We left Henry’s Pan on the 26th. Water again failed us on our route, and we were obliged to resume a system of forced marches. For some days our road lay through a very monotonous sandy forest. The trees were not generally remarkable, but we noticed one giant baobab, that just above the ground had a circumference of twenty-eight feet ten inches. The variety of birds was very great; birds of prey were represented by the buzzard and the dwarf owl; singing birds by pyrols of two kinds and fly-catchers, the males distinguished by their long tails; the smaller songsters being even more numerous than in places where the vegetation was more luxuriant and diversified. Shrikes were especially numerous, particularly a large kind with a red throat and breast, frequenting low thick bushes. Yellow-beaked hornbills were not uncommon, neither were small-tailed widow-birds, hoopoes, and bee-eaters. I likewise contrived to collect a good many plants, and some varieties of seeds, fruits, and funguses.
A wooded ascent brought us to a plain of tall grass, enclosed on two sides by the forest. Everything about us, animal and vegetable, seemed more and more to partake of a tropical character. I was much struck by the peculiar way in which some of the leguminous trees shed their seeds, the heat of the sun causing the pods to burst with a loud explosion, and to cast the seed to a considerable distance all about. The air was full of myriads of tiny bees, that crept into our clothes, hair, and ears, and made our noses tingle to our great discomfort.
Since leaving the Nata we had been making a continuous ascent, and it seemed that we had now reached the highest point of the plateau. Some of the low hills that we passed contained traces of melaphyr and quartzite; and the soil generally was so stony, that although the baobab throve very fairly, all other trees and shrubs were of singularly stunted growth.
It was on the evening of the 30th that we had the satisfaction of resting our eyes upon the first affluent of the Zambesi, the Deykah. It was nothing more than a little brook, rising close to the spot where we encamped; but it contained some pools of which the water was deep enough to invite us to a bath, had we not been deterred by a prudent consideration of the crocodiles that were said to lurk there. In the adjacent glades the grass had been burnt down; indeed, there were some places where bushes were still smouldering, the fire having unquestionably been kindled by the ostrich-hunters, according to their wont.
The best part of the next day was taken up in crossing a number of valleys the drainage of which flowed into the Deykah, and in going over the intervening hills, some of which were rocky, and others equally sandy; but before daylight failed us we reached the valley of the Panda ma Tenka, a small river, that after flowing first north and then north-west, and taking up various spruits on its way, finally joins the Zambesi below the Victoria Falls. Since the English traders have opened traffic with the natives the place has been a kind of rendezvous alike for them and for the elephant-hunters, and we found several waggons quartered on the left bank. A depôt, consisting of an enclosed courtyard containing a hut and a square magazine, has been built on the spot by Mr. Westbeech, the Zambesi merchant, who resides there himself during a certain portion of the year, and during his absence leaves his business to be transacted by his agents Blockley and Bradshaw. After he has disposed of his ivory in the diamond-fields, he returns with fresh goods, and makes this his starting-point for his expeditions to Sesheke and along the Zambesi.
I found Mr. Blockley at the depôt. I also learnt that one of the waggons belonged to Mr. Anderson, who was very pleased to see me again. Noticing at once the great height of the fences round the enclosures, I was informed that the precaution was indispensable, because “lions ran about like dogs,” the roads everywhere being covered with their tracks.
I am inclined to divide the South African lions into three species; first, the common full-maned lion that is found in Barbary; secondly, the maneless lion; and thirdly, the kind called “krachtmanetye” by the Dutch, distinguished by its short light hair, and by a mane that never reaches below the shoulder. I do not consider the “bondpoote” of the Dutch to be a distinct species, inasmuch as its dark spots are a characteristic of the full-maned lion, and disappear as it advances in age.
The full-maned lions of the northern part of the continent are very rarely to be seen in South Africa. The maneless lions used to be common on the Molapo, and are still to be found in the valley of the central Zambesi and on the lower Chobe, their colour being extremely light; but the most common are those of the short-maned species. They haunt the valley of the Limpopo from the mouth of the Notuany downwards, to the exclusion for the most part of every other kind. It is said that they are especially dangerous between the ages of two and four years.
Ordinarily the South African lion is a most cautious beast. It might almost be supposed that he calculates the chances of every conflict, very rarely returning to any encounter in which he has once been worsted. His usual tactics are to try to intimidate before he attacks; he will either approach with a tremendous roar, or advance with head erect gnashing his teeth; or sometimes he will dash along in a succession of long bounds; or again he will trot up briskly, uttering savage growls. But whichever mode of aggression he may choose, he never fails to keep his eye steadily fixed upon his intended victim. A perfect immovability is the best defence. The least sign of quailing is fatal; and the smallest movement will often infuriate a lion, especially a young lion, and invite an immediate attack. Cases are not unknown, but are comparatively rare, and generally confined to old and experienced lions, when they make their assaults without any of the preliminary devices that I have mentioned. Perhaps most of the instances of this kind would be when the beasts are absolutely suffering from hunger, or when they are exasperated after a chase, or when a lioness is guarding her whelps. It is of great advantage to a hunter, particularly to a novice in the pursuit, to see a lion before the lion sees him, even though it be for ever so short an interval. The most experienced hunter is only too likely to lose his composure if one of the giants of the forest is found face to face with him before he has time to prepare his weapon. No more unfortunate plight can be imagined, than that of a naturalist or a botanist engrossed in his studies, and suddenly disturbed by the growl of a lion close beside him. Natives seated round their fire may perhaps hope to escape, but for the solitary individual in the depths of the wood, there can be no reprieve.
