Much of Africa Still Unknoivn. 261 



fishing). Then about dry-fly angling we have Halford's 

 books, as well as some others I have forgotten. 



Young sportsmen have much to be thankful for at the 

 present day, for not only have they an abundant literature 

 on sports of all kinds, but the way has been made com- 

 paratively easy for them by the spread of civilisation, and 

 communications are so rapid that they can soon reach any 

 ordinary shooting and fishing ground they wish to visit. 



How different was it in Mr. Selous' early days, when he 

 hunted in the country which is now known as Southern 

 Rhodesia. Then travel meant a slow progress with ox 

 waggons or on horses, and when he was shooting round 

 Bulawayo and Salisbury he was more cut off from 

 civilisation and the comforts civilisation brings than are 

 most men in the depths of Central Africa to-day. 



As I have mentioned in this volume, it is still possible to 

 get quite in the wilds and view Africa as it was ; and it 

 is a great mistake to suppose that Africa as a whole is 

 getting shot out, for such a statement is incorrect. Certain 

 parts, such as Southern Africa and other places close to 

 European settlements, have certainly lost most of their 

 game, and will never regain it unless the country were to 

 be totally abandoned ; but even in such a small territory 

 as Nyasaland there are many hundreds of square miles 

 that have hardly been trodden by the feet of civilised man, 

 and here the game is likely to survive for many generations 

 to come. 



When reading some of the old books I have mentioned, 

 over twenty-five years ago, I thought that I was too late 

 to experience any really wild free sport ; but, as I mention 

 in the preface, this country is still in much the same 

 condition as I first knew it ten years ago, and the only 

 parts that have slightly changed are those round the small 

 townships, where the land has been taken up by settlers 

 for the planting of tobacco, cotton, and tea. 



Therefore, the young sportsmen who are still acquiring 

 knowledge at public and private schools need have no fear 

 that all the game in Africa will have disappeared before 



