Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 4.djvu/372

 344 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER

and for a confiderablc length of time, biu they feemcd to go juft fo much the worfe for it.

Upon approaching the pool, that had water in it, though yet at fome dillance from it, my fervants fcnt me word to come up fpeedily, and bring fire-arms with me. A lion had killed one of the deer, called Ariel, and had ate a part of it, but had retired upon the noife we had made in alight- ing. In place of him, five or fix hysenas had feized the carcafe, and feveral others were at the inftant arriving to join them, and partake of the prey the lion had abandoned. I haftened upon the fummons, carrying with me a mufket and bayonet, and a fhip blunderbufs, with about forty fmall bullets in it. I crept through the bullies, and under banks as near to them as poflible, for fear of being feen ; but the precaution feemed entirely fuperfluous ; for though they obferved me approaching, they did not feem difpofed to leave their prey, but in their turn looked at me, raifing the briftles upon their back, fliaking themfelves as a dog does when he comes out of water, and giving a fliort but terrible grunt. After which they fell to their prey again, as if they meant to difpatch their deerfirft, and then come and fettle their affairs with me. I now began to repent having ven- tured alone fo near ; but knowing, with the fhort weapon I had, the execution depended a good deal upon the di- ftance, I flill crept a little nearer, till I got as favourable a po- fition as I could wifli behind the root of a large tree that had fallen into the lake. Having fet my mufl^et at my hau'l, near and ready, I levelled my blunderbufs at the middle of the group, which were feeding voracioufly like as many fwine, with a confiderable noife, and a civil war with each other. Two of them fell dead upon the fpot ; two more 7 died