XVI 
BIG GAME AND BIG GAME HUNTING 
167 
initiation, there seems a probability of a decided 
increase in the numbers of such game. Such an 
increase, let me say, would prove a serious calamity, * 
for it would give a great impetus to the propagation 
of the deadly tse-tse fly, which follows big game 
and breeds in their dung. This pest, as is well 
known, means death to all domestic animals, and 
thus renders uninhabitable by Europeans vast 
tracts of country which would otherwise make 
admirable colonizing grounds. The matter reduces 
itself to the simple question—is Africa going to 
serve as a colony for surplus European populations, 
or as a collection of big game reserves ? 
On the subject of bodily hygiene and of a dietary 
suitable for the tropics, a great deal has been 
written. Naturally, in such matters individuals 
differ; one man’s food is another man’s poison. 
My personal experience differs somewhat from the 
usual and may prove interesting, if not useful, to 
those intending to pass any considerable time in 
these regions. Firstly, with regard to baths, I 
have never departed from the good old-fashioned 
cold tub and rub down, preceded by exercise on 
rising, while in the evening, I wash down thoroughly 
with soap and hot water and finish off with a cold 
douche. Before retiring, I always rub myself all 
over with cocoa-nut oil to keep my skin in perfect 
condition. 
