Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-10-29
LIONS IN THE LAND OF OPHIR.
DIR. Peters Tells of Big Game Hunt
ing In Africa.

ing In Africa.
DR.. Carl Peters, the German explorer
who thinks he has found the Land Of
Ophir in Rhodesia, has brought back
to civilization great stories Of the hunt
ing in that part Of Africa.
In that mysterious land between the
Zambesi and the Saba country the jun
gle has come to its own again, covering
ancient fortresses and palace walls
with growth that looks as If 1t never
had been disturbed by man since the
world began.
And in that jungle the wild beasts
rule. There the lions and leopards are
man-eaters, not waiting to be attack
ed, but carrying the war into the
camps and into the very tents Of the
invaders.
When DR.. Peters entered the country
with his expedition he was amazed at
the profusion of life. The land and the
waters and the air were full Of it.
Since his return from his last trip he
has decided that the big game hunting
in many portions Of the territory is the
best in the world. The Zambesi river
there is full Of hippopotami and croc-
odiles.
He saw herds after herds Of elephant,
buffalo and rhinoceros. Everywhere
he marked the tracks Of zebra and
quagga.
He describes the wealth Of birds as
colossal. Guinea hens, pheasants, her
ons, cranes, storks, f1amingoes, peli-
cans, ducks and greese were seen by
him not in thousands, but in hundreds
Of thousands on the banks and islands
Of the mighty African river.
Book and antelope he found in enor-
nous numbers. And east Of the Man.
lea Land the hunters met lions and
leopards that not only were plentiful,
but fearless providing the very climax
Of sport and excitement.
DR.. Peters says that whatever may
be the case in some parts Of Africa.
the statement made occasionally by
lion hunters to the effect that the sport
is not very dangerous is not true in this
region. Lions and leopards there at
tack the domestic animals Of man and
man himself by preference.
They pass tempting antelopes and
other game deliberately and enter the
villages to break into kraals. where
they beat down steers and sheep and
carry them off. So daring are they that
contrary to the general habits of the
great cats, they hunt in broad day.
light as we'll as by night.
In the summer Of 1899 two officials Of
the Mashonaland railroad were actual
ly dragged out of their rooms in their
huts by lions and carried off within
full view Of the laborers along the rail-
road. On each occasion the lions made
their attack in the middle Of the day.
Another lion leaped into a tent on
the Sabi river and carried away Brit
ish prospector while he was at lunch
con.
One day, when DR.. Peters, DIR.
Blocker, an Englishman named
L
breakfast in the valley of the Lupata.
Negroes arrived breathlessly with the
news that three lions had broken into a
krall in the neighboring village of
Merula and had killed and dragged off
a man and a number of hogs. The
lions, said the messenger, were then
sitting in a thick bush near the village,
eating their prey.
Blocker and Peters seized their RI
fles, and accompanied by two unarmed
men, who carried the cartridges, they
soon reached the village, where there
was intense excitement, all the Negroes
screaming and shouting in an effort to
drive the beasts away. The bush was
only 80 feet from the settlement, and
extended to the river which was about
$50 feet distant.
Peters took his position near big
tree about 80 feet from the bush.
Blocker stood on the other side of the
beasts hiding place. The Negroes
gathered on the other end Of the bush
and began to fire old muskets, beat
drums and make all the noise possible
to drive the lions toward the hunters.
Before many minutes tremendous
roar sounded right in front of Peters,
and grand lion, heavily named
sprang toward the tree. The hunter
fired and scored q clean miss.
Instantly the brute leaped again, this
time directly at the doctor. He step
ped sideways, and in the next moment
the lion had beaten down four Negroes