THE WILD FAUNA OF THE EMPIRE. 3 



If this change is made no part of the vast game area 

 north of the Sobat and Bahr-el-Ghazal would be a 

 reserve, and in our opinion the disappearance of the 

 game would be only a question of time. We urge 

 that there are wide areas outside the reserve es- 

 pecially on the Blue Nile, Atbara, and their affluents, 

 amply sufficient for the recreation of the official and 

 non-official class, and for visitors. 



" We do not think that the constitution of a 

 new reserve further to the south, on the Zeraf 

 river, would adequately meet the case. Being com- 

 prised in the Sudd district, it is probably unin- 

 habitable by many species at certain periods of the 

 year, and is besides too remote for supervision, and 

 indeed, to quote the words of your report, practically 

 impenetrable to European sportsmen. The execu- 

 tive could have little knowledge of the conditions 

 within it. Thus the constitution of such an area as 

 a reserve would be merely nominal, and would have 

 no effect, one way or the other, on the preservation 

 of the game. 



" We sympathise with much contained in your 

 Lordship's report, dated February 26, 1903, as to 

 the special privileges to be accorded to officers on 

 the spot, but on this very ground we urge the 

 necessity of taking all necessary measures to pre- 

 serve the game, which will otherwise be seriously 

 depleted, if not destroyed, a contingency which is 

 not impossible by the light of experience in other 

 parts of Africa. 



" For these reasons we beg that you will arrange 

 to receive a deputation upon this subject on your 



B 2 



