42 BEASTS AND MEN 
be dug out. Stables and luxurious buildings also had to be 
erected. Moreover, as opportunity afforded, I was continually 
adding to the extent of my territory ; and by watching for 
occasions of picking up neighbouring estates at a cheap price, 
I gradually increased the area of my park. I succeeded after 
considerable difficulty in selling my land in Hamburg, some of 
it to the Hamburger Vereinsbank, and the remainder to the 
State, after having overcome every difficulty put in my way 
by the worthy Town Councillors of Hamburg. Thus at last 
we were finally planted at Stellingen. ; 
The acquisition of the land and the remainder of the 
preliminary preparations were completed in October, 1902, 
and in that month we were able to commence operations in 
transforming the land and building the houses, etc. The 
estate itself consisted at first of nothing but wide fields upon 
which grew half a dozen trees. To carry out my plans no 
less than 40,000 cubic metres of earth had 
to be shifted, before the surface of the land 
_ alone was prepared. A large army of work- 
men were turned on to the job, and day by 
day I saw the work develop, as one after 
another of the ideas, which I had so long 
dreamt of, were realised before my eyes. At 
last on 7th May, 1907, the opening ceremony 
took place—the crowning triumph of many 
years of strenuous labour. 
Since the establishment of this great 
park my business has continued to increase 
without intermission. As an instance of the 
large scale on which my trading transactions 
are conducted I may mention that in 1906 I supplied no 
fewer than 2,000 dromedaries to South West Africa for the 
German Government. In the variety as well as in the 
magnitude of my business development has taken place. 
Many experiments have been carried out in housing animals 
and acclimatisation ; in breeding and the crossing of different 
