The Bismarck tribune., 1924-09-13

Cruickshank, the traffi manager,
told many stories Of Simba that
brought hearty laughter from Roose-
welt. We all spent very interest
ing fifteen minutes while the engine
took in fuel and water for the final
run through the great British East
African game reserve to Kapiti
Plains.
When we finally reached Macha-
kos Road, just before Kapiti Plains
depot, we had climbed to an altitude
of $3.50 feet above the sea.
For some time we had been travel
ing rapidly through such vast guam
titles of almost every conceivable
species of big game that the men,
bers of the Roosevelt party were be-
wildered. They had been told a
great deal about the thousands upon
thousands of wild game they would
see; but the actuality was much
greater than the hearsay.
We saw, amongst others, giraffe;
wildebceste in large herds or singly;
hartebeeste, Thomsonii and Grantii
gazelle in countless thousands; zebra
beyond all counting; waterbuck,
duiker and reedbuck; ostrich, and
even lonely rhinoceros; and as to
birds, there were many thousands
and in numberless varieties.
Monkeys sprang FROM branch to
branch, chattering angrily, as we
sped past trees thanking the railroad
Ac In
cation in geological science it was
unsurpassed-and not an experience
to be easily forgotten. In no other
part Of the world can one shake
hands, as it were, with nature and
it's wild dcnizcns.
l already knew that Colonel Roose-
welt was keen naturalist, and
thought great deal about the pro-
lection of the fauna in America. Had
not a number of very distinguished
British sportsmen presented him
with a beautiful 5OO-45O Holland
rifle as a mark Of their appreciation
"of his services on behalf of the
preservation of species by means of
national parks and forest reserves;
and by other means? He had shown
me this gun with pride on the voy-
age between Alden and Momttsa.
We were now penetrating the
greatest wild life sanctuary in the
world, and it's immensity inspired
this opinion of Roosevelt:
'There can be no possible grounds
for doubling the great wisdom of
the policy of game reserves and of
wild game preservation generally. 1t
is sane policy for the East African
government to have marked out this
huge game reserve area. 1t cannot
be denied that it provides a wonder
full asset for this country; and for
the world at large"
As he spoke, we could see thou
sands of game peacefully and fear
lessly grazing within easy rifle-shot
of the Machakos Road depot. AS
our train had rushed across the
Plains, the game scarcely bothered
to lift their heads as they nibbled
the grass beside the track. count
ed no fewer than hundred differ
ent species withil radius of less
than eighty yards of US as we stood
talking They all appeared to recog-
nize that they were in their legiti-
mate sanctuary and had nothing to
fear W
An hours further run brought US
within sight of Kapiti Plains depot,
and in the distance we could see the
white tent town that was. the first
camp Of the Roosevelt expedition in
Africa. It shimn,ered whitley in the
powerful rays of the noontime sun,
and appeared to be of unusually
large dimensions.
On the platform we found all the
native porters awaiting the arrival
of their new leader. They were some
26O in all, and each one Of them was
dressed in blue. jersey with red
lettering on the chest, short khaki
knickers displaying their hare black
knees, blue puttees, and to crown
their heads a red tarboosh. They
stood in one long line, with the gun