AFTER BIG GAME

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1926, Page 15

AFTER BIG GAME

EXCITING SPORT IN AFRICA. SPORTSMEN IN THEIR ELEMENT. To spend several months in a region teeming with huge elephants, rhinoceros, hippopotamuses, buffaloes, lions and antelope has been the good fortune of two well-known Wairarapa sportsmen, Brig-adier-General H. E. Hart and Mr. V. Donald, who returned by the s.s. Maunganui from a six months’ hunting tour. The sportsmen left New Zealand in June last, and proceeded through Northern Rhodesia as far as the railway extended. They then travelled a considerable distance by motor-car. and eventually made their way into the big-game country in the Luangwa Valley. They found this region a veritable happy hunting ground, as it had been closed for ten years on account of sleeping sickness, and had only been re-opened to hunters just prior to their arrival. THRILLING SPORT. A Dominion reporter who interviewed the returned hunters found both extremely modest concerning their exploits. "Was it as exciting as the Western front?” the pressmen asked the commander of the Rifle Brigade. “You have a fighting chance with big game,” General Hart smilingly replied, “but where iron is being dumped flown promiscuously you have to take it as it comes. Anyhow’, we ca-n tell you that we enjoyed excellent sport.” This can be imagined when it is stated that their bag included a considerable number of buffaloes, six lions, five elephants, five hippopottami, five rhinoceros, and a large number of antelope. “On account of the presence of the tsetse fly, all pottering in the Lqangwa Valley has to be done by natives,” explained General Hart. "The whole of our stores and ammunition were carried by native porters, who were excellent workers, being reliable and attentive. Labour is cheap in that region, porters receiving 7s fid per month, which is the exact amount they have to pay each year hut tax, so they are glad of the chance to earn this amount in a month.” “And jolly good workers they are, too,” put in Mr. Donald. "They thought nothing of working sixteen hours a day. On one occasion our canoe got bogged in a shallow river, and our porters cheerfully stood up to their shoulders in mud half through the night pushing our eraft through to deeper water.” TROPHIES OF THE CHASE. The hunters brought back tangible trophies of the chase in the form of elephants’ and hippo tusks, lion skins, rhino horns, and the horns of buffalo and antelope. Though both sportsmen were reticent concerning their experiences, enough wae gathered to know that they had had some thrilling moments. One cannot go after big game for months without having to skip lively at times. The hunters secured a large number of photographs of all manner of big game they had encountered, which will serve as interesting records of a unique hunting trip. UP THE LUAPALA. General Hart explained that they had made a circle of from 800 to 900 miles, in addition to the railway journey through Northern Rhodesia. The country is very flat, and most of the shooting had to be done in scattered forest, which more resembled Australian than New Zealand bush. After leaving the railway line at Ndola, on the border of Belgian Congo, the New Zealanders paddled for 300 miles in canoes up the River Luapala, an upper tributary of the Congo, a journey which lasted fifteen days.

A FERTILE COUNTRY. “What is the country like?” inquired the pressmen. “How many sheep to the acre will it carry?” “The fact that it carries such a huge quantity of big game,” replied Mr. Donald, “proves that it is a first-class stockraising region. There are miles of dead level plain just waiting for the plough. This fertile region will have to wait, however, until facilities are provided for getting produce to the world’s markets.” TAXES ON SPORTSMEN. General Hart explained that sportsmen entering Rhodesia had to pay a tax of £3O, which entitled them to shoot one elephant, three hippo, three rhino, and any number of lions, antelope and buffalo. A tax of 2s fid per pound was also imposed for all ivory taken out of the country. Mr. Donald declared that he had never met with such unbounded hospitality.in his life as had been extended to them at every centre they touched at in Africa. The returned sportsmen were met by their wives and families, and held quite a little court at the Hotel Cecil on Tuesday afternoon and evening, when their photographs of their adventurous hunting expedition were the subject of lively interest. Amongst the callers was Mr. Justice Ostler, a well-known big-game hunter, who lias visited South Africa, and who gave the Wairarapa sportsmen some useful tips before they left New Zealand.