300 NATURE AND SPORT IN SOUTH AFRICA 



and became more and more hard to procure, and for 

 some years before the opening up of Mashonaland 

 (in which he has played so great a part), the last 

 and best of the African hunters — as one may well 

 call him — shot specimens for museums and turned 

 his attention to exploration. Whatever damage he 

 may have done in early years among the elephants, 

 the magnificent specimens of great game sent home 

 by Selous to the Natural History and other 

 Museums, amply deliver him from the charge of 

 mere wasteful slaughter. 



From this charge it is impossible to absolve many 

 of the great hunters. Gordon Gumming and many 

 others were undoubtedly wasteful in their methods ; 

 they shot far too often for the mere pleasure of 

 slaying, and wasted enormous numbers of rare, 

 singular, and beautiful game. One can, perhaps, 

 hardly blame them ; the profusion was so great, the 

 temptation so overpowering. No one, who has not 

 been in the presence of great game, mounted and 

 armed, can understand how difficult it is to stay 

 one's hand at such a time. 



On the other hand, there are many things to be 

 said in extenuation of the great British hunters, 

 whose exploits in South Africa have for the last 

 fifty years been alternately the themes of admiration 

 and regret. They were magnificent pioneers, none 

 better ever represented England; and they have 



