Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1886-03-20
THE ABODE OF BIG GAME.
A Hunters Paradise in the
WildS of Africa.
Elephants, Bufaloes and Other Large Ami
mails Found in Abundance

parts OF the dark continent, and Euro,
pean sportsmen often visit South Af-
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..
w. Montagu Kerr of the New York |
Stock Exchange left camp. little
south of Lake Nyassa, with the
French explorer Giraud, and in a 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. Elkins,
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,
COR 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 &C
count. In Africa he has the satisfac-
ton of knowing that hardly a scrap
of the meat, he kills will be wasted
The natives welcome fine hunter as
a benefactor Sir Samuel Baker tells
how the greedy blacks used to fight
whenever he killed a hippopotamus,
each striving to get the largest por-
ton. Elton says that a few hours
after killing a buffalo ~er 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
1t extremely coarse, but the foot
and trunk are excellent eating if prop
erly cooked. The flesh of the buffalo.
he says, is very tough and coarse.
Anderson thinks that water buck, one
of Africa's numerous varieties Of an
fola iS Int
saved him from starving once. Most
African explorers have been compelled
at times to rely almost wholly on
their guns for subsistence. Gireau
would probably have starved to death
last year while passing through fam
ine-stricken district Of east Africa If
he had no,Sbeen a good hunter Thom-
sons caravan in Nasal Land some
times had to depend entirely for
food upon the leader and his gun.
Sportsmen in Africa have many re-
markab.e and thrilling experiences
Elephants, buffaloes. and rhinoceroses
are fond Of charging the enemy. and
now and then hunter is badly hurt
or killed outright The African ele-
phant is far more dangerous than the
Indian species rs its brain cannot be
reached by the forehead shot. and
the hunter is seldom able 10 kill the
frenzled animal when IL IS charging
l.