"The hippopotamus exceeds the mite in size, strength, and
usefulness to man far less than do the riches yet concealed in the
air, in the earth, in the waters, on the land, exceed those already
possessed by Montalluyah."
I may mention here, that although the hippopotamus is to us the most
valuable of all the wild animals, nearly all other beasts furnish us
with materials that are turned to account.
The serpent, and particularly the boa, possesses wondrous properties.
Birds of prey, many insects, and, in fact, nearly all that has life, is
turned to some use. The living animals generally contain electricity of
more or less value.
A large body of professors are kept by the State solely for the purpose
of examining the various medicinal and other qualities found in the fat,
marrow, oil, bones, and carcases of animals.
This is the mode of capturing lions, tigers, and many other wild beasts,
when it is desirable to take them alive:
The huntsmen selected are men of a fearless, daring nature, and of great
address and agility.
A net of iron-work of very large dimensions is taken into the wilds most
frequented by the beast. This net is placed on the ground and covered
over with leaves and other, materials so as to be concealed from view.
Close to one extremity of the network a pit is dug, in which is placed a
hut large enough to contain two men. The pit is then covered over,
though an aperture is left sufficiently large to admit air and to serve
for observation and egress from the hut, from the top of which is an
opening corresponding to the aperture above.
In the centre of the net some dead goats have been previously placed
with a stuff of a very savoury odour, which the beast can smell for
miles off, and which is so strong that when he approaches, he does not
scent the men in the hut.
The rest of the hunters lie in wait in a secure place. The two concealed
in the pit are on the watch, and as soon as the beast has seized the
goat or is fairly within the net, they give the alarm by hoisting a long
pole, and the men in ambush slip out, and by a dexterous movement close
all sides of the net, which is constructed with this view, so as to form
one large cage.
The efforts of the animals to break out are useless; they first rage
about in all directions, but the joints of the net are so constructed
that they yield without breaking.
When it is not desirable to take the animals alive their capture is more
easy. One mode of killing them is as follows:--A man stations himself
among the branches of a high tree, near the haunts of the animals, and
holds a long pole which hangs downwards, and at the end of this a dead
rabbit is fixed, in which, besides a strongly-smelling stuff, is placed
a deadly poison. As soon as the wild beast sees the rabbit, he makes a
dash at the pole, seizes the rabbit, eats it and, the effects of the
poison being instantaneous, falls down almost immediately to expire.
Dead animals are not allowed to be brought into the city, but are flayed
in the country, where are also our manufactories and other
establishments, in which everything valuable in the carcase of the beast
can be readily utilised.
Some of our beasts are unlike yours, but the greater number are similar,
though in many of these, the nature of the animal may be somewhat
different. Tigers, for instance, are in form like those on your wilds,
but are not without generosity. Thus, they seldom attack each other
except when the females are young, and after a fight, when one of the
males has prostrated the other, the victor will lick the wounds of the
vanquished in order to heal them. After this the two will be friendly,
the vanquished tiger resigning his pretensions without further struggle.
I will relate to you a "Tiger" incident that occurred in our world, a
long distance from Montalluyah.