c H. I] THE UGANDA RAILVV AY 13 



throve so under protection as to become sources of 

 grav^e danger, not only to the crops, but to the hves of 

 the natives, and they had to be taken off the protected 

 hsts and classed as vermin, to be shot in any numbers at 

 any time, and only the great demand for ivory pre- 

 vented the necessity of following the same course witli 

 regard to the elephant ; while recently in Hritisli East 

 Africa the increase of the zebras, and the harm they did 

 to the crops of the settlers, rendered it necessary to 

 remove a large measure of the protection formerly 

 accorded them, and in some cases actually to encourage 

 their slaughter ; and increase in settlement may neces- 

 sitate further changes. But, speaking generally, much 

 wisdoin and foresight, highly creditable to both Govern- 

 ment and people, have been shown in dealing with 

 and preserving East African game, while at the same 

 time safeguarding the interests of the settlers. 



On our train the locomotive was fitted with a com- 

 fortable seat across the cow-catcher, and on this, except 

 at meal-time, I spent most of the hours of daylight, 

 usually in company with Selous, and often with Governor 

 Jackson, to whom the territory and the game were alike 

 familiar. Tlie first afternoon we did not see many wild 

 animals, but birds abounded, and the scenery was both 

 beautiful and interesting. A black and-white hornbill, 

 feeding on the track, rose so late that we nearly caught 

 it with our hands ; guinea-fowl and francolin, and occa- 

 sionally bustard, rose near by ; brilliant rollers, sun- 

 birds, bee-eaters, and weaver-birds, flew beside us, or 

 sat unmoved among the trees as the train passed. In 

 the dusk we nearly ran over a hyena. A year or two 

 previously the train actually did run over a lioness one 

 night, and tlie conductor brought in her head in triumph. 

 In fact, there have been continual mishaps, such as could 



