38 THE SOCIETY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF 



No. 3. 



THE FOLLOWING IS AN EXTRACT FROM A 

 LETTER FROM MR. A. BLAYNEY PEROIVAL, 

 THE GAME OFFICER IN BRITISH EAST 

 AFRICA : 



re IVORY. November, 1903, 



There is still a large proportion of old buried ivory 

 amongst the export, and in old days, I am told by 

 a trader, seven-eighths of the ivory was " dead " as 

 he called it — meaning old stuff. You mention 

 eland as being in imminent danger of being wiped 

 out. In this protectorate they are in much greater 

 numbers than anyone would believe, and arc greatly 

 increasing in numbers. Koodoo I agree, but rin- 

 derpest is to blame in this country and partly in 

 others. In '97 I saw fifteen dead bulls and more 

 than double that number of cows and calves in the 

 Transvaal during three months' shooting — all from 

 rinderpest. I know there are more in the East 

 African Protectorates than is usually supposed. 

 We are little troubled here by the native with a 

 gun, and as long as big drives can be prevented I 

 doubt if the bow and arrow will do very much 

 harm. I can assure you that no one is allowed to 

 shoot in the Reserve now under any circumstances. 



During my recent tour I was pleased to find 

 eland more numerous than ever on the Athi plains. 



Buffalo are also "jumping." I would hardly 



have thought it possible for them to increase so 



rapidly. 



A. Blayney Perctvau 





