The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-12-16


rhinoceros, which lurking in the
thick grass. would charge him as he
was stalking the elephant. and from
them he had one or two narrow es-
capes But, he added, / love the
life, and nothing would induce me
now to take to any other trade
He mentioned by the way that the
best elephants in east Africa were
to be found in the neighborhood of
Lake Rudolf. OF which one shore
forms part of the eastern boundary
of the Uganda Protectorate, the lake
itself lying in east Africa. 1t is,
however. necessary to add that there
may be a possibility of trouble in
that quarter from the native tribes,
who have not yet been brought under
complete subjection. Nevertheless,
one of my companions on the home
ward voyage, who was an officer
Of a British cavalry regiment, and
who, with two American associates
OF the east Africa syndicate, hao
just been through the Lake Rudolf
country On an exploring expedition
said that only on one occasion had
they met with any opposition. which
was quickly put to an end. The
chances are that in a short time the
district will be quite safe for trav-
lers. especially as in most localities
the natives welcome the hunter of
the elephant, of which the flesh is
their favorite food.
But l shall be expected to say
something about lions. The main
thing to be said about them is the
uncertainty Of finding them. will
give an instance On the railway
journey between Port Florence and
Nairobi an Austrian count, who
with married companion and his
wife had been shooting in the neigh
borhood, joined the train, bringing
his trophies with him. He had kill
ed, I was told, nine lions within
month, whereas last year in six
weeks he had not been able to find
single one. The fair Austrian, I
may mention, was got up like the
short skirted Tyrolese peasant girl
of the opera, and presented a very
picturesque and sporting appearance.
She, 100, had killed her lions, that is,
some of the nine.
"More, then, cannot say about
the King OF the forest except that
the authorities want their lions kill
ed. and that the sportsman must,
when he arrives in the country, make
inquiries about the localities where
lions have most recently been seen
or are most likely to be found. Thus
on the day that we returned to the
coast we were told at a small sta
ton named Shimba, which being in
terpreted means lion, that five lions
had just been seen in the vicinity,
and that if there was any sportsman
in the train who was anxious to kill
a lion he had better stop and go after
them at once 1t is, by the way, in
the same neighborhood, not much
more than 200 miles from Momassab,
that 'rhinos' can often be seen from
the train.
This place has, however, me dis
advantage Of being visited more Of
ten than others by Mombassa sports
men, including naval officers from
any of the nen-of-war anchored in
the harbor, in view of its being with
in easy compass of a week end trip.
And the game, especially, of course,
antelopes and gazelles, is correspon-
ingly shy. On the other hand, in
many places the animals are 100
easily approached, and except for the
zest which accompanies desire to
obtain record horns, most of the an
telope shooting is somewhat tame
sport. as may be inferred from the
name head hunting,' which is given
to it locally"