Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-06-10
HAHE African lion Is

Bengal Jungle,
ana other men may descant on the ele-
plant shooting found in tho Kongo
FREQ State, but the slayer OF full
grown lion in all the majesty Of his
,erocious power IS the envy OF them
Ill, secret though It may be- It is nc
tnowledged by big game crackers that
40 man can become king of hunters
Antil he has pursued and slain the king
If beasts In his own domain.
LII choosing tho Uganda plateau as
his principal hunting field Mr. Roose
velt hit on one of the most dangerous
Hon haunts known, for this section Of
British East Africa has thus far es-
capped the devastating operations of in
satiabe Nimrods who have practically
depleted Of big game much Of the
South African region and a large part
pf the Kongo and British Sudan
Lions are also plentiful enst Of Uganda,
bn the Athi plains, along the Athl river
and In the great Rift valley British
East Africa, which general section the
Roosevelt party cOntemplates visiting
sn route to Uganda.
AS many as 1900 natives q year have
been killed by the lions and lionesses
Of Uganda and its neighborng regions.
and the number Of whites titus lost
leborers, railroad employees. officials,
residents, soldiers and hunters--is by
no means irconsidera bic. The grim
death roll OF the jungle beasts is no
respecter of persons.
All the askaris Grained native hunters
Of the safari. or expedition are usu-
ally called into active service in lion
stalking or lion driving, for the speed,
strength, resisting powers. foroclty
and resourcefulress OF the Jungle mon
arch render necessary all the opposl-
ton that can be mustered
In river or lake region, of which
there are many in Uganda. it is custom
AIRY TO seek the lion along the waters
edge early In the morning where he
attacks the various kinds of antelopes
when thoy come down to drink The
curious spectacle Is here often pre-
sented Of large herd ~ wildebeests q
species of gnu) being led to water by
graceful, shapely hartbeest. The wilde
teest is an inferior animal and knows
IL and regularly secures the Aeeter,
sharper cared and eyed hartbeest to
guide herds to the water ut sunrise
and sunset. The wildebeests assemble
at certain spot on the plain, and at
the proper time the pilot steps off in
the lead. as proud and as conscious as
Il much epauleted colonel on dress pa
rade.
If lions are not discovered in the
reed and flag beds (tinga-tinga) along
the river, and there is reasonable GER
teinty that they are IN the immediate
Vicinity drive IS organized IN the fol
lowing manner: The askaris and such
other natives as hive been brought
nlong. equipped with their native rhu-
steal fnstru and tomtoms,
supplemented by biscuit tins and
sticks, gourds filed with stones. etc.
spread out In long line, say half or
three-qunrtcrs Of mile distant. Now,
making all the noise possible. they ad-
vance toward the water. beating the
bushes. Tho white hunters. or gums"
and their gun carriers have been sta
toned in open patches toward which
the drive is aimed Crouching ut sepa-
rated points in the brush, they anx-
iousiy await tho approach of the de-
sired game, for liens and other ami
mails are afraid of the noise and re-
treat before It, thus being forced close
to the marksmen. Great danger here
arises for the hunters not only from
the lions. but from the cross fire Of the
different guns aimed at plunging ami
mails from different angles Stray bull
let's from 80 autOloader or 40 EX
press rife are not pleasant visitors.
Quickest thought and action and sur
est aim are here required as q lion
comes headlong through the thicket.
Usually more than one well directed
shot must be fired before n lion drops.
Frequently the beast advances on a
hunter after four or FIVE balls have
struck him in seemingly vital spots.
Raging from pain, he springs upon his
enemy and IN convulsive death strug-
giles kills him If the native gun bearer
has not the courage and skill to stand
by and dispose Of the beastWIthout In
juring the struggling hunter When a
lion is shot and lies as dead the ma
tives never allow any one to approach
the body until they have thrown sticks
and stones at 1t repeatedly without re-
Spouse. for tho treacherous beasts
have n habit Of playing possum," pre-.
tending to be dead and springing fierce.
ly on those who draw near.
Mr.. Abel chapman, noted African
hunter ard explorer. in his latest
book, ION Safari." describes an excit-
ing Uganda lion drive and Its results
In part as follows:
IT was on the left OF the line of
gums. facing the lake. was lying
hidden in long grass about 100 yards
from the covert, and the noisy line Of
heaters had already approached with
In half mile when my Somali gun
bearer, Elmi Hassan. who was lying
beside me, pointed into the woods,
saying: See. Two lions! You no
see" l certainly did not see. They
were not easy to detect. SO low and
stealthy was their advance. AS the
lions were completely Enclosed,
would not risk the uncertain shot they
now offered. AT point exactly on
my front the two beasts lay down In
two green bushes that grew within a
dozen yards Of each other beneath tha