^ The African Elephant 



paid their men in advance, but kept the lion's share of 

 the profits for themselves. 



Thus was the desert scoured in all directions, with 

 the result that by the end of last century it was denuded 

 entirely of ivory and elephants. The transport of ivory 

 was undertaken in combination with the slave-trade, 

 slaves being- made to carry the valuable goods to the 

 coast on their shoulders. And the chief purpose of all 

 this was to provide the billiard-players of the world 

 with material for their balls — -the beautiful soft ivory 

 obtained from the Atrican female elephant ! 



Nowadays the conditions are quite different. Smaller 

 caravans, fitted out tor this trade, still travel over the 

 country ; but very tew larger expeditions of this kind 

 are undertaken by the blacks, now that they would be 

 obliged to penetrate very far into the interior. Some 

 years ago I came across one such caravan comprising 

 about four hundred men. Their goal was the country 

 between Lake Rudolf and the Nile, a district then very 

 little known, but which still hides a large store ot 

 elephants. I was naturally much astonished to find this 

 company in possession of breech-loaders. The leader 

 informed me with pride that tbr months — nay, years — 

 the caravan had lived entirely on the flesh of wild 

 animals, and that no bullet left their Mausers in vain ! 



Soon the ivory-trade will be a thing of the past. 

 Already the European visitor laughs incredulously when 

 he is told how matters stood tbrmerly. It is easier for 

 me to realise it, remembering as I do the vast numbers 

 of rhinoceroses I have come across, and comparing them 



153 



