AMONG THE LIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21906, 15 September 1934, Page 2 (Supplement)

AMONG THE LIONS

PRINCE AS A HUNTER DIARY OF ADVENTURES THRILLS IN THE JUNGLE The Prince of Wales has written a diary. It is the diary of his adventures during his big game hunting expeditions in Africa, Ho wrote it in the jungle at the end of long days of tracking down elephants and other quarry while on By the light of tho camp fire tho Prince jotted down this graphic record of the events of the day while they were still fresh in his memory, the dangers . . . the joys . . . tho thrills ... all the details of his emotions are recorded with a genuine sportsman's enthusiasm. diary, compiled in book form by Mr Patrick Chalmers, is being published. Mr. Chalmers, in an interview, revealed to the Sunday Express recently some of the characteristic entries. Elephants must always give the greatest thrill to the hunter." wrote the Prince. ' It is partly their huge bulk and the feeling of complete helplessness that thev instil. . . And if your shot fails, what then? Once you have burned your boats, fired tb# shot and failed, whcit chance are you going to have with this justly incensed monster?" "tho Prince," said Mr. Chalmers, " has a happy style of description, and his tales of the jungle are written with all the enthusiasm of the hunter. He is not obsessed with big bags and great destruction. Some of the biggest successes he records are good 'shots' of a different sort—'shots' from his camera. Another entry in the diary reveals how once, when the hunters were tracking an elephant, the animal reversed its direction and came lumbering through the jungle toward tho Prince 8 party.

"It is difficult to believe," the Prince records, ''that a beast as clumsy-big as an elephant can move at 50 miles an hour. ... It seemed certain that one or other of the party would be liis meat. Here were four men running for their lives with an irritated elephant rapidly overtaking them."

It was while he was big game hunting in Tanganyika that he received the news that the King was ill. He tells the story in a human way . . . his anxiety . . . preparations for the trip home . . . practical details of times. It is obvious that the swift return from Africa to England in 15 days was due largely to his excellent planning. The King recovered, and the Prince sailed for Africa, landing at Capetown. Later the Prince went to the Sudan, making his way by the Bahr-el-Jebel and the White Nile to Khartoum. Many narrow escapes and exciting happenings on this trip he relates for the first time.

The Prince describes brilliantly the methods of spearing game. He confesses that bunting at close quarters fascinates him. Natives propare a meal ot dead zebra and wait anxiously until a hungry lion greedily devours the meal. Moving softly through the trees they watch where the beast goes to rest after his meal. Pacified because of his satisfied appetite the animal is often drowsv. Suddenly the Prince gives the signal, He does not suspect their presence.

While natives attack the animal with *pears he rushes forward with his camera. Often in this sport men are mauled and sometimes killed by the beasts. Luckily the Prince's party had no casualties. In the course of his two trips the Prince undertook daring risks, yet emerged uninjured. His only indisposition was a slight attack of fevor in Nairobi.