The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-07-19

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district | was threatened with instant death and
torture II ] wa9 caught again by them
Ihen began six days journey through the
blazing African sun with all my clothes in rags
no helpeF and no hat no water and no food ex-
cept what / 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 ivory, the
result OF many months arduous work in the
Congo
reached the camp Of a Belgian official near Ma
hag who clothed and fed me, promising me that
the natives would be punished. This was indeed
kind of him, for It must be remembered that l
was poacher in the Belgian territory and liable
to ten years Imprisonment II captured by the
Belgians in the act of poaching ivory / have
came to Butiaba to try to get together another
outfit and return to the Mahagi district to re-
place my losses | am determined to make up my
lost time and feel confident that can do So"
wish that could tell the tale with the un-
affected simplicity and nothing notwithstanding
manner in which Bennett told II to me.
The next day left by launch for Koba, the first
government post on the Nile Here l found 3
small village of white elephant.poachers, but all
OF them were away after ivory In the Congo at
the time OF my visit, They live on the British side
OF the Nile and make periodical excursions into
the Congo after ivory. The British government
allows Congo ivory to pass through its territory
on payment of twenty-five per cent custom duty,
and in a way this encourages the poachers, for
they are allowed to shoot only two or at most
three, elephants each year in Fast Africa or
Uganda on payment of $3.50 license, In the
Congo no license is necessas nd they may shoot
as many tuskers as they cals thout 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
takes his life in his hands every time he shoots
an elephant for he crawls into herd through
the fifteen twenty-foot grass selects the big
gest bull and then shoots it at q range of from
ten to fifteen yards No one who has not tried
elephant shooting realize the terrifying aspect
Of herd Of elephants when you are close to
them. They move so silently and yet each one is
capable of crushing the life out of any man who
dares disturb their peace
At Koba found the houses, made of grass and
mud of John Boyes, the Honorable Rupert Craven.
and of Pickering and Buckley, "Kara1oma" 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 young Englshman who
has big estate in England and an annual rent
roll of some $4,000 He came out to Central AT.
RIGA seeking adventure in 1902, when only eight.
cen years of age, and at once turned his attention
to elephant.hunting
am 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 per
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 a remarkable character. Boyes was at
one time an ablebodied seaman on 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 all
his time cattle-trading and iyory-hunting in the
wilds. and for many years mate the territory Of
the Akikuyu tribe his headquarters He had be-
come blcod-brother to their king Knaniui. and
then had made himself virtually their king