The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1876-07-01

the chief dlSpatchod MIN. Inc otner
one shot through the head, the ball en-
tering at one ear and passing out at the
other; but before the boy could get mp
to him with his knife, the beast rose and
bristled up for battle. As the animal
stood perfectly quiet for . moment,
cycling the lad, placed q ball in the
very center of his head. which we after
wards found had passed through the
brain, and his career was finished.
As evening drew on We retraced our
steps to the rendezvous, where the
young men had run up q hut Of wild
banana leaves, in which we all lodged
for the night, and Toasted on wild
pigeons cooked in their own fat by be-
ing wrapped in young banana leaves,
most delicious repast after days IA
tikue. Young cocoanuts warmed on the
hot stones were q capital substitute for
tea, not to mention anything stronger;
and wild yams and breadfruit were ex-
cellent vegetables. A wood fire in the
center of the hut kept few of the mos
quitoes out, but by no means all; and
we listened to the legends, stories and
all fell asleep. In the early dawn two
lads were sent out to shoot wild fowls
that unconsciously betrayed their roost-
ing places by their frequent growing.
With these for breakfast, We Jared
sumptuously.
As on the previous day, we had our
various encounters with the bears, and
one with an enormous SOW, the mother
of litter of eleven little pigs, oil of
which we afterward caught alive. This
was the most furious affair of all, for,
being more savage and quicker in her
movements than the boars, there was no
jumping out Of her way; no playing
leap-frog, for her long snout would have
given an increased impetus to the spring
over her back, if her grip did not sud
denly check it.
came upon her as she was moving
of, granting and snorting at her little
ones to keep them together, while the
chief was dispatching small boar kept
at bay by the dogs. Ny boy Pauha, a
smart, active little fellow of about four
teen, and as quick as thought in his
movements in the brush, caught one of
the little suckers, and before he could
squeeze its mouth to stop it's squeaking.
the SOW was after him; but Pauha would
not lose his prize. Gripping the pigs
tail between his teeth, he sprang up o
tree, and there held on, grinning moro
like monkey than anything else.
Before could bring my rifle to bear,
the SOW rushed upon me, and I had to
meet her with the butt. At least six or
eight charges did she make before had
even the smallest chance to grip my
tomahawk. The report of the chiefs
! l. "a &~sc 81, al ~ IL
caused her to look just moment in
that direction. and that was my time to
draw nay blade. At the next charge
she was too near and too quick to let me
use my rife-I met her with blow on
the snout from my tomahawk, and We
had q regular hand.to-hand fight, if it
may be called so. At last dog rushed
up, set on by one of my lads, which the
infatuated sow ripped open with one
turn Of her head; as she did so. my
tomahawk fell deep into the thick part
her neck. The battle was over, and
Atamu's knife put an end to her.
The young men had caught several
smaller pigs alive, by running them
down with the dogs, and knocking
them over with stones. After q second
night in the bush, We returned home
with eighteen or twenty pigs, besides
the eleven litters. Tho pigs killed in
the bush are always cooked there, and
taken down in baskets, which make .
greater show As the hunters pass from
village to village. 1t is not always that
one meets with stout resistance as We
did upon this, my first hunting expedi-
ton; we we're fortunate in fallingi in with
large hogs on that occasion. have
sometimes been out two or three days
in the bush, hunting from morning un-
til night, and had no regular encounter
at all. Sometimes, when the bears &C.
companying the herd are small, they
would rather run than fight, and then
the dogs are certain in time to bring
them down. As they run, one dog gets
hold of an car. another the other ear.
another nips him on the shoulder,
another seizes hold of the tail, and TO-
gether they bring the unfortunate pig to
the ground quite exhausted.
And the young men, tangled as is the
bush generally, are never far behind
! the dogs with their knives; or if they
have no knife handy, they quickly put
stick across the throat, which two men
press down as hard as they can, and so
choke the pig. A large SOW with
young litter is the most difficult to
catch, and shows the most determined
fight. The skins of the old boars are
| frequently an inch thick. The tusks are
much valued when they are long and
we'll curved, and are worn as neck Orna-
ments. In Fiji, bears are kept in sites,
and fed to good old age, on purpose
| for their teeth.
HENRY SHAW, proprietor of the cele-
brated gardens at st. Louis which bear