THE WILD FAUNA OP THE EMPIEE 19 



LETTEE PBOM SIE ALPEED SHABPE. 



Slaughtee by Natives. 



We have received the following interesting letter from Sir 

 Alfred Sharpe, C.B., the Chief Commissioner of British Central 

 Africa. 



' The Residency, Zomba, British Central Africa : 14th October, 1904. 



' Dear Sir, — With regard to the preservation of African game, 

 a point which is often lost sight of, but which has been brought 

 forward on more than one occasion by both Mr. Selous and myself, 

 is that there seems to have been a general tendency, while rigidly 

 restricting Europeans from shooting big game, to leave the native 

 free to slaughter all lie wishes without let or hindrance. 



' I see that steps are now being taken in several directions 

 'o restrain the native hunter more or less, but I think that more 

 should be done with this object. 



' In the Protectorate of British Central Africa native slaughter 

 °f game has been almost entirely stopped, and the manner in 

 which this has been done is as follows : — 



' (1) The enforcement of a native gun tax, the result of which 

 has been that, whereas twelve years ago every native carried a gun, 

 now not one in a thousand owns one. 



' (2) Natives are held here to be entirely subject to the same 

 game regulations as Europeans, and in consequence very few take 

 out licences or shoot game. 



' (3) All District Magistrates in the Protectorate punish 

 natives found guilty of shooting game without licences. 



' With regard to " sanctuaries," my own view is that it is of 

 little use making a "sanctuary" unless the necessary steps are 

 taken to see that no shooting whatever takes place within its 

 boundaries. I also think that a Game Eeserve or sanctuary should 

 not be shot in under any conditions whatsoever. No European or 

 native should ever be given permission to shoot within a Game 

 Eeserve. 



' What has been found in British Central Africa is that a vast 

 amount of indiscriminate slaughter of small game is done by 

 means of nets and pitfalls. Elephants also of all ages and both 

 Sexes formerly used to be killed in large quantities in pitfalls. 



' I think that if the real object which we desire is to be reached — 

 v i^-, the stoppage of indiscriminate slaughter of game — we must 

 chock the natives in the directions I have pointed out. 



' I am, 



' Yours faithfully, 



' Alpked Shabpe. 



' Ehys Williams, Esq., 



' 2 Temple Gardens, London, E.C., 

 England.' 



