BIG GAME SHOOTING.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 September 1924, Page 6

BIG GAME SHOOTING.

ADVENTURES IN AFRICA

WITH ELEPHANT'S AND MAN-

EATERS

An interesting address 011 big game shooting in the wilds of Africa, with some thrilling incidents in his own hunting experiences, was delivered in Auckland by Mr. H. H. Ostler, the chair being occupied by Mr. J. IV. Boynton, S.M. (reports the Star). How he bagged three elephants in less time than it takes to tell of it was one of the exciting experiences mentioned by the lecturer. He was watching the gambols of a baby elephant about 3ft high from behind an ant-hill when a huge bull bulked in front of him. His 16)lb elephant nfle, which had a trick of firing both barrels when ihe right trigger was pulled, brought the huge beast down with two bullets in the head. Almost immediately a line of elephants, led by another bull, came into view. Mr. Ostler’s first two shots brought down the leading animal, and as the herd turned and ran he got another beast m the backbone, bowling him over. On another occasion he found liimselr m a tight corner with a big elephant, against ' whom both his hammers snapped without firmer the cartridges. At the click of the secmid hammer the elephant charo-ed and things looked ugly, when "his boy slipped another rifle over his shoulder, and the hunter pulled both tuggers as the beast towered right over him. both bullets getting it in lie forehead. The elephant immediately cheeked and sat down on his haunches like an immense dog. Mr Ostler nimbly side-stepped to escape the leaching trunk, but the elephant was finally lost, as it made off into a swamp.'

1 B °, W i l , O 3! ! a .lioness, which he learnt later had killed twelve people trom a neighbouring village, was another exciting experience related by the speaker. He was following a ’ 0311lded buck when the lioness sprang out of a thicket on to the animal. He slowly approached the animal, which yowled and lashed her tail iA anger till he was within 75 yards, when she started to bound towards him, but returned to the dead buck. As she ? St J er - fired ’ and at thought he had missed, as the now unous beast made straight for him !S, 7 ° ,d A °" e remaining cartridge he naited till she was within ten .yards fl 01 ' 6 fin + u g ’ a ” d the « decided to try j ld r £ 333 the nd< ? mto her mouth. But just before getting to-close quarters she turned and galloped off and was found m her death throes a little dS jance away. A?® lect J ,rer entertained his audience 1 th numbers of other name-huntmo experiences, and exhibited nm erinl interesting trophies of the chase trip SeCUr<!< ’ Ws