280 
ON SAFARI 
where it is practised—such as Athi Plains—a clear 
tendency to attack when unmolested, and especially to 
a/ttack horsemen, whom they are learning to regard as 
systematic enemies. 
This the following account of a recent fatality on the 
Athi Plains tends to show. I transcribe from a letter 
from a friend in East Africa— 
“ I regret to tell you that Mr. Lucas of Donyo-Sabuk 
was killed by a lioness last week (May 1906). It 
happened thus. Lions had for some time been molest¬ 
ing his stock, so he wrote for Capt. Goldfinch, whom 
you know, to come over and help him. They were 
riding together on the Athi, when suddenly a lioness 
sprang upon Goldfinch, rolling horse and rider to the 
ground. L. at once fired from his saddle, when the 
brute immediately left Goldfinch and sprang on Lucas, 
hurling him and his pony over, clawing him in the face, 
and mauling his arm so badly that he died a few days 
later in hospital. I should add that Goldfinch, mauled 
as he was, stood by his friend and fired point-blank into 
the lioness’ ear, giving her the coup de grace. One 
seldom hears of these brutes attacking unprovoked as 
this one did. A young fellow has also just been killed 
at Nyeri by a rhino. He was unarmed, and could not 
get out of the brute’s way.” 
Not only are the four animals named capable by 
sheer strength of almost instantly destroying human 
life, but they also possess a speed and an activity 
beyond what might be expected in such ponderous 
beasts. Hence, should the critical moment arrive at all, 
it comes in the form of a headlong onset, that, if carried 
home, may disconcert the coolest nerve. 
III. Snakes 
Of the “ more subtle and venomous beasts of the 
field” above referred to, East Africa is singularly free. 
During the whole period of our wanderings, including 
both summer and winter seasons, we did not see a 
