GORED TO DEATH

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 161, 6 January 1912, Page 9 (Supplement)

GORED TO DEATH

——— na»i FIGHT FOR LIFE AGAINST ■ BUFFALOES. ' Adventures of the most perilous description have been 'the lot of Lieut. I'aul Gratz, the German who is endeavoring to cross Africa by the Zambesi river, Lake Uangweolo and the Congo river. M. Octave Frier, a French cinematograph operator, who was the only other white member of the expedition, lost his life in a terrible encounter with wild bufl'adoes. The tragedy happened or. September 0, but the details have only just reached London. The death of M. Friere occurred just when the expedition was at Lake Bangweolo. They had hardly reached the spot when they saw three gigantic wild buffaloes. With the almost automatic precision of the adventurer in savage lands the two unslung their rifles and fired. Unfortunately the beasts were only wounded, and, unaware of their danger, the hunters followed theni as they started and wheeled off in rapid flight. • But suddenly—so suddenly that the pursuers had no time to escape—the quarry turned and charged.

Against this furious onslaught the men were practically defenceless. They struggled fiercely, but.the infuirated beasts caught and tossed a dncrushed' them, inflicting terrible injuries. Lieut. Gratz had his jaws broken, and was badly crushed, anrowly escaping death. His colleague was knocked down, tossed and gored, and only .survived.. 1 his injuries a few hours, dying in sight of'success. The native servants sent,runners withmessages for help to the nearest Ration inhabited by white' men, Kasa<ma>.in North-Eastern Rhodesia. Dr. Randall, the district surgeon, and Mr. Cookson, the magistrate of Qasama, arrived, after two days' forced marches, and.the tenant was carried back to.the.station! The most elaborate plans were, made for this expedition; Lieut. Gratz left Berlin on February 25 on-his 6000-mile joureny, with the wonder-lake of 'Bang•weolo as his chief objective, going straight Quiliamane, the. port on the coast of Portuguese East Africa, to ascend the Zambesi in his motor boat,,4he-, Sarotti. Strange stories had reached him about this lake. It was said to be an, inland sea on whose surface no white man had' ever sailed. The lake, the natives told him, was studded with islands, and which were to toe found csolossal ele£hans and tall giraffes, while in its waters huge water-serpents and other strange creatures swam. Prom the surface hot springs rose and fell, like fountains in the air, and pestilential winds, sweeptog across the reedy marshes, carried death to all living beings. No native had even ventured upon its surface in his frail canoe had ever returned. It was regarded by one set of blacks as a sort of Hades where, departed souls suffered continual torments, and'by another tribe as the approach to.' Paradise, where" thekpirits of their dead relatives and friend enjoyed perfect life, under the protection of their gods. .'.