Big Game Shooting, volume 1 (of 2)Phillipps-Wolley, Clive
General
Big Game Shooting, volume 1 (of 2)
Phillipps-Wolley, Clive
Game and game-birds; Hunting
The Kapite plains to the west and the Athi plains to the north-west of
the Ukambani hills, with Machako’s as headquarters, form another grand
country with regard to the quantity of game in it, though it does not
afford quite such a variety as the Kilimanjaro district; and as the
game is almost entirely confined to the vast, undulating, open, grassy
plains, stalking is often both difficult and laborious. Lions are very
plentiful here, and are seen perhaps more often than elsewhere, owing
to the open nature of the country. The cheetah is by no means uncommon.
Rhinoceroses have here rather a bad reputation for charging, which may
possibly be accounted for by the fact that they are so much harassed by
the Wakamba, who, when out hunting, and unable to get within bow-shot
of game by fair stalking, have to resort to driving, and wound far more
rhinoceroses than they kill. In the river Athi hippopotami are very
plentiful, and, I think, have finer teeth than those in the Nzoia river
and Victoria Nyanza. September to April is the best time of the year
for a trip to this country.
Further north, the district round Lake Baringo, with Njemps as a depôt,
is very good. Here the natives are as trustworthy and civil as the
Wa Taveta, and all surplus baggage, &c., can be left at headquarters
in charge of a few men whilst the sportsman is away shooting in
the surrounding country. A few marches to the north and north-east
elephants are numerous. The waterbuck (_Kobus defassus_) takes the
place of the common waterbuck (_Kobus elipsiprymnus_), and the lately
described hartebeest (_Bubalis Jacksoni_) takes the place of _Bubalis
Cokei_. The impala carry particularly fine horns here. As I have never
made a prolonged stay in this district, I am unable to say which months
of the year would be the best to visit it in; but from what I could
judge, when up there in July, I should say November to May.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account