CHAPTER XXVI 



ANIMALS WHICH PROVIDE SPORT 



The Lion. — Lions are distributed in greater or 

 lesser quantities throughout every portion of the 

 Protectorate, civilised and uncivilised. He may be 

 heard on the mainland from the island of Mombasa. 

 He wanders round the shores of the Great Lake. He 

 lives in great numbers on the barren deserts to the 

 north. He still invades, not only the golf-course 

 which adjoins Nairobi, but even during a severe 

 drought the very town itself. Everyone sees at least 

 one lion from the windows of the first train that takes 

 him into the country. No one sees him from the 

 train that takes him out. And what we should do 

 without him in the bars and clubs and other places 

 where drink and gossip abound I shudder to think. 



One of the most curious of the many curious facts 

 about the lion is the way in which his numbers are 

 kept up, if not actually increased. In 1905 about 

 forty lions were killed; a number far in advance of 

 any previous total. We were told that his extermin- 

 ation was at hand ; and big game shooters were 

 advised to hurry up and make the most of their 

 chance, since a year or two would see the lion a rara 

 avis indeed. 



In 1910 and 191 1 no less than 795 lions were 



248 



