VJKW NKAR TIIK KlTlMlilX VOLCAXO 



XVII 



Lions 



E" OUATORIAL East Africa is without doubt as rich 

 J in lions as any other part of the continent. 

 Nevertheless, the prospect ot encounterinL^- them is, from 

 many causes, slighter than used to be the case in South 

 Africa, and still is in other regions in which horses can live. 

 In Somaliland, f()r instance, the lion is huntc;d on horse- 

 back, so that he can be followed imtil he is tired (xit, and 

 can then be shot. In South Africa they used to hunt lions 

 with dogs. Neither practice is possible in Equatorial 

 East Africa, as horses cannot live there, and the does 

 are useless lor this purpose. 



The hunter has therefore to depend upon being 

 favoured by circumstances — often to find himself unarmed 

 just when his chance has come ! Or else he must have 

 recourse to nocturnal expeditions — a method which, gene- 

 rally speaking, is not to my taste. On these night 

 " shoots " you either fire from some eminence or out of 



o4v) 



