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The Man Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures

J >> J.H. Patterson >> The Man Eaters of Tsavo and Other East African Adventures




Should time be available, a trip to the Victoria Nyanza
should certainly be made. The voyage round the Lake
in one of the comfortable railway steamers takes about
eight days, but the crossing to Entebbe, the official
capital of Uganda, can be done in seventeen hours,
though it usually takes twenty-seven, as at night the
boats anchor for shelter under the lee of an island.
The steamer remains long enough in Entebbe harbour
to enable the energetic traveller to pay a flying visit in
a rickshaw to Kampala, the native capital, some twenty-one
miles off. I spent a most interesting day last year
in this way, and had a chat with the boy King of
Uganda, Daudi Chwa, at Mengo. He was then about
nine years old, and very bright and intelligent. He
made no objection to my taking his photograph, but it
unfortunately turned out a failure.

It is curious to find the Baganda (i.e., people of
Uganda) highly civilised -- the majority are Christians
-- surrounded as they are on all sides by nations of
practically naked savages; and it is a very interesting,
sight to watch them in the "bazaar" at Kampala, clad
in long flowing cotton garments, and busily engaged in
bartering the products of the country under the shade
of tattered umbrellas. Unfortunately the great scourge
of the district round the shores of the Lake is the
sleeping sickness, which in the past few years has
carried off thousands of the natives, and has quite
depopulated the islands, which were once densely
inhabited. The disease is communicated by the bite of
an infected fly, but happily this pest is only found in
certain well-defined regions, so that if the traveller
avoids these he is quite as safe, as regards sleeping
sickness, as if he had remained in England.

On the return journey from Entebbe, Jinja, a port on
the north side of the Victoria Nyanza, is usually called
at. This place is of great interest, as it is here that the
Lake narrows into a breadth of only a few hundred
yards, and, rushing over the Ripon Falls, forms the
long-sought-for source of the Nile. The magnificent
view of the mighty river stretching away to the north
amid enchanting scenery is most inspiring and one can
well imagine how elated Speke must have felt when
after enduring countless hardships, he at last looked
upon it and thus solved one of the great problems
the ancients.

II.

The following, is a literal translation of the
Hindustani poem referred to on p. 104:--

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MERCIFUL, THE
COMPASSIONATE:

First must I speak to the praise and glory of God,
who is infinite and incomprehensible,

Who is without fault or error, who is the Life, though
without body or breath.

He has no relatives, nor father nor son, being himself
incomparable and passionless.

His is the knowledge of the known and of the
unknown, and although without a tongue, yet does
he speak in mighty tones.

I, Roshan, came to this country of Africa, and did
find it indeed a strange land;

Many rocks, mountains, and dense forests abounding
in lions and leopards;

Also buffaloes, wolves, deer, rhinoceroses, elephants,
camels, and all enemies of man;

Gorillas, ferocious monkeys that attack men, black
baboons of giant size, spirits, and thousands of varieties
of birds;

Wild horses, wild dogs, black snakes, and all animals
that a hunter or sportsman could desire.

The forests are so dark and dreadful that even
the boldest warriors shrink from their awful depths.

Now from the town of Mombasa, a railway line
extends unto Uganda;

In the forests bordering on this line, there are
found those lions called "man-eaters," and moreover
these forests are full of thorns and prickly shrubs.

Portions of this railway from Mombasa to Uganda
are still being made, and here these lions fell on the
workmen and destroyed them.

Such was their habit, day and night, and hundreds
of men fell victims to these savage creatures, whose very
jaws were steeped in blood.

Bones, flesh, skin and blood, they devoured all, and
left not a trace behind them.

Because of the fear of these demons some seven or
eight hundred of the labourers deserted, and remained
idle;

Some two or three hundred still remained, but they
were haunted by this terrible dread,

And because of fear for their lives, would sit in their
huts, their hearts full of foreboding and terror.

Every one of them kept a fire burning at night, and
none dared to close his eyes in sleep; yet would some
of them be carried away to destruction.

The lion's roar was such that the very earth would
tremble at the sound, and where was the man who did
not feel afraid?

On all sides arose weeping and wailing, and the people
would sit and cry like cranes, complaining of the deeds
of the lions.

I, Roshan, chief of my people, also complained and
prayed to God, the Prophet, and to our spiritual
adviser.

And now will I relate the story of the Engineer
in charge of the line.

He kept some ten or twenty goats, for the sake of
their milk;

But one night a wild beast came, and destroyed
them all, not one being left.

And in the morning it was reported by the
watchman, who also stated that the man-eater was daily
destroying the labourers and workmen, and doing great
injury;

And they took the Engineer with them and showed
him the footprints of the animal.

And after seeing what the animal had done, the
Englishman spoke, and said,

"For this damage the lion shall pay his life."
And when night came he took his gun and in very
truth destroyed the beast.

Patterson Sahib is indeed a brave and valiant man,
like unto those Persian heroes of old -- Rustem, Zal,
Sohrab and Berzoor;

So brave is he, that the greatest warriors stood aghast
at his action;

Tall in stature, young, most brave and of great
strength is he.

From the other side of the line came the noise and
cries of those who complained that these savage beasts
were eating and destroying men,

For such has been the habit of lions from time
immemorial, and groups of people have fallen victims
to their fury.

Those who were proud or boastful, have but sacrificed
their lives uselessly;

But to-day Patterson Sahib will watch for the lion
himself!

For the people have complained loudly, and the
valiant one has gone forth with his gun into the
forest.

Soon after the people had retired at night to their
tents, the fearless lion made his appearance;

Patterson Sahib loaded both barrels of his gun and
went forth against him.

He fired many times in succession and totally
paralysed the animal.

The lion roared like thunder as the bullets found their
way to his heart.

This Englishman, Patterson, is most brave, and is
indeed the very essence of valour;

Lions do not fear lions, yet one glance from Patterson
Sahib cowed the bravest of them.

He fled, making for the forest, while the bullets
followed hard after him;

So was this man-eater rendered helpless; he lay down
in despair,

And after he had covered a chain's distance, the
savage beast fell down, a corpse.

Now the people, bearing lights in their hands, all ran
to look at their dead enemy.

But the Sahib said "Return, my children; the night
is dark, do not rush into danger."

And in the morning all the people saw the lion
lying dead.

And then the Sahib said, "Do not think of work to-day
-- make holiday, enjoy and be merry."

So the people had holiday and made merry with
friends from whom they had been long parted, on
account of the lion:

And the absence of those who had run away was
forgiven, and their money allowed them --
A generous action, comparable to the forgiveness of
God and the Prophet to sinners and criminals on the
day of judgment.

Oh! poet, leave this kind of simile, it is too deep
for thee;

We mortals have the Devil, like unto a fierce lion, ever
after us;

Oh! Roshan, may God, the Prophet, and your
spiritual adviser, safeguard you day and night!

One lion, however, remained, and for fear of him all
went in dread;

Sixteen days passed, all being well, and everyone
enjoyed a peaceful mind;

But again, on the seventeenth day, the lion appeared
and remained from sunset to sunrise.

He kept on roaming about in the neighbourhood like
a general reconnoitring the enemy's position.

On the following day the Sahib sent for the
people and warned them all to be careful of their
lives;

"Do not go out from the afternoon even until the
following morning," he said.

Now this was the night of Shab-i-Kadr, a Muslim
festival:

And at night when all had retired to rest, the lion
came in a rage,

And Patterson Sahib went forth into the field to
meet him.

And when he saw the beast, he fired quickly, bullet
after bullet.

The lion made a great uproar, and fled for his life, but
the bullets nevertheless found a resting-place in his heart.

And everyone began to shriek and groan in their
uneasy sleep, jumping up in fear, when unexpectedly
the roaring of the lion was heard.

All thought of sleep was banished, and fear came in
its place:

And the Sahib gave emphatic orders that no one
should go out, or roam about.

And in the morning we followed the marks of blood
that had flowed from the wounded animal,

And some five or seven chains away, we found the
lion, lying wounded and in great pain.

And when the Sahib saw the animal he fired bullets
incessantly;

But when the lion saw the Sahib, the savage animal,
burning with rage, and pain,

Came by leaps and bounds close to the Sahib;
But here he was to meet his match in a brave Sahib
who loaded his gun calmly, and fired again and again,
killing the beast.

All the Punjaubis assembled together and agreed
that the Sahib was a man who appreciated and cared
for others, so much so that he roamed about in the
forests for our sake, in order to protect us.

Previously, many Englishmen had come here to
shoot but had been disappointed,

Because the lion was very courageous and ferocious,
and the Sahibs were afraid;

But for the sake of our lives, Patterson Sahib took
all this trouble, risking his own life in the forest.

So they collected many hundreds of rupees, and
offered it as a present to the Sahib, because he had
undergone such peril, in order to save our lives.

Oh! Roshan, all the people appeared before the
Sahib saying, "You are our benefactor";

But the Sahib declined to accept the present, not
taking a pice of it.

So then again the Punjaubis assembled, and consulted
as to how the service that the Sahib had done them
could most suitably he rewarded.

And it was agreed to send all the money to England,
in order that it might be converted into some suitable
present,

Which should bear an engraving of the two lions,
and the name of the mistari[1], head of the workmen.

The present should be such, and so suitably decorated,
as to be acceptable to Patterson Sahib;

In colour it should resemble moon and sun; and that
would indeed be a fit present, so that the Sahib would
be pleased to accept it.

Oh! Roshan, I hope that he will accept this present
for shooting the lions, as some small reward for his
action.

My native home is at Chajanlat, in the thana of
Domli, which is in the district of Jhelum, and I have
related this story as it actually occurred.

Patterson Sahib has left me, and I shall miss him as
long as I live, and now

Roshan must roam about in Africa, sad and
regretful.

[1] Foreman-mason.

Composed by Roshan mistari, son of Kadur mistari
Bakhsh, native of the village of Chajanlat, Dakhli, Post
Office Domli, district of Jhelum. Dated 29th January,
1899.

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