22 THE SOCIETY FOE THE PBESEBVATION OP 



some quarters predicted, the effect of causing the natives to starves, 

 but, on the contrary, by forcing them to go out to work and earn 

 the high wages which the Kaffir almost invariably receives in the 

 Transvaal, actually raised their standard of living considerably. 

 The population of the Game Eeserves, as a whole, now take the 

 preservation of the fauna as a matter of course, and there are very 

 few cases of breach of the game laws among them, nearly all the 

 poaching cases which have come to light being on the part of 

 persons living outside or in Portuguese territory. 



During the healthy season, from May to October, the low veld 

 is invaded by white men in large numbers, prospectors, traders, 

 and would-be poachers, while large parties of professional hunters 

 en route _ to Portuguese territory are continually passing through. 

 The majority of all these are not in the least particular with 

 regard to the game laws when not actually under observation. 



To contend with these difficulties Government has for the last 

 two years voted a sum of £5,000 ; this supports a staff consisting 

 of a warden, four white rangers, and seventy native police. The 

 white staff receives an allowance for horses (warden two, rangers 

 one each), which, though a necessity, are an expensive item, as it 

 is necessary to maintain what is known as a ' salted ' horse — i.e., 

 one which has recovered from the deadly horse-sickness ; and as 

 only 5 per cent, of the animals exposed to the climate of the low 

 veld actually survive, it will easily be seen thai, a ' salted ' horse is 

 usually an expensive purchase. 



Eor transport purposes a light waggon and oxen and about 

 a score of pack donkeys are kept, the latter being necessary for 

 large portions of the country which, either owing to the denseness 

 of the bush or its hilly and rocky nature, is impracticable for a 

 waggon. 



The Game Eeserves are for protective purposes divided into 

 sections — the Singwitzi or Northern Eesorve forming one, the 

 small Pongola Eeserve in the south of Swaziland a second, and 

 the Sabi Eeserve, which owing to its position is more difficult to 

 protect, being split up into three. 



The Singwitzi Eeserve has a white ranger and a staff of twelve 

 native police. 



The Sabi Eeserve has three rangers, each with fifteen men 

 under him. 



In the Pongola Eeserve two native constables are considered 

 sufficient ; the remainder of the police, including special despatch 

 runners, waggon boys, &o., are under the direct orders of the 

 warden at headquarters, which occupies a central position at the 

 head of the Selati railway line on the Sabi Eiver. 



The police of the various sections are distributed in posts of 

 two around the borders of the Eeserves, and stationed so far as 

 possible as to watch all important paths, fords, and defiles ; it is 

 the duty of one constable to patrol daily to the next post, sleep 

 there and return next day, noting all suspicious tracks and taking 

 action according to circumstances. The white ranger in charge of 



