell three yards short, and to our surprise was quite unnoticed by the lioness, who still lay as we again advanced. Suddenly the two dogs made a violent rush forward, and Captain A., alarmed for his favourite, exclaimed, " Let us fire now !" He and Mr. B, fired, and wounded her, when instauteously bounding on her feet, she was coming in with a heavy lumbering gallop, •when a volley of- four shots sent her rolling over head-foremost ; and the dogs running in began to lay hold and bite at her hind legs, instinctively keeping at a respectful distance from her head ; but she was quite dead. "We re-loaded to prepare for the other, but ho had risen on the first rush of the dogs, and turning about a hundred yards off, one of the shooters had seen him couch again. However, he was now nowhere to bo seen, having probably stolen,off during the smoke of our shots ; and wo ran up to where the first lay, and stood gazing in admiration of our prize. Having little hope of seeing more lions this day, we broke through all restraint, and dispersing, we rode in different lines at other game — gnus, spring-bucks, qnaggas, and antelopes — separating widely from each other as we galloped on in the ardour of the chase. After going on in this way for about half an hour, . I thought it advisable to rejoin the party, now long out of sight ; and crossing away to the left for this purpose, bofore long I met Mr. B. and another, who, like myself, had outridden the rest in pursuit, but had not killed anything. Riding on we met a large string of springbucks, and we scattered to get shots, one following the top of the tongue of land, the others taking each a side ; and we all fired, but without result. As we crossed a deep little sedgy hollow, a jackal bolted out and had a narrow escape for his life, Mr. B. firing at him from his horse, and going so close above and under him, that the wind of bullets made him twist like a cat. As soon as he had re-loaded we were proceeding, when a shot in our rear attracted our notice, and looking, we saw on a distant hill a horseman riding backwards and forwards as if in perplexity, and finally stopping short. Tho Hottentot recognised him as one of our party, and after trying to attract his attention by shouting, waving hats, and at last firing shots, but to no purpose, we sent the lad to bring him up, and slowly rode on. They overtook us before long, and our companion presented a comical figure, covered with blood and bearing in his arms a monstrous spring-buck's head nowly dissevered ; and from his pockets ho produced a pair of what seemed bits of leather, but were the ears of another. lie had lost sight of the others while in chase of a large herd, and had killed right and left two springbucks, but being unable to lift them unassisted on his horse, he had cut off these trophies and proofs of his prowess with a simple pen-knife. It was too late to send back for the game, and we soon after reached the rendezvous. The rest of the party had arrived beforo usj and the preparations for our temporary residence were far advanced I shall not weary my readers following the incidents of the next four days. They were all blank, as far as lions were concerned, and our hopes sank as day aftor day we tried the country for miles around the long " Winfogel Berg.'"' . . . At a little distance from our new position was a charming natural basin, in the rocky bed of the stream, overhung by a stony mouud, adorned with the dark protruding trunks and clustering spikes of the scarletflowered aloe. Here we used to assemble every morning early, to bathe and swim in the icy-cold water ; and the first day we saw with surprise the mark of a fearful adventure on Captain A.'s arm. In the precedinglion hunt twelve months before, Captain A. had outridden on a fleet-horse his companions in pursuit of a lioness, who, when pressed,

instead of turning to couch, had wheeled I and charged him at once. He had barely time to throw himself off, and, sinking on one knee, to fire both barrels, when the furious animal made her spring 1 , and he went down holding up one arm to save his head. The savage seized it, making her fangs almost meet, but fortunately without injuring tho bone or artery. Captain A. had presence of mind enough not to move, further than saying, " By , this is a d— d pretty business !" and she lay upon him with his arm in her jaws for about two minutes, when the rest of the party coming up at full speed, she relinquished her hold, and, after upsetting his servant, was going off, when several shots at once killed her. His arm was much lacerated and his chest bruised, but he was uninjured — his escape being attributable to her having one fore-paw disabled by a wound (since the first blow is generally fatal) ; but even now, after so long an interval, five inches of his upper arm were of a deep livid purple, almost black. In our daily rides over the hills wo found them strewed with skulls and horns of gnus and antelopes, bleaching in the sun, and sometimes a freshly-picked skeleton of a quagga ; tho hyenas never let them lie long, but carry them off to their caves and lairs about the bushy roots of the mountain cliffs. One day four or fivo of us had a gallop of three miles up a long hill, after what were thought lions, but turned out to be wolves. While sitting in debate, after dinner, on the disappointment of all our fair hopes, and the mortification of returning to the post with but one skin, next day being the last wo could remain on tho ground, it struck us to try, as a last expedient, sending out three of the mounted Hottentots before dawn, for the chance of seeing lions, if there were any in the country ; and, if they did, to follow them to their lair, and while two remained in observation, to despatch the third with tho news to us ; and a subscription was forthwith entered into, to reward them if successful. Schumacker, a dark-visaged bastaard, of well-known nerve and eagle eye, was called into council, and, after a little hesitation at first, agreed to go, and we told him to choose his companions ; ho pitched on two, both equally well acquainted with tho country, and some hours after they departed before daylight. In the morning, after vro had bathed and breakfasted, we shot at empty bottles, and the bright sunny day wore on ; the guns were duly cleaned and laid by loaded, and we looked at our watches, and began to despair, when about twelve o'clock a Hottentot was seen slowly approaching on a tired horse. Captain A. ran down to meet him, and we saw him hold a brief and earnest converse, and then hold up both hands as a signal. It was quite enough, soz'vants were loudly summoned, horses saddled, and guns brought forth ; and then, the guide having got a fresh horse, we started in high glee, the man informing us as we went along how they had descried a " leuwe" and " wcife" in the morning ; how they had approached and followed them as they slowly moved away, frequently turning round and growling at them, and how at last they entered and lay in a rushy hollow. An hour's ride brought us to the spot, very near the scene of the first day's find, and as we approached, w 3 saw the Hottentots dismounted, and waiting us on the opposite slope above the hollow, in which they made signals that the lions lay concealed by long green sedges and reeds. We circled round to them, and ascertained that they had not seen the animals for the last two hours and more, but they pointed out the spot where they couched, and were certain of their not having moved ; so we descended on foot in a concave line to the edge of tho long rank grass and sedges, and shouted to try and rouse them ; Schumacker's bold companion, advancing to the front, and assailing the female with various opprobrious epithets to make her come out — while the Hottentot servants, one and all, hung back in a remarkable way, not liking an approach to an unseen enemy. Indeed, we had great difficulty to prevent them making shields of us, and in getting them to stand behind, but in the intervals, as we thought ourselves in moro danger of getting shot by them in their trepidation than of missing tho lions, if they would come out. Out, however, they would not come, and we slowly beat down the edge of tho hollow, trying to get the old hound to range it, but after a single scamper through tho high grass, he kept on the other side, not seeming to like it. Some of us, impatient of the delay, wanted to enter the cover, but this was loudly remonstrated against by the Hottentots, and overruled by our experienced companions, who knew tho danger of one of the party being upset t>y a sudden spring of the animals before the others could get a shot. At last the lion suddenly sprung up, and with a short roar or snort, and an impatient toss of his head and mane, bounded away down the little valley, one of the Hottentots immediately mounting and pursuing

him, with loud cries, and at last firing a shot, when he couched in a thick patch of reeds ; tho man remaining like a sentry on the declivitj- to watch him. The impatience of one or two now overcame all caution, and we advanced in a line in the high sedges, when the female suddenly went off with a similar leap and grunt, but in another direction, a shot fired by me to bring her to having no effect. She lay again in a thick patch, about 300 yards off, and we were now sure of her. We immediately followed, and lining tho nearest edge of the cover, here about seventy yards across, with some coaxing got tho dog to enter. After beating a little, he was crossing towards up, when all at once, as if fascinated, he stopped short, with his head on one side, and his nose pointing to a spot not three yards from him, and with a look of most ludicrous amazement, in fact, struck all of a heap, as they say ; but quietly slinking off, ho backed out of the scrape. On a shot being fired at the spot, up she bounced with a sharp angry roar, and at first came | towards us, bounding through the high grass with a few short hollow grunts ; but as if quailing at our formidable numbers, was wheeling to our right, when a volley laid her low, and after sho tell, some shameful dropping shots from the armed servants tore the grass about her, and cut the skin off her back. Those who had fired re-loaded, and we hastily mounted to push on for her mate. We had the advantage of tho height, about fivc-aud-twenty paces above the clump of reeds, when he started up, and wheeled away across us with the same appearance of adopting second thoughts ; three or four shots were firod, and he fell head over heels into a sunken pool of water, heavily struck in the body. He swam across to the side next us, and as we descended, we saw his head and bristling mane, and glaring eyes, protruded through the screen of reeds as the wounded but undaunted creature clung to the bank, struggling to drag himself up and charge. A few shots in the head put him out of pain, and he fell back. When we looked over tho edge, he lay quite dead, and almost under water ; so having found a place where the bank shelved to the bottom, two of the party stripped and plunged in, and one taking him by the head, the other by the tail, they swam across to- tho creek. The scene was highly amusing and novel, the sun shining brightly on the animated party above, and on the oily brown skins of the naked Hottentots standing in the water, and the white gleaming shoulders and arms of the swimmers, as they impelled the half-seen corpse through the deep blue mirror of the reed-fringed pool. When brought to land, he was flayed and decapitated for his skull. Ho was a young male, scarcely so large as a lioness, and his imperfect short tawny mane showed him to be not nearly full grown, which accountod for the most unusual circumstance of his declining to fight instead of coming in at once. The female, to which we returned, was of tolerablo size, though not so large nor handsome as the first killed, though she had foulunborn whelps, with downy skins, striped like the tiger. Our horses did not exhibit the loast appearance of alarm or dislike to approach her close, but it is well known that they become paralyzed with terror at the rush of the living lion. The remainder of tho afternoon was spent in " yoicking" and shooting at tho troops of game ; and the following morning we packed up and despatched the waggons, shooting over a different line to the night's halt. It was with regret I left this wild and sunny re°'ion, and returned to the comparative tamencss of Fort Beaufort, where we arrived two days afterwards, tho waggons being a day longer on tho road. The slight specimen I have seen of this magnificent sport would certainly lead me to rank it abovo any others T have tried. The tiger-hunting of India, I imagine, cannot be put in comparison, as they Vant tho exciting run after the chase ; and how tame tho plodding through jungle and reeds, cooped up in a howdah on an unwieldly elephant, above tho reach of a tiger's spring, beside the glorious range over the open mountainside, and the manful encounter on foot with this nobler if less beautiful animal, knowing that the strife is for death, for the lion will always come in to the last while life remains. Fortunately none of the few accidents that have occurred in theso hunts have been fatal. One hears frequently of lions killed by the boers, but their method is very different from this sporting style of attack. They ride up in a party to a certain distance from the animal, and then backing their horses, which they keep between themselves and him, take a steady aim from behind them, with their long roers, or guns of great bore ; and as they are capital marksmen in this deliberate way, they seldom fail to kill him, and should he possibly be able to charge, the hind quarters of their horses receive the shock, — United Service Journal, 1834.