The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-16

venture, bag enough of their hides to make riding whips for all the clubs of Virginia The settlers tell me the ani- mals come in and root up their gardens, and that 1t is almost impossible to fence against them.
 Both rhinos and hippos are hard to kill. Each has a skin about an inch thick, and 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 rapidly and dive deep, remaining under the surface long time They move along through the water, showing only their ears and nose. They are warry, and 1t is difficult to get a shot at just the right place. One of the best points at which the aim is un- der the eye or back of the head between the ears. These animals are sometimes harpooned, but such hunting is dangerous as they are liable to crush ones boat.
 The rhinos have also to be approached very carefully. They have keen senses of hearing and smell, although they cam not see to any great distance. They are usually hunted on foot, and one must be careful to get on the windward side of them. They do not hesitate to charge their enemies, and the great horn which each has on it's nose is terrible weapon, enabling it to kill horse at a blow. The most of these beasts are black, but now
 
 man the other day who claimed to have killed a white rhinoceros.
 What 1t Costs to Hunt.
 Since I have been in Africa I have re- celved a number of letters from American sportsmen asking the cost of shooting big game in this part of the world. The question Is hard to answer. It Is depend- ent on the man and to some extent on the bargains he makes. There are busi- ness firms here and in Mombasa who make a speciality of outfitting hunting parties, and who will fix all arrangements as to guides, food and porters somewhat after the same plan as Cook does for travellers. The prices, in such cases, de- pend upon the length and character or the tour and the size of the party. There is a young American here now whose mother calls him ''Dodo,' who paid $500 for a three days hunt after lions: and this did not necessitate a license, as lions are on the free list The young man tramped about with his porters through the tall grass, and was given a shot or so at two lions, both of which he missed. Had he tried for big game it would have cost him $250 more.
 On long hunt the expenses of all kinds can be considerably reduced, and l should think that $40 a day for each sportsman in the party would be a fair estimate l am told that man can be fitted out with porters, gun bearers and personal servants for $250 month. One can get a good cook for from $5 to $S month, a gun bearer for about $10 and a personal servant for from $S to $10. The license for big game in all cases costs $250 The travelling expenses from New York to British East Africa direct are about $500.
 Food When on Safari.
 As to the provisions for the trip, this depends much the tastes of the in- dividual sportsman. There are native villages almost everywhere at which some fresh food can be bought at cheap rates Chickens are plentiful at s cents a pound and meats cost the same. In the streams and lakes there are fish; the guns of the party ought to supply plenty of game, and one need never suf- for the want of antelope or zebra steak.
 As to the other food it should be pack ed up in boxes of sixty pounds each; and in case the outfit is prepared here, each box will have sufficient for one mans requirements for one week. The most of the stuff is in tins. and is usual ly includes plenty of Chicago canned beef, Canadian bacon and London bic- cults, jams and marmalades. Such boxes are labeled with numbers, No. contain ing the first weeks supply, No. the sec ond weeks, and so on. Each box weighs just sixty pounds, as no more than that can be carried on the head of one por- ter.
 Some Quitting Suggestions.
 I woul advise the American sportsman who intends coming out here to shoot to stop off on the way in England and get much of his supplies there. There are London firms who make a speciality of outftting for African travel and for hunt ing expeditions. One should have dou-