930 THE GAME OF BRITISH EAST AFRICA. 



The Masai who inhabit the Southern Reserve and a part of the Northern have 

 to be continually trekking about in search of grazing and water — a nomadic life which 

 would hardly be agreeable to settlers, even if they were able to make their cattle thrive 

 in this way. A great portion of the Northern Reserve is a camel country, and still 

 less adapted to the use of settlers. As to the inhabitants of these countries, the 

 Masai, not being a hunting tribe, are peculiarly adapted to the requirements of a 

 game reserve, and graze their herds alongside the game without molesting them. 



When the Masai were moved from such places as the Rift Valley and parts of 

 the Guas Ngishu plateau (places they had inhabited for hundreds of years, as the 

 deeply scored cattle-tracks in rock will testify), so as to make room for white settlers, 

 an agreement was made between them and the Government that they should move 

 out of these places and restrict themselves to the Southern Reserve, and Laikipia in 

 the Northern Reserve, so as to remove themselves from contact with Europeans. In 

 return for this, and in recognition of the good spirit in which they complied with the 

 wishes of the Government, they received the above-mentioned tracts of land (which, 

 by the way, had always been Masai-land) to live in with their flocks and herds, they 

 and their descendants for all time. 



Barely three years after this agreement was made, a movement began to try 

 to break through this treaty. It will be seen that, without breaking faith with the 

 Masai, it is impossible and undesirable to throw such lands open to colonisation by 

 Europeans. As Masai Reserves they are admirably adapted to fulfil the extra 

 function of game reserves, and there is no reason why they should ever be made 

 shooting-grounds for European sportsmen. As to the other portions of the Northern 

 Reserve, no doubt, when we finally occupy and administrate that country, it will be 

 found that its size is rather larger than necessary, and so it will be cut down. As we 

 have not yet been brought into contact with the natives, however, and know little 

 about them, it is rather early to decide what our subsequent policy in those parts will 

 be, and what portions will be found necessary for native reserves. 



As to the preservation of the different kinds of game in the country, it will be 

 seen by the lists given above that no arrangement has been made for the preser- 

 vation of the bongo, situtunga, sable, Hunter's antelope, Neumann's hartebeest, and 

 Thomas's kob. 



To take these in order, the first-named is well able to take care of itself. The 

 situtunga and Thomas's kob is preserved in the Uganda Reserves. The sable 

 is preserved in many other parts of Africa, and in British East Africa, although it is 

 scarce, it is not much sought after, as it inhabits difficult or unhealthy country. 

 Hunter's antelope is at present amply provided for, as there are numbers of 



