The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1912-07-12

district. I was threatened with instant death and
torture If was caught again by them.
Then began six days journey through the
blazing African sun with all my clothes in rags,
no helmet and no hat no water and no food ex-
cept what l could find my the way, which was
very little, seeing that | had no rife. All my
camp equipment, stores and rifles had been taken
away from me and had lost all my ivosy, the
result OF many months arduous work In the
Congo
AT last, after days Of infinite torture |
reached the camp of Belgian official near Ma
hagi, who clothed and fed me- promising Hle that
the natives would be punished. This was indeed
kind Of him. for it must be remembered that |
poacher in the Belgian territory and liable
to ten years Imprisonment If captured by the
Belgians in the act of poaching ivory. I have
came to Butiaba to try to get together another
outfit and return to the Mahagi district to re-
place my losses. l am determined to make up my
lost time and feel confident that can do 40
l wish that I could tell the tale with the un-
affected simplicity and nothing Extraordinary
manner in which Bennett told it to me-
The next day left by launch for Koba, the first
government post the Nile Here l found a
small village of white elephant poachers, but all
of them away after ivory in the Congo at
the time of my visit. They live the British side
of the Nile and make periodical excursions into
the Congo after ivory. The British government
allows Congo ivory to pass through it's territory
on payment of twenty-five per cent custom duty,
they are allowed to shoot only two at most
three, elephants each year in East Africa OF
Uganda, on payment of $3.50 license. In the
Congo license is necessary and they may shoot
many tuskers they can without license if
they evade being captured by the Belgians
the natives
Each man takes untold risks when he follows
this calling Not only does he chance ten years
imprisonment in a chain gang in the interior of
the Congo, if caught by the -Belgians but he also
an elephant, for he crawls into a herd through
the fifteen twenty-foot grass selects the big
gest bull and then shoots it at range of from
ten to fifteen yards. No one who has not tried
elephant shooting can realize the terrifying aspect
of herd of elephants when you are close to
them They move silently, and yet each one is
capable of crushing the life out of any who
dares disturb their peace
AT Koba l found the houses made of grass and
mud, of John Boyes the Honorable Rupert Craven
and of Pickering and Buckley. "Karajoma" Bell
had given up poaching for the time being as he
had made more than sufficient out of it to satisfy
all his desires Bell is a young Englishman who
has big estate in England and an annual rent
roll of some $4,000. He came out to Central Az
RIGA seeking adventure in 1902 when only eight
years of age. and at once turned his attention
to elephanthunting.
| told that in the last eight years Bell has
spent 100000 in seeking ivory and has made
100000, SO that he has cleared one hundred ner
cent.
John Boyes, alias King of the Kikuyu" was
unfortunately, poaching in the Congo. | should
have liked to renew my acquaintance with him.
for he is remarkable character Boyes was at
one time an able-boded seaman on a merchant
vessel and was wrecked, or deserted | know not
which, at Zanzibar, many years previous to nv
first meeting with him in 1904 He had spent ALI
MS time cattle-tradlng and ivory-hunting in the
W1Ids, and for many years made the territory of
the Akikuyu tribe his headquarters. He had be-
come blood brother to their king, Kinanjui and
then had made himself virtually their king