White Nile expedition, on the banks of which fatal
river he now lies, with the' cross that I erected
over his grave.
Poor Florian at length recovered from his complaint,
but was killed by a lion. He had wounded
an elephant, which on the following morning he
found dead; a lion had eaten a portion during the
night. While he was engaged with his men in
extracting the tusks, one of his hunters (a Tokroori)
followed the track of the lion on the sand, and found
the animal lying beneath a bush; he fired a single-
barrelled rifle, and wounded it in the thigh. He
at once returned to his master, who accompanied
him to the spot, and the lion was found lying
under the same bush, licking the wound. Florian
fired, and missed; the lion immediately crouched
for a spring; Florian fired his remaining barrel,
the ball merely grazed the lion, who almost in the
same instant bounded forward, and struck him upon
the head with a fearful blow of the paw, at the
same time it seized him by the throat.
The Tokroori hunter, instead of flying from the
danger, placed the muzzle of his rifle to the lion’s
ear, and blew its brains out on the body of his
master. The unfortunate Florian had been struck
dead, and great difficulty was found in extracting
the claws of the lion, which had penetrated the
skull. Florian, although a determined hunter, was
an exceedingly bad shot, and withal badly armed
for encounters with dangerous game; I had frequently
prophesied some calamity from the experience I had
had in a few "days’ shooting in his society, and most
unhappily my gloomy prediction was fulfilled.
This was the fate of two good and sterling
Germans, who had been my companions in this
wild country, where degrees of rank are entirely
forgotten, provided a man be honest and true. I
constantly look back to the European acquaintances
and friends that I made during my sojourn in Africa,
nearly all of whom are dead : à merciful Providence
guided us Through many dangers and difficulties,
and shielded us from all harm, during nearly five
years of constant exposure. Thanks be to God.
Our camels returned from Geera with corn, accompanied
by an Abyssinian hunter, who was declared
by Abou Do to be a good man, and dexterous with
the sword. We accordingly moved our camp, said
adieu to Florian and Johann, and penetrated still
deeper into the Basé.