In Wildest Africa ^ 



(which I must say do not always rise to a high level 

 from the artistic point of view ^) are coloured sketches 

 accompanied by descriptions, and show us such multitudes 

 of wild animals that they seem to border on the fabulous. 

 For we see in them elephants, rhinoceroses, giraffes, 

 buffaloes, zebras and antelopes, all gathered together in 

 crowds, and thus one inclines involuntarily to the opinion 

 that all these have been brought together in one picture 

 merely to give illustrations of the various species. But 

 my own observations have shown me that our artist is 

 perfectly correct. One sees how necessary it is to make 

 documentary records of such observations. The men of 

 a later time, as I plainly realise, may be able to place 

 before themiselves a picture of all this primitive abundance 

 of animal life only with the greatest trouble and by 

 means of earnest study of every authority bearing on 

 the matter. 



Enormous periods of time must have gone by to 

 develop all the beauty and splendour of this so varied 

 and so highly organised life. My thoughts range over 

 far distant times. I see, looking so near that it seems 

 as if one could touch it with one's hands, one of the 

 mightiest volcanoes of our earth gradually unveiling 

 itself and stripping off its robe of clouds. The volcanic 

 regions below it remind me of the story of how all my 

 surroundings were developed. 



Born in fire, and evolved, differentiated, and formed to 



^ It appears that the explorer completed some of these sketches 

 after his return with the help of stuffed specimens, but he drew others 

 entirely from nature on the African velt. 



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