COMMERCIAL PROSPECTS 



287 



British (iovcniincnt , in the District of Toit), in WCslcni I'nvoro, uiid also 

 on Kaviroiido Jjay. Whether this salt would be worth e.x])ortatioii is a 

 matter of douht, but it circulates tliroughout a i^ood deal of Central Africa 

 as a valualile article of barter. It, therefore, has an intrinsic value as a 

 source of revenue to the State. P)roa(lly s] leaking-, however, at the present 

 time no absolute discovery of un(|uestioned minei-al wealth has been made 

 in the Uganda Protectorate ; though it must always be remembered that 

 Africa is the continent of surprises, and Uganda may yet be found to 

 contain payable gold which, with the aid of railway and steamer tran>itort, 



204. 



COMJ'ANIOXS IN CAPTIVITY 



VULNC KI.KI'HAN I AMI /.ICHKA Al' KMKIiliK 



can be worked at a ])rofitable rate. Since, however, we can only deal with 

 known assets, we must at present look to the development of a really 

 prosperous commerce by means of animal and vegetable productions. 



As regards animal productions, there is ivory of the very best quality. 

 So lonsf as the British Government can determinedlv enforce the Game 

 Regulations by a small annual ex})enditure, and protect female and immature 

 male elephants from being killed by natives or Europeans, there will not 

 be much danger of the African elephant becoming extinct in a territory 

 so large as this, where Nature has reserved vast marshes and leagues of 



