30 THE SOCIETY FOR THE PEESEEVATION OP 



few days before our train was due the train had run into an 

 ■elephant, and there had been an accident in consequence. I do 

 not know, I am sure, how, in the case of this particular reserve, 

 that is guarded against, but I know there was a case not long ago 

 in which railway works were proceeding in Central Africa at a 

 place called Chiromo, and I understand that the works were 

 attacked by lions. I have been told officially that those reports 

 were considerably exaggerated, but still the fact remains that a 

 lion did appeal'. 



I only wish to mention those points to emphasise that I think 

 in the selection of reserves one must, although choosing them for 

 the purposes of the preservation of game — and in speaking of the 

 preservation of game I entirely adhere to the object which Lord 

 Curzon expressed as being the principal object for which we wish 

 to preserve game, namely for the preservation of the species, 

 although I do not ignore the commercial side of the matter — 

 although that is so, I do think that, in justice to the ordinary 

 administration of the country, one has to consider the preservation 

 of the means of locomotion, and also the question of the progress of 

 the population as time goes on. 



There is one point with regard to the reserves which I think 

 must be borne in mind, which one gentleman has spoken of hero : 

 namely, that when we have a reserve we must have it properly 

 protected — (' Hear, hoar ') ; we must have a sufficiency of forest 

 guards and forest staff. Where are we to get it from ? It is a 

 question of money. Something has been said about funds derived 

 from game licences, and so on. That, I believe, applies in Uganda. 

 I am not sure that it applies generally, but what does apply gene- 

 rally in the management of African Protectorates is this, that they 

 are all countries in the process of development, where the revenue 

 is very scanty and the needs are very great. We have a difficulty 

 in providing even for the decent accommodation of our officers in 

 those parts of the world ; and, as the local revenues cannot supply 

 the means, we are obliged to go to the Imperial Treasury. It is 

 with the Imperial Treasury that this matter really lies. (' Hear, 

 hear.') 



I think that what lias been said as to the United States 

 emphasises the point which I am now making. It has been said 

 that in the United States it is not a question of local revenue, but 

 it is a question of general revenues which are applied to the pre- 

 servation of the animals in Yellowstone Park. Well, I do not 

 know : it is scarcely a matter for this Office to advocate with the 

 Treasury, at least unsupported, and it would need a considerable 

 amount of support, probably, to induce the Treasury deliberately 

 to take up the position that they are bound to supply from the 

 Imperial Exchequer the funds necessary for providing forest guards 

 in different parts of Africa. But that is the real difficulty of the 

 matter, and it has to be faced. In many of the Protectorates of 

 Africa the revenues of those Protectorates are insufficient to give 

 what you would certainly call adequate protection ; and where, as 



