The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-16

the ball will run along the spine and
enter the lungs. Large bullets and
! heavy guns arc used. 1t Is exceed
inGlY dangerous to shoot when the
animal is close and not kill him. The
elephant, when injured, is very re-
| vcngeful. He will throw his trunk
into the air. scream, hiss and snort
and rush after the hunter, KNOCKING
| him down with {, blow of his trunk
| and charge upon him with his great
tusks. If the man falls. the great
beast is liable 10 kneel upon him and
rlash him to a jelly.
One of the difficulties of elephant
hunting is that it is not easy to dis
tinguish the animals in the woods, as
they are of much the same color as
the trees y traveller here tells me
that he once almost walked into big
elephant while going through the
forest. He was STOPPING down and
looking strait before him Wien he
saw the elephants legs and took them
for tree trunks. The average ele-
plants of this region can easily make
sin miles an hour while on the march.
They usually travel III herds, the
young and old moving along together.
Tho animals can swim, notwthstand-
ing their enormous weight, and they
ttiii easily CloSS lnc ldlStSl IlNtIS.
/ understand that the most of the
elephants which used to infest these
plains have been driven away. They
have now to he hunted for in the
woods: but there are plenty in the for
ests between here and Uganda, and
about the slopes of Mount Kenia and
Mount Kilimanjaro. There are also
man, In the south near tho Zambesi,
and west of Lake ranganyika in the
forests along the Kongo. AT present
about $1,000 African elephants are
being killed every year, and there is
n danger that they win eventually be-
come as scarce as buffaloes are in the
United states.
=. gIfppOrotafni ana Hhinoccrnscs.
As to hippos and rlinns, there are
plenty of them still left along the
streams and about the great lakes of
the tropical parts of the continents.
There arc rhinoceroses almost every
where i'll the woods between Nairobi
and Uganda. l have seen number of
hippos, and were / n hunter, which l
am not, could, | venture. bag enough
of their hides 10 make riding whips for
all the hunt clubs OF Virginia, The
settlers tell me the animals come in
and root up their gardens, and that II
is almost impossible to fence against
them
Roth rhinos and hippos are hard to
kill. Each has q skin about half an
inch thick, aud there are only a few
places upon them where ball will go
through. Hippos can be hunted in
boats on the lakes, but they swim rap
idly and dive deep, remaining under
the surface "A long time, They move
along through the water, showing only
their ears and nose. They are wary,
and II is difficult to get Il shot at Just
tho right place. one of the best points
at which to aim is under the eye or
back of the head between the ears.
These animals arc sometimes har-
pooned, but such hunting is dangerous
as they are liable TO crush ones boat,
The rhinos have also to be upproach-
ed Very carefully. They have keen
senses of hearing and smell, although
they cannot see to any great distance.
They are usually hunted on foot, and
one must be careful to get on the wind
ward side OF them They do not hcsi-
tate to charge their enemies, and the
great horn which each has on it's nose
Is a terrible weapon, enabling ii to
these beasts are black, but now and
then II white one Is found. | met n
man the other day who claimed to have
Killed a white rhinoceros,
What 1t Costs to Hunt.
Since | have been in Africa | have
received number of letters from
American snortsmen asking the cost OF
shooting big game in this part OF the
world. The question is hard TO an
sWer. II is dependent on tho man ana
ITO some extent on the bargains he
makes, There are business firms here
and in Mombasa who make specially
/ or Quitting hunting parties, and who
/ VIII fix all arrangements as to guides,
/ food and porters, somewhat after the
same plan as Cook does for travellers.