238 BIG GAME SHOOTING 
lion close by ; but native report is not to be relied on in cases 
like this. 
Lions when in the game country rarely go a night without 
something to eat, and I venture to think that in most instances 
of attacks on camps the reason is not so much their reputed 
natural boldness and daring, but that they are driven to it 
by the pangs of hunger. But even the cowardly skulking 
hyzena will enter a camp within the ring of fires under such cir- 
cumstances. Although there is, as a rule, plenty of game in the 
districts in which lions are found, they no doubt, for reasons 
stated above, occasionally and of necessity retire foodless 
and hungry. This may also be accounted for by old age and 
inability to catch and kill game. But whatever the cause of 
their hunger, they will always make for the nearest water, not 
only to quench their thirst, but also as being a likely place to 
find their prey; and in the event of a camp being pitched 
close by, in which there may be cattle, donkeys, or something 
equally attractive, they are prompted to attack it. 
I only know of one instance of a camp being attacked at 
night by a lion, and this was within my own experience. It 
occurred in the waterless and also game/ess wilderness between 
Mount Kisigao and Mitati in the Teita country, when on my 
way to Kilimanjaro. The night before the attack the lion was 
seen close to camp by some porters who were lying under a tree 
rather outside the ring of fires, and it was evidently intent on 
a white donkey tied to a tree close by, which belonged to a 
missionary. who was travelling up with me for the sake of pro- 
tection. ‘The donkey was therefore brought into the centre of 
the camp, and the lion was only heard at intervals during 
the night as it prowled around. ‘The following night when we 
encamped without a ‘boma,’ the men being too tired to make 
one, we merely formed a circle of fires, round which the mem- 
bers of each mess were for the most part lying asleep. About 
midnight I was awakened by a tremendous commotion 
with cries of ‘Simba! Simba !’ (lion !), and on rushing out of 
my tent to investigate was told that a lion had attempted to 
