Mr. Cumming has published a volume containing a record of his hunting
exploits in Africa, in the year 1848. The following interesting accounts
of adventures are from his work.
On the morning, says Mr. Cumming, I rode into camp, after unsuccessfully
following the spoor of a herd of elephants for two days, in a westerly
course. Having partaken of some refreshment, I saddled up two steeds and
rode down the bank of Ngotwani, with the Bushman, to seek for any game I
might find. After riding about a mile along the river's green bank, I
came suddenly upon an old male leopard, lying under the shade of a thorn
grove, and panting from the great heat. Although I was within sixty
yards of him, he had not heard the horse's tread. I thought he was a
lioness, and, dismounting, took a rest in my saddle on the Old Gray, and
sent a bullet into him. He sprang to his feet and ran half way down the
river's bank, and stood to look about him, when I sent a second bullet
into his person, and he disappeared over the bank. The ground being
very dangerous, I did not disturb him by following then, but I at once
sent Ruyter back to camp for the dogs. Presently he returned with Wolf
and Boxer, very much done up with the sun. I rode forward, and, on
looking over the bank, the leopard started up and sneaked off alongside
of the tall reeds, and was instantly out of sight. I fired a random shot
from the saddle to encourage the dogs, and shouted to them; they,
however, stood looking stupidly around, and would not take up his scent
at all. I led them over his spoor, again and again, but to no purpose;
the dogs seemed quite stupid, and yet they were Wolf and Boxer, my
two best.
At length I gave it up as a lost affair, and was riding down the river's
bank, when I heard Wolf give tongue behind me, and, galloping back,
found him at bay with the leopard, immediately beneath where I had fired
at him; he was very severely wounded, and had slipped down into the
river's bed and doubled back, whereby he had thrown out both the dogs
and myself. As I approached, he flew out upon Wolf and knocked him over,
and then, running up the bed of the river, took shelter in a thick bush:
Wolf, however, followed him, and at this moment my other dogs came up,
having heard the shot, and bayed him fiercely. He sprang out upon them,
and then crossed the river's bed, taking shelter beneath some large
tangled roots on the opposite bank. As he crossed the river, I put a
third bullet into him, firing from the saddle, and, as soon as he came
to bay, I gave him a fourth, which finished him. This leopard was a very
fine old male; in the conflict, the unfortunate Alert was wounded, as
usual, getting his face torn open; he was still going upon three legs,
with all his breast laid bare by the first water-buck.
In the evening I directed my Hottentots to watch a fine pool in the
river, and do their best, while I rode to a distant pool several miles
up the Ngotwani, reported as very good for game, to lie all night and
watch: my Totties, however, fearing "Tao," disobeyed me. On reaching the
water I was bound for, I found it very promising, and, having fastened
my two horses to a tree beneath the river's bank, I prepared a place of
concealment close by, and laid down for the night.
The river's banks on each side were clad with groves of shady thorn
trees. After I had lain some time, squadrons of buffaloes were heard
coming on, until the shady grove on the east bank of the water
immediately above me was alive with them. After some time the leaders
ventured down the river's bank to drink, and this was the signal for a
general rush into the large pool of water: they came on like a regiment
of cavalry at a gallop, making a mighty din, and obscuring the air with
a dense cloud of dust. At length I sent a ball into one of them, when
the most tremendous rush followed up the bank, where they all stood
still, listening attentively. I knew that the buffalo was severely
wounded, but did not hear him fall. Some time after, I fired at a
second, as they stood on the bank above me; this buffalo was also hard
hit, but did not then fall. A little after, I fired at a third on the
same spot; he ran forty yards, and, falling, groaned fearfully: this at
once brought on a number of the others to butt their dying comrade,
according to their benevolent custom. I then crept in toward them, and,
firing my fourth shot, a second buffalo ran forward a few yards, and,
falling, groaned as the last; her comrades, coming up, served her in the
same manner. A second time I crept in, and, firing a fifth shot, a third
buffalo ran forward, and fell close to her dying comrades: in a few
minutes all the other buffaloes made off, and the sound of teeth tearing
at the flesh was heard immediately.
I fancied it was the hyaenas, and fired a shot to scare them from the
flesh. All was still; and, being anxious to inspect the heads of the
buffaloes, I went boldly forward, taking the native who accompanied me,
along with me. We were within about five yards of the nearest buffalo,
when I observed a yellow mass lying alongside of him, and at the same
instant a lion gave a deep growl,--I thought it was all over with me.
The native shouted "Tao," and, springing away, instantly commenced
blowing shrilly through a charmed piece of bone which he wore on his
necklace. I retreated to the native, and we then knelt down. The lion
continued his meal, tearing away at the buffalo, and growling at his
wife and family, who, I found next day, by the spoor, had accompanied
him. Knowing that he would not molest me if I left him alone, I proposed
to the native to go to our hole and lie down, but he would not hear of
it, and entreated me to fire at the lion. I fired three different shots
where I thought I saw him, but without any effect; he would not so much
as for a moment cease munching my buffalo. I then proceeded to lie down,
and was soon asleep, the native keeping watch over our destinies. Some
time after midnight other lions were heard coming on from other airts,
and my old friend commenced roaring so loudly that the native thought it
proper to wake me.
The first old lion now wanted to drink, and held right away for the two
unfortunate steeds, roaring terribly. I felt rather alarmed for their
safety; but, trusting that the lion had had flesh enough for one night,
I lay still, and listened with an attentive ear. In a few minutes, to my
utter horror, I heard him spring upon one of the steeds with an angry
growl, and dash him to the earth; the steed gave a slight groan, and all
was still. I listened to hear the sound of teeth, but all continued
still. Soon after this "Tao," was once more heard to be munching the
buffalo. In a few minutes he came forward, and stood on the bank close
above us, and roared most terribly, walking up and down, as if
meditating some mischief. I now thought it high time to make a fire,
and, quickly collecting some dry reeds and little sticks, in half a
minute we had a cheerful blaze. The lion, which had not yet got our
wind, came forward at once to find out what the deuse was up; but, not
seeing to his entire satisfaction from the top of the bank, he was
proceeding to descend by a game-path into the river-bed within a few
yards of us. I happened at the very moment to go to this spot to fetch
more wood, and, being entirely concealed from the lion's view above by
the intervening high reeds, we actually met face to face! The first
notice I got was his sudden spring to one side, accompanied by repeated
angry growls, while I involuntarily made a convulsive spring backward,
at the same time giving a fearful shriek, such as I never before
remember uttering. I fancied, just as he growled, he was coming upon me.
We now heaped on more wood, and kept up a very strong fire until the day
dawned, the lions feasting beside us all the time, notwithstanding the
remonstrances of the little native, who, with a true Bechuana spirit,
lamenting the loss of so much good flesh, kept continually shouting and
pelting them with flaming brands.
The next morning, when it was clear, I arose and inspected the
buffaloes. The three that had fallen were fine old cows, and two of them
were partly consumed by the lions. The ground all around was packed flat
with their spoor; one particular spoor was nearly as large as that of a
borele. I then proceeded to inspect the steeds: the sand around them was
also covered with the lion's spoor. He had sprung upon the Old Gray, but
had done him no further injury than scratching his back through the
skin: perhaps the lion had been scared by the rheims, or on discovering
his spare condition, had preferred the buffalo.