An Afrikander’s Journal 
By JOHN A. M. LETHBRIDGE 
VIII.—Lion and Rhino in German £ast 
Africa—Wandering Boers 
I N 1907 I made my first trip to German East 
Africa, intending to have a good look over 
the country and if possible have some shoot¬ 
ing. This can be had there at less expense and 
with as good results as anywhere in' Africa, as 
far as I know. The license costs much less 
than in British East Africa and the restrictions 
are much less severe. 
You may kill as many elephants as you wish 
to pay licenses for, each of which costs only 
100 rupees or, if you prefer, you may give the 
ground tusk—the tusk which is on the side of 
the animal which rests on the ground—instead 
of paying your rupees and you may continue 
killing as long as you comply with this rule. In 
the matter of other game you are not restricted 
in any way. If one is able to speak the lan¬ 
guage, that is of course a great help, but this 
is not necessary. The German authorities will 
be found most willing to assist in every way. 
I landed at Dar-es-Salaam and soon got my 
small outfit together without the least trouble, 
but then I speak German like a native and 
naturally this made things easier for me. 
For head boy I had a Somali, which may 
have been a mistake, as Swahilis understand the 
natives here better and are just as plucky in 
a tight corner; at least so people say who have 
employed them. The Somali is always inclined 
to be a trifle overbearing with the porters and 
a bit cheeky with his master, and unless this 
is at once checked, is bound to lead to trouble. 
I decided to make my way as best I could to 
Mount Kilimanjaro, which is practically on the 
boundary line between German East and British 
East Africa, intending to cross the line into 
British territory and to work my way to Nairobi, 
where I should outfit again for my shoot in that 
country and Uganda. 
-After I had been out for a few days, game 
was to be found everywhere and in much greater 
numbers than in Rhodesia. The hartebeeste is 
of a different species, his horns turning in more 
and being longer. In these parts they are called 
kongoni and, as in British East Africa, are the 
most abundant, as in my opinion they are the 
ugliest of all antelope. The country was hilly 
and covered with a growth of small timber, but 
not too thickly, and it was easy to see well 
ahead and to get within shot of game, which 
was very far from being wild. I kept steadily 
on for some days, doing about ten miles a day 
which, with porters, is about the average dis¬ 
tance in that country. I was able to kill with 
ease, what was required to keep us all in meat, 
zebra, wildebeeste and hartebeeste being every¬ 
where. Our only difficulty was for water. It 
was not scarce, but on the other hand it was 
.\ GOOD RHINO. 
by no means abundant. After getting well away, 
everything changed and we came to great roll¬ 
ing plains, and then again to hills with some 
timber, but a country entirely different from 
any I had been accustomed to hunt in. I found 
having no horse to ride a great handicap and 
determined to purchase one at the very first 
opportunity, but that in all probability would 
not be before reaching Nairobi, as in this coun¬ 
try horses are few and far between. I had with 
me a double-barreled hammerless .303 rifle and 
a better weapon I never wish to use. It came 
up like a gun and for running shots I found 
it preferable to a magazine rifle. For a big rifle 
I had my old .450-400 double hammerless. 
My first real excitement came after we had 
been out about three weeks. I was proceeding 
up a gully, trying to get a kongoni for the camp, 
and as the bush was fairly thick I was keeping 
to a game path as far as I was able, when sud¬ 
denly I came right on a rhino. Luckily the 
wind was in my direction, but he had evidently 
heard me and was trying his best to locate me. 
I had only my .303. which was loaded with soft 
nose bullets. Foolishly I had no solids with 
me. Now, a soft-nosed bullet with a rhino is 
about as much use as buckshot, and the only 
thing to do was to get out of it as quickly as 
possible, which I tried to do with haste, but he 
heard me and down he charged straight in my 
direction. I ran some yards faster than I have 
ever done in m3' life, and coming to another 
gully, which was nothing much more than a 
washout, scramlded up that and into thicker 
bush, and there I remained for over an hour. 
At last I ventured out and finding the coast 
clear, made my way back to camp as fast as I 
could, fearing every moment lest he should fol¬ 
low. When I reached camp I made a vow 
never to go out without some cartridges with 
solid bullets, and when in a country where one 
was likely to find rhino always to have my gun 
bearer with me carrying jny heavy rifle. But 
then you find rhino everywhere. The next morn¬ 
ing I started out with Ali and took the same 
direction in the hopes of meeting my friend 
of the night before. This time I was prepared, 
but although we hunted all day long we did not 
see him. 
The following day I. had better luck. I had 
been out for several hours and as. the sun was 
very hot was on the point of returning to camp, 
when -Ali pointed out two rhino about a quarter 
of a mile away. They were standing on the 
side of a small hill, apparently doing nothing 
but basking in the sun. There was no wind to 
speak of and to get up to them was easy. I 
did not care to approach nearer than about 
fifty yards and there was no necessity for it, 
as they were in plain sight with nothing in the 
way. Picking out the one with the longest horn, 
which stood broadside on and nearest to me, 
I aimed at his neck, shooting with my .303, using 
solid bullets. At the shot he moved forward 
a few steps and I gave him the second barrel 
behind the shoulder, when he rolled over. The 
second rhino stood still for a moment and then 
dashed off into some bush. 
For some minutes we were very careful, so 
as not to be taken unawares by the other rhino, 
but he never returned. Going up to our fallen 
beast I was glad to find he was a very good 
male and with fair horns^-ouite satisfactory for 
my first rhino in Eastern Africa. I soon had 
