A Baboon Hunt on the Drakensberg Mountains.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 18 September 1914, Page 2

A Baboon Hunt on the Drakensberg Mountains.

"Saku Bona, Ukose." ] 1 looked up at the greeting, to see a splendid specimen of the Shangoani native, with a couple of lean but tough-looking mongrels at his heel. "Saku liona, Mdoda," 1 returned in greeting. "What do you want ?" He sat down, native fashion, and taMng out his snuff mull, winch consisted of a deer's horn" with a wooden plug in the end of it, helped himself to about a teaspoonful. After a deep sigh of contentment,, he replaced his box in some mysterious corner of his shirt, and looking up said, "Baas, you do not remember me ?" Looking closely, I remembered him being in charge of some beaters on a hunting trip some years ago. "Hallo, Mgawfa, what are you doing so far from home?" "Oh, baas, I live here now ; but it is not a good place, we shall all die of starvation. The baboons eat everything we plant. We have no guns, and you know what baboons are, baas. What can we do with a few dogs ? I heard that you were here, and ] told the. young men 1 would come and beg of you to assist us to scare them away." 1, having nothing particular to do. and being glad of the opportunity of engineering a little sport, said, "Right, 1 will come now." Mgawfa said the ba.boons were in the big kloof in considerable numbers just on the other side of his tiraal, which was about a mile away. " Galling on ' TJmfaan,' ' young boy,' I gave him my cartridge bag to carry, and told him to tie up ray dogs, and very dejected looking creatures they were when they saw me go out with the gun without them, but as they were trained pointers I did not want to have them torn to pieces by baboons. When a baboon tackles a dog hejust grabs the skin on 'the dog's loins with both hands, bites his back clean out, and throws him to one side. Even a leopard will not tackle a baboon" in the daytime, although be is very fond of baboon •meat. Mgawfa was hi great glee, and commenced to sing a song which lasted nearly all the way to his kraal, the gist of which boded terrible vengeance on the baboons should he once have them cornered. On our arrival at the kraal we were greeted by a crowd of yelping mongrels, wolfish in their looks and very thin ; but I knew they were just what we wanted, as they understood their work, and are as cunning as j jackals, and very wiry. Mgawfa ordered ia woman to bring some beer, and handing me a stool to sit on, gave me a small gourd of this excellent beverage, which is made from kaffir corn or millet. on " which the natives get quite intoxicated, as they drink such tin enormous quantity. In this instance there were about thirty boys. gathered round a jar, which must have held twelve gallons. That disappeared in . a minute or two, and they had to have it filled again. Then Mgawfa gave them directions how to-hunt up the kloof after I had taken my position at the top. ■ The piccaninnies were in the meantime having a heated argument as to the ability and virtues of their respective dogs. There was nothing j that som« of those dogs could not i do, an, as for baboons, they could take them on two at a. time. ' At last, Kinidst shrill whistling for do£» and yells of delight we started GO, the beaters brandishing their throwing spears and knobkerrios. They would take turns in running ahead, giving huge leaps in the air, and going through all sorts of queer antics, encouraged by their friendo behind. They were in great form, and had just had enough beer to make them active and energetic, but I knew this would wear off in a couple of hours. So I hurried forward, Mgawfa leading the way through a maze of rocks and bushes. On reaching the top I concealed myself behind a large boulder, and Mgawfa,, pulling; up, a tuft: of grass, set fire to it, and then put it out, but the thin curl of smoke was seen by the watchful piccaninnies at the kraal, and they signalled to the beaters to start. The kloof was quite a mile long, but in this clear air I could distinctly hear every word the beaters were saying, and as soon as they got to the bush the dogs gave tongue, and .very soon we could see huge baboons bounding from rock to rock, while their discordant and fearful cries echoed round the hills. Those large baboons were the advance guard of the troop. The other large males bring up the rear, while the females and little ones were in the centre. It was very amusing to watch the big ones in front ; they would jump on every high rock and look carefully ahead to see that the coast was clear, and, with awful cries, run on to the next point of vantage, little dreaming what was in store for them, as they don't mind dogs much. The beaters j were now running very fast, the dogs well ahead, and soon the sounds of barking and fighting told us that the dogs were tackling the young ones and females, while an occasional whining cry and yelp made us aware that the dogs were not having it all their own way. Several, indeed, were so badly torn, that we had to 'destroy them, but that is to he expected h'.niliug those awful creatures. The advance guard

was rtow very near, with one huge brute leading the way. 1 waited until he was less than thirty yards away, then dropped him with a bullet through his chest.

As the shot rang out and was echoed back from the huge rocks the baboons became \terror-stricken, and did not know which way to run, as they could not tell where the shots were coming from, and I had a very warm corner Some I only wounded at very close quarters, but they were promptly stabbed by the exultant Mgwafa. The others turned hack on the beaters and flogs. 1 could not shoot now for fear of hitting a. native or dog, but I watched the fight below. The dogs were now thoroughly aroused and encouraged. The boys wera tackling the big ones in great style. The baboons were too terrified now to fight, but a few got away into the bush, and breaking away in all directions sought refuge in some distant kloof.

We had accounted for over twenty large ones, and some little ones were captured alive. The natives were in high spirits over the success of the hunt, and taking most of the dead ones they carried them back to the kraal, swearing they were only taking them to skin for the dogs ; but they lied, as they ate most of them themselves, as any kind of meat makes a native's mouth water, especially after beer-drinking.

Amidst many words of thanks and praise as a kind benefactor and father, I left those simple people, who have no cares or as long as the larder is full. On reaching the crest of the hill on my way home I. could hear them singing and dancing, happy in the thought that their gardens and lands were now safe for months to come, as the baboons are a long time in forgetting a massacre of that' description. I reached home tired but happy, having spent a glorious day, and a gift of eggs and a fowl from the grateful Mgawfa next day reminded me that they were still enjoying themselves, and would, in all probability, "if corn was plentiful," keep it up for a week.— "Weekly Telegraph."