APPENDICES. 393 



longer, but after that period thef* will almost certainly be 

 exhausted. 



Hence after that time ivor}^ will only be obtained by 

 shooting elephants. The elephant is so slow a breeder 

 that the diminution of the ivory supply will proceed with 

 extraordinary rapidity after this point is reached. 



Now it is at the present time that Government will have 

 the greatest difficulty in obtaining any revenue. Hence, 

 obviously, the whole trade in ivory should be made a 

 monopoly of Government. It is absurd for private traders 

 to obtain the whole benefit of the work done by Govern- 

 ment. Yet it is by no means easy to see how this is best 

 arranged. 



It is doubtful whether a European could obtain much 

 more than his expenses in shooting elephants, as the 

 places where this is possible are usually so very much out 

 of the way (Toru, Unyoro, and round Kenia) . 



Unless this is done by Government servants, no sort of 

 control can be kept over the destruction of young and 

 female elephants, and even a very heavy tax on exported 

 ivory will have no effect on this evil. 



Of course, civilians with experience in trading should 

 be immediately sent to obtain as much as possible for 

 Government, in such places as the Salt lake, Unyoro, Sotik 

 and Kikuyu. They could be paid by commission, with 

 probably a very profitable result for the Government 

 exchequer. 



Coffee. — This has been frequently commented on in the 

 letterpress. M. L. Decle gave me a sample on which 

 Messrs. Patry and Pasteur, 38, Mincing Lane, report as 

 follows : — 



"The Coffee is similar in appearance to that usually 

 shipped from the West African Coast, but is of better 

 quality, and, if properly prepared, would, no doubt, realise 

 better prices. The present sample is exceptionally even, 

 i.e., all the berries are of equal size, and unless it has been 

 picked shows extremely good quality. 



