The morning call., 1891-08-24

these silver mines. and the incidents of the
journey led me to offer few remarks IL pon
the presence OF game and the prospects OF
sport in the Transvaal. My friend and |,
who were naturally not competent TO torn
any practical judgment on mining values,
took with US our guns and dogs in order TO
while away the time during which the en-
gineer experts would be at work.
ALL THE GAME GONE.
Not many years ago these wide and grassy
plains abounded with game of almost every
description. Persons whose word can
be implicitly relied upon have In
formed me that within the last Ill
teen years they can remember these
plains being covered as far as the eve
could reach with countless thousands OF
wild beasts, blessbok and springbok and
other varieties of the deer and antelope
tribe. So desolate and lifeless is the appear
ance of these plains now that 1t is difficult
to credit the assertion. 1t happened. how
ever, unfortunately for the sportsman, that
not along ago the demand for hides was con-
siderable, and the wise, prudent and intelll-
gent Boer Immediately set to work and
slaughtered without discrimination every
wild four-f0oied animal. So reckless and
ruthless was the slaughter that these Boer
sportSmen never cared to carry home the
animals they had slain. Forming themselves
into large shooting parties, they shot them
down everywhere by scores, by hundreds
ny tHUuSduuS. leaving tuc CdtCdScS "
be devoured by the vultures, and going
few days afterward to gather up the skins
which the vultures had neglected and which
the sun had dried and tanned.
Now the traveller can compass mile after
mile without seeing as much as solitary
buck. In a few places, however, attempts
are made to resuseitate and preserve the
blessb0k and the sprngbok. On the estate
of some $4,000 acres belonging to Messrs.
Marks u Co., situated on the Vaal River,
1N..,.@ 6,
has been raised herd of a few hundred
springb0k, which are carefully preserved.
On another estate not far off, near ParitZ,
belonging to Mr.. Koettze. some thousands
OF blessbok are TO be found and are care
fully preserved. These TWO examples show
what might be done in the way of preserva-
ton of deer in not only as regards this, but
also regards many other matters had God
only given n glimmer of intelligence to the
Boer. For it must be remembered that
these animals are fairly profitable to keep,
both their meat aud their hides being in
Same demand.
Over the whole Transvaal, however, little
new remains to the sportsman but feathered
game. This exists in res pectabie quantities
and variety. but the expanse OF plain is so
vast that the game is greatly scattered, and
the sportsman must often look far and long
before he is rewarded by shot. On the
grassy veldt will be found more than one
kind OF magnificent crane. The paw or
greater DustdTu may sometimes De Securel
with small-bore rifle. The coran or lesser
bustard is more numerous. In the morning
and IN the evening his discordant call may
constantly be heard, and in everything like
decent cover he is easily secured with a shot
gun. Scattered about the Yeldt ara "pars"
of~ater, surrounded by reeds and rushes,
where wild fowl may often be seen in con-
siderable number, but generally difficult to
approach. while along the ''spruits" and in
swampy places snipe OF more than one vari-
ETY. at certain times of the year abound. In
the neighborhood of cultivated grounds of
homesteads and of gardens coveys OF red
partridges are frequently met. and in certain
spots quail may be said to swarm at the
proper period of the year. The sportsman.
however, will have to work very hard ana
shoot very straight TO make what to an En-
gllshmnn would appear respectable bag.
My friend aud i, shooting for two days in
the netghbOrhood of the silver mines, OBJ
tanned the following singulary varied but
somewhat scanty bag-nOr do | think that
the Sc ntinesS could be fairly attributed 10
any excessively unskillful shooting: Three
Snipe, ten Quail, six ducks, one wild goose,
seven partridges, i've coran, three plOver.
four pigeons, one eagle and five bitterns.
This week was enabled by the kindness of
Messrs. Marks to make a shooting eXpedl-
ton TO the estate before alluded to, which is
carefully preserved, and where shooting is
seldom allowed. Our party consisted of four
guus and we remained four days ON the es-
tate. The weather was perfect, cool and
ever frosty nights. bright and warm days,
with refreshing breezes. We camped out
on the yeldt, sleeping in bell tent. This
method of living. though rough and ready,
vas rendered most agreeable by the pres
ence Gf n French cook, who skillfully
treated us in the evening with the different
varieties Of game we had secured in the day.
In the morning, uD before daybreak,
mounted on well-trained ponies, we chased
the springbok emerging from the cultivated
lands on to the veldt, galloplng as near to
them as the teetneSS OF our horses would
permit-seneraily about 400 yardS-dis-
mounting. rapidly firing snappy chance
shot, then remountiDg and after them again.
getting perhaps two or three more shots aud
on until the herd had galioped far away
out of range. This method of shooting deer
requires much habit and experience and
much COED fortune. Onlv two springbok
rewarded cur efforts. neither of which. |
must confess. fell to my rifle. The chase,
however. is in itself highly exciting, the
galiop across the veldt in the cool morning
air ndescribably exhilarating, and the ef-
feet of it is to make breakfast widely
different and far more agreeable meal than
one knows it to be at home.
After breakfast the shotguns are resorted
to and likely places are hunted over by point
ers and settlers or beaten by 'boys" after
the partridge, the cOran or the quail. In the
evening, thoroughly wearied out, the din
ner table and the camp fire are found TO be
real luXuries, and o'clock would see us
bundled up in our bell tent and sleeping that
slumber which only the satisfied sportsman
knows. a description of the bag may be of
interest: Four ducks, 80 partrdges. hares,
$50 quail. coran, IL snipe, / dikkop, wild
turkey, blue crane and springbok.-Ran-
dolph Churchill. in the st. Louis Post-Dis-