ARTIST AND HUNTER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 412, 22 January 1909, Page 9

ARTIST AND HUNTER.

; ■■"; "■" v BIG GAME SHOOTING. "/■, :V MB.: P. S.: BAT3EN-POWELL UN NEW. ;;v-V ; ;:i-;v;-■;■■;Zealand. ;•;" ■ ■.;.■;.:..--. Among the visitors to;. New Zealand- at the present time is Mr, Frank .Smyth Baden-Powell, P,E,G.S., F.Z.S., the well-knowiiv painter; and soulptor/'and'abrother of Lieuti-General Baden-' PowelL;' , Although .Mr. .Baden-Powell.is' best known to the world as an ■ historical he has inherited the.family ohnracteristio,pf versatility, i and .is a noted big game hunter and enthusiast in.all kinds.of..athletio sports. As an .'artist; he .has:exhibited many works' at the IJoyal Academy, Loidon, at tho 'Paris Sa.lon, hrid galleries. ■ As a sportsman he has ihunted big. game.: in .many ■■ parts, of, .the .wqrld,' ; and.,as a traveller he .travelled 40,000 miles during; the years. 1902 aud 1903.':'.' Mv; Baden-Powell. is at present on another lengthytour, 'accompaiiied" by/ h.is. wife, .who is. the daughter of the =: late' : Mr. James'. Watt, of Napie.r, also, by their, only oliild, ; a . boy • of five.--' '•'■ ; ■-■■'. v ;'. ■'■''■ ■■'.'''.'.■'.-:,'.■■.■" -':•■'--" ; . ■■■■-' ; ' .■lnterviewed I .at Auckland by. the "Herald,". Mr; Baden-Powell said that his ■present.. trip was onoof pleasure, and ho intended to stay in, New.; Zealand'about, two months. : While here he will "have some trout .fishing,.but not-at Rptorua. ■ ; Mr. ! Baderi-Pqwell's. cliief hobby—if it-may .be'called such—is,-however;■: big game hunting,- and ladies will be interested to learn that his wife accompanies him; on many; of these, expeditions, though she does not go to the daiit g'erous camps.'•'■."■'■ •■ ■■■-;'- ; -.-:•■:. ..... ; .\-; ; . On the subject .of big- game .hunting, ?.'' Baden-Powell; is deoidedy iutevestingi He .has, been -everywhere and 6hot everytliine.' During his"present trip he.had some good, hunting in the, '■■ Canadian . Rb.ckies,; and : was. fortunate enough-td ; secure three, big horned sheep, which 9re now. getting very scarce. He.was guided, by two' American Indians, and had what; he declares' was -"a -lovely,: wild. tim.e. ,? ..-; in, ■tW Canadian backwoods.. •■/ .'.:■■'•'■■ I-. , ■;■!;"'.;.'"-. ■'

; Some: eseiting • experiences;. have i been . : Mr.. Badei\TPoweH's lot when big game hunting' in Africa—British:.East/Africa.,- "It. '% lovely country," he- roma'rkedi■ "although practically' right on; the,-;line. ; 'But. as you: get- into it; you;rise.and rife,, and. on the plateau lnndthe climate is.Vsplendid.' That is where;l got my best ganie,.: . One rhinoceros I-'shot was unique. He. had.,a ;single horn,- jutting out straight] ahead'Of-him... The .British Museum has the -skull,"; trith-: a mpdelvof .tho' horn, ..and I. have had' , ;" the horn fitted- , to a model ) of. ■■ the skull./. .It'-was.''quite..a fresfc- ■ Por. some, time (here'; was .'speculaUon fwhether it might be a ne>y species. of- Jrhinp,* but ther.e is n'p, dqubi it is -'.merely a, freak of 'nature,: The. horn, ; ia ; 28ini in length, , , and as thick as my. arm/'. ,'■' ';! The.Mng oi beasts.'is net tb be feared an much as. the rhinocerps, in Mr. BadehrPewell's ppiniori. ■'■■' "The rhinoceros is. worse; to -tackle than a lion,"- , he said. ."Lions, as a''rnla, : ''rtnj.away, • althpugh.-'a lioness; pr a wpunded: lien may attack;, but a 'rhinp , , will-often charge'.-.nn-molested. lie snorts, tears up the grpHn.d,-and .pharges.,; : blihdly. ,-..-.■; They are', alsp'.,yery quick with.theit hpnWi aaid'.aa' th.ey charge-past will easily : rip inn'i ai animal.,'.' The;'rhino/ however, .is noTonger- imp.bryious to. a bullet, but easily'succuinbs'to a ; well-directed nickel bullet : fired-,from; ;a modern -heavy gun. ■"■ Soft-nosed biillets;are, used for lions and. other soft-skinned animals:-. The.lien- when-hungry,"easily carriesoff an anima} of'.considerable , aizp." Mr. BadenPowell lost, ene ''of his donkeys, .which, was laden, with 2cwt.. : of rice. The animal , was 'carried -off into.'.the- adjacent scrub, and its bones were:picked-clean.' The.rice -was found alongside th6 : bones,,,untouched. v. ; ■•;>;■;• '-..:-■ ■ : v. ;■ .;'.The elephants.; are: being, (biv^; back, ' bi\t there: .are stiU.'plentyof them urthe tJgandit' opuntry.- "There will be,plenty of elephants (or. spprting purposes for-'the J next hundred' years, ..;de,pwred..Afr, Baden-Ppwell... The" ele>. phant is a wary beast, .difficult.to stalk.:. His -wonderful.sense. pf smell and keen.hearing make him; difficult to approach, but his. drawback is his imperfeot eyesight." On his last big game expedition ':Mri-Ba.den,-Powell "bagßod' , .two.ele-: phants..liOne'of-the.trophies of his skill,was a;record giraffe,.standing.l7ft:,tn .height: ■ ." ; 'Part of ; Mr.' Badeh-Po'well's.present, tour in- '■ jludedi. , a ! ..visit - to Japan; 'where'.' he c 'gathered'material ; for, : three..new'.pictures.- :;"But,"-:. he said, ; ;"my;present trip is.a spprting and sightseeing^pne;'pnly." ..Ihcidentalls-, Jliv: Badon■P.QVell expressed-thp'pleasure .ho:-feltat being pnee more ' in.' New;^Ze^!U)ii)..;,whiQ)i;. v iln'-.,h'i.s ; ■ppinipn, is;the;picKofSll/ihe cploiues:'.i -v : fi;!