Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-03
Lord Randolph Churchill's Chases for
Eland, 0striches, Hartebeest
and Hippopotami.
he PROVES A POOR MARKSMAN.
The Natives Will Give Almost Anything
They Possess for the Flesh of
the Fallen Animals.
HABITS OF THE SPLENDID BEASTS.
Wild Fig Tree That Produces Ripe Fruit the Year
Round and Other Wonders
rwRITTEN FOR TIE pIsrArCu.l

We continued our travels and our hunt.
ing in Mashonaland into September. One
day observing a solitary kopie in the
distance we rode toward it, and from the
summit searched the surrounding plain
with a telescope. In few minutes we
descriedia herd of about dozen hartebeest,
and ABOUT half mile farther to the north a
nice kerd Of roam antelope, among which
was 70 be perceived fine old bull. These
latt9r We preferred to chase. As rule
these large antelope allow the hunter to ap-
proach, especially if he is down wind with
in distance of 800 or 400 yards, standing
looking curiously at him. They then make
away at a slow pace, You canter after them
quietly. increasing your proximity to them.
After going a few hundred yards they
generally stand and look around again.
Now is the time for q good shot. if YOU
have got, as you ought to have done, within
200 yards of them. After the first shot
they make eff at a gallop and the hunter
must ride his horse to keep up with them,
but it is certainly better, if YOU desire to
kill several of herd, not to press them too
closely, contenting yourself with shooting
from time 10 time at somewhat longer
range, and at the same time not exhausting
the powers ofyour horse. In this wav, un-
der the guidance of Lee, have several
times chased good herds of buck for twenty
minutes or half an hour, getting mary
shots.
A Fine Mornings Shooting.
With this particular herd the old bull first
offered me a fair chance, but 1 missed him.
He galloped off, With nv second barrel 1
hit hard big COW with fine horns. Seeing
she was badly wounded and could not gallop
very far or fast, l made after her and soon
finished her with another bullet Lee in the
meantime had galloped after the herd and
had badly wounded the old bull without
being able to secure him, but had also laid
low nice young bull, which latter turned
out TO be the most excellent eating. Hav-
ing done the civll' to, !. e., grallocked and
covered up with grass and branches our
two dead buck, We turned our steps
toward the road
On our way we came across the herd of
hartebeest originally seen from the kopie,
which had been but slightly disturbed by
our chase after the roam antelope. got q
longish shot at one OF these, and noticing
that he turned away from the rest of the
herd, galloped after him, thinking that L
had wounded him. ] was soon Joined in
the pursuit BY Lee, who dismounted and
iired three shots without effect I continued
70 chase the buck who did not seem to be
able to get very far away from me. He
held on, however, for a long distance,
sometimes being as far awav as 800 or 600
yards, sometimes allowing me to come much
closer, when l dismounted and fired With |
my sixth shot hit him in the haunch, and
remounting, soon had the pleasure of seeing
his pace get slower and slower-from a
canteT into trot, from a trot into a walk, |
finally sinking onto the ground.
ChurchilPs First Hartebeest
I rode up to him and of-saddled nv pant |
ing and dripping horse, now completely |
blown hv gallop of upward of three miles |
over the most varied country, through |
swampy ground, groves of trees and bush |
and over rocky kopjes. This was the first |
hartebeest l had managed TO ride down and |
shoot by myself and | was proportionatelv |
delighted I found myself all alone in the |
veldt Lee having for some reason or other |
discontinued the chase. While I was en-
gagged in opening the buck was startled bv |
voice behind me. Looking round 1 per- |
ceived three natives with the usual amount |
of clothing and assegai. Not knowing |
quite what the intentions of these barbar- |
lans might he, | Immediately, with very |
dignifed and lofty signs ordered them to |
complete the disemboweling of the buck |
and to cut branches and grass with which to
cover II un. This they most meekly did,
upon which l graciously permitted them to
carry away the entrails.
was now somewhat in quandarv not
knowing where L was being totally unable
TO discover the way I had come and Lee
being nowhere in sight. However, knew
the road ran west, and that if'I took a
southerly course | must soon cut ii. 1t may
be well for the inexperienced in the chase
on the South African. veldJ to remember an
elementary fact. that at midday in the
Southern Hemisphere the sun is always in
the north, and that to go due south YOU
have only to keep the sun shining on the
back Of your neck. One or two other little
useful facas NAV be here set down. If
lost on the Neidt on a bright, starry
evening, four times and half the length of
the Southern Cross, measured from the
summit to the base in the direction of the
base, indicates the position Of the South
Pole. The direction of the wind is apt to
be misleading, as it generally follows the
sun in the course of the day.
A Trick in the African Wilds.
1t is well for hunter leaving his wagons
on the ''trek" to make these latter drag
chain between the rear wheels. When re-
turning from the chase, you reach the road
you can easily discover from the presence
or absence of the marks of the chain in the
dust among innumerable other spoor
whether your wagons are before or behind
YOU. Sir Frederic Darlington taught me
this little dodge, which, fortunately for its
efficacy, is hardly al all resorted to. 1t is very
imprudent for anyone to go hunting on the
veldt without small supply of biscuits and
whisky. Chocolate Is an excellent thing to
cary and box of matches is essential
tthe hunter toward the evening finds
hi self really lost and at a great distance
", a his camp l. is much better to realize
al tact while some daylight remains aud to
make timely preparations for passing the
night on the veldt such as choosing good
tree to which to attach your horse and col
lecting an ample stock OF firewood to last
through the night If these preparations
are postponed too long darkness supervenes
and the hunter is helpless. Also, it being
lost on the yeldt you happen TO kill a buck,
cEOCse your resting place Tor the night some
distance away from the dead game, which
is likely to attract either wolves or lions, in &.
whose vicinity at night it is well not to be-
found my way to the road and shortly
afterward to the wagons without much dit
hculty.
A Goat Couldn't BE Had. ,
On the following morning l. contented |
myself with a four mile trek to Kaffir ;
1raal Of some size picturesquely perched on
the peaks of a rocky kopie. Here under .
the ample shade Of large 'makoona" tree I
made 3 comfortable camp. We were soon I
surrounded by scores of natives old and