New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-05-10

Ho7o the Mattress Get Big Game on
the White Nile.

Bordering the White Nile. three hundre1
miles south OF Khartoum and extending sons
two hundred miles further south to Fa-
shoda, is fine big game country is to %
found in Africa. says The Graphic" The fol-
lowing species abound on either bank of thy
river: Elephant. giraffe. buffalo, lion. leopard.
cheetah, sewaI. roam antelope waterbuck tora.
hartebeest. bestard hartebeest. white cared cob,
reedbuck. gazele. ostrich. hippopotamus wart-
hog, etc. The pursuit of game in this district IS
also in the rest of the Soudan. is closely re-
stricted by the Soudan game laws. which are
everywhere rIgidly enforced. The killing Of ele-
plant and buffalo with large bore rifles. though
doubtless exciting sport. does not compare with
the method practised by the SeIim Baggara
Arabs, who hunt them horseback armed only
with their broad headed spears. In this sport
the white man is practically precluded from
taking active part, owing to the nature OF the
bush and cotton soil Their plan is foIIowss
Parties of from four 10 ten men, riding about
nine to ten stone. mounted thirteen hand
Abyssinian ponies price thirty 10 forty Sheep
d. @, IS to II, for the price of sheep here av~
erages about 2s1. accompanied by their womerf
and donkeys, encamp near some spot known tn
he the drinking place of the elephants. These,
however only drink about every third night,
and pass the interim some twenty miles OF more
in dense and waterIess jungle The hunters
having settled their camp the river, leavs
their women in charge and themselves sleep ths
night some eight ten miles inland and TO lee
ward of the numerous elephant tracks leading
TO the river.
If in luck, they Will probably hear the herd
trumpeting during TIE night and in any-case. as
the first streak of dawn, every will be in
the saddle. and they at once proceed to draw up
wind for fresh spoor. 1t may be here remarked
their toilet is not extensive their hunting kit
being little more than nature gave them. ss
practically all clothes dispensed with in or
der to facilitate passage through the holding
''wait-a-bit'' kitty bush. Occasionally ths
elephants returning leisureIy from theirs
libations. which simplifes matters considerably.
but more often they have comprised the ten
miles from the river, and by dawn well orr
their way to their home in the thickest bush. as
a rule at least twenty miles from the river.
II the latter be the case. on hitting off tha
spoor the Arabs at once dash off with Wild
hOorooshes in headlong pursuit along the plainly
visible track. and continue with top speed WITH
here and there a nomentary check, regardless
of all obstacles, such as fallen trees. branches,
deep baked elephant tracks. buIfpches OF 'wait-I
a-bit' bush, and the worst Of cotton soil. untis
they come up TO the herd mark them tn
ground" after perhaps ten mile point in ths
impenetrable kitr BUSH which serves as a
sanctuary for them. On nearing the elephants
the cows often turn and challenge their pur-
before being actually nOested:' however.
in any battle royal is shortly begun Thu
Arabs by one. thrusting dexterOusy with
their keen. broad bladed spears at the hind<
quarters OF the selected elephant are each iIh
turn pursued. but only to return and renew tho
attack afresh. Eventually the mighty pachy{
derm subsidies. weak from the loss of blood front
many a wound. and is then at the mercy OF his
wildly vocfferating assailantS. Now and agafrs
a fall at a critical moment leaves an Arab ana
easy victim TO the Infatuated beast: but so Eim-
BILE are these hard and why men that fatal ora
even serious accidents are rare. On the fall OE
the elephant messengers are at once dispatched
to the camp the Nile. now. perhaps. twenty
miles distant, to inform the women. who hastiIys
collect all available dOnkeys and waterskins, ana
forthwith set out for the scene OF the kill To
bring home the meat and the much priced hids
and ivory. The ponies meanwhile have probably
been without water since the previous after
noon and will now have a long jog back to ths
river which they may possibly reach about y
p. m, by which time the temperature will bs
nearer no degrees than 100 degrees in ths
shade. Buffalo sticking is carried out sirnilar
lines. but is less severe the ponies. theyr
seldom travel more than four or five miles from
the river. Giraffe also afford the Arabs excel-
lent and less dangerous sport. and their bids
was the training ground of the devoted cavalry
Of the Khalifa who charged with such magnifs
cent and reckless bravery up the giacis 70 this
muzzles of the magazine rifles and machinss
guns in the British zeriba at Omdurman. Now.
all is forgiven and forgotten. and a British off,
Ger is a welcome and hOnOred guest among them-
and is treated with the utmost courtesy ana
hospitality.