AUTHOR’S FOREWORD

Ir is with some fear and trepidation as to my ability to
do the subject justice that I venture to write about this
country and the game that inhabits it ; but I am embold-
ened so to do by the fact that many people, aware of
my experience, have urged me to make the effort. My
resolve is strengthened because anything that has been
written on the subject hitherto has come from the pens
of those who have spent but short visits here, and whose
knowledge is chiefly such as they have secured from
others, who, in their turn, may often have obtained it
in the same way. Everything that is stated in this
narrative with regard to the habits of our wild life is,
unless otherwise noted, first-hand knowledge that has
been acquired from personal observation during over
thirty-five years of wandering in the country. With
reference to some of my conclusions, there will undoubtedly
be room for question and criticism; very few men agree
entirely on such a subject. In some things my viewpoint
may be at fault; but I think I can fairly claim to have
made an attempt not to exaggerate any of the incidents
that are told about my travels and hunting. I have
simply given a plain, unvarnished account of what actually
happened.

It is just possible that some of my readers, after learning
from these pages of difficulties that beset me on several
occasions, may come to the conclusion that they do not
want to risk travelling in such a country. They can,
however, rest assured that many of my troubles occurred
either from lack of experience or through causes which
could have been avoided, and that nowadays anybody
who goes into the mountains with thoroughly capable

guides need not take risks or endure discomfort.
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