326 A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



should remember that what they call excess represents 

 merely the small pleasures omitted for six months but 

 now concentrated in some five days. 



Although it cannot be denied that in certain parts 

 horse-sickness occurs periodically, yet it is pretty 

 certain that British East Africa, for its size, is likely to 

 take quite a high place among horse-breeding countries. 

 The insect which carries horse-sickness in its two 

 forms is not yet known, but it is certain that it is 

 nocturnal, and in all probability some form or other of 

 mosquito. Those horse-owners who see that their 

 animals are shut up by nightfall in a decently con- 

 structed stable are likely to suffer very few losses. If 

 the locality bears a bad name for the disease, a good 

 preventive is to rub the horse over every evening with 

 a cloth damped in kerosine. Another precaution where 

 stables are of bamboo or communicate internally is to 

 have a small fire of greenwood in the windward box 

 whence the smoke can permeate throughout the whole 

 stable. Some stables are made mosquito-proof, a 

 safeguard of somewhat doubtful benefit, since, while 

 they cannot effectually keep out mosquitos, they will 

 to a certain extent help to retain any that make their 

 entrance through the door. Boxes should be separated 

 by partitions extending right up to the roof. It must 

 occasionally happen that a horse is out at night, and 

 if the box is isolated the opening of the one door 

 affects one horse alone. Again, if one horse be 

 infected the carrier of the contagion cannot com- 

 municate the disease to the adjoining boxes. Apart 

 from horse-sickness, which, after all, is very far from 

 widespread, and is certainly on the decrease, horses 

 do splendidly in the Protectorate. There are great 

 stretches of short, sweet grass, abundantly watered, 



