A great deal has been said about the prowess of Nimrod, in connexion
with the chase, from the days of him of Babylon to those of the late Mr.
Apperley of Shropshire; but we question whether, amongst all the
sporting characters mentioned in ancient or modern story, there ever was
so mighty a hunter as the gentleman whose sporting calendar now lies
before us.[5] The annals of the chase, so far as we are acquainted with
them, supply no such instances of familiar intimacy with Lions,
Elephants, Hippopotami, Rhinoceroses, Serpents, Crocodiles, and other
furious animals, with which the human species in general is not very
forward in cultivating an acquaintance.
Footnote 5:
A Hunter’s Life in South Africa. By R. Gordon Cumming, Esq., of
Altyre.
Mr. Cumming had exhausted the Deer forests of his native Scotland; he
had sighed for the rolling prairies and rocky mountains of the Far West,
and was tied down to military routine as a Mounted Rifleman in the Cape
Colony, when he determined to resign his commission into the hands of
Government, and himself to the delights of hunting amidst the untrodden
plains and forests of Southern Africa. Having provided himself with
waggons to travel and live in, with bullocks to draw them, and with a
host of attendants; a sufficiency of arms, horses, dogs, and ammunition,
he set out from Graham’s-Town, in October 1843. From that period his
hunting adventures extended over five years, during which time he
penetrated from various points and in various directions from his
starting-place in lat. 33 down to lat. 20, and passed through districts
upon which no European foot ever before trod; regions where the wildest
of wild animals abound—nothing less serving Mr. Cumming’s ardent
purpose.
A lion story in the early part of his book will introduce this fearless
hunter-author to our readers better than the most elaborate dissection
of his character. He is approaching Colesberg, the northernmost military
station belonging to the Cape Colony. He is on a trusty steed, which he
calls also “Colesberg.” Two of his attendants on horseback are with him.
“Suddenly,” says the author, “I observed a number of vultures seated on
the plain about a quarter of a mile ahead of us, and close beside them
stood a huge lioness, consuming a blesblok which she had killed. She was
assisted in her repast by about a dozen jackals, which were feasting
along with her in the most friendly and confidential manner. Directing
my followers’ attention to the spot, I remarked, ‘I see the lion;’ to
which they replied, ‘Whar? whar? Yah! Almagtig! dat is he;’ and
instantly reining in their steeds and wheeling about, they pressed their
heels to their horses’ sides, and were preparing to betake themselves to
flight. I asked them, what they were going to do? To which they
answered, ‘We have not yet placed caps on our rifles.’ This was true;
but while this short conversation was passing, the lioness had observed
us. Raising her full round face, she overhauled us for a few seconds and
then set off at a smart canter towards a range of mountains some miles
to the northward; the whole troop of jackals also started off in another
direction; there was, therefore, no time to think of caps. The first
move was to bring her to bay, and not a second was to be lost. Spurring
my good and lively steed, and shouting to my men to follow, I flew
across the plain, and, being fortunately mounted on Colesberg, the
flower of my stud, I gained upon her at every stride. This was to me a
joyful moment, and I at once made up my mind that she or I must die.”
The lioness soon after “suddenly pulled up, and sat on her haunches like
a dog, with her back towards me, not even deigning to look round. She
then appeared to say to herself, ‘Does this fellow know who he is
after?’ Having thus sat for half a minute, as if involved in thought,
she sprang to her feet, and facing about, stood looking at me for a few
seconds, moving her tail slowly from side to side, showing her teeth,
and growling fiercely. She next made a short run forwards, making a
loud, rumbling noise like thunder. This she did to intimidate me; but,
finding that I did not flinch an inch, nor seem to heed her hostile
demonstrations, she quietly stretched out her massive arms, and lay down
on the grass. My Hottentots now coming up, we all three dismounted, and
drawing our rifles from their holsters, we looked to see if the powder
was up in the nipples, and put on our caps. While this was doing, the
lioness sat up, and showed evident symptoms of uneasiness. She looked
first at us, and then behind her, as if to see if the coast were clear;
after which she made a short run towards us, uttering her deep-drawn
murderous growls. Having secured the three horses to one another by
their reins, we led them on as if we intended to pass her, in the hope
of obtaining a broadside; but this she carefully avoided to expose,
presenting only her full front. I had given Stofolus my Moore rifle,
with orders to shoot her if she should spring upon me, but on no account
to fire before me. Kleinboy was to stand ready to hand me my Purdey
rifle, in case the two-grooved Dixon should not prove sufficient. My men
as yet had been steady, but they were in a precious stew, their faces
having assumed a ghastly paleness; and I had a painful feeling that I
could place no reliance on them. Now, then, for it, neck or nothing! She
is within sixty yards of us, and she keeps advancing. We turned the
horses’ tails to her. I knelt on one side, and, taking a steady aim at
her breast, let fly. The ball cracked loudly on her tawny hide, and
crippled her in the shoulder; upon which she charged with an appalling
roar, and in the twinkling of an eye she was in the midst of us. At this
moment Stofolus’s rifle exploded in his hand, and Kleinboy, whom I had
ordered to stand ready by me, danced about like a duck in a gale of
wind. The lioness sprang upon Colesberg, and fearfully lacerated his
ribs and haunches with her horrid teeth and claws; the worst wound was
on his haunch, which exhibited a sickening, yawning gash, more than
twelve inches long, almost laying bare the very bone. I was very cool
and steady, and did not feel in the least degree nervous, having
fortunately great confidence in my own shooting; but I must confess,
when the whole affair was over, I felt that it was a very awful
situation, and attended with extreme peril, as I had no friend with me
on whom I could rely. When the lioness sprang on Colesberg, I stood out
from the horses, ready with my second barrel for the first chance she
should give me of a clear shot. This she quickly did; for, seemingly
satisfied with the revenge she had now taken, she quitted Colesberg,
and, slewing her tail to one side, trotted sulkily past within a few
paces of me, taking one step to the left. I pitched my rifle to my
shoulder, and in another second the lioness was stretched on the plain a
lifeless corpse.”
This is, however, but a harmless adventure compared with a subsequent
escapade—not with one, but with six lions. It was the hunter’s habit to
lay wait near the drinking-places of these animals, concealed in a hole
dug for the purpose. In such a place on the occasion in question, Mr.
Cumming—having left one of three rhinoceroses he had previously killed
as a bait—ensconsed himself. Such a savage festival as that which
introduced the adventure, has never before, we believe, been introduced
through the medium of the softest English and the finest hot-pressed
paper to the notice of the civilised public. “Soon after twilight,” the
author relates, “I went down to my hole with Kleinboy and two natives,
who lay concealed in another hole, with Wolf and Boxer ready to slip, in
the event of wounding a lion. On reaching the water I looked towards the
carcase of the rhinoceros, and, to my astonishment, I beheld the ground
alive with large creatures, as though a troop of zebras were approaching
the fountain to drink. Kleinboy remarked to me that a troop of zebras
were standing on the height. I answered, ‘Yes;’ but I knew very well
that zebras would not be capering around the carcase of a rhinoceros. I
quickly arranged my blankets, pillow, and guns in the hole, and then lay
down to feast my eyes on the interesting sight before me. It was bright
moonlight, as clear as I need wish, and within one night of being full
moon. There were six large lions, about twelve or fifteen hyænas, and
from twenty to thirty jackals, feasting on and around the carcases of
the three rhinoceroses. The lions feasted peacefully, but the hyænas and
jackals fought over every mouthful, and chased one another round and
round the carcases, growling, laughing, screeching, chattering, and
howling without any intermission. The hyænas did not seem afraid of the
lions, although they always gave way before them; for I observed that
they followed them in the most disrespectful manner, and stood laughing,
one or two on either side, when any lions came after their comrades to
examine pieces of skin or bones which they were dragging away. I had
lain watching this banquet for about three hours, in the strong hope
that, when the lions had feasted, they would come and drink. Two black
and two white rhinoceroses had made their appearance, but, scared by the
smell of the blood, they had made off. At length the lions seemed
satisfied. They all walked about with their heads up, and seemed to be
thinking about the water; and in two minutes one of them turned his face
towards me, and came on; he was immediately followed by a second lion,
and in half a minute by the remaining four. It was a decided and general
move, they were all coming to drink right bang in my face, within
fifteen yards of me.”
The hunters were presently discovered. “An old lioness, who seemed to
take the lead, had detected me, and, with her head high and her eyes
fixed full upon me, she was coming slowly round the corner of the little
vley to cultivate further my acquaintance! This unfortunate coincidence
put a stop at once to all further contemplation. I thought, in my haste,
that it was perhaps most prudent to shoot this lioness, especially as
none of the others had noticed me. I accordingly moved my arm and
covered her; she saw me move and halted, exposing a full broadside. I
fired; the ball entered one shoulder, and passed out behind the other.
She bounded forward with repeated growls, and was followed by her five
comrades all enveloped in a cloud of dust; nor did they stop until they
had reached the cover behind me, except one old gentleman, who halted
and looked back for a few seconds, when I fired, but the ball went high.
I listened anxiously for some sound to denote the approaching end of the
lioness; nor listened in vain. I heard her growling and stationary, as
if dying. In one minute her comrades crossed the vley a little below me,
and made towards the rhinoceros. I then slipped Wolf and Boxer on her
scent, and, following them into the cover, I found her lying dead.”
Mr. Cumming’s adventures with elephants are no less thrilling. He had
selected for the aim of his murderous rifle two huge female elephants
from a herd. “Two of the troop had walked slowly past at about sixty
yards, and the one which I had selected was feeding with two others on a
thorny tree before me. My hand was now as steady as the rock on which it
rested, so, taking a deliberate aim, I let fly at her head, a little
behind the eye. She got it hard and sharp, just where I aimed, but it
did not seem to affect her much. Uttering a loud cry, she wheeled about,
when I gave her the second ball, close behind the shoulder. All the
elephants uttered a strange rumbling noise, and made off in a line to
the northward at a brisk ambling pace, their huge fanlike ears flapping
in the ratio of their speed. I did not wait to load, but ran back to the
hillock to obtain a view. On gaining its summit, the guides pointed out
the elephants; they were standing in a grove of shady trees, but the
wounded one was some distance behind with another elephant, doubtless
its particular friend, who was endeavouring to assist it. These
elephants had probably never before heard the report of a gun; and
having neither seen nor smelt me, they were unaware of the presence of
man, and did not seem inclined to go any further. Presently my men hove
in sight, bringing the dogs; and when these came up, I waited some time
before commencing the attack, that the dogs and horses might recover
their wind. We then rode slowly towards the elephants, and had advanced
within two hundred yards of them, when, the ground being open, they
observed us, and made off in an easterly direction; but the wounded one
immediately dropped astern, and next moment she was surrounded by the
dogs, which, barking angrily, seemed to engross her attention. Having
placed myself between her and the retreating troop, I dismounted, to
fire within forty yards of her, in open ground. Colesberg was extremely
afraid of the elephants, and gave me much trouble, jerking my arm when I
tried to fire. At length I let fly; but, on endeavouring to regain my
saddle, Colesberg declined to allow me to mount; and when I tried to
lead him, and run for it, he only backed towards the wounded elephant.
At this moment I heard another elephant close behind; and on looking
about I beheld the ‘friend,’ with uplifted trunk, charging down upon me
at top speed, shrilly trumpeting, and following an old black pointer
named Schwart, that was perfectly deaf, and trotted along before the
enraged elephant quite unaware of what was behind him. I felt certain
that she would have either me or my horse. I, however, determined not to
relinquish my steed, but to hold on by the bridle. My men, who of course
kept at a safe distance, stood aghast with their mouths open, and for a
few seconds my position was certainly not an enviable one. Fortunately,
however, the dogs took off the attention of the elephants; and just as
they were upon me I managed to spring into the saddle, where I was safe.
As I turned my back to mount, the elephants were so very near, that I
really expected to feel one of their trunks lay hold of me. I rode up to
Kleinboy for my double-barrelled two-grooved rifle: he and Isaac were
pale and almost speechless with fright. Returning to the charge, I was
soon once more alongside, and, firing from the saddle, I sent another
brace of bullets into the wounded elephant. Colesberg was extremely
unsteady, and destroyed the correctness of my aim. The ‘friend’ now
seemed resolved to do some mischief, and charged me furiously, pursuing
me to a distance of several hundred yards. I therefore deemed it proper
to give her a gentle hint to act less officiously, and accordingly,
having loaded, I approached within thirty yards, and gave it her sharp,
right and left, behind the shoulder; upon which she at once made off
with drooping trunk, evidently with a mortal wound. Two more shots
finished her: on receiving them she tossed her trunk up and down two or
three times, and falling on her broadside against a thorny tree, which
yielded like grass before her enormous weight, she uttered a deep hoarse
cry and expired.”
Mr. Cumming’s exploits in the water are no less exciting than his land
adventures. Here is an account of his victory over a hippopotamus, on
the banks of the Limpopo river, near the northernmost extremity of his
journeyings.
“There were four of them, three cows and an old bull; they stood in the
middle of the river, and, though alarmed, did not appear aware of the
extent of the impending danger. I took the sea-cow next me, and with my
first ball I gave her a mortal wound, knocking loose a great plate on
the top of her skull. She at once commenced plunging round and round,
and then occasionally remained still, sitting for a few minutes on the
same spot. On hearing the report of my rifle two of the others took up
stream, and the fourth dashed down the river; they trotted along, like
oxen, at a smart pace as long as the water was shallow. I was now in a
state of very great anxiety about my wounded sea-cow, for I feared that
she would get down into deep water, and be lost like the last one; her
struggles were still carrying her down stream, and the water was
becoming deeper. To settle the matter I accordingly fired a second shot
from the bank, which, entering the roof of her skull, passed out through
her eye; she then kept continually splashing round and round in a circle
in the middle of the river. I had great fears of the crocodiles, and I
did not know that the sea-cow might not attack me. My anxiety to secure
her, however, overcame all hesitation; so, divesting myself of my
leathers, and armed with a sharp knife, I dashed into the water, which
at first took me up to my arm-pits, but in the middle was shallower. As
I approached Behemoth her eye looked very wicked. I halted for a moment,
ready to dive under the water if she attacked me, but she was stunned,
and did not know what she was doing; so, running in upon her, and
seizing her short tail, I attempted to incline her course to land. It
was extraordinary what enormous strength she still had in the water. I
could not guide her in the slightest, and she continued to splash, and
plunge, and blow, and make her circular course, carrying me along with
her as if I was a fly on her tail. Finding her tail gave me but a poor
hold, as the only means of securing my prey, I took out my knife, and
cutting two deep parallel incisions through the skin on her rump, and
lifting this skin from the flesh, so that I could get in my two hands, I
made use of this as a handle, and after some desperate hard work,
sometimes pushing and sometimes pulling, the sea-cow continuing her
circular course all the time and I holding on at her rump like grim
Death, eventually I succeeded in bringing this gigantic and most
powerful animal to the bank. Here the Bushman quickly brought me a stout
buffalo-rheim from my horse’s neck, which I passed through the opening
in the thick skin, and moored Behemoth to a tree. I then took my rifle,
and sent a ball through the centre of her head, and she was numbered
with the dead.”
There is nothing in “Waterton’s Wanderings,” or in the “Adventures of
Baron Munchausen” more startling than this “Waltz with a Hippopotamus!”
In the all-wise disposition of events, it is perhaps ordained that wild
animals should be subdued by man to his use at the expense of such
tortures as those described in the work before us. Mere amusement,
therefore, is too light a motive for dealing such wounds and death Mr.
Cumming owns to; but he had other motives,—besides a considerable profit
he has reaped in trophies, ivory, fur, &c., he has made in his book some
valuable contributions to the natural history of the animals he wounded
and slew.