XVII CAMPING AT EL BO GO I 39I 



hunting expedition in the " subugo " forests there — owing to 

 the dryness of the season having caused a dearth on this side, 

 while these conditions were favourable to the bees' harvest in 

 that moister climate. But their operations were suddenly cut 

 short by a tragedy : one of their number had been carried off 

 and devoured by a lion, which had sprung upon the unfortunate 

 man while he was engaged in digging out a hive from a hole 

 in the ground, in broad daylight — so at least the affair was 

 described to me. In consequence of this, none of these people 

 would venture over the mountains again, although they declared 

 that honey was in abundance there, while here, on their own 

 side of the range, it was now so scarce. 



Another disaster of the same kind occurred shortly after 

 to a member of Lorgete's family. They had only just returned 

 from the Gwaso Nyiro River, where they had been hunting 

 and trapping for some time ; and, not having yet heard what 

 had happened, two or three of them went over the " subugo " to 

 reconnoitre, with a view of camping on the far side of the range 

 for a time. It is the habit of these natives, when starting out 

 in the early morning, to carry two or three burning brands, 

 drawn from the fire, in one hand ; and when the air is chilly — 

 as it always is in the " subugo " until the sun gets high — the 

 bearer puts his fire-sticks on the ground now and then, and, 

 blowing them up, sits cowering over the blaze, his skin cape 

 drawn round his shoulders, to imbibe the warmth. In this 

 position one of the party was pounced upon by the man-eater, 

 as witnessed by his terrified companion from a little distance, 

 and became its easy prey, just as in the case already 

 mentioned. 



It seemed a remarkable corroboration of Lesiat's dread of 

 the lions of that part, against which he had formerly warned 

 me when narrating his own adventures with one there in his 

 youth. Events which transpired later seemed to show, though, 

 that these animals were unusually daring and dangerous this year; 

 and I believe the explanation to be that, owing to the drought, 



