The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-21
oNDoN. September Especially

credlt--over 500 If you count the fe-
males-or a couple of hundred more than
have fallen to the rife of any other man.
Sutherland. who has been after MY
Lord the Elephant as the natives call
him, for over THIRTEEN years, and who
has more right than anybody else to be
described as "the Allan Quartermain of
real life" has just returned from an
other big shoot. which took him
through the Congo and pigmy land and
resulted in whole lot more exciting
adventures and incidentally in the bag
ging of 35 more ''tuskers" ana ne has
now grown weary, though only tempo
rarily, of the chase. Accordingly he
has decided to crafty what he de-
scribed TO me as an ancient haukering.
namely, to have a look at the famous
skyscrapers for which. in recent years.
our country seems to have become
chiefly noted and will make the trip
across the Atlantic either next month
or in November accompanied by Cap
tain G. II. Anderson. of the 1Stn Hus-
sars. who went with him on hts latest
expedition. this being, by the way. the
first occasion on which the slayer of
companion on one of his shoots. This
redoubtable pair, who, Sutherland says,
probably have seen more of Africa than
any other two white men, and have no
end of introductions to prominent men
in the United States, intend to spend
three or four months there, and expect
to have a fine time, though Sutherland,
who has something like a contempt for
civilization after his II years in the
"pori''--as it's denizens call the African
forest-says he knows it will not be
long before he hears the call of it again
Ia call which he knows full well he
will not be able to resist.
He really is an amazing character. is
this Scotsman who left Aud Reekie'
which is to say Edinburgh-as a
youngster of %, Just II years ago. Ac-
customed to hunt with natives is his
sole companions. he speaks five OF their
languages, and he has gone up against
every species OF big game resident IN
AFRICA. not to mention having seen al
most year of desperate hsnuhg
against rebellious natives of German
East Africa, his stories of which recaii
the most exciting pages of king SOL
omon,s Mines .Miawas Revenge and
other famous Haggard books
Forty today, with countenahee
which. though grim in repose lights up
as merrily as you please when ne IS
amused, a naturally soft heart tha'
many time has led him to march
weary miles after a wounded animal
rather than let 1t die a lingering death
and a frame that is kept In the pink OF
condition by systematic physical drill
and scrupulous dieting as we'll as by
his life in the open, James sutherland
is "as Highland as peat" as he himseii
expresses It, Inheriting the wander
lust from his father, who spent his
early manhood gold digging in New
Zealand and Australia, he left the old
country with no very definite aim ex-
scept that of carving out career, which
he subsequently did-in ivory. From
Capt Town his wanderings took him
to johannesburg, and then to Mafeking
and Matabeland. Later he roved north
ward to British Central Africa and
roamed the regions about Lake Tan
ganyika and the Congo, subsequently,
going to Portuguese East Africa Gust
IL years ago) and during these years
he followed some queerly assorted oc-
cupations including that of niger
boss and trader In beeswax and rubber.
ssNone of them seemed to suit my ma
ture, though" he said, land 1 still was
uncertain as to what 1 should under
take as means of earning livelihood
when reached Portuguese East Africa.
1ol h..
an elephant hunter. and practically
speaking, I have been on the spoor'
of the elephant ever SINCE
Considering that he is In class by
himself so far as his chosen profession
is concerned. perhaps a word about
Sutherland's methods may not be amiss.
With him he generally has from 40
to SO negroes, including two expert
CRACKERS" who alone accompany him,
with his spare guns, when following
the spoor of pachyderms, the balance
of his troop being of service in cutting
a path through the jungle, carrying the
hunters camp bed and other impede
menta, acting as messengers, OCCASION
ally fighting. and when a bag of
ivory is ready for transportation to
Sutherland's agents on the coast, con-
veying it there Many of these mem
whose pay averages seven rupees. or
$3.50 a month, together with food
have been with the elephant hunter for
years, sand he declares that he trusts
them absolutely. A lot of them have
risked their lives again and again in
his service though this Nimrod, who
has reduced the business of elephant
hunting to as nearly science as pos
sible, never jeopardized his mems lives
needlessly and in his g years of exper-
fence has had only one of his henchmen
killed by "tusker."
Sutherland's expeditions, most OF
which are made through what IS to all
intents and purposes unexplored terri
tory In Portuguese. German and Bel
gian Africa, generally last from six to
nine months and result, as rule in
the killing of from sS to so elephants,
the explorers average "bag" If ivory
being from two to four tons, ton of
ivory. by the way, being worth in the
neighborhood of $500 or $500.
In. discussing the equipment of an ell
ephant hunter, Sutherland puts physical
fitness before anything else. In no
other trade except prize lighting, of
which know little, said he. does
the absolute control of ones nerves.
which is the result of being thoroughly
Mt, count for SO much, and in elephant
hunting there are no seconds to fan one
with towel nor to rub him into con-
dition. All the while there is the re-
sponsibility of having the existence of
q whole train of human beings--many
OF my men are accompanied by their
wives, may say--dep upon ones
mind, and there is the obligation, too,
Of having to jump to ones feet, how
ever bodily weary one may be from