The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-12-17
'rHE ABODE OF BIG GAME.
A Hunters Paradise in the
Wilds OF Africa.
Elephants Bufaloes and Other Large AMI
mails Found in Abundance

There is great shooting in many
parts of the dark continent, and Euro
pean sportsmen often visit South At
rica or penetrate far into other parts
of the country to enjoy season of
cunning. In few other parts of the
world is there game in such variety
and abundance.
One morning about year ago Mr..
". Montagu Kerr of the New York
Stock Exchange left camp, a little
south of Lake Nyassa, with the
French explorer Giraud, and in six
hours chase zebra, two buffaloes'
five antelopes, and three wild hogs
fell to their guns. They had glorious
sports all along the Shire River, and
this particular mornings work was by
no means exceptional shooting, Elkns,
Faulkner, and other fine hunters tell
great stories of the fun they have had
stalking elephants in the long grass
on the banks of the Shire, chasing
herds of buffaloes, antelopes or zebras,
or shooting rhinoceroses or hippopota-
mi. Elkins thought it wasn't bad
sport when in an hour near the Zam-
besi he dropped two hartbeests, an
Gland, buffalo, and a water buck.
Further north on the reedy shores of
Lake Nyassa, he and Mr.. Forbes killed
three elephants in as many minutes
Anderson, the splendid sportsman and
explorer, who spent many years in
South Africa, killed thirty rhinoceroses
within few days, and one night in
FIVE hours he shot eight.
No true sportsman likes to kill
merely for the fun Of shooting. He is
not satisfied unless the fruits of the
chase can be turned to some good ac-
count. In Africa he has the satisfac-
ton of knowing that hardly scrap
Of the meat he kills will be wasted
The natives welcome a fine hunter as
a benefactor. Sir Samuel Baker tells
how the greedy blacks used to fight
whenever he killed hippopotamus,
each striving to get the largest por-
ton. Elton says that few hours
| after killing buffalo or an elephant
there would be nothing left but the
bones. Faulkner relates that when
he brought down any big game the
natives danced with glee, and some
times they would not stop to cook the
meat. but would eat it raw. Ander-
son writes that he never killed game
as fast as the natives were able and
willing to dispose of it. Every pound
of meat, including rhinoceroses, not
required for his own party was de-
vored by the natives. The meat that
they do not require at once for food is
dried and preserved.
African travellers agree that ele-
phant steaks are very tough. 1t took
Faulkner half an hour to eat square
inch of elephant meat. Sir Samuel
Baker also says the flesh of elephants
it extremely coarse, but the fool
and trunk are excellent eating if prop
erly cooked. The flesh of the buffalo
he says, is very tolgh and coarse
Anderson thinks that water buck, one
of Africa's numerous varieties of an
telopes, is very unsavory eating, but il
saved him from starving once. Mos
African explorers have been compelled
at times to rely almost wholly OF
their guns for subsistence. Girear
would probably have starved to death
last year while passing through fam
ine-stricken district of east Africa i
he had not been good hunter. Thorn
sons caravan in Nasal Land some
times had to depend entirely fol
food upon the leader and his gun.
Sportsmen in Africa have many re
markable and thrilling experiences
Elephants, buffaloes, and rhinocerose!
are fond of charging the enemy, ant
now and then hunter is badly hurt
or killed outright. The African ele
phant is far more dangerous than tn,
Indian species as its brain cannot b.
4 reached by the forehead shot, ant
the hunter is seldom able to kill tn,
frenzied animal when it is charging
him. Elephants are regarded as tn
most formidable animal with whicl
sportsmen have to contend in Africa
Buffaloes are very dangerous and de
termined, but they are not so formida
BILE as either the elephant or the blacl
rhinoceros One hunter tells of meet
ing two lions who were stalking tn
same antelope he was after. 1t is
wonder that more hunters are no
killed. Many of them bear to thei
graves the marks of wounds they re
ceived in encounters with wild beasts
Anderson, who perhaps tramped owe
the vast undulating plains of Soutl
Africa more years than any othe
hunter, had many scars to remind hin
OF his fights with the brute creation. an,
his death was attributed to the effect
IF some of the wounds he had received
DR.. Livingstone told of man who
while stealthily approaching rhinoc
eros, happened to glance behin'
him, and found to his horror tina
lion was stalking him. He only es
capped by springing up tree like a cat
Ostriches are among the wildes
game that the hunter encounters. i
is difficult to get within gunshot o
the bird, and when it discovers tn
hunter it fees with such wonderful