The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-11-26
Lion Hunt
Piai n Account OF dow Two
Big Ones We're Killed.

~~---0.O-~--.--~---~---0-~-o
Il vas during the early winter Of 1854
that had ny first experience in hunting
large game IN Africa Although / hal
been resident OF South Africa for sew
eraI years. ny duties az mining engineer
IN the employ Of the DeBee-s Mining
company had taken up al ny time. with
the exception Of 4 few of days spent
IN the veldr country OF the TranSvaas
hunting African gazelle and their much
larger cousins. oryx While I had man
aged on one occasion 70 bring down TWO
OF the former 6imlnutive creatures Cout
little larger than an American jackrao-
bit}. was never able 70 get within rife
shot OF the wary oryx-
For a number OF years a feeling % dis
content had been manifested among the
foreign OF 'Uitlandsr' population Of the
Dutch republic. caused by the passage O.
obnoxious alien laws by the Beers This
feeling finally resulted IN a half-hearted
insur-ection. during which DR.. Jameson
OF the British army made his famous raid
into the Transvaal. which resulted in the
death Of some fifty Beers and twice that
number Of English soldiers. Although I
had always had much sympathy for the
original settlers Of the Transvaal. my
surroundings az the time were such that
I was forced 70 take part in the upris-
ing and as result was incarcsrated in
the grim, one-story prison al johannes
burg for several days. When, through
the influence OF friends. was liberated.
az first thought Of returning 20 the
United States, but as mining engineers
were then scarce II South africa, the
company al last induced rae 10 remain,
agreeing TO send ne cut Of the T-ansvaal
Al once upon a prospecting tour into the
wilds Of Central Africa
Making Up caravan or ''kahla-" as Il
IS called there. for the purpose Of pene-
tracing the wilderness, IS by no means
a small undertaking First and tore-
most in Importance Is the selection Of
competent and faithful guides and az
tendants. managed 10 get together q
party Of twenty. composed OF two white
men (myselt and and Engllshman BY the
name OF Wilson. who was % take direct
charge Of the kahla). twelve Maabeles,
FIVE kaffirs. and an old Zulu. By name
Can Liba (which soon shortened into
Gam. who was said 70 be remarkably
expert II hunting large game. He was
striking fellow, several inches above six
feet IN height. straight as an arrow. MS
chest. back. and limbs covered with
punches Of muscles as hard as bone. He
was leopard hunter by profession
and for many years had made a business
OF Kidding the country Of these trouble
some pests.
We all left Johannesburg IN the latter
part Of April. with instruction % pro-
coed By rail 70 Port Lorenzo. where 3
small coasung steamer had been char
tered u take Us 70 the mouth OF the Fam
best River, Mozabique. We were 70 FOL
low this stream inland for about three
hundred miles. then move north 70 Lake
Bangweolo. latitude ten degrees ten min
utes south, thence along the eastern Dor
der Of the Congo Free State ten degrees
and then east 10 the coast. striking some
Of the many small trading posts between
cape Delgado and Zanzibar. whence we
could embark for home. IN addition %
our arms. We had six caneIs. twenty
donkeys. and twenty-six ponies. also one
thousand five hundred pounds of gee.
one thousand five hundred pounds OF rice.
q large assortment q cooking pots.
water casks. and condensers. and several
hundred small trlnkets for presents. IN
due time We were aboard the steamer.
and after a very rough Journey Of nearly
weeks duration. were landed bag and
baggage" upon the barren shores q
Mozambique. a mile north OF the Fam
best.
This Is indeed q most desolate eoua-
try: the Zaubesi and is fats-a broad
ribbon % silver and green. bordered here
and there By black ch1s-splic the des-
ert from east 20 west To the north and
east as FAR as the eye can reach stretch
Is waste OF mesa-lznd. sand cactus.
sand. black rock. and more sznd-sand
that dazzies the eye Ike snow. with here
and there a cluster Of palms and jungle
grass, which indicate where periodical
springs rise cut IL the 5Iis,eriag ea-th .
greet Mother Zambesi To the east ls
TIE ceaseIess wash Of the quiet sea. With
its short reefs % gray coral. shining
white in the eternal sunshine, and over
eli q dreary deathlike stiffness. broken
orly when the deadly simeon SWEEPS the
sand IN wh.-ling clouds from ths north
5u-yi1g all Before 81 Looking westward
over the dreary waste q desert. one can
hardly believe that but few hundred
miles away was a land second % none in
point q fertility.
One evening IN ths latter part O; Nay
We eaczmpe5 upon Jhs outskirts q a
wsdi o unusual size. pitching our tents
near q large spring the water u Ehica
vas as clear as crystal and very cool
As ft qss already dark when We had IN
izhed suTpe-. omitted By usual evening
stroll and prepared 20 retire ~ once in
forming The men tina. ne wogss remain
over here for az least a day. the animals
need res: badly after the.- lonE pull
through ne sand. The caueis had Been
driven IN and made - Ee d9Er 81 q
circle. where they were secured - the
tyIng I'D o< q to-e.sg- Around ,Le G-s
~ native usen, ;Ee5r number increased
81 two we ha3 p-ckr5 Up az a ae.sah1r-
iuz Yil aEe. sz- ches~f1-s eating thsr
dates and -5es. Tbs starlight sfss1e ain
3 ca Ire io1E necks and ra1sshasssa
backs # the canes. and sa5re5 1ainIy
ths solitary. Whitehead 1Ez1-s . me sen
ny as re- stood a. tn@ ogtzslrts - tas
camp crgo1laz - a.nss.t a u1uraf1i
3Ea-ase-e song sen rae zsp ha1 GzlsH-
e1 eating al we've stretched a. <li
Length about -sa ere waEe tse sf.azos
- the Jungle e-r1t ever ara slleaos
broken t-eqae-tlg - fhs e-r = a 5ackzt
a- are weird h~z1 % = sysaz A. lzT