THE LION 167 



a portion of Boror in 1911, and, judging from the 

 sleepless nights that they caused my carriers as 

 they roared and grunted round the camp, I 

 should imagine that the evil reputation of this 

 portion of the countiy has been in no way 

 exaggerated. I did not actually see any, as, 

 being on service at the time, I had no oppor- 

 tunity of hunting them, added to which the nights 

 were dark and moonless ; but I have unprofitable 

 recollections of one vigil of several hours spent 

 sitting with my rifle across my knee wondering 

 when the moment for using it would come, whilst 

 my people, grey with fright, could only be re- 

 strained Tv-ith the greatest difficulty from making 

 a dash for the nearest belt of trees. In no part of 

 Africa in which I have lived or travelled have I 

 heard lions at night in such evident numbers, or 

 seen by day so much of their spoor. There is 

 certainly in Boror a fair amount of game, but not 

 in my opinion sufficient to justify the presence of 

 the quantities of lions which for years past have 

 gained for this district so sinister and unenviable 

 a reputation. The numbers of native casualties 

 have for years been extraordinarily high — so much 

 so that the Company have not seldom experienced 

 difficulty in maintaining communication between 

 their outposts owing to the natural reluctance of 

 their employes and labourers to undertake the 

 duties of mail-carriers. I was informed by the 

 people themselves that all the lions in Boror were 

 man-eaters, having developed so keen a relish 

 for human flesh that they practically left the 

 game alone ; and although this is no doubt an 



