IN OTHER LANDS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume V, Issue 346, 18 March 1911, Page 7

IN OTHER LANDS.

THE POPE'S PRIVATE APARTMENTS IN THE VATICAN. The rooms actually inhabited by the Pope at the Vatican are not numerous, and only the Cardinals, his immediate surroundings, and those who are granted a special audience are admitted. Access to their is reached from the Corte Damaso by the Scala Regia opposite the celebrated Sistine Chapel, which latter, although it actually forms part ol the private apartments, is not difficult of access to the public. On the first floor is the Sala Clemente Vfl f., a vast vestilale with frescoes adorning the roof, where stand in array Swiss Soldiers and the "guardia nnbilc," all in full and brilliant uniform. The visitor then passes into the Hall of the Consistory, where the Cardinals arc summoned to consult on matters of high importance, as for instance, the admission of new iT'Mnl.ers to the Sacred College and the canonisation of saints. The ante-chambers which lead into the dressing and bedroom of the Pope are now reached. The furniture of all these rooms is modern and very simple, and there is nothing in them to remind us that we are invading the privacy of the Pontiff. One notices the "balclaechini" or canopies which are made use of in processions and other functions, and which have similar upholstery. Under one of these the Pope takes his solitary meals, for, by the etiqii?tte of the Court, he is not permitted to entertain even the nearest of his relatives, or to eat otherwise than alone. The return is made by the private library, which overlooks the Piazza of St. Peter. The only ornaments in it consist of busts of the Popes, amongst whom Pius VII. and Pius IX arc conspicuous. It is here that on semi-private occasions the Pope receives the visits of the Cardinals and of his private frien:ls. The bedroom is large and commodious,, but without a vestige of luxury.

! A few elephants are bred in cap- : tivit;., but they may lie reckoned as i infnltcsimal in comparison v.'ith the ! large number which are bred in the ! wild state, and afterwards trained i to the service of man. To capture ! a herd of wild elephants sounds a | very formidable task indeed, but the natives of Burmah, Ceylon, and | other Eastern countries accomplish ! it in a very simple though effcc- ; tivc manner. First an enclosure, I called a keddah, or corral, is form--1 nd liy fencing in a large space of arov.nd with the trunks and branches of trees. On one side only is th?re any opening. It is the aim ; ;>f the hunters to drive the wild elephants through this opening into the enclosure. But this can be done I only by the aid of thousands of i jeaters, who make an extensive ciri emit around the haunts of the elepI hants. Gradually but surely they ' nnrrow the circle, driving the anij m.ils before them, until a compara- ■ tively small area is completely sur- ; founded by beaters, with the hunted animals in the midst. At last the beaters, with a special rush, scream- ! ing at t he top of their voices, and brandishing lighted torches in their j aands, close m upon tue elephants. | The a.M'ighted creatures, seeing no I way clear except in the direction : ji the corral, make for it with all ! specd, ami enter the opening. Once j :.hey are inside the entrance is bar- ■; ncaded. The entrapped animal:; rush : wildly about, in the vain hope of indnr; a means of escape. At last, ,-i unplei ely exhausted, they huddle to--1 get her in I he centre of ih" corral, | -ind there await motionless the proi gress of events. A number of tame | Repliants, each mounted by a keeper ! vvitli a-nother man following on foot, i ire then ridden into t'ne enclosure, | the tame put them otl their :rnard, and thus an opportunity is given to the attendant on foot to "ass the noose of a rope around >ach of the four legs of every captive, which is then securely fastened to a tree. The elephant is not as anruly or ad unreasonable as the

lion or tiger, and it do3s not, take very long to tame him. He can be' transformed in a couple of months or so from a wild roamer of the forests to a patient and docile beast of burden. Mr. Roosevelt ami hir> son have enjoyed some splendid sport in East Africa, their baa: consisting of over a hundred head of big game including a python, and comprising 22 species. The party also got together a large collection of specimens of small mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. With 22 different species, however, they have by no means exhausted the list of big game to be found in East Africa, which consists of over 50 different kinds. First of all, in point of size, come, of course, the elephant, rhinoceros and hippopotamus. There are three species of giraffe, three of hartebeest, and three of antelope, topi, vilde beest, whitebearded gnu, duiker (two species), dik-dik (four species), oribi (two species), steinbuck, klipspringer, waterbuck (two species), cob, reedbuck (two species), impalla, gazelle (six varieties), sable and roan antelopes, oryx c allot is and oryx beisa, hushbuck, bongo, greater and lesser kudu, eland, buffalo, wart hog, bush hog, zebra and Grevy's zebra, cheetah, sevral, marabout, stork, the lion, and the leopard. On the coast there is comparatively little game, but further inland, in the waterless Taru Desert, it is fairly numerous, and very gord bird-shooting is to be had, the vulturine, guinea fowl, spurfowl, bustard, and francolin being common. A few miles beyond Makindu the country becomes more open, and the game more noticeable, lions, in particular, being numerous, though by no means easy to bag. Owing to the scarcity of water, it is impossible for a sporting party to do more than follow the Athi or Stony Athi rivers. A favourite shoot is down the Athi river to Donyo Sabuk, with a day or two at Lucania and Koma rock to tli2 east of the river, at both of which places water may be obtained, returning across the Athi plains to Nairobi. Extremely good sport is to be had in the Rift Valley, round the lakes, games being plentiful, and of very good variety, and th'.s is the only part of the country where Neuman's hartebeest is found. Lake Baringo, some six dajs' march to the north of Nakurti, is a favourite and usually a successful shoot. Rhinoceros swarm in the bush country, and hippopotamus near the lakes, while most of the ordinary species of game are also to bo found. Elephants are but occasionally met with, and then only in the highland forests, which abound with buffaloes. No person is allowed to shoot game without a license, wJii-.-h costs Csu, and is in force for one year. Lncnses are not transferable, and no person is allowed to hunt, capture, or kill any animal within the areas known as game preserves.