In Wildest Africa ^ 



scoured the entire country with his men from 1893 to 

 1900.^ 



In the heart of the thicket we came suddenly upon a 

 quite recent camp of native hunters of some kind — not 

 Wandorobo, we judged, from utensils which they left 

 behind, of a sort the Wandorobo never use. I was aware 

 that other tribes had taken to hunting the animals in this 

 region, the Masai themselves setting about it quite in the 

 Wandorobo fashion. Our chief '* find" in the camp, however, 

 was a collection of some forty zebra-hides, quite freshly 

 secured, and about the same number of hides of gnus as 

 well as others of smaller game. Most of these skins 

 were stretched out on the ground to dry, fixed with pegs. 

 Probably the fugitives had taken a number of others away 

 with them. I came to the conclusion that the natives were 

 of the class that hunt on behalf of Indian, Greek, and 

 other traders — a class far too numerous nowadays. The 

 traders pay them very little for their labours, and themselves 

 make huge profits out of it all. 



I took possession of the skins, prepared the best of 

 them very thoroughly and carefully, and then sent them 

 to Moschi, for despatch to the Berlin Museum. This task 

 occupied me for two days, but I undertook it with gusto, 

 for I knew that by reason of the variety of species of 

 zebras and gnus frequenting this region, this big collection 

 of skins was of great scientific value. And I rejoiced the 



^ Recent reports from West Africa confirm what I say about the 

 disastrous results of allowing the natives to hunt with firearms. The same 

 regrettable state of things prevails in every part of the world in which this 

 is permitted. 



642 



