BIG GAME SHOOTING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5146, 1 July 1927, Page 3

BIG GAME SHOOTING.

VISIT TO CENTRAL AFRICA.

NEW ZEALANDERS’ EXPERIENCES.

Life ip the jungle of (Central Africa where he recently spent six months on a big game shooting expedition, and a few of his experiences in that country* were related by BrigadierGeneral H, El Hart* of Masterton, at the mid-week luncheon of the Wellington Rotary Club this week. General Hart explained that from Durban he and his companion, Mr V. E. Dpnald, of Masterton, travelled over 2000 miles inland to Ndola, on - the borders of the Belgian-Congo, and then from this place they paddied up the Luapala River for 300 miles in canoes* a journey which took them fifteen days. Along the banks Of the Luapala they saw a fair number of crocodiles, while the bird-life in the low-lying swamp lands along the valley of the river was little bhor.t of atnazing. After months of travelling they reached the big game country in the Luangwa Valley* about 2500 feet above sea-level, apd which a they found to be a veritable hunter’s paradise. The region had' beep closed for ten years on account of sleeping sickness, and re-opened to hunters just previous to their arrival. As. an evidence as to how thick (was the game they sa.w herds of thirty to forty antelope per day and (herds of buffalo of 150 strong. On one Occasion he saw a herd of eleven elephants in the morning and during the afternoon saw a herd of eighteen. They did not* however, attempt tp sh°ot the elephants unless they had tusks estimated to be 251bs or over.. .They secured several lions* and considlered themselves lucky, many a hunter going through Africa without even seeing a lion. Hunting elephants was very hard work, and an elephant could walk four miles an hpur. and run as speedily as a horse. » > Their bag included a considerable number of buffaloes, six lions, five elephants, five hippoppttami, five rhfr nocerous and a large number of antelope-. “AH portering in the Juangwa Valley,” he said, “is done by natives. The whole of jour, stores and l ammunition was carried' by the z native porters. who were excellent workers, being reliable and attentive. General Hart explained that sportsnaen 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, ante dope, and buffalo. A tax of 2s 6d ] >er. pound was also imposed for all iv pry taken out of the country. s ‘