HUNTING BY THE NATIVES 



in the destruction of the African fauna and only occa- 

 sionally against the Europeans. Not only for its own 

 protection, but also for the preservation of the wealth 

 of animals, which is still great in East Africa, the Ger- 

 man colonial government should disarm the natives 

 completely. 



To be sure the fire - arms used by the natives are 

 old-fashioned, discarded muzzle-loaders. I have often 

 been told that this kind of fire-arms is less dangerous 

 in the hands of the native than the poisoned arrow. 

 But even granted that this is the case, it is not wise to 

 allow the natives at the present stage of the coloniza- 

 tion of East Africa to become acquainted with the use 

 of any kind of fire-arms. The possession of the muzzle- 

 loader arouses, doubtless, the desire for the more effec- 

 tive breech-loading rifle. 



There are at least fifty thousand muzzle-loading fire- 

 arms in the hands of the natives of Wanyamwesi and 

 Unyamwesi, and the government is short-sighted enough 

 to allow this state of affairs, and even sells the powder 

 to the natives — at a large profit. It is short-sighted, no. 

 doubt; it may some day prove suicidal. 



The Congo Act, 1885, embodies an international agree- 

 ment not to allow the natives to own or use breech- 

 loading arms. It is time to extend this prohibition to 

 all fire-arms. 



The German colonial government has tried to con- 

 fiscate the arms of the rebellious natives near the Kili- 



407 



