With Flashlight and Rifle ^ 



i:^rcatlv improved in the last century, owing to the use 

 of only stallions of good quality and in good condition 

 for breeding purposes. Still, even now very troublesome 

 specimens are found sometimes among these domestic 

 animals. 



In my younger days 1 often occupied myself with the 

 breaking-in of troublesome horses, and my experience with 

 them forbids me to entertain any hope of our being able to 

 use zebras for several generations yet, as a means ot settling 

 the question of animal transport in West Africa. It should 

 be remembered that the natives of Cierman East Africa do 

 not understand horses, and do not even know how to 

 manage their patient donkeys. 



I am of opinion that we shall have very valuable 

 material in the Wanyamwezi and Masai donkeys, which 

 hitherto have not been thoroughly appreciated. These 

 native donkeys show themselves easily satisfied as regards 

 food, and are comparatively hardened to climatic inlluence. 

 They are phlegmatic beasts and adapt themselves to all 

 manner of treatment, and they afford material which in 

 the course of a tew years, by means of careful breeding, 

 will be much improved. Their blood is crossed with that 

 of the Maskat donkey, animals wb.ich come from a dry 

 climate and are accustomed to a special food. I main- 

 tain that this is a mistaken policy, as it renders the natixe 

 clonkevs liable to thost; cattle-diseases with which we are 

 still unai)](; to coj)e. 



It" I maintain the emploxinent ot cajjtive and "tamed" 

 zebras to be quite unfeasible, and state clearly that the 

 notion sometimes entc-rtained with regard to mounting 



340 



