C H A P . XI. Journey from little Sundays-river to Bojhies-mans- ' river» „ '77S- / r~\ N the 12 th our guide took us firft to the eaft and December. I I 1 v y then to the fouth-eaft, over a champain country, that we might bait and water our cattle at noon. This we did at a land fpring, which had been very much trampled under foot by the buffaloes, and which had no outlet. But at the diftance of an hour’s ride from thence, we found better water, and came to a refolution to put up the following night not far from the fpot, in order to be ready in the morning to look out after the buffaloes; as. it is in places jufl like thefe, that they particularly come out into the meadows to graze; but, on the contrary, in the day time, on account of the heat, they generally choofe to keep in the woods. It had not been dark two hours, before we heard the roaring of lions, which at times appeared to be pretty near us. This; yvas the firft time that I had heard this kind o f mafic, and, as there were feveral performers, it might be properly called a concerto of lions. They continued roaring the whole night, whence my guide concluded, that they they had affembled on the plains in order to copulate, and carry on their amours, by fighting and attacking each other after the manner of cats. To defcribe the roaring of the lion as nearly as I can, I muft inform the reader, that it confifted in a hoarfe inarticulate found, which at the fame time feemed to have a hollownefs in it, fomething like that proceeding from a fpeaking trumpet. T h e found is between that o f a German U and an O, being drawn to a great length, and appearing as if it came from out of the earth ; at the fame time that, after liftcning with the gteateft attention, I could not exactly hear from what quarter it came. The found of the lion’s voice does not bear the leaft refemblance to thunder, as M. d e B u f f o n , Tom. IX. -p. 2 2 , from the Voyage o f B o u i . i . a t k l f . G o u z , affirms it d o e s . In fail, it appeared to me to be neither peculiarly piercing nor tremendous ; yet from its ¿flow prolonged note, joined with nocturnal darknefs, and the terrible idea one is apt to form to one’s felf of this animal, it made one fhudder, even in fuch places, as I had an opportunity of hearing it in with more fatisfadfion, and without having ¡the leaft occafion for fear. We could plainly perceive by our animals, when the lions, whether they roared or not, were reconnoitering us at a fmall diftance. Tor in that Gaffe: the houmdsdld not-dare to bark in the leaft, but crept quite clofe to the ¡Hottentots;; and our oxen and horfes fighed deeply, frequently hanging back, and pulling ilowly with all their might at the ftrong ftraps with which they were tied upto the waggon. They likewife laid themfelves down upon the .ground and flood up alternately, appearing-as I f the-y jdid not know What todo with themfelves :
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