Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1912-07-12

Nyanza and on the banks of the Nile did not les
sen my regard for them men. Perhaps their
calling as elephant-poachers may not have been
regular in the eyes of the law but then there was
such an element of danger connected with their
work that the offenses of which they were guilty
paled before all other considerations, and one is
forced to concede to them the possession of the
acme of pluck. The freebooter or soldier of for
tune is ever picturesque figure and the Congo
poachers amply fill this role.
had marched one hundred and sixty-ive miles
across the dreary, swelterngly hot Uganda coun-
try, and it was with feelings of extreme relief
that saw the shimmering expanse of the waters
of the Albert Nyanza from the rugged hill-tops
overlooking Butaba the small port on the sandy
shore of the lake.
1 pitched camp on the site of the recent Roose-
welt encampment within one hundred feet Of the
lake.
l had heard from natives that of the Congo
poachers was in camp at Butiaba, but none of
them seemed to know his name and was at
loss to know who he might be- remembered that
there a number of men whom knew 1nti-
matey poaching in this district, and wondered
whether perchance was to be given an opportu-
nifty of renewing my acquaintance with of
them Perhaps 1t might be John Boyes nick
named king of the Kikuyu;" "Karomoja
Bell the mightiest of elephant-hunters the Hon.
orable Rupert Craven brother of Earl Craven
young Quentin Grogan, brother of Captain Ewart
s. Grogan of Cape-to-Cairo fame; Pickering,
noted eephanthunter; Bennett, an ex-engineer of
the Nile launches; w. Buckley, partner Of Pick
ering's; or Pearson, to say nothing of many 9th
ers whom I had met from time to time. l men
ton them by their correct Names for they made
no secret of their calling and feel that
am not committing any indiscreton by SO doing.
Each one of these has history, and each
and every one of them can tell thrilling tales of
his experiences not only in the Congo but also in
every other part of Africa.
My interested conjectures to who the man
~, cot + 7 6
the custom for all white men in Africa to call on
any other white who may camp in their VI
cinity. and it was not long before the "poacher
came to my camp to see me- 1t proved to be
Bennett the ex-engineer of the Uganda Nile feet,
who had abandoned his professional calling for the
more thrilling and lucrative work of shooting ele-
plants for their ivory. For many years he had
been in charge of the small steam launch plying
between Butiaba and Minute on the Nile, and dur
ing these years he had done much shooting on
the banks of the river. His haul of ivory added
each year to his small income as launch engi-
neer SO that 1t was a bad year indeed when he
did not double, nay treble his patry salary He
had been with Winston Churchill, when the lat
ter made his trip up the Nile on the government
hotilla when inspecting East Africa and Uganda
in his official capacity under secretary of state
for the colonies.
This is the story of man. as told to me on
my first night in camp at Butiaba. sitting in my
tent beating of the attack of greedy mosquitoes
WnlIe entertaining BenneltW the aiu Oh my
tied supply Of whisky. The story startling
that often had to pinch myself during its recital
to satisfy myself that not dreaming of the
days of Emin Pasha and Stanley the result Of
the association of my surroundings.
! noticed that his hands were badly lacerated,
IN fact In a fearful state and all the time we
,conversed about generaIities 1 wondering
what had been the cause Presently the CONVEX
sation turned to the subject Of elephant-shooting
and | asked him how he was progressing with his
IT.
and leaned back in my easy camp-chair to listen.