FOREWORD xi 



and it was only in the last letter I received from 

 him that, referring to this story, President Roose- 

 velt wrote : " I think that the incident of the 

 Uganda man-eating lions, described in those two 

 articles you sent me, is the most remarkable 

 account of which we have any record. It is a 

 great pity that it should not be preserved in per- 

 manent form." Well, I am now glad to think that 

 it will be preserved in permanent form ; and I 

 venture to assure Col. Patterson that President 

 Roosevelt will be amongst the most interested 

 readers of his book. 



It is probable that the chapters recounting the 

 story of the Tsavo man-eating lions will be found 

 more absorbing than the other portions of Col. 

 Patterson's book ; but I think that most of his 

 readers will agree with me that the whole volume is 

 full of interest and information. The account given 

 by Col. Patterson of how he overcame all the 

 difficulties which confronted him in building a strong 

 and permanent railway bridge across the Tsavo 

 river makes excellent reading ; whilst the courage he 

 displayed in attacking, single-handed, lions, 

 rhinoceroses and other dangerous animals was sur- 

 passed by the pluck, tact and determination he 

 showed in quelling the formidable mutiny which 

 once broke out amongst his native Indian workers. 



Finally, let me say that I have spent the best; 



