"We must go back, then, for him at once," he remarked. "Though the
Kabomba people may treat him well, we must not desert the poor lad."
By this time we had reached the camp. Although the rest of the party
had been asleep, they had been aroused, and now appeared out of their
respective huts to receive us. Kate and Bella greeted me kindly, but
were too much occupied with poor Leo to exchange more than a few words.
He was at once carried into their hut, where David went to attend to
him. Senhor Silva, Jack, Timbo, and the other blacks, greeted me
warmly.
"So glad, Massa Andrew, you come back; so glad," exclaimed Timbo. "Me
pray always for you. Neber t'ought you lost. Knew you come back some
day, dough me not den know de way."
Though I felt somewhat fatigued, my friends insisted on getting a
substantial supper ready; and the relief I felt from the idea that my
cares had now come to an end, contributed to give me a good appetite. I
was introduced to Mr Donald Fraser, a tall, gaunt, red-haired
Scotchman.
"I am very glad to welcome you, Mr Andrew Crawford," he said, putting
out his horny-palmed hand. "You come from the North, I know, by your
name, and you are none the less welcome so far from the old country, out
in these southern and heathenish lands. Your stout arm and rifle will
be a pleasant addition, too, to our party; for they are rough fellows we
are travelling amongst, and I shouldn't be surprised if we had to fight
our way out from their midst."
"My father came from Scotland, and though I have never been in it, I
love the country for his sake," I answered. "Though I hope we shall
have no fighting, I am ready to take my part if we have to defend
ourselves."
"No doubt you would, Mr Crawford," he said. "We are men of peace, and
should never wish to fight, unless in cases of urgent necessity. I
hope, now you are come, we shall begin our journey southward forthwith."
"I am afraid not, Mr Fraser," said Stanley. "My brother, who has just
arrived, will scarcely yet be able to move, and we have a young friend,
I find, lying ill at a village some days' journey to the north of us;
and until we get him we cannot leave this spot."
This information did not seem very palatable to our friend Donald; but
after taking a glass of real Glenlivet, a flask of which stood in our
midst, his countenance relaxed.
"Ay, to be sure. I had once a young brother of my own, a delicate boy.
I had few else to love in the world. He is gone; but I know how you
feel about this little fellow; we must not risk his life. And the other
lad, the son of poor Captain Page--I knew him--made a voyage aboard his
ship--and should like to do the boy a good turn for his sake. I don't
greatly esteem the gratitude of this world, and yet it's pleasant to
have the opportunity of repaying a debt for kindness received."
I was glad to hear these remarks, and trusting that Natty would find a
friend in Mr Fraser, I lay down to enjoy a sounder rest than I had for
very long obtained.
Leo was much better in the morning, and David told me that though he was
seriously ill, yet he trusted that he would shortly regain sufficient
strength to travel. I begged of Stanley that he would allow me to
accompany him to convey Natty to the camp. To this he willingly agreed,
and it was arranged that Timbo was to take a third horse and act as
interpreter, and that we were to travel during the bright moonlight
hours of night.
I was anxious to set off immediately; but the horses were so tired with
their hunting expedition of the previous day, that Stanley considered it
was necessary to give them a couple of days' rest before they would be
fit to start.
"When did you ride last, Mr Crawford?" inquired Donald Fraser of me the
following morning. "Because it strikes me that, unless you are a good
horseman, you'll be little fit to take the journey the captain proposes,
at the rate he goes over the ground."
I confessed that some years had passed since I had mounted a horse,
though in my father's prosperous days I had owned one, and was then a
fair rider.
"Well, then, we'll just take a canter across the plain this afternoon.
It will not tire the horses, and it will help to get your muscles into
play for the exertion you'll have to make by-and-by," he said.
I was very glad to accept his offer. After dinner, with our rifles at
our backs--to be ready for any lion, panther, elephant, or rhinoceros
which might cross our path--we set out for an hour's ride towards the
south, Stanley cautioning us not to go far and fatigue the horses.
"Never fear, captain," answered Mr Fraser. "We'll just go far enough
to stretch our steeds' legs, and see how our young friend here sticks to
his saddle."
As we rode along my companion gave me many valuable hints with regard to
the journey I was about to undertake.
"Keep your horse well in hand," he observed, "your eyes about you, and
your ears open; never press him unnecessarily; and then, should you meet
a lion or be attacked by savages, you will be ready for action, and do
what in my opinion is the wisest thing under such circumstances--get out
of their way."
We had not gone far when an exclamation of pleasure burst from Donald,
and I saw to the southward a vast herd of springboks crossing from east
to west. Numerous as were the wild animals we had met with, I had never
seen so many of one species together. They formed an immense herd
extending for a full mile across our path, and, as far as we could
judge, of the same width. On they went, bounding and leaping. "On!
on!" cried my companion, forgetting all about our tired steeds; and
putting spurs to the flanks of his, away he galloped, calling on me to
keep up with him. The wary animals saw us coming, and, apprehending
danger, immediately began to scour over the plain, turning, however, to
the south-west. This placed us directly behind them. They would lead
us a long chase, of that there was no doubt; but Donald was too eager to
think of letting them escape. Mile after mile was passed over. We were
approaching the herd. They now, however, began to scatter to the right
and left, though still keeping in considerable bodies. We followed the
centre one. At length we found ourselves in a rocky country, which
compelled us to turn aside. Twice Donald fired, and each time brought
down an animal. I also killed one; but could with difficulty rein in my
horse while I reloaded my rifle. Away the springboks went, leaping over
the rocks with wonderful agility. We had been gradually ascending, when
Donald disappeared among the rocks and trees to the right, and shortly
afterwards I found myself going down the somewhat steep side of a hill,
with a number of springboks directly ahead of me. I again fired, but
missed, when I stopped to reload; and just then looking up, I saw a high
precipice, towards which several of the springboks were making. Rushing
on, regardless of the height of the cliff, they leaped over it. I
thought they must have broken their legs; but they alighted unhurt.
Just then I saw Donald coming on at full speed, directly after another
herd. They, too, made for the precipice. I shouted out to him, fearing
that he might not see it, and that he and his horse would fall over and
be killed. I shouted and waved again and again. Just before he reached
the edge he saw me, and though he could not have heard what I said, he
guessed there was danger, and reined in his steed; not, however, till
they were both on the point of rushing over. Scrambling up the hill, I
rejoined him. He had killed four antelopes--a welcome supply for our
camp. We might have slaughtered many more, but those we had got we
could not carry home. Gutting up four animals, we loaded our horses
with the meat, and then drew the remaining two into a hollow of a rock,
and filled up the entrance with stones and sand, hoping to send for them
in the evening.
The springboks are so called from their wonderful agility. They are
found in all parts of Southern Africa, and are more numerous than any
other variety of the antelope. In form they are very graceful--not
unlike the lovely gazelle of the north of Africa.
We had a somewhat fatiguing trudge towards the camp, though we had less
to complain of than our steeds. The supply of venison was very welcome,
though I was afraid, in consequence of our long chase, the intended
journey might be delayed another day. Donald complimented me on my
horsemanship; indeed, I had not been five minutes in the saddle before I
found myself perfectly at home. I was somewhat stiff, I must confess;
but the horses were not much the worse for their unexpected gallop. We
therefore prepared to set off the following afternoon.
No time was lost in sending for the rest of the venison, which the
hyenas would soon have found out had it been allowed to remain during
the night. Late in the evening Chickango and one of the Hottentots, who
had been sent to bring it in, returned. As they were approaching the
camp, one of the oxen, which had been allowed to feed for a moment, was
seen suddenly to stop, and begin to roar with pain, its countenance
exhibiting the utmost helplessness. I, with others, ran forward to see
what was the matter, supposing that it must have been bitten by some
venomous insect or snake. Donald soon followed, when, telling the men
to hold the poor ox's mouth, he took out of it a curious woody-looking
substance, covered with sharp thorns.
"The poor creature has got this seed-vessel of the grapple plant into
his mouth," he said, exhibiting it. "I suspect that any of you who had
taken the same between your jaws would have roared too, if not so
loudly."
He told us that if an animal lies down upon these seed-vessels, they
stick to his skin, so that he cannot possibly get rid of them. David,
who examined it, said it came from the plant _Uncaria procumbens_; or
grapple plant.
I had gone out the next morning soon after sunrise to look round the
camp, when I saw several birds of a greyish colour, about the size of a
common thrush. Their notes, too, reminded me, as they sang their
morning song, of the mistletoe thrush. Presently they flew off
together, some way up the stream. Turning round, I saw Chickango,
Igubo, and several of Mr Fraser's blacks following, with guns in their
hands, accompanied by a pack of dogs. I pointed out the birds to them.
"'Noceros not far off," observed Chickango. Presently we saw the birds
pitch behind a neighbouring bush, and getting on one side of it, what
was my surprise to find that they were standing on the back of a huge
rhinoceros, sticking their bills into his head, and even into his ears,
and uttering a loud harsh grating cry. The rhinoceros, we could see
even at that distance, was a huge white monster, with a couple of horns,
a short one placed on the head behind the front, and pointed--a
formidable looking weapon. The object, probably, of these
rhinoceros-birds, as they may be called, in thus pitching on his body,
was to feed upon the ticks, and other parasitic insects, which swarm
upon those animals. They also attend upon the hippopotamus, and,
whether intentionally or not I cannot say, often thus give him warning
of danger. Presently up rose the rhinoceros and looked about him. I,
unfortunately, not intending to go far from the camp, had left my rifle
behind. The dogs at that instant started off, rushing with loud barks
towards the monster. They had better have kept at a distance, for,
lowering his head, he caught the first which leaped towards him on his
horn, and threw him back dead among the reeds. Then, turning round, he
charged directly towards us. The unarmed blacks immediately took to the
water. Unable to escape by flight, I thought that my last moments had
come; but, providentially, the dogs attracting his attention, diverted
it from me. Chickango, rifle in hand, boldly ran up to face the
monster, who at that instant seemed to catch sight of the waggon and
cattle in the distance. He probably thought it an enemy worthy of his
courage, for, to my great horror and dismay, in spite of our shouts and
the barking of the dogs, he rushed off towards it. I could only hope
that our friends saw him coming, though when I left the camp they were
still asleep. I thought he would have struck Chickango, who was
directly in his course; but the active black sprang out of his way, and
then turning round, fired at his head. Though I was sure the bullet had
struck, yet it did not stop his course. On he dashed towards the
waggon. I shouted and shouted to Stanley, hoping that he might possibly
hear my voice. In vain. The brute went on, and seemed to be almost in
the midst of the camp. Aiming directly at the waggon, he struck it,
and, heavy as it was, so great was the impetus of his huge body that he
sent it on several feet. Fortunately he came against it in the rear,
otherwise it must inevitably have been upset. Just then another shot
was fired, and, greatly to my relief, over rolled the huge creature.
Never have I heard such shouting, barking, and yelping of dogs, as
immediately arose.
When I got to the camp I found our friends, as may be supposed, in a
state of no small alarm; but that quickly subsided, and the blacks
especially gave way to their delight at the prospect of so bountiful a
supply of meat as the creature's carcass would afford them. We
calculated that it was fully equal to three good-sized oxen. It was an
enormous creature. David likened it to an immense grey hog shorn of its
bristles. With the exception of a tuft at the extremity of the ears and
tail, it had no hair on its body. Its eyes were absurdly small; indeed,
at a little distance one could scarcely see them. We agreed that, what
with its giant body, misshapen head, ungainly legs and feet, and
absurdly small eyes, it was, according to our notions, the very image of
ugliness. Next to the elephant, the white rhinoceros is the largest
animal in existence, and scarcely inferior to it in strength, as this
one had proved by the way in which it pushed on the huge waggon.
Notwithstanding its ungainly appearance, it had shown us how active it
could be, by the way it had turned about when assailed by the dogs, and
the rapid charge it made towards the camp; indeed, I believe even a fast
horse, with a rider on his back, could only keep pace with it. Senhor
Silva told us it cannot go long without water, and it is, therefore,
always found in the neighbourhood of some pond or fountain, which it
seeks at least once during the day, both to quench its thirst and to
wallow in the mud, in which amusement it delights. Probably it is thus
able to get rid of the insects which cling to its hide. We measured the
animal, and found that it was nearly sixteen feet in length, from the
snout to the end of the tail, and twelve feet in circumference. It is
said to attain the age of one hundred years; indeed, judging from its
horns, the old fellow we killed must have been nearly as old. The body
was long and thick; the belly hanging nearly to the ground, and of great
size. Its legs were short, round, and very strong; and its hoofs were
divided into three parts, each pointing forward. The head was
especially large, the ears long and erect, and its small eyes deeply
sunk. The horns of the rhinoceros are composed of a mass of fine
longitudinal threads, forming a hard solid substance, not secured to the
skull, but merely attached to the skin. They rest, however, on a bony
protuberance near the nostrils. The white rhinoceros, of which I have
been speaking, has an extraordinary prolongation of the head, which we
found to be nearly one-third of the length of the whole body. Its nose
was square, and the after horn of considerable length. The horn of the
black rhinoceros is much shorter, and the animal itself is smaller than
the white species. There are, however, four species of rhinoceros--two
black, or of a dark colour; and two of a whitish hue. The black is
supposed to be of a wilder and more morose disposition than the white.
It has a peculiar upper lip, which is capable of extension, and is
extremely pliable, so that it can move it from side to side, and twist
it round a stick. It in this way collects its food, and carries it to
its mouth, making use of it somewhat as an elephant does his trunk. The
black species are very fierce, and probably, next to the buffalo, are
the most dangerous beasts in Southern Africa to encounter; for the lion
gives notice of his approach by his roar, and can easily be driven off,
while even the elephant is less pertinacious in assailing an enemy.
Senhor Silva said he had heard of rhinoceroses with three horns, but he
had never seen them, and rather doubted their existence. One species
known as the cobaba has a front horn frequently upwards of four feet in
length, pointing slightly forward from the snout, at an angle of 45
degrees. It can easily be conceived how fearful is a charge from an
animal with such a weapon, active and determined as it is. Although the
rhinoceros sees but badly, it has a peculiarly acute sense of hearing
and smell. It winds an enemy at a great distance; but the hunter may
approach to leeward of it within a few paces, if he walks with care,
without being discovered, though at the same time any noise will
instantly arouse it. Ugly as the rhinoceros is, the female is a very
affectionate mother, and guards her young with the tenderest care. The
calf also clings to its dam; and Senhor Silva told us that he had seen a
calf watching by the side of the carcass two days after the mother had
been killed. Until aroused, the rhinoceros looks the most stupid and
inoffensive of animals; but woe betide the unwary traveller who offends
him! If on horseback, he will have to scamper for his life; if on foot,
his only chance of safety is to climb a tree, or hide on the opposite
side of the thick trunk of one. A lion will never attack a rhinoceros,
and slinks out of his way if he meets one. Even the elephant avoids an
encounter, if he can, with so formidable an opponent, who, careless of
the blows of his trunk or the thrusts of his tusks, will charge him with
his sharp horn, and pierce him to the heart.
Senhor Silva told us that he once saw a battle between a large male
elephant and a rhinoceros, when, after an encounter of some minutes, the
elephant, who had at first shown great courage and activity, turned tail
and fled, the blood flowing from the wounds he had received. He once
also saw a battle between four enormous rhinoceroses. Again and again
they charged each other, uttering the most horrible grunts, and digging
their horns into each other's sides. So fiercely engaged were the
monsters, that they did not observe the approach of his hunters, who
succeeded in killing two of them, while the others escaped. Those
killed were utterly unfit for food, their flesh being quite rotten from
the wounds they had received on previous occasions.
The black rhinoceros feeds on a species of thorn known in Cape Colony as
wait-a-bit, which gives it a somewhat acrid and bitter flavour. The
white species, however, feeds chiefly on grass. The flesh has in
consequence a pleasant taste, and is usually very fat. A high polish
can be given to the horns of the rhinoceros, and they are valuable
articles of commerce. They fetch, indeed, half as much as common
elephant ivory. They are formed into drinking-cups, handles for swords,
ramrods for rifles, and are used for many other purposes.
"When you speak of drinking-cups," said David to our Portuguese friend,
who had given us this account, "I have heard that they are believed to
possess the virtue of detecting poison. It is said that if wine is
poured into them it forthwith rises and bubbles up as if it were
boiling; and if poison is mixed with it, immediately the cup splits. It
is said, also, that if poison by itself is poured into one of these
cups, that the cup will instantly fly to pieces. I confess, however,
that I am inclined to doubt that such is the case."
"I also have no belief in the account," remarked Senhor Silva.
The ordinary way of killing the rhinoceros is to stalk him either when
feeding or asleep. By approaching to leeward, a good shot will kill him
before he moves. Some hunters prefer hiding themselves in huts or pits,
as he comes to drink in the stream at the morning or evening.
Sometimes, however, the animals are taken in pitfalls, such as are used
to capture elephants or other large game. Englishmen (for I have not
heard of any one else who has done so) occasionally hunt the rhinoceros
on horseback. Though their horses have been able to keep up with the
chase, the infuriated beasts have been known to charge the hunter. In
two instances I heard of, the horses were completely run through by the
creature's horns; and, in two others, the unfortunate huntsmen
themselves were killed, being fearfully gored by the savage brutes.
I was very anxious to set off to bring back Natty; and in the afternoon
Stanley pronounced the horses fit to proceed. Mr Donald Fraser
proposed accompanying us; but when Stanley promised to try and induce
some of the blacks to come south and trade with him, he abandoned his
intentions, hoping to do a stroke of business in the meantime with any
natives who might come to the camp. Timbo therefore took the third
horse, and I mounted the one he would have ridden. They were all three
fine strong animals, fleet and active; and we hoped on their backs to
bid defiance to any human beings or wild beasts we might encounter.
Stanley did not fail to urge on those who remained behind the importance
of keeping bright fires burning round the camp at night, and being ever
on the watch, lest the wild beasts we had encountered might be tempted
to swim across the stream and attack either them or the oxen.
"Do you, my dear brother, be careful of yourself," said Kate, as she
wished us good-bye. "You seem to forget that though you have attacked
so many of them successfully, some day they may turn round and treat you
in the same way."