Returning toward Kuruman, I selected the beautiful valley of Mabotsa (latitude 25 deg. 14’ south, longitude 26 deg. 30’) as the site of a missionary-station, and thither I removed in 1843.  Here an occurrence took place concerning which I have frequently been questioned in England, and which, but for the importunities of friends, I meant to have kept in store to tell my children when in my dotage.  The Bakatla of the village Mabotsa were much troubled by lions, which leaped into the cattle-pens by night and destroyed their cows.  They even attacked the herds in open day.  This was so unusual an occurrence that the people believed they were bewitched—­“given,” as they said, “into the power of the lions by a neighboring tribe.”  They went at once to attack the animals, but, being rather a cowardly people compared to Bechuanas in general on such occasions, they returned without killing any.

It is well known that if one of a troop of lions is killed, the others take the hint and leave that part of the country.  So the next time the herds were attacked I went with the people in order to encourage them to rid themselves of the annoyance by destroying one of the marauders.  We found the lions on a small hill about a quarter of a mile in length and covered with trees.  A circle of men was formed round it, and they gradually closed up, ascending pretty near to each other.  Being down below on the plain with a native schoolmaster, named Mebalwe, a most excellent man, I saw one of the lions sitting on a piece of rock within the now closed circle of men.  Mebalwe fired at him before I could, and the ball struck the rock on which the animal was sitting.  He bit at the spot struck, as a dog does at a stick or stone thrown at him; then leaping away, broke through the opening circle and escaped unhurt.  The men were afraid to attack him, perhaps on account of their belief in witchcraft.

When the circle was re-formed we saw two other lions in it; but we were afraid to fire lest we should strike the men, and they allowed the beasts to burst through also.  If the Bakatla had acted according to the custom of the country, they would have speared the lions in their attempt to get out.  Seeing we could not get them to kill one of the lions, we bent our footsteps toward the village; in going round the end of the hill, however, I saw one of the beasts sitting on a piece of rock as before, but this time he had a little bush in front.  Being about thirty yards off, I took a good aim at his body through the bush, and fired both barrels into it.  The men then called out, “He is shot!  He is shot!”

Others cried:  “He has been shot by another man too; let us go to him!” I did not see anyone else shoot at him, but I saw the lion’s tail erected in anger behind the bush, and, turning to the people said, “Stop a little, till I load again.”  When in the act of ramming down the bullets I heard a shout.  Starting, and looking half round, I saw the lion just in the act of springing