208 THE SNAKES OF SOUTH AFRICA. 
and a couple of trusty Zulu servants, to go right into the wilds, 
away from all civilization, and live surrounded by Nature, and 
study the ways of her creations. 
So great is the dread of the Mamba in the native mind, that 
if one be known to inhabit any particular locality, few, if any, 
natives will venture there. In fact, a wide detour is always 
made. As a general rule, the more we learn about snakes and 
their ways, the less fear we have of them. This is usually not so 
with the Mamba. The more one learns of his ways, the greater 
grows the dread of him. He, without doubt, is the king of snakes 
in South Africa. For quickness, aggressiveness, and the deadly 
nature of his venom, he has no equal. 
After two or three encounters with large Black Mambas, I 
learned to be wary. I found that even a gun was not always a 
protection, so quick and sinuous were his movements. A Black 
Mamba should never be attacked in the bush or long grass. I 
have frequently startled Mambas out of a nap on the Kafir paths 
in the bushy parts of Natal. Sometimes they would glide off 
and away into the undergrowth, but as likely as not the Mamba 
would slide up a shrub at the side of the path, and remain on the 
defensive. If astone be thrown at him, or if he be wounded, he 
will, as likely as not, make straight at his aggressor, and with 
body raised, bite him. 
I once lost a Zulu servant in this way. He had lost most of his 
superstitious fear of Mambas, having been with me on many 
expeditions, and witnessed numbers of these reptiles being killed. 
Disregarding the advice of the other natives, he ventured up a 
kloof in search of a duiker buck which was seen to enter. He 
came back, foaming at the mouth, and gasping out the word 
“Mamba!” and, pointing to the upper part of his thigh, he was 
seized with terrible convulsions and died. I mourned for long 
over this boy, for he was so true, so brave, so simple, so devoted. 
Yes, there is no savage upon the face of the earth to equal a real 
uncivilized Zulu of the kraal type, unstained and free from the 
degrading and soul-blighting influences of the lower stratum of 
humanity often inhabiting towns. 
The quickness of movement, grace, and ease with which the 
Mamba glides about in his native habitat is very lucidly summed 
up by Mr. W. F. Jones, of Zululand. ‘‘ The Mamba is essentially 
partial to trees, and thorns make no difference to the ease of its 
