THRILLING SPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 6 December 1930, Page 3

THRILLING SPORT

BIG GAME HUNT IN AFRICA

HIPPOPOTAMUS ATTACKS CANOE,

AUCKLAND, Decembor 2

Thrills sufficient to last most people a lifetime fell to the lot of Mr H. Thomas, of Auckland, on his first big game expedition in Africa, He had a. miraculous escape from death, in ail encounter with a wounded buffalo, and then, on his way back to the coast from the Mission station, where he had been recuperating, he had an encounter at close quarters with a ferocious bull hippopotamus. Mr Thomas returned to Auckland by the Marama, with Mr J. Holmes, leader of the party of three-sportsmen who made the trip. The third member of the party, Mr Mack in non, of Auckland, returned through Wellington.

Mr Thomas’s encounter with the wounded buffalo with au unenviable experience.

“We had just entered the. Mwamba Valley, one of -the finest game districts in the whole of Africa,” Mr Thomas said. “One morning Mackinnon and myself left camp together, to follow the trail of an elephant. For a while we tramped through typpical African hush country, fairly open, with our gun boys and native trackers, and suddenly came upon two buffalo bulls. They were fine animals, and the opportunity was too good to miss. One shot killed one bull; hut tlie other was only wounded, and we started to track him to finish him off. ATTACKED BY BUFFALO. “We followed his tracks for about two -hours. Traces of blood here and there showed us that he had been hit; but the African buffalo is a fierce animal, with a considerable amount of cunning, and this particular fellow was no exception to the rule. He deliberately ambushed us. Mackinnon had branched off to have a look at the country from the top of an ant hill, and I happened to be nearest to the trackers. Suddenly, as they approached a fallen tree, the buffalo sprang up, and came at us at close quarters. The trackers had almost walked on top of him. They clashed in all directions; but their presence in front of me delayed me a hit, and I could only get one shot at the infuriated beast. We discovered afterwards that this hit him on the top of the head, serving only to make him more fierce. Then the buffalo made for me. I ran for a tree; but he was wonderfully quick, and he bustled me away from any cover for which I made. He made one vicious lunge, and struck me a glancing blow on one side, ripping my clothing; and then, before I could get clear, he lifted mo right off the ground by one leg. I managed to hang on to his horns; but while I was on his back Mackinnon could not shoot for fear of hitting me. Finally, the beast shook me off, and as I lay on the ground I felt his huge chest pin me down. Then I heard a rifle bark, and saw blood spurt from the, beast’s s,boulder. Mackinnon had had to take careful aim : but his shot made the buffalo straighten up, and I was able to crawl clear. “Mackinnon fired again, hitting the beast in the face. By this time, . I had managed to pick up my rifle, and with a couple of shots I finished him off.” .SERIOUS WOUND IN THIGH. With tiie danger removed, an inspection was made of Mr Thomas's injuries, and it was found that lie had ueen • seriously gored in one thigh: Great care has to be taken with any wounds in Tropical Africa, and Mr MacKinnon and several native bearers tooK him 20 miles to the Lubwa -Mission station.

“i am quite recovered now,” Mr Thomas said. “Everything possible was done for me at the Mission station; but L have reason to- be thankful for the rest of my days for that shot of Mackinnon’s that got my friend, the buffalo, in. the shoulder.” The three sportsmen left New Zealand last May, and from Durban travelled to Belgian Congo. During the iirst part of their trip, they were accompanied by Mrs Thomas and Mrs H. Williams Mr Thomas’s sister. When the women were left behind, the arduous travelling commenced, whole days being spent in the navigation of rivers in native canoes. They spent some time on the Chambezi river, in Northern Rhodesia, obtaining good hunting all the way, and shooting a variety of game, including buck of several species, wa-rthog, and python. Then the canoes were left behind, and the three hunters organised what is known in the district as a “ulendo,” which is tantamount, to the “safari” in other parts of Africa, From different villages, they recruited their 52 hearers and gun-boys. No- trouble was experienced, the natives being only too- willing to accompany white hunters for 10s a month each, and the prospect of obtaining plenty of meat, which they could dry and take back to the villages. “No one need have any qualms about shooting game in Africa,” Mr Thomas said. “After a beast is killed, the natives see that only the hones are left.”

The party travelled through the hush to the Mwamba Valiev, which is second only to the Lunngua Valley as a district for big game; The latter district, however, was closed owing to sleeping sickness. Mr Thomas had his encounter with the buffalo comparatively early in their stay in the valley; but after ho had been taken to Lubwa his two companionl; stayed on for about four weeks, enjoying exceptionally good hunting.

ESOA PE. FROM ELEP HA NTS. Mi - Mackinnon otbained two fine elephants, and Mr Holmes had a lew exciting minutes when lie fired at and wounded a bull elephant, and was attacked by five cows. The promptness of his gun-hoys enabled him to escape.

“One of my most interesting trophies was a three-horned rhinoceros,” Mr Holmes said. “The rhinoceros generally has only two horns, and f know of only two other three-horned heads in existence, both in England. “Lions abound in the Mwamba district ; but owing to the good cover afforded by the tall grass they are very hard to kill. We spent several days after lions; but I am afraid the lions had all the fun. One night Mackinnon and l set a couple of buck carcasses as bait, and took up our position in a tree. During the night we heard several lions moving about, and fired several shots. In the morning we climbed down cramped and tired, but found that we had placed the bait too far away. We had expected to see two or three lions lying dead, but we were sadly disappointed.”

HIPPOPOTAMUS CHARGES CANO© After his period of convalescence at the Mission station, Mr Thomas had to travel back down the Cham bezi liver on his way to the coast. One day as the canoe was travelling along a "peaceful stretch of river a hippopotamus charged the canoe from beneath.

“The natives were nearly off their heads,” Mr Thomas said. “ ‘ Mfuva Dana, mfuva, ’ they shouted, thinking that I had not seen the beast coming for us. AVe managed to steer the canoe clear, and I was unable to put a bullet into him.” Both Air Holmes and Air Thomas are enthusiastic over the results of their trip. Altogether they obtained 21 distinct varieties of game, and Mr Holmes obtained the few specimens needed to complete what is probably the finest collection of big-game trophies Hi New Zealand.