i86 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



in East Africa are almost devoid of game, with the exception 

 of the river Tana. As, however, the open, undulating, grassy 

 plains of the Masai country, and other places of a like nature, 

 are the head-quarters of by far the greatest quantity and variety 

 of game, and are entirely free from the tsetse fly, and as they 

 are also well adapted to hunting on horseback, the game would 

 very soon be exterminated if pursuit on horseback were per- 

 mitted, and I trust that when the game laws which will doubtless 

 be drawn up for this, probably the finest game country in the 

 world, are drafted, a clause will be introduced which will make 

 the pursuit of game in this manner altogether illegal. 



My first trip to East Africa was undertaken in the years 

 1884 to 1887, when that country was perhaps at its best with 

 regard to the quantity of game. Within the last few years, how- 

 ever, since the country has been opened up, and the terrifying 

 accounts of the dangers of entering the Masai country have 

 proved to be absurdly exaggerated, various sporting expeditions 

 have been undertaken, and large bags have been made. 

 Some of the game is certainly reduced in quantity, especially 

 rhinoceroses, owing to the ease with which these beasts can be 

 stalked. 



Buffaloes, too, have been almost destro>ed by a kind of 

 anthrax, the same disease which carried off nearly all the 

 native cattle in 1891. This disease, I am told, was fatal to 

 other species of game, including giraffe, eland, and lesser 

 kudu, and even elephants ; but as my informants could not 

 speak from personal knowledge, but only from native reports, 

 I am unable to vouch for their accuracy. However, game is 

 still to be found in enormous quantities indeed few countries, 

 if any, can offer such a grand or varied field for sport. Within 

 the limits of British East Africa there are forty-seven species, 

 including no fewer than thirty-three species of antelopes 

 and gazelles, which come under the head of big game. In 

 addition to big game there are a great number and variety of 

 game-birds, including ten species of francolin, four species 

 of guinea-fowl, four of florican, five of sand-grouse, and two 



