The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-04-21
BIG GAME OF AFRICA.
EAST ON THE WY 40 EXITING
TON.
Suggestion of n Great African Nation
al Park.

CnQOuDteuly, Wnen Seeking lOl tne
home of big game, and one casts his
eyes upon the map of the world they
naturally rest upon the African CONT
nent, for there is greater abundance and
more numerous in both generic and
specific forms the wild quadrupeds OF
the earth are found even to-day, more
than century after their introduction
to the white man, with his willy and Of
ten nefarious ways.
In the early part of the nineteenth
century the big game of Africa (and by
that term / mean the pachyderms, all
hoofed quadrupeds, and the various
great cats, hyenas, and such vermin be-
ing in no wise game" animals), roamed
it's forests, hills and plains in such vast
numbers that they seem incredible, even
to some of us who have witnessed the
great herds of ruminants that are to be
found even now in the little known por-
tions of the continent. Some of the At
rican species were accustomed to gain
vast herds, like our own buffalo, such as
the blesbok, which as late as 1S4S, near
the Vet river, in the Orange Free State,
We're described by Gordon Cumming as
covering the plains with their mighty
| legions in one purple mass as far as the
eye could reach without break. And
| during their great trek" or partial mi
grations, thousands upon thousands of
/ these graceful antelopeS would march IN
procession and days would be required
for their great hordes to pass, while
every green thing would disappear along
| their route, and the land was devasta-
ted in the same way as when visited by
| plague of locustS OF all these mighty
legions of blesbok which, at the time
have referred, seemed likely to retain
the species always an inhabitant Of
South Africa, a remnant only now is
left, possibly some two thousand head,
partially protected upon few farms
in the Orange Free State. But they,
too, will disappear, for the farmers will
unfortunately permit any one, for
money consideration, to shoot the finest
speciment and the species will of
certainty gradually decline in numbers
and eventually become extinct. we'll
known species, inhabting the same
country, has almost entirely disap-
peared. This is the quagga, which at
one time was found on the plains north
of Cape Colony and the Great Karroo,
in herds of tens of thousands, and was
very common animal in the Orange
Free State and in the Transvaal and
also numerous about Solesberg. But
about 1873 it became completely extinct,
victim to the nevser-ceasing pursuit
of the Beers, with the long "roers," who
killed it for it's hide, and to feed their
slaves with it's flesh. But one poor skin
in the natural history museum, Lon
DON is. I believe, all that remains of
this noble creature to prove that it ever
existed.
What wonderful fauna was this Of
the African continent, and in fact, is
indeed to-day, in spite of the unrestrict-
ed slaughter that has been going on for
century. When one stops to think of
the destruction that has been commit
ted, the only wonder is such great va
riety is left. What is the list at the
present time in species and sub-species
of the African animals properly classi-
fed as game, known to naturalists!
One elephant, four rhinoceroses, four
teen zebras and wild asses, six buffalos,
one sheep two ibexess. ninety-nine ante
lopes Gneluding gazelles), four giraffes,
two deer, one water chevrotain, ten
wild pigs, two hippopotami, one lion, ona'
leopard, one cheetah and seven smaller
cate, and one bear, while besides those
not game we name hyena, civet cat,
aard wolf, hunting dog, Abyssinian
wolf and jackal And with all these are
a host of other smaller mammals, their
number yet undetermined,
What magnificent catalogue of
game animals for one country to pos
sess, and how important it is, for many
reasons, not the least of which is the |
economic, that these creatures, all of |
which are valuable in some way to the |
human race, should receive protection |
that is their due from indiscriminate |
slauhter, and which can be so easily |
provided. OF the one hundred and fif- |
ty species and sub-species enumerated |
above four are now completely extinct |
and three or four others are on the verge |
of disappearing. And to prove how rap
idly this list of ''absentees" or miss
ing can grow, even when the number
of species seems inexhaustible, / need
only to point to our own buffalo, which
We're totally wiped off the face of the
earth in a few short years by compar-
atively small number of men.
South Africa in Cape Colony, Natal,
the Orange Free State and the Trans
vaal, from being one of the most game
portions of the world has now
but little attraction for the sportsman
unless in a few isolated localities and
the same causes that have made the
game animals disappear in these sec
lions are al work in all other portions of
the continent where the white man has
secured a footbold. 1t is fact that in
caertain parts or southern and eastern
Africa the English and German govern
meents have estab lished what would be
excellent game laws If they could be
enforced; but the country is so vast and
the difficulty of proving an infringement
Of these laws so great that thus far they
lave been Of little benefit.
In many sections of the continent the
climate is the games best protector.
For this is so deadly that none but the
native is able to Withstand it with any
legree of success; for 1t is very certain
hat every white man who remains in
he country for any length of time will
nave a fever of some kind. 1t is a
question whether there is any particu-
ar style of Illness than can with pro-
)riety be called the African fever All
orms of malarial fevers abound. and
A.