TANGANYIKA LIONS 263 



and at the same time the most terrifying sight I 

 think I have ever seen. He looked almost as big as a 

 full grown bull as he came tearing down upon us, his 

 mane flying and his dripping teeth bared for the 

 final death-dealing assault. The black boys were 

 ready to collapse when Osa fired. The huge body 

 checked for a split-second in mid-air, then fell and 

 rolled to a point just thirteen feet from my camera's 

 tripod. 



Once more there was impressed upon my mind how 

 surely was the lion but a gigantic murdering cat, far 

 better dead than alive. 



It is only fair to add, however, that even at this 

 time I was not afraid of being eaten by a lion. The 

 belief that a Hon is a man-eater is generally incorrect. 

 Lions enjoy zebra and giraffe meat best of all; human 

 flesh does not usually appeal to them. In my six 

 years' residence in Africa in lion country I have never 

 been able personally to trace an authentic case of a 

 man-eating lion. Often I have heard of them; 

 but, when I run the facts to earth they always turn 

 out to be nothing more than wild rumor. 



It was Phil Percival who persuaded us to go far 

 south into Tanganyika Territory for our best lion 

 adventures. This section of Africa is on the lower 

 eastern border, well south of Nairobi. It is well 

 protected by natiu-al obstacles, since it is a rough and 

 nearly waterless country. Its isolation is, I think, 



