Chapter 346 White Herd Deer
April 25, 1913, Friday, sunny.
As we enter autumn in Australasia, the annual hunting season has arrived for Arthur.
Starting from April, the temperature in Australia will drop to about 15 to 20 degrees, which is very suitable for going out for hunting.
In addition, there are no very large carnivores in the entire Australasia. The largest carnivore is actually the Australian dingo.
Hunting in Australasia is a blissful activity without any dangers, except for the venomous snakes and insects hidden deep in the forests.
You know, according to later records, Australia alone has 378 species of mammals, 828 species of birds, 4,000 species of fish, 300 species of lizards, 140 species of snakes, 2 species of crocodiles, and about 50 species of marine species. mammal.
More than 80% of mammals, reptiles and frogs are unique to Australia. Some of the most famous animals include kangaroos, koalas, echidnas, dingoes, platypuses, wallabies and wombats.
The wide variety of animal species, coupled with the unpolluted virgin forests and grasslands, make hunting in Australia very easy.
The hunting location Arthur chose this time was located in a rural estate in New South Wales.
Because the territory of the Capital Territory is not very large, the forest vegetation in the Capital Territory has also been damaged to a certain extent after Sydney's continuous expansion.
In contrast, New South Wales and Victoria, which are more extensive to the north and south, are better choices for hunting.
At present, these two states are the places Arthur often goes to. In the deep mountains of these two states, there are also country villas specially built for hunting.
It is said to be a country villa, but in fact it is not small in size. Including all construction, it is enough to accommodate dozens of people.
As for the guards who followed Arthur, they could only sleep in tents outside the villa.
On this hunting trip, Arthur specially took William and Anna with him. In addition to allowing them to relax after hard studies, it also allows them to come out and see the natural scenery of Australasia. At the same time, during this hunting trip, they can witness the life of the lower-class Australasians with their own eyes.
The Australasian royal family was born into a European royal family, and naturally has the traditions and customs of European aristocrats.
For European nobles, hunting is no longer a normal daily routine. In addition to female sex, horse racing, military affairs and gambling, hunting is the first choice of entertainment for European nobles.
Arthur held Anna in his arms, riding on a tall and handsome white Victoria Kent horse.
William, on the other hand, was held by the Kent steward and followed Arthur step by step.
With Arthur's position as the center, there were hundreds of guards scattered around. Because there is no reason to get close to the hunting location, there is no need to worry about delaying the hunting time.
"Father, what is that?"
"Father, what is that?"
Along the way, what Arthur faced most was the curious inquiries from little Anna in his arms.
Although they are now almost four years old, William and Anna have traveled far and wide, and they only met Arthur at Sydney Harbor.
This trip out of the Capital Territory and hunting made the two little guys very excited. I pointed excitedly at the flowers, plants and wild animals I saw along the way and asked Arthur curiously.
You have to marvel at the variety of wildlife in Australasia. Along the way, Arthur had seen dozens of wild animals, as well as various indistinguishable types of plants.
Fortunately, Butler Kent knew a lot about these things. Whenever Arthur was unclear about the types of animals and plants, he could ask Butler Kent to help him out.
In fact, this is normal. After all, Arthur is not a professional zoologist. There are only about once or twice a year for hunting, and each time only lasts for a week or two.
There is also the delay of busy government affairs. It is a bit difficult for Arthur to understand all the flora and fauna of Australasia.
On the way from Sydney to New South Wales, we took a car, but after entering the forest of New South Wales, the car became obviously not easy to use.
Under Arthur's order, the hunting team also got on their horses early and rushed towards the villa deep in the forest.
Before Arthur arrived, a team of guards went to the villa to check the situation. Although a forest villa like this will have a small team of guards stationed even during non-hunting periods, and a few servants responsible for cleaning and so on.
But it was related to Arthur's safety. It was necessary to send a team of guards in advance to check the situation and clear the obstacles on the road in advance.
Arthur suddenly became a Duke. Before becoming the Duke of Australia, Arthur's marksmanship was actually very poor.
But after coming to Australia, many hunts had already made Arthur's marksmanship very proficient. Arthur also gained something every time he went hunting.
In fact, for Arthur, the value of the animals he hunted was not important, what was important was his mood while hunting.
Arthur, who owns the entire royal family consortium, doesn't care about the animals he hunts. It's nice to taste wild game occasionally.
Although Arthur's purpose at this time was just to rush to the villa, Australasia, which has a rich variety of flora and fauna, said that it was impossible not to take a few wild animals with him.
On the way, we encountered several wild deer, hares, etc., and all of them were harvested by the hunting team.
It is worth mentioning that Australasian hares are very large and reproduce at an exaggerated rate.
According to later data, in the early 20th century, the number of hares in Australia reached tens of billions, which was more than 2,000 times the Australian population at that time.
Even if the population of Australasia has increased significantly compared to history, the number of hares is definitely not tens of billions under the restrictions of some of Arthur's policies.
However, the hare problem is still a serious problem in Australasia. The huge number of hares is harming the land of Australasia and accelerating the desertification and desertification of Australasia.
The good news is that today's Australasian hares do not yet have the various germs and viruses in their bodies that will be implicated by various rabbit eradication policies in later generations.
Although Australian hares in later generations are also edible, the viruses in their bodies are not very harmful to humans.
But when you hear the word virus, you will feel sick, let alone eating it.
Today's Australasian hare is not only edible, but in one sentence, it tastes like chicken and is crunchy.
After traveling for more than half an hour, we finally arrived at Arthur's villa deep in the forest of New South Wales, a place with beautiful environment but not very convenient transportation.
The guards stationed here can change their posts every two months to prevent them from being too bored in such a deserted place and causing mental problems.
After letting the team rest, Arthur took the Kent housekeeper, William and Anna, and dozens of guards to go out to find a suitable place for hunting.
Although Australasia is almost full of all kinds of wild animals and plants, Arthur's hunting targets have never been these ordinary animals.
Either they are huge and rare to see, or they are relatively rare wild animals. After all, these wild animals can be seen everywhere, and it seems that there is no need for Arthur to make a special trip to New South Wales. It has to be said that hunting freely in extensive forests and grasslands is much more comfortable than hunting in a defined area.
Thanks to the vast land and sparsely populated areas of Australasia, places suitable for hunting can be found almost everywhere, and hunting has become a way of leisure and a source of extra meat for Australasians.
In Australasia, hunting is even a way to entertain guests. Especially for nobles from Europe, hunting in a large place like Australasia is much more comfortable than hunting in some small forests in Europe.
After riding a horse through the forest for a long time, he still couldn't find any prey that interested Arthur.
Just when Arthur was about to give up temporarily and return to the villa, suddenly, a striking white color in the jungle instantly caught Arthur's attention.
"Butler Kent, is there a white deer there?" Arthur asked in surprise.
The white deer, a rare wild animal, has a very special meaning in both the East and the West.
Needless to say, the meaning of deer is extremely special in the East. The word "Zhulu" is the best explanation of the meaning of deer in ancient times in the East.
And for this white wild deer, its significance is even more extraordinary.
The white wild deer symbolizes auspiciousness in the East and brings good luck and luck to people.
In the West, the deer itself has a special meaning in European mythology. In particular, the white stag (herding deer refers to a male deer, a stag) often corresponds to and interchanges with the unicorn.
The image of a white stag in the Middle Ages often had a crown around its neck. This image paradigm probably originated from medieval kings who used the white stag as their coat of arms. This made the image of the white stag widely circulated in the Middle Ages.
However, Europe's admiration for the white stag can be traced back to the Celtic period. The Celts believed that white was related to the other world, and the white stag was the spokesperson from the other world. When the sacred code was destroyed, the white stag would appear in the world. .
In Arthurian legend, the white stag can never be caught, and it symbolizes mankind's unreachable and abstract pursuits, such as chivalry.
Catholicism also regards the white stag as a symbol of Jesus Christ. For example, in the vision of Saint Eustace, the white stag hunted by the Roman soldier Eustace came to Eustace and told him that he was Jesus. Stas was inspired and converted.
Or a variation of this story, King David I of Scotland was hunting in the woods and found a white stag that he wanted to hunt, but the horse was frightened by the white stag, causing him to be thrown off. The white stag turned to attack him, and suddenly between him and the deer The cross was lowered and the antlers turned into a cross, and he was inspired to build the Abbey of Holyroodhouse.
Although Arthur believed in different Protestant religions, the significance of white deer, especially white herds, was equally extraordinary. It not only brought good luck to people, but also had the meaning of God's favor and recognition by God.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Such white wild deer are rare to see. Even if you are not a herd deer, you must not miss it." Butler Kent looked in the direction Arthur pointed and saw the more conspicuous white deer in the jungle at a glance. .
It was different from before. After confirming that it was a white wild deer, Butler Kent was a little expectant. Unusually, he even said to Arthur without any doubt.
Arthur nodded, and naturally understood what it meant if he captured a white wild deer, especially a white herd deer.
Although religion no longer has such a special status in the 20th century, people who believe in religion are still the majority in Europe and even the entire world.
If coupled with the publicity of public opinion, this can not only bring high fame to Arthur, but also bring a layer of mystery to Arthur's identity and status.
For such a rare white wild deer, it is obvious that it must be captured no matter what. It would be a pity to kill it directly.
Arthur turned around and ordered his men to get a specially made shotgun.
The caliber of this shotgun is relatively small, and its killing power is naturally smaller. As long as it doesn't hit a vital part, it basically won't kill the prey.
Of course, although the power is smaller, the lethality is still there. Hit the limbs and you'll basically lose the ability to move.
Arthur's purpose was naturally to hit the limbs of the white wild deer, making it incapacitated and unable to run away.
Picking up the shotgun, taking a deep breath, Arthur concentrated on aiming at the white wild deer dozens of meters away.
Fortunately, when they discovered the wild deer, the team had already stopped their movements and hid under Arthur's signal.
Although this series of movements caused a little noise, it did not frighten the white deer.
Snapped!
After a deafening gunshot, the white deer's front leg was shot instantly, and the blood and flesh burst out. The severe pain made the wild deer wail, and struggled to stand up and escape.
Although it only hit the front legs, the huge wounds and pain caused were enough to render this seemingly strong wild deer incapacitated.
Seeing that the white wild deer was unable to move, Arthur had no intention of firing another shot. Instead, he led Kent Butler and several guards forward, intending to capture the wild deer alive.
"It's really strong. It should be a herd deer, Your Majesty." Steward Kent looked at the white wild deer getting closer and closer. The huge antlers and strong body had proved that it was an adult white herd deer.
"Where's the doctor? Bandage this poor guy's wound." Arthur had already approached at this time, looked at the wild deer lying on the ground and kept wailing, and said to the accompanying doctor in the team.
Although he is not a regular veterinarian, it is perfectly fine to bandage the wounds of wild deer.
After all, the doctors accompanying the hunting team are experts from the royal private hospital in the palace, and they are definitely among the best in terms of medical expertise.
These experts were highly skilled in the makeshift surgeries and first-aid bandages used to treat the wild deer, and even overskilled them.
The closer you get, the more clearly you can see the majesty of this white buck. Arthur nodded, very satisfied with the results of his hunting.
"After bandaging this guy, take it back to the villa! Remember, you must take good care of its injuries. What I want is a healthy wild deer, understand?" Arthur looked at the deer who was bandaging its wounds. The doctor has given the order.
The medical expert's first priority, at least until he returns to Sydney, is to take care of the white wild deer that Arthur hunted.
Letting a medical expert with a salary of thousands of Australian dollars take care of a newly captured wild animal is a level of arrogance that perhaps only the aristocrats and capitalists of this era can achieve.
And Arthur is not only one of the largest nobles in the world, but also one of the largest capitalists in the world.
For Arthur, the salary of this medical expert is just a drop in the bucket.
Although the captured white herd deer had satisfied Arthur's expectations for this hunt, he had already come and couldn't return now.
Besides, the two little guys in front of them haven't had enough shopping, so returning now would be too disappointing.
After having a team of guards and medical experts return to the villa with the white herd deer, Arthur continued to take the Kent housekeeper, the two little guys, and the remaining dozen guards to find the next hunting place.
Asking for a monthly ticket!
(End of chapter)