186 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 tsétsé 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 destroyed 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, 
Iam 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 
