The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-11
ON A RHINOCEROS HUNT
MAD CHARGE OF TWO HUGE BEASTS
ON A HUNTER IN AFRICA.
Both Fell After an Exciting Chase,
and Were Found Dead, Side by
Side, in the Big Jungle.
BROOKLYN Eagle

Game in Africa and India" Shortly after
bagging his first elephant. the author
started after the two-horned rhtnoceros.
He gives the following account of his ex-
perience:
AS l came round a bush l saw at the
bottom of a kind of natural alley in the
forest, framed in like a picture by the
trees, a massive old female rhinoceros
She was facing me and standing half in
sunshine, half in shadow. From 4, bush
protruded the hind quarters of another.
Signing to the Somalis TO keep back 1 in
stantly sat down and drew a bead upon
her chest. The distance was about seventy
yards and although the wind was adverse
TO her, and we had made no noise, she
must have seen us like moving shadows
among the trees, and was evidently full of
suspicion and distrust.
If L ever took careful aim it was at that
moment, and under cover of the smoke 1
shifted my position as the rhinoceros came
charging down upon US, giving three or
-FOUR sharp whiffs like jets of steam, evil
IDENTIFY with the intention of clearing the
enemy away from the rear before making
her escape toward the front against the
wind. Having, as she supposed, effected
this maneuver-a very usual one on the
the two broke away across the forest,
crash after crash, dying away in the dis
lance, marking their course as they re-
coded. On perceiving the rhinoceros go off
apparently unnjured, my Somalis gave full
vent to their disappointment, making ex-
travagant gestures and using what
sounded Ike bad language, yet still in half
whispers, as they knew instinctively that
the animals might not have gone far, after
all. especially if the one 1 had fired al had
received a mortal wound.
Inc tracks we now followed were deep
holes and burrows imprinted by the ami
mas at full speed. We had not gone far
rhinoceroses standing broadside on, and
quite motionless, under bush which con-
cealed the head Giving my three Somalis
10 understand that they must remain quiet
l aimed once more at the animals snoul-
der, taking care that no twig or branch was
IN the line of fire. knowing how easily
bullet may become DETECTED. NY shot was
followed by couple of short, angry snorts
the stamp of heavy feet, and an appalling
crashing which advanced and then swept
round toward the left. Another cautious
advance on our part and not far off l saw
near the center of an open space, the
smaller of the two rhinoceroses but not
the larger one.
RHINOCEROS'S DEATH CRY.
"A shot delivered standing, from the
shoulder, was fonowed by two shrill
squeaks, as the animal tottered a few PAGES
and fell over on it's sde-a sound most dis
proportionate to the size and bulk of so
large creature, but which | instantly rec
ognized from Sir Samuel Bakers descrip-
ton, as the death cry of the rhinoceros;
and the hearing of it filled me with a hunt
er s joy. While 1 was reloading the Somalis
had crept forward with their spears, rely
ing upon their own agility in evading any
charge delivered by the larger one, which 1
knew must surely be somewhere near at
hand. After peering over a low bush they
executed a war dance upon the ground be-
yond, for there were the two rhinoceroses
lying stone dead almost side by side MY
Somalis gave way to shouts and exuberant
mirth; they were transformed from scowl-
ing hends soured by the white mans folly,
into radiant brown angels, and l allowed
them to. stroke my face and pat me on the
back without a reprimand."
Mr.. Karr in the same article describes
the method followed in hunting from the
backs of elephants. In India he had an
experience in this direction while he was
the guest of the Maharaja of Kuch Behar
Mr.. Karr says:
One of the first things the Maharaja did
after our arrival was to hand to each guest
slip of paper on which was written the
name of the elephant allotted to him for
shooting purposes which bore on it's back
the structure known a a howdah, to carry
the shooter and his guns. AS these ele-
plants were necessarily large, and the how
greater
than If one were seated upon plain pad
upon the elephants back or on one of the
smaller elephants, which have a smoother
gait. We usually, therefore, went to the
cover or jungle, upon one of the beating
or pad elephants. which afterward during
the operations of the day were employed
IN a long line to force the rhinoceroses and
other animals out of the dense thickets in
which they live
The howdah elephant which the Mahara-
ia allotted to me was named Secunder. Thr
years previously it was an uncaptured wild
elephant ranging at liberty the jungles of
Bengal It was fine female between nine
and ten feet in height at the shoulder, with
short but perfect tushes projecting a few
inches beyond the upper lip There are
which have been tanned more recently still.
1t was very gentle and obedient and per-
fectly fearless, and, therefore, very valua-
Bile as a shooting elephant; as, for exam
pie on several occasions during the follow
ing three weeks it stood without f1inching
the charge of wounded buffalo, tiger and
rhnocerOs, thus enabling me to take a
steady shot. Almost ali elephants show
great fear of the India rhinoceros; there
scent their enemy and fewer still that will
stand the crash and short snorts that pre-
cede the charge.
FROM AN ELEPHANTS BACK.
about breakfast time each morning the
elephant told off for each guest was brought
to the neighborhood of his tent, and the
howdah placed upon it, resting upon sad
ole composed OF TWO cuSnlOnS OF strong
sacking about six feet by two which
rested in turn upon a large cloth covering
the whole of the elephants back The how
dahs for shooting are lightly built of wood
and cane work and contain two seats and
racks TO hold six guns or rifles, three on
each side All this is dashed on by ropes
passing under the elephants neck, belly
and tall The weight which an elephant
is able to carry upon its back exceeds a
ton; for short distances they have been
known to carry as much as 5000 pounds,
but for long marches half a ton is consd-
cred the limit. Many of the Maharaja's ele-
plants had fine tusks. but most tusks are
cut at regular intervals to prevent them
from injuring one another One or two
of the fighting elephants, however, had
pointed tusks'
This is the sort Of hunting camp that an
Indian prince sets up when he goes aheld.
1t is a little different from the log bark
shanty of the American hunter. Mr. Karr
describes it as follows
AS we approached it, between the
patches of cultivation round the cluster of
grass huts which constituted the village of
Simlagori. the fires, tents and lights in all
directions, and the dark figures of crowds
of servants, made it appear like military
encampment A native sentry kept guard
over the Maharajas tent, which was placed
somewhat at one side In the middle of the
camp rose a large diuing tent and the
were placed in row on each side of the
camp. Each of these tents was a large
double rooted structure of about 20x1S feet
internal measurement, supported on two
massive bamboo uprights and a crossbar:
a space behind, between the inner and the
far formed broom which xXuc