The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-04-29

eyes upon the map of the world, they nat
uraiy rest upon the African continent
for there in greater abundance and NOR
numerous In both generic and specih'
forms the wild quadrupeds of the earti
are found even today. more than a cen
fury after their introduction TO the whit
man, with his willy and often nefarfoui
ways.
In the early part OF the nineteenth cen
fury the big game OF Africa land by thai
term I mean the pachyderms. all hoofet
Quadrupeds, and the various great cats
hyenas, ana such vermin being in no wise
game" aninaIs). roamed its forests
hills and plains I'm such vnst numbers that
they seem incredible, even TO some OF US
who have witnessed the great herds OF
rumfnants that are TO be found even now
IN the little known portions Of the CONT
nent. Some Of the African species were
accustomed to gain vast herds, like our
own bufrnio. such as the blesbok. which
~ late as 1913. near the vet river. I'm the
Orange Free State, were described by
Gordon Cummings as covering the plains
with their mighty iegions in one purple
mass as far as the eye could reach with
out a bTeak And during their great
sstrsk." or partial migrations. thousands
uprn tboussn ds OF these graceful ante
Top q would march IN procession. and days
would be required for their great hordes to
pass, while every green thing would dis
appear along their route. and the land
was devastated In the same way as when
visited BY a plague % locusts. or all
these mighty iegions OF biesbok which.
~ the time have referred. seemed likely
10 rrtain the species always an fnhabf-
tant Of South Africa. a remnant only now
r. left possibly some two thousand head.
partially protected upon q few farms In
the Orange Free State But they, too
will disappear. for the farmers will un-
fortunately permit any one, for money
consideration. to shoot the finest speci-
mems. and the species will OF a certainty
gradually decline in numbers and eventu-
ally become extinct. A well-known
species. inhabiting the Same country. has
almost entirely disappeared. This is the
quagga. which at one time was found on
the plains north Of Cape Colony and the
0reat ksrroo. in herds OF tens OF thou
sands. ara was q very common animal in
the orAase Free State and In the Trans
vaai. and also numerous about Colesbera.
nut etout 1873 II became completely ex-
tinct. q victim to the never ceasing pur-
Quit O. the Boers. with the long "roers."
VIM killed. Il for i.s hide. and TO feed
their slaves with fits flesh, But one poor
nktr IN the Natural History Museum.
London, n, believe. all that remains Of
this noble creature to prove that II ever
existsd
y W00utTIUb
ehe African continent, and In fact Is In
deed today. IN spite OF the unrestricted
slaughter that has been going on for a
century. When one stops to think Of the
destruction that has been committed. the
only wonder Is such q great garie.y is
left What n the list at the present
time In species and subspeoies of the
African animals properly classified as
game. known TO naturaiistsf One ele-
wAhr
ana wild asses, six buffaloes. one sheep,
two ibsxes nirety-nins antelopes dnclud-
ing 9aseiies,. four giraffes. two deer. one
water chevrotain. ten wild pigs. two hip
popotami. one Hon, one leopard. one Chez
tab and seven smaller cats. ana one bear
while besides those not game we name
hysna. civet-cat. aard wolf. hunting dog
Abyssinian wolf and jackat And with all
these are host OF other smaller animals.
their number yet undetermined
what q magnificent catalogue OF game
animals for one country to possess. and
how important In II for many reasons,
ros the least OF which In the economic.
that these creatures, all OF which are val
liable in some way 10 the human race.
should receive n protection that Is their
due from the indiscriminate slaughter.
and which can be so easily provided or
the $50 species and subspecies enumsrst-
tinct and three or four others are on the
verge OF disappearing And to prove how
rapidly the Hist OF "absensees' or miss
ing" cnn grow. even when the number
OF the species seems inexhsustihle. l need
only to point 10 our own buralo. which
were totally wiped OF the face OF the
earth In q few short years by compare
lively small number OF men.
South Africa In Cape Colony. Natal. ths
Orange Free State and the Transvasl
from being one Of the most game-infesteS
portions OF the world. has now but li,u'
attraction for the sportsman unless In
few isolated localities, and the safn'
causes that have made the game animals
disappear In these sections Of the cont
nent are at work In all other portions o
the continent where the white man ha
secured a toothold II Il a fact that Il
certain parls OF Southern and Easter
Africa the English and German govern
usnts have established what would b
Sxoeiient game laws II tsey could hc en-
forced: but the country ~ 80 vast an
the dlffscuity Of proving sn infringement
81 these laws 80 great that thus far the
have been Of little benefit
In many sections OF the continent tn
climate L. the games best protector. fo
this 10 80 deadly that none but the ua
tive IL able to withstand II with any do
sr~e of success: for Il Is very certal'
That every white man who remains In IN
country fer any length of time VIII hav
q fever OF some kind. II Is a1estio
whether there IL any particular style g
illness that can With propriciy BE- Gale
The African fever, All forms OF malaria
fsvsrs abound, aud there are varioa
ethers. not malariai which are sppar
entity purely local. and which differ {
a~wrse as well as IN their symptoms &C
eerdtnG to the district IN which their vic
tim, are smitsen. but they are all ID
we're and trying 20 the system. too Of
ian fatal unlesa overcome either by a
tmmeaxurahly strong constitution. PROF
er remedies promptly obtained. or ~
patient's departure from the country
* questionable II in the interior there
.nv placs that can be considered health
for the unAcciimNted white man, an
many portions OF the COAST are exception
ally deadly,
mat even with the climate 20 nght fc
them we have seen various species aent
DAINTY represented disappear before a
rife. and n IL fair 20 suppose that the a.
dsnt love 90 the chase which Is one OF ei'
lined mans inheritaaccs frem his say
sre ancestors, ana which Is gratine
often at much toll. expense and DANCE