The Hickman courier., 1874-05-09
A ROYAL HUNT.
How the Buffalo ia Hunted by Royalty IL


How the Buffalo is Hunted by Royalty in
Germany.
BuffaIoes. which once were so numer-
ous in the vast forests of Germany that
thew afforded food to majority of the
population, and that they are mentioned,
as the best game to hunt there, IN
Caesar's Commentaries, in Tacltus's
Germania, +" and in the " Nibelungen,"
are now entirely extinct in Germany,
and. indeed, all over the European con-
tinent, except in the vast Bialov1tz for
est, in Russian Lithuania, where there
is still a herd of wild buffaloes. This
herd is watched over by the government
with the most tender solicitude. and
heavy penalties are threatened against
whosoever should slay one of the rare
animals. From this Lithuanian herd
have been taken all the buffaloes now
to be found in the geological gardens OF
the continent, anG, since 1860, an at
tempt has been made by the greatest OF
German Nimrods, the wealthy Prince
Henry de Pless, to reintroduce the buf-
falo in its original state in his vast for
ests near KattowitZ, in Upper Sllesla.
These forests are surrounded by fences
upward of one hundred and fifty miles
in length, and they contain vast quan
tity of game-especially wild boars,
stays. hares, a few bears, etc.-and an
nually a great hunt is held here, to
which always some of the crowned
heads of Germany are invited. Since
1865, the four buffaloes which the Prince
de Piess obtained from LithuanIa have
increased to such an extent that there
are now over twenty of them, and 1t is
believed that, with due protection and
care, this will be the starting point for
repopulating the forests of Northern
and Eastern Germany with buffaloes.
Two wears ago the Emperor William
par rtisioated In the buffalo-hunt held IN
the ;o.-5--s--1.e sSat5owitz. This year it
was the Crown prince Frederick VII
liam, who made his appearance at half
past nine o'clock A. n. He was dressed
IN the ordinary green hunting-costume,
which was very becoming to him, and
was attended by a numerous suite,
among whom / noticed Minister Count
Eulenburg, and several other high dig
nitaries. Everybody was in fine splits,
and looked forward in eager suspense to
the exciting though somewhat danger
GUS sport.
The hunt was about to begin in the
usual way-that is to say, large num-
Der of so-cailed 4" drivers" were to go in
two or three of them, and drive them
then by means of wild shouts and bugle
hourishes toward where the imperial
dnting-party was stationed. But the
crown-prince declared that he disliked
that kind of sport. He said it was too
easy, and not exciting enough. He
would greatly prefer to go himself with
his dogs in search of one of these mon
archs of the forest, and brave them
le-handed. Earnest remonstrances
against this course were laughingly re-
jected, and his imperial highness, fol-
lowed by few attendants, among whom
was the writer, set out at a brisk pace
into the frOwning thicket. The day was
cloudy and gloomy, and the forest pre-
sented a most sombre aspect. Profound
silence was preserved as we spell on
the crooked alleys of ancient
trees, and hurried forward over paths
rarely trodden by any creature but the
furred inhabitants of the woods. Every
now and then a deer would rush past
us, presenting an inviting aim for our
rifles, but safe, because no game was to
be fred at until at least one of the buf- |
faloes has been slain. Once, about |
twenty wild-bOars were startled out of
their resting, places by our approach ; |
but, not being attacked by MS, they ran
away at great speed, expressing their
disgust only by loud and angry grunts. |
Their turn was to come later In the day. |
All this time the tall form of the |
headed our column, utter |
ing only now and then a few whispered |
words to his favorite dogs, |
who were naturally chatting, as the line |
by which they were tied prevented |
them from going for the lower kinds of |
game which so frequently appeared very |
close to us.
At last, one of the attendants, tall, |
gigantic man, who had accompanied his |
the Prince de Pless, on his |
hunting excursions in Egypt, Eastern |
Africa, etc, motioned us to stand still. |
He fixed his eyes attentively on the |
ground, and then whispered to the |
crown prince that the scent of the buf- |
falo was there quite fresh, and that we |
might expect any moment to fall in with |
some members of the herd. Our pro- |
gress now became more cautious, and at |
length, Just as the sombre forest as |
sumed a somewhat brighter aspect, and |
VIC approached small clearing, our |
eyes fell upon four buffaloes. One was |
a most noble specimen of the race-by |
far the largest animal of the kind had |
ever seen. When the dogs caught sight |
Of the bufaloes, which as yet were |
quietly browsing the moss grown |
ground, they broke into fierce barking. |
The buffaloes raised their heads and |
snuffed the air, and then three of them |
of. The fourth buffalo, the |
above mentioned gigantic animal, seem |
ed undecided what to do; but he was |
at once attacked by our dogs, whom he |
fought furiously. Then he. too, gave
way and retired gallantly Fl hting into |
the thicket but there he was met by |
some of the attendants, who scared him |
away by loud bugle- blasts, to which he |
by terrific roar-now shak
ing his immense head and name, now |
driving back the indefatigable |
dogs with his horns. Meanwhile the |
crown prince, who, according to ETH |
1uette, was alone to fire at the buffalo, |
had cautiously approached him closer
and closer, and suddLlly he stood only |
about twenty feet from him. The buff
falo, who by this time had been fairly |
did not notice the crown
prince until now, and suddenly rushed
at him, but bullet from the
princes rife-the first shot fired during |
the day-arrested the majestic animal
IN its headlong course. The aim had !
been we'll taken. the fatal bullet had
entered the buffalo's breast. Two more
shots finished him. Then we all of us |
ooked at the slain monster. The crown
prince could hardly restrain his tri-
1mphant Joy. because of his unexpected
good luck. He said his father, the en-
oeror, had killed a buffalo, two years
before, in the same forest; but the ami
nal had been considerably smaller than
he one killed on this occasion. Then
he bugles sounded the signal, " Buffa-
O killed - There were distant re-
ponses from the other hunting parties
1IrHf al. infaraEfISa1s
# the DAYS chase was over.
80 ssSweet Corinth."