FAMOUS HUNTER

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1932, Page 8

FAMOUS HUNTER

GORED BY BUFFALO

LONDON, August 13. A British explorer, Dr ' Cuthbert Christy, (died along in his tent in the Belgian Congo after being tossed and gored by a wounded buffa'lo. . ..A?'.graphic account of the tragedy is. given in a Reuter message from the Congo., ,’■'*■ Dr Clh-risty was a member of an ex-

pedition which net out to obtain speci- , mens of elephants for the Belgian .• He had left the party’s‘headquarters, by three native t elephant hujiters, two ; boys, and tiventy-five .;ca?|i#b, to make his way up the Aka Riverfito search of further .specimens. BEAST’S CHARGE., opt with the two boy* -Hr Christy feighted a small herd of buffa-i.-pH»B at_ a range of sixty yards, ‘.h^..fired two shots, hitting a m-** jbudblp. Two ohore shots, and the animal fell, a hind leg .shattered. A i‘ fifth shot struck it near the tail. |t*’ ,'SwiitTy.! the enraged beast rose .and, ! draed.qjt its. wounded leg, changed 't®* yards' the men. . ’ ■ ! ’ ..They.ifled 'or safety, but the buffa’lo was.tpo quick. Dr Christy received a trerpendous blow, was flung into the * air, fihiWn down on his head, and gored .in the right thigh. Finally one of the trackers succeeded in qlantiiig his spear in the animal’s neqk, while the. Other ’•di.«ir , tched it with ' three bullets, from his Matteer. Dr' Christy wA> taken hack to ill” camp on a stretcher. Suffering agonies in his hack, chest and shoulders, he superintended the washing and bandaging of hig wound.. TOO LATE.

A runner was sent to the; nearest station, fifty miles away, and a medical assistant set out for the camp with all possible speed. Too late. Dr Christy grey rapidly worse.', One morning, (suffering so intensely that he was unable to swallow his breakfast of scrambled eggs, he sent al! .his (companions out of his tent and died alone at two' O’clock in the after*noon. . -.

almost. ’ continuously.., day and ; night. Dr Christy's oompan'qns candied- his body to the base, where, ~kiU.[.dpd in a Union Jack, he was buried. ... '• .... ■ Dr Christy was ’six^y: ? eight years. of aee,| a of ( and was hf^pert; ; in , V;' 'Be; was the first European to track ana observe that .. queer animal, the okapi and .the .first, toshoot,.it. and bring home complete skins-, and, skeletons. • j-; -~ - .. v