With Flashlight and Rifle -* 



from the smoky centres of civilisation, with their rush 

 and turmoil and the unceasing throb and rattle of their 

 machinery, there is at this present moment being enacted 

 a grave and moving and unique tragedy. 



As the explorer ruthlessly pursues his victory in every 

 direction, he destroys directly and indirectly everything 

 that stands in his way. The original inhabitants of entire 

 countries have to go under when they cannot hit it off 

 with the invader. With them disappears a rich and 

 splendid fauna, which for thousands of years has made 

 existence possible for the natives, but which now in a 

 few years is recklessly slaughtered. Never before in 

 the history of the world have whole hordes of animals the 

 larger and stronger animals especially been killed off so 

 speedily by man. 



The flora follows the fauna. Primeval forests are 

 destroyed, or at least injured, and wooded districts 

 often changed into artificial deserts. With the colonist, 

 who drives out the aborigines, there corne in other animals 

 which help to drive out the aboriginal fauna ; and in the 

 same way the vegetable world also is supplanted. Kitchen 

 gardens and weeds spread everywhere, imprinting a new 

 stamp upon the flora. Those who are familiar with all 

 these circumstances cannot be in doubt as to what is bound 

 to follow. The result must indubitably be this : that the 

 colonist, forcing everything under his rule, will destroy 

 everything that is useless to him or in his way, and 

 will seek only to have such fauna and flora as answer 

 to his needs or his tastes. 



Examples of this state of things are to be found in 



2 



