New-York tribune., 1907-10-05
Il JOLLY SPORTSMAN.
Chapters ON Hunting an
East africa.

BIG GAME. SHOOTING, ON THE EoUAToRS,
an Introduction by Sir Charles Norton Eliot,
K. c. NJ: G.. Late commissioner for British
from photographs. Svo, PIP. 2S5. The John Lane
Company.
Captain Dickinson writes in this book as
sportsman for sportsmen. but he has way
with him which must win the sympathy Of the
veriest layman. His spirit is boyish. His die
tion is that of the humOrst who is quite willing
to be slangy II slang will aid him in getting the
more quickly TO his point. Withal he IS the
most practical of authors. telling the reader
everything he could conceivably want to know
about the subject in hand. Thus his intro
ductory chapter enumerates all that must be
arranged for on q hunting trip to British East
Africa, and then. after chapter in which the
ground is roughly surveyed. the different kinds
OF game are passed systematically in review.
An appendix gives the game regulations which
for the last ten years have worked wonders IN
preserving the wild animals OF Great Britains
East African Protectorate. Interesting repro
ductiOns from photographs give the finishing
touch to as lively and diverting book of sport
as have read in long time.
When this hunter takes the field he uses COM
mon sense in the management of his caravan,
formulating his principles in some passages or
advice which make dron reading. Don't ignore
cause you think sou know thing or two. Don't
slang him. or any one else because you have
liver in the morning Don't on any account lose
your temper and shout. On. B-This is reru dltl-
cutD Remember savage was born a savage
and brought up n savage, and always will be
one He has no brains Treat him accordingly.
The porters who go with the sportsman In East
Africa are entitled OF course. to certain rations.
and IT seems that IT saves bother II these are
four ~
Take no excuse If it is all eaten in one or two
days Let them starve: that is all" Captain
Dickinson's porters are undoubtedly rather
wooden types If one may Judge from the photo
graphs In his book. but his Nasal spearmen,
"who were supposed TO act guides counsel
lors and friends. and to make themselves gener-
ally useful" are the most gorgcously picturesque
individuals in their war paint and great feather
headdresses.
The authors hunting experiences would seem
70 have been untouched by any great peril but
now and then he gives glimpse OF what
he has learned 10 know soldier IN the
country Here is a vignette on the methods OF
warfare followed by the Nand. offshoot OF
the Nasal
They are cattle fancers, and on the slightest sign
WaTrioTs-ntS the depths of the forests where
they hidden away In rocky gorges III The
trouble is past. one may wander over the hil!s
and along the paths at such times and never see
living thing but every now and then you near a
shout echolng across the valley from the NH oP-
poste, perhaps mile away-a shout thnt is caught
up and repeated from one eminence to The other
This IS the Nandi method Of tclographlng from
hilltop hilltop, and by means Of IL the tribes
men know In very short space Of time exactly
what is the strength OF the column OF troops sent
10 punish them its exact locality. and the dtrec-
They are a crafty people. their favorite method
of carrying warfare being TO lie hidden In the
wary When the enemy have approached to within
ten or twenty yards a cloud Of poisoned arrows IS
rained upon them and so sudden Is tho onslaught
that one cannot exactly tell from which direction
IL
The elephant is the first of the animals de-
scrbed by Captain Dickinson. He gives vivid
impression Of the phenomenal rapidity with
which the mountainous brute can move. OF
the two-horned rhinoceros he says, borrowing
the language Of the small boy. that 1t looks
very fierce. but is an awful asst" He Is anus
ing on the way In which the rhino blunders
about. doing everything that. from sportsman
like point of view it should not do. It is. by
the way useless to try lodging a rhinoceros
when he is looking for you. ain spite of his
ungainly bulk he turn like polo pony.
one bullet must settle his business for him.
The hunter must be careful in pursuing the
hippopotarnus on land to avoid getting between
the animal and the water. Suppose the hippo
sbouId trim and fall over you? As Captain
Dickinson says, Three solid tons is rather an
affective roller" There are dramatic ad-
ventures recorded in this book; there are no
incidents which simply clamor to be quoted
But there is much good reading. In his modest
light hearted way the author helps us to see the
wild animal on its native heath and TO take
keen interest in the hunting of It,