PROXIMITY OF LIONS. 
i39 
Our night encampment was situated on the river 
Lumi, and the spot had been christened by Jackson’s 
men the siinba (lion) camp, on account of his having 
killed this so-called “king of beasts” while staying 
there some months before. During the afternoon I 
shot one fine mpallah, hut the rest of the party returned 
with an empty bag, having only sighted distant Granti 
and ostriches. Overtaken by darkness before I got 
home, I had some difficulty in finding my way, as, 
although the country is mainly open plain, the river is 
fringed by a belt of dense jungle, and its approach 
made awkward by wart-hog burrows. 
It had been previously arranged that, in the event of 
any of our party being absent at sunset, shots should 
be fired at half-hour intervals. Three of these signal- 
shots now proved excellent guides, and agreeably up¬ 
set the programme I had sketched out for the night— 
a not too pleasant bed in the highest tree I could find. 
Before entering camp I heard the low growls of lions, 
proceeding from the bush, which were immediately 
followed by the unmistakable rustle of moving animals 
who were a little too near to be pleasant companions 
in the dark; however, I never heard of any one being 
seized by them in these parts, the probable reason being 
that, as antelopes are obtainable in abundance, the lions, 
though numerous, are not urged by hunger to attack 
men. 
The next morning we separated ; B-and II- 
going for one night to a Ziwa, some five or six miles 
to the south-east of Simba camp, and C- and I 
