108 THE’ LAND OF ‘THE TION 
hunt perseveringly for months all over the country, see 
scores of rhino, and yet never come across a horn over sixteen — 
inches. In short, Mr. Ward’s measurements are a delusion, 
an alluring but impossible dream, so far as East Africa is 
concerned. I fancy the same thing holds good for the whole 
country. 
But though the great trophies are gone or nearly so, 
if a man takes the trouble to study the game of the country, 
and rigorously refrains from blazing at the first thing he 
can see, if he rises early in the morning, and does not 
mind an occasional crawl in the sun, he can still secure 
beautiful trophies, and, what is more, can do so without 
indiscriminate slaughter, and without measurably dimin- 
ishing what remains of this wonderful fauna; for an old 
buck killed, scarcely ever hurts the herd, and it carries 
almost always the best head. 
Nor can game be approached any longer in the hap- 
hazard fashion of yore. Now and then, of course, you 
stumble by good fortune on a desirable beast, but consistent 
stalking is usually necessary to secure anything worth the 
having. The sportsman, too, will find that he must take 
many shots, at a much farther distance, than he would be 
obliged to do in America, Scotland, or Europe. 
The common animals such at kongoni, zebra, Tommy, 
and rhino, usually permit a close shot. Waterbuck and 
oryx will now and then let you near. On some days 
you can quickly walk up to Grant, and pick your head 
from a herd at one hundred and fifty yards, but you will 
not get such chances every day. Far the larger number of 
shots made are over one hundred and fifty yards, and 
often over two hundred, sometimes over three hundred, 
which is a long shot. It follows, then, that old-fashioned 
rifles (and the fashion in rifles changes almost as rapidly 
as that of our clothes), form a poor battery. Black powder 
guns of all sorts are, of course, to be left at home; .500 
