viii AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

When I first came to this country my plans were not to
stay here permanently. It was my intention to move
farther south. But the glories of this wonderland and
the magnificent sport that can be obtained here appealed
to me and have held me ever since. It is true that
a vague idea may have been fleeting through my mind
that some of the wealth from the vast store of natural
resources that are here awaiting those who have the
ability to acquire it might come my way, but that in
itself would never have caused me to stay here. As a boy,
my studies were often sadly interrupted by thoughts of
hounds and hunting, fishing and shooting. Sport of some
kind I had to have, or life was unendurable. There is
in every man of British blood traces of primitive man,
even if such traces are latent and not developed by oppor-
tunity. They create an overpowering desire to hunt and
kill. It is likely that there was more than the ordinary
share in me. Consequently the call of the “‘ Red Gods ”
came to me with greater insistence than to most others.
Therefore it is not to be wondered at that, when there
seemed but little chance of my being able to indulge in
my hobbies at home, I left for a land where it would be
possible for me to do so. The wealth has not come my
way, but the sport has, and my memories of it are worth
a store of gold.

There are sure to be thousands of the rising generation
who, like myself, have been born with such instincts,
and numbers of those of more mature age who are looking
for a country where they can live a life of freedom and
obtain sport such as they cannot indulge in-at home.
Let me give them this warning. This is a hard country
for a man of education unless he has private means, a
profession, or exceptional business ability. For a man
of moderate means there is no country on the face of the
earth where he can live a more healthy or enjoyable life ;
but if he expects to be frequently indulging in sport and
also to amass the “ almighty dollar,” he will have a sad
disappointment. Fishing, shooting and making money
do not go well together. I can bear witness to this fact !