Wild Scenes in a Hunter's Life; Including Cumming's Adventures Among the Lions, and Other Wild Animals of Africa, Etc. with Three Hundred Illustrations (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1852 Excerpt: ...dismount and finish him. Just, however, as I had come to this resolution, I suddenly found myself in a labyrinth of enormous holes, the burrows of the ant-bear. In front of one of these the wild boar pulled up, and, charging stern foremost into it, disappeared from my disappointed eyes, and I saw him no more. I rode home for my men; and returning, we collected grass and bushes, and endeavored to smoke him out, but without success. HOFPOPOTAMl'S. CHAPTER XLIV. HUNTING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. N the 17th of June, says Mr. dimming, having found a good drift I'cnssed the Limpopo with my wagons, and drew them up in a green and shady spot. I then rodealongway down the eastern hank in quest of hippopotami, and Jate in the evening I found one, which I did not molest, trusting to find him the next day. On the 18th a dense mist hung over the Ordering the wagons to follow in an hour, I rode ahead to seek the sea-cow of the previous night, hut after a long search I gave it up as a bad job, and, kindling a fire to warm myself, awaited the wagons, which presently came up. Here I halted for two hours, and then once more rode ahead to seek hippopotami. The river became more promising for sea-cows. At every turn there occurred deep, still pools, with occasional sandy islands densely clad with lofty reeds, and with banks covered with reeds to a breadth of thirty yards. Above and beyond these reeds stood trees of immense age and gigantic size, beneath which grew a long and very rank description of grass, on which the sea-cow delights to pasture. I soon found fresh spoor, and after holding on for several river all the morning. miles, just as the sun was going down, and as I entered a dense reed cover, I ca/ne upon the fresh lairs of four hippopotami. They had been lying sleeping on t...