Equestrian. Marksmanship.

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 183, 29 April 1919, Page 6

Equestrian. Marksmanship.

It was in 1892 that Mr. Cahill beganliunting, the sole object being the hides, which were highly profitable. The method of killing the animals was to stalk them on foot, but Mr. Cahill introduced the method of shooting them from horsebaok. an idea, which evoked expressions of ridicule at the outset, but which eventually became firmly esbablished. At the Winning it sometimes took three show from a riflo to kill a beast, but as rider and horse becamo trained to the art a buffalo for every bullet was registered. In his first season Mr. Cahill obtained 1250 buffaloes, and from that time ho always finished tho season with the biggest tallv. The greatest number secured in ono year was 1605, in 142 days' 6hootinir. ~-,., .j "In setting out on the hunt. 6aid Mr. Cahill, "I ' usually took 10 pack horses and two or three ridine horses, which had to be in tip-top condition for the severe gallops after buffaloes. Wa carried cartridges, rations, and salt, for the preliminary curing of the hides. About IB natives followed on foot, for skinning and curing the hides. A camp would be prepared as near to navigable water in the river as possible, and with daylight we would set out. I would rido ahead, tlie natives following in my tracks. As soon as a mob of buffaloes wore seen I would follow at a gallop and shoot from behind so as to break the buffaloes' backs. Somo rears ago on a plain, in one run of one and a. half miles, in 56 shots I sot '43 buffaloes, and then had to desist through lack of ammunition. , .■ „ "When one gets expert at shooting, continued Mr. Caliill. "he can hit any animal so ns to smash the spine within a rango of 30 yards. I fired with a Martini rifle, after iie manner of a revolver, with one hand, the other holding the reins. "After a dav*s hunting it would sometimes be' midnight before we returned to tho camo with the hidps on the packhorses. These hides would be partly dried, and could be sent to Darwin by launch or lusuer for eventual shipment to London. The nr.tives would bo paid with tobnrcn and further allowances at the end of the hunt.