94 



HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 



ing elephants, lions, tigers, leopards, giraffe 

 in fact, every species of "the wild fauna of the 

 earth" — struck me as commercially preposterous, 

 and the references to the ownership of "reserves" 

 somewhere in Africa were suspiciously vague and 

 unconvincing. Unhappily the optimistic Jordan 

 contrived to persuade some impressionable minds 

 of the potentialities of the enterprise, and I am 

 afraid that not a few of those who became share- 

 holders for the purpose of getting employment 

 were inspired with confidence through the use of 

 the namesi of the Earl of Lonsdale and the Mar- 

 quis of Tavistock as "honorary directors," as 

 well as by the names of the actual directors. Hav- 

 ing put their money into the company a number 

 of ex-officers were despatched on expeditions to 

 different parts of Africa, where they were even- 

 tually stranded owing to the non-arrival of prom- 

 ised remittances. The compulsory winding-up 

 order will ensure the investigation of the whole 

 affair — though Mr. Jordan has gone back to 

 Africa — and incidentally it may also throw some 

 light on the Engungu Development Co., another 

 and closely related venture of the same origin in 

 which ex-officers were induced to invest. 



It appears that this World Zoological fiasco 

 has had a disastrous effect on the trade in wild 

 animals. According to Mr. John D. Hamlyn, who 

 in "Hamlyn's Menagerie Magazine" riddled the 

 scheme with very vigorous and outspoken expert 

 criticism, the distribution throughout the world 

 of the company's ludicrously extravagant state- 

 ments has resulted in the; putting up of prices. 

 " Even in Liberia, where animals were resonably 

 cheap, they have the auracity to ask in the bush 

 £500 for a hippo, and £200 each for antelopes." 

 So profiteering spreads. 



"Morning Post," 16th April. 



' News has been cabled from British East 

 Africa that a British sporting expedition which 

 left the Congoi River at the end of last November 

 for Nairobi has reached Fort Portal, Uganda, 

 "all well," having thus completed the most diffi- 

 cult and perilous part of a notable journey across 

 Equatorial Africa. The members of the expedi- 

 tion are four young officers, or ex-officers, who 

 served in the war, namely, Mr. Sydney Fairbairn, 

 Grenadier Guards; Captain E. K. Catchpole, who 

 is well knownas a big-game hunter in British East 

 Africa; Major Bishop and Mr. Gilbert Bussey, both 

 formerly of Hhodesia. 



Their main object was big-game hunting. 

 Their route from Bumba, on the Congo, was to 

 be up the Rubi River to Buta, whence they were 

 to proceed on foot through Api, Bambile and Ny- 

 angara, to Kilo, passing through some of the 

 best game country in the Congoi State. The ex- 



pedition was arranged by the World's Zoological 

 Trading Company, against which a winding-up 

 order has since been made. When the members 

 of the expedition reached Stanleyville they would 

 have been unable to proceed for lack of supplies 

 had not Mr. Fairbairn assumed responsibility and 

 provided what was needful. From Stanleyville 

 owing to the dearth of porters there, they had to 

 return 200 miles down the Congo to the mouth 

 of the Rubi before entering the wilds. They are 

 expected at Nairobi almost immediately. 



Mr. John Sully, of 13, High Holborn, on 

 Thursday, 29th April, offered for sale 9 pairs 

 Horns, a large mounted Head with 2 rifles, and 

 some 800 rounds of ammunition, on account of the 

 Official Receiver. 



There also arrived on the "City of Durban" 

 1 Indian Axis Deer which was sold to me on ar- 

 rival in the Tilbury Docks. 



But what about the animals that were at Haz- 

 elmere Park at the time of bankruptcy? I sin- 

 cerely trust that after this fiasco amateurs will 

 not attempt to interfere with the Wild Beast 

 Business. 



In whatever part of the world that the ama- 

 teur has interfered the prices have gone up by 

 leaps and bounds. The dealer at home is then 

 charged with profiteering. 



I now learn that the irrepressible Robert 

 Leadbetter has formed a new syndicate to trade 

 in — according to his memorandum which now lies 

 before me — every description of Birds, Beasts, 

 Reptiles, Hounds, Stags, Otters, Cats, Pheasants, 

 Partridges, Goats, Dogs and Poultry, the only 

 animals not mentioned are the prehistoric mon- 

 sters still at liberty in the Congo wilds. Besides 

 above, this new-fangled Company has depart- 

 ments for Amusements, Arena. Exhibitions, Stage 

 Productions and Pageants ! Is that all Mr. 



Leadbetter? 



And then a consignment of animals is ex- 

 pected. So they were for the World's Zoological 

 Trading Company. Good luck to the A.S.M. 

 Company. 



The history and downfall of the World's Zoo- 

 logical Trading Co., Ltd., was told at the Bank- 

 ruptcy Court during the week at a meeting of 

 creditors. Among those present were Mr. A. J. 

 Osborne, Robert Leadbetter, Major R. J. Carjill, 

 and Mr. R. D. Graham (Secretary of the Com- 

 pany). 



Mr. H. E. Burgess, the Official Receiver, in 

 his explanatory statement, pointed out that the 

 Company was incorporated in September, 1918, 

 with a capital of £50,000 which subsequently was 



