258 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



Ross's gull (very rare), shoveller duck (not often got in 

 Forfarshire), etc. 



Then I went to Ceylon, and soon after to India, where I 

 spent some years tea-planting; but the jungles are too 

 thick in Eastern India to expect much shooting unless one 

 can command the use of elephants. I went to Central 

 Africa in 1903 and have been there ever since ; but I will 

 go on to mention some of the most fascinating books on 

 sport I have read. 



A very fine book is Mr. J. G. Millais' " A Breath from 

 the Veldt," and this accomplished author has the great 

 gift of being able to illustrate his works with beautiful 

 drawings. 



I advise all sportsmen to read the " Life of William 

 Cotton Oswell," written by his son. Oswell was the beau 

 ideal of a fine hunter, and he was modest and reserved 

 about his doings. He only wrote a few chapters to the 

 Badminton Big Game series. 



Gordon Gumming was a daredevil, and his book was 

 considered by many people to be fictitious when it 

 appeared ; but the experiences of later sportsmen show 

 that he wrote the truth. About the middle of the 

 nineteenth century many authors were inclined to exag- 

 gerate and embellish their writings, as there were then few 

 people experienced enough to gainsay what they wrote, and 

 the sportsmen of that time were more out for killing than 

 nature study. 



A very interesting writer was the late William Charles 

 Baldwin, and most of his shooting was done in South- 

 Eastern Africa, in the country now known as Portuguese 

 East Africa, and Natal. 



Perhaps one of the soundest writers we have had was the 

 late Sir Samuel Baker, and his books are standard works. 

 There is no doubt that he was not only a mighty hunter, 

 but he was a good observer and field naturalist. 



Everyone knows Mr. F. C. Selous' writings, and I think 

 there is no author who can put his facts so clearly. 

 I consider his books " A Hunter's Wandering in Africa " 



