HUNTING IN AFRICA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 114, 16 May 1931, Page 10

HUNTING IN AFRICA

SCARCITY OF MEAT. BARTER WITH THE NATIVES. The scarcity of meat as food among the natives of Central Africa and the Belgian Congo was mentioned by Air H. T. Thomas, of Auckland, at a luncheon of the Karangahape Road Business Promotion Society, when he gave an account of his recent hunting expedition iii Africa. Air Thomas said that although game was plentiful, the natives were pre vented by law from owning firearms and some of their trapping methods had been condemned as more dangerous to human beings than beasts, with the result that the, inhabitants lived principally on corn and mealies. They were literally “meat-hungry,” and when tin 1 hunters made a kill their porters and any other natives in the vicinity had a great feast. On some occasions when the hunters desired to keep the skin of the animal killed they had the greatest: difficulty in preventing the natives from cutting up the beast before they could secure the. trophies. As a result of the scarcity of meat, it was found that supplies of dried flesh were of greater value to the hunters lor purposes of barter than current coins. Mr Thomas said. In some dis trids members of the party took with them quantities of dried meat, which was eagerly accepted by the natives as | payment for fruit and vegetables.