THE GUASO NYERO 
289 
terrific is interesting and instructive.* Doubtless for many 
years after man, in recognizably human form, appeared on 
this planet, he played but a small part in the destruction 
of big animals, compared to plague, to insect pests and 
microbes, to drought, flood, earth upheaval, and change of 
temperature. But during the geological moment covering 
the few thousand years of recorded history man has been 
not merely the chief, but practically the sole factor in the 
extermination of big mammals and birds. 
At and near Meru boma we spent a fortnight hunting 
elephant and rhinoceros, as described in the preceding 
chapter. While camped by the boma white-necked vultu- 
rine ravens and black and white crows came familiarly 
around the tents. A young eland bull, quite as tame as a 
doniestic cow, was picketed, now here, now there, about us. 
Horne was breaking it to drive in a cart. 
During our stay another District Commissioner, Mr. 
Piggott, came over on a short visit; it was he who the pre¬ 
ceding year, while at Neri, had been obliged to undertake 
the crusade against the rhinos, because, quite unprovoked, 
they had killed various natives. He told us that at the 
same time a man-eating leopard made its appearance, and 
killed seven children. It did not attack at night, but in the 
daytime, its victims being the little boys who were watching 
the flocks of goats; sometimes it took a boy and sometimes 
a goat. Two old men killed it with spears on the occasion 
of its taking the last victim. It was a big male, very old, 
much emaciated, and the teeth worn to stumps. Horne 
told us that a month or two before our arrival at Meru a 
* On our trip along the Guaso Nyero we heard that there had been a fresh out¬ 
break of rinderpest among the buffalo; I hope it will not prove such a hideous 
ilisaster. 
