Mauled by a Lion
The villagers of Mabutso in Southern Africa begged Dr David Livingstone to rid them of a menacing pride of lions.
1844
Queen Victoria 1837-1901
The villagers of Mabutso in Southern Africa begged Dr David Livingstone to rid them of a menacing pride of lions.
1844
Queen Victoria 1837-1901
On February 16th, 1844, Scottish missionary David Livingstone was digging a water channel at his mission near the South African village of Mabotsa when the villagers rushed up, crying that lions had again raided their village and slaughtered their sheep and goats. Livingstone ‘very imprudently’ agreed to go with them and demoralise the pride by shooting one of the dominant males.
abridged
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 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 back round, I saw the lion just in the act of springing upon me. I was upon a little height; he caught my shoulder as he sprang, and we both came to the ground below together.
Growling horribly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a rat. The shock produced a stupor similar to that which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first shake of the cat.
Livingstone was using a rifle that had to be loaded through the muzzle. Powder came first, then a bullet was rammed down the barrel with a rod before more powder (for a flint lock gun) or a cap (for a percussion lock gun) was added at the breech. An expert marksman aspired to reload his weapon in about 15 seconds.