The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-05-14
A ROYAL HUNT.
How tho BufEaIo il Hunted by Royalty in
Germany

How tho BufEaIo Is Hunted by Royalty in
Germany.
BuffaToes. which once were so numer-
GUS In the vast forests of Germany that
they afforded food TO a majority of the
population, and that they are mentioned,
as the best game to hunt there, in
Cesar's " Commentaries, in Tacitus's
g Germania, 50 and in the sc Nibelungen,
are now entirely extinct in Germany,
and. indeed, all over the European con-
tinent, except in the vast BialoVitz 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 buffaioes now
to be found in the geological gardens of
the continent, and, since 1866, an at
tempt has been taade by the greatest of
German Nimrods, the wealthy Prince
Henry de Pless, to reintroduce the buff
falo in its original state in his vast for
ests near Katbowitz, in Upper Silesia.
These forests are surrounded by fences
upward of one hundred and fifty miles
in length, aud they contain vast quan
tity of game-especially wild bears,
stays, hares, a few bears, etc.-and an
Rually 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 Pless obtained from Lithuania have
increased to such an extent that there
are now over twenty of them, and it is
believed that, with due protection and
care, this viii be the starting point for
repopulating the forests of Northern
and Eastern Germany with buffaloes.
Two wears ago the Emperor William
participated in the buffaIo-hunt held in
the forests of Kattowitz. This year it
was the Crown-prince Frederick VIII
liam, who made his appearance at half
past nine O'Clock A. NJ. He was dressed
in the ordinary green hunting costume,
which was very becoming to him, and
was attended by a numerous suite,
among whom I noticed Minister Count
Eulenburg, and several other high dig
nitaries. Everybody was in fine spirits,
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-called &c drivers" were to go in
quest of some of the buffalOes, separate
two or three of them, and drive them
then by means of wild shouts and bugle
fourishes toward where the imperial
hunting-party was stationed. But the
rown-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
single-handed. Earnest circumstances
against this course we're laughingly re-
iected, and his imperial highness, fol-
lowed by a 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-
scented a most sombre aspect. Profound
silence was preserved as we sped on
through 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 buff
faloes has been slain. Once, about
twenty wild-boars were startled out of
their resting places by our approach
but, not being attacked by us, 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
croWn-price headed our column, utter
ing only now and then a few whispered
reassuring 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
master, 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 buff
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
we approached a 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 buffaloes, 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
scampered off. The fourth buffalo, the
aforementioned 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 calamity fiahting into
the thicket but there he was met by
some of the attendants, who scared him
away by loud bugle-blasts, to which he
responded by terrific roar-nOw shak
ing his immense head and name, now
furiously driving back the interchangeable
dogs with his horns. Meanwhile the
crown prince, who, according to ETH
| quette, was alone to fire at the buffalo,
had cautiously approached him closer
and closer, and suddenly he stood only
about twenty feet from him. The buff
falo, who by this time had been fairly
maddened, did not notice the crown
/ prince until now, and suddenly rushed
\ furiously at him, but bullet from the
princes rihe-the first shot fred 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 hiIa. Then we all of us
/ looked at the slain monster. The crown
prince could hardly restrain his tri-
umphant Joy. because of his unexpected
| good luck. He said his father, the en-
peror, had killed buffalo, two years
before, in the same forest; but the ami
NAL had been considerably smaller than
| the one killed on this occasion. Then
| the bugles sounded the signal, s' BufTa-
10 killed - There were distant re-
| spoHses from the other hunting parties :;
and the first and most interesting part
of the days chase was over.
90 Sweet Corinth.''