300 
ON SAFARI 
to the east, where water exists in abundance, but 
which is still within the Game-Reserve. 
Let such men read Blue-book No. 519—the “Colo¬ 
nial Report on East Africa for 1905-6 ” (price seven- 
pence, Wyman & Sons, Fetter Lane, E.C.). Therein 
will be found set forth the reasons which compelled the 
Government to abandon their attempt to farm at 
Makindu. With all its resources of British credit, that 
experimental farm utterly failed to succeed : (1) Be¬ 
cause the tsetse-fly killed all the oxen and other stock ; 
(2) because malarial fever constantly prostrated both the 
superintendent and the labourers ! 
If, before entering on specious argument, people 
would take the trouble to master these solid facts 
(ascertained by practical experiment at the public cost), 
instead of airing their own silly superficial theories, we 
should hear no more of the cant about game, on the 
one hand, or “ sturdy immigrants,” on the other. 
No sane man has ever advocated that the interests 
of game should take precedence of the interests of white 
man, or that areas available for settlement should be 
reserved for game. But there are areas—such as the 
Athi Plains—not available for settlement. On these it 
is our plain duty to see that fair-play is extended to 
God’s beautiful wild creation. 
Lest I be suspected of partiality, let me quote a 
recent message on this point from President Roosevelt 
to our Society for the Preservation of the Fauna of 
the Empire :—“ It is perfectly evident to any intelligent 
man that the people who are protesting against what 
they call ‘ the curse of the big game ’ do not know what 
they are talking about. We have just such people in 
abundance here in America, and I have for twenty-five 
years waged war upon them in connection with game- 
protection.” 
I have selected East-African sources for these 
strictures inasmuch as it is just this sort of rubbish that 
is copied into our papers at home, with the result of 
making confusion worse confounded. There follow 
