178 THE MFUMBIRO VOLCANOES 



An excellent institution of the Belgians are the 

 herds of cattle, which are attached to every post in 

 the State except those in districts where cattle are 

 unable to live either on account of lack of grass (in 

 the densely forested regions) or by reason of cattle 

 disease. They have taught their native dairymen 

 to make an excellent kind of cream -cheese and very 

 passable butter, and the daily supply of fresh milk 

 to the posts contributes not a little to the well-being 

 of the white officials. The grass about Rutchuru 

 was poor, and the supply of milk was very 

 meagre, and it says much for the hospitality of 

 our hosts that for several days (unknown to us) 

 they sent the whole of their supply of milk for 

 our use. 



Next to the volcanoes the most notable feature of 

 Rutchuru are its lions. Almost every night we 

 heard them roaring and grunting near the post, and 

 in the morning we often found their round foot- 

 prints within a few yards of our house in the middle 

 of the station. When, later on, we dined with the 

 officials, we were escorted from the mess to our 

 house by an armed guard. I am not at all sure that 

 the loaded rifles behind us were not really a greater 

 source of danger than the possible lions watching 

 us in the darkness, but fortunately no accidents 

 happened from either source. Though we heard 

 very many lions in different places, we never happened 

 to see one. They are chiefly nocturnal in their 

 habits, and the country where they live is usually so 



