The Republican journal., 1877-10-18

tilltltul tlltCllOllS. NHlIt llOSe WHO Uit
left in camp occupy themselves in cleaning
it up, caring for the beasts, making boxes
for transportation, and cages for the cX-
pected new captures.
In getting wild animals the rule is tc
Kill the old ones and secure the Young
for after any Of the beasts have grown
OLD enough to become accustomed to the
free life OF the woods, and TO hunt their
own food, they are treacherous. and worth
little for purpose Of exhibition
Paul Luhu, one Of Reiche Brothers
men, who has lately returned from Africa
with rare birds and animals, tells inter
esting stories Of the perils of the hunt.
He says: The lion is fierce creature,
and the lioness, when protecting her
young, VerV much worse but from long
practice we know Just how To 90 after
them. y good rifle, firm hands and steady
\ eyes, and we can soon topple the old fell
! low over, The Old latN NAV take little
longer, but in the end We are sure to Kill
her, aud then it is no truubIt to pick up
and secure the cub. We try to act these
/ little fellows when they are about three
or four weeks Old They are then like
/ young puppies, easily managed, and soon
learn to know tAeir keepers l-euparlS.
tigers, and all that kind of animals we
GET il the same way anU 1T about the
same ace. Baby elephants are hard to
get, and the hunt is very dangerous The
old ones seem I'D know inStinctiNelN when
We are after then Young. and their rage
is something terrible The trumpetng OF
the parents can he heard for 4 long dis
tanre, ANA quickly alarms the whole herd.
/ The rifle is comparatiNrh useless. and
trying 70 approach them particularly
/ hazardous, Vet il has tu he done First.
| we try t. distract the attention OF the
! female from her offspring. Then a native
creeps cautiously up from behind, and,
/ with one cut Of 4 heavy broad -hladeu
knife, sewers The tenuonS of her hind feet.
/ She is then disabled. can not walk, and
soon falls to the ground. We promptly
4 Kill her secure the ivory, and capture
! the little one. OF course we occasionally
n have a native on two killed in this Kind
of hunt: but they don't cost much-only
- or 50 apiece. The sheikhs are paid in
/ advance, and don't care whether the poor
\ devils come back, and 50 we don't bother
/ much about them, Baby elephants we
! like to get When they are about one year
/ Olo oungeI ones are TOO tender, and
I older ones know too much. They soon
/ get acquainted with all the camp, and we
| have lots OF fun with them. They are
! kindly docile, and as full of capers as the
| little niggrr babies that play with them. -
"But Of all fierce. ungovcrnahlt and
lusty brutes." the hunter continued. "the
hippopotamus With Young is the very
/ worst, and whenever we start OFT to get Il
4 I,ll M tbat hind ,lan Ia n ~,
| back with one or more men missing. In
the water they fight light devils, and in
five minutes Will crush to pieces the
strongest boat we can use. They are
quick as 4 flash. too, notwithstanding
their clumsy appearance, and the oars
men have to he wide awake to keep out
of their way On shore they are Just as
1eroci0uS, and the way they can hurry
their stumpN little legs over the ground
would astonlsf YOU. They die hard. too,
and take a heap OF killing. " hen such
a lob is over. You may be sure there is
great rejoicing among us but as one lit
| tie hlppOpOtalnllS is worth rs much aS half
dozen lions, tigers, and such truck. We
are wen content to take the risk we can
not Get these babies too Young to suit us
one. remember. though ! was not in
the hunt, was captured the very day it
| was born, and the hunters and attend
ants brought 1t up on the bottle. 1t is the
same animal that Barnum advertised 50
extensively as the Baby liippopotamus,
and il is now travelling with his show
bstllrhcS we run clown ON horseback, and
then catch them With the laSS0. 1t is an
exciting chase, but not particularly dan
gerouS On these hunts we are entitled
to only the young animals we capture
The beautiful skins Of the icopards, lions,
and other animals we kill, the tusks of the
| elephants, the feathers Of the ostriches,
and all other similar spoils 90 to the ma
tive shci1hS and chiefs and these old
rascals are is sharp ut a trade aS the
shreWdcSt old rlo' merchant vou have in
Chatham street
In the cncampmcnt HE natives assist
in taking care of the animals and do
general work, but the mental duties are
performed by Nubian slaves, who are
very cheap and can he bought in numbers
to suit. Among the natives the women
are looked upon as inferior. Women
never eat With their husbands, The huS-
band is allowed four wives and ~ many
slaves as hr can corral"
\ sufficient number ana variety OF ami
mails having been secured a caravan is
formed to take them across the desert to
Germany or America. This usually con
| SiSts of about one hundred ramrls each
having its native driver; thirty or forty
| horses for the white men and Arab hunt
ers and their attendants; Il flock of from
$50 to 200 goats, for their milk and also
tor food, amt black slaves to look out for
the goats. The wild animals are secured
| in strong boxes and carried on the camrls'
backs. They are all Young. and are led
with goats milk, although occasionally
To keep them in good spirits and fine con
| thtlon, they are given pieces Of raw goats
meat. Horses are very cheap there, rang
| ing from Sl3 to go each the natives
| even cheaper, 81 being thought an en-
trava%ant price per man for the trip
| Milking goats are worth ~ each, and
others about 80 cents. The journey usual
| ly occupies from thirty to forty days, and
| all travelling is done between three and
eleven O'Clock in the morning, and five
| and eleven O'Clock in tie evening. Dur
| ing midday the suns rays are SO tiercclV
hot as to make labor or travelling hazard
Gus, and none is attempted. The route
/ home is much the same as that taken 90
ing out, and in due time the beasts are
landed, usually with very little loss, ON
/ the great stock Wild animal farm Of
! Charles Reche x Brother, in Alteldt,
I Hanover. There they remain until need
| ed to ill orders Of ShoWmen in either Eu-
rope or America, while their hardy cap
| tors take three months of rest and recre-
alton before starting on another trip.
The Reiche Brothers have nearly $50,
900 invested in this enterprise, which they
have successfully conducted for many
years. The extravaganza of the prices
paid for some beasts is little known. AS
high as Sl5,O0O has been paid fora single
hippopotamus in good condition. To-day
$50, 600 would hardly buy specimen, as
there is not one in the country that is
known to be for sale. \ rhinoceros is
worth from $4,000 to 81 600, according
to the demand and excellence. Giratles
sell for 81 900 to $4,000, lions from $500
t,N L., -..)I It.