Paul Tuhe, one of the ablest master-hunters in the service of the
Reiche Brothers, who has brought from Africa hundreds of rare birds and
animals, gives me this account of the methods and perils of the hunt:
"Though the lion is a fierce creature, the lioness, when protecting her
young, is very much more ferocious. From long practice, however, we
know how to go after them. A good rifle, firm hands and steady eyes and
we can soon topple the old king over. The old lady, however, may make a
better fight, but in the end we are sure to kill her. Then it is no
trouble to pick up the cubs. We try to get these little fellows when
they are about three or four weeks old. They are then like young
puppies, easily managed, and soon know their keepers. Leopards, tigers
and all animals of that kind we get in the same way and at about the
same age.
"Baby elephants are hard to capture, and the hunt is very dangerous.
The old ones seem to know instinctively when we are after their young,
and their rage is something terrible. The trumpeting of the parents can
be heard a long distance, and quickly alarms the whole herd. The rifle
is comparatively useless, and trying to approach them is particularly
hazardous; yet it has to be done.
"First, we try to distract the attention of the female from her young.
Then a native creeps cautiously in from behind and with one cut of a
heavy broad-bladed knife severs the tendons of her hind legs. She is
then disabled and falls to the ground. We promptly kill her, secure the
ivory and capture the little one. Of course we sometimes have a native
or two killed in this kind of a hunt; but they don't cost much--only
five to six dollars apiece. The sheiks are paid in advance, and do not
care whether the poor huntsmen get out of the chase alive or not. We
like to capture the baby elephants when they are about one year old.
Younger ones are too tender and older ones know too much. They soon get
acquainted with all the camp and we have lots of fun with them. They
are kindly, docile, and as full of pranks as the little black babies
who play with them.
"Of all fierce, ungovernable, lusty brutes, the hippopotamus with young
is the very worst; and whenever we start off to get a baby 'hip' we
calculate to come back with one or more men missing. In water they will
fight like devils, and will crush the strongest boat to pieces in five
minutes. They are quick as a flash, too, notwithstanding their clumsy
appearance, and the oarsmen have to be wide-awake to keep out of their
way. On shore they are just as ferocious, and the way they hurry their
stumpy little legs over the ground would astonish you. They die hard,
and take 'a heap of killing.' When such a job is over you may be sure
there is great rejoicing among us; but as one little hippopotamus is
worth as much as half a dozen little lions, tigers and such truck, we
are well content to take the risk. We cannot get these babies too young
to suit. One, I remember, was captured the very day it was born, and
the hunters and attendants brought it up on a bottle.
"Ostriches we run down on horseback, and then catch with a lasso. It is
an exciting chase, but not particularly dangerous. On these hunts we
are entitled only to the young ones we capture. The beautiful skins of
the leopards, lions, and other animals we kill, the tusks of the
elephant, the feathers of the ostrich, and all other similar spoils, go
to the native chiefs and sheiks, and these old rascals are as sharp at
a trade as the shrewdest 'old clo' merchant in Chatham Street.
"In the encampments the natives assist in taking care of the animals
and do general work, but the menial duties are performed by Nubian
slaves, who are very cheap and can be bought in numbers to suit. Among
the natives the women are looked upon as inferior. Women never eat with
their husbands. The husband is allowed four wives, and as many slaves
as he can corral."