START AFTER LAND-CRABS.--VILLAGE OF THE CRABS.--EACH CRAB KNOWS
HIS HOUSE.--GREAT FLIGHT OF CRABS.--THEY BITE HARD.--FEAST ON
THE SLAIN.--A HERD OF HIPPOPOTAMI.
We have come down to the river. We are off in our canoes to hunt for
ogombon (land-crabs), each one of us being provided with a basket and a
short cutlass, and are paddling for some spot not far from the banks of
the river where the land-crabs are found in abundance. There are several
canoes full of women, for catching crabs is the special business of the
women, as hunting is the special work of the men.
The land-crabs burrow in the ground. Their holes are found in very large
numbers in some parts of the country. The burrows form the subterranean
homes of the crabs, into which they retire when alarmed--and the
slightest noise does that. They remain in their burrows until hunger
drives them out in search of food, or when they fancy danger is averted.
We landed at last on a swampy bottom, the soil of which was very black.
I immediately saw an innumerable quantity of crabs running in all
directions--making for their burrows--alarmed at our approach and the
sound of footsteps; and as they ran they displayed the two large claws
with which they were ready to bite any one bold enough to seize them.
The ground was covered with an incredible number of burrows.
These land-crabs are curious creatures. They are found in various parts
of the world, and Equatorial Africa has a fair share of them, in goodly
variety. The natives have any number of wonderful tales to tell about
the ogombons.
There was a wild shout of joy among the people at having come to the
right spot. The baskets were immediately opened, the short heavy sticks
and cutlasses were got in readiness, and we scattered all over the
thickly-wooded island, for it was an island where only mangrove grew.
Not far from the island I could see huge hippopotami playing in the
river, but we had taken it into our heads to come down the river and
make a great haul of these crustaceae.
There was, as I have said, a general skedaddle of crabs, for at the
least noise they ran away, having a counterpart in the women, who ran to
and fro with great shouts, which were soon taken up by the men, in their
wild excitement after land-crabs.
These crabs were of tremendous size, and were the real ogombons, the
largest species found in the country, and the only ones the natives will
eat. They were gray, almost of the color of the mud on which they walk.
They were armed with tremendous claws, which warned us to be very
careful in handling them, or we should get a good bite.
This island was celebrated as the home of the ogombons, and the whole of
that part on which we landed was entirely covered with their burrows,
which were in many places so thick and so close together as to
communicate with each other. In these retreats the crabs remain in
darkness. They never venture far from home. How Master Land-Crab knows
his own habitation from those of his neighbor I can not tell, but now
and then he would make a mistake and go into "somebody else's house,"
thus getting into the wrong box.
At this time of the year the land-crabs were fat, but the shells were
somewhat hard, but not so hard as later in the season, when the crab is
left to himself, not being so good to eat. Hence, in the season,
land-crab parties start from every village for the spots where they are
to be found.
When the crabs are ready to cast off their shells, they shut themselves
up in their burrow, which they have stocked with leaves, closing the
entrance with mud, and they remain there until their new armor is on.
After quitting its old armor a crab is very soft, but in course of time
the new shell becomes hard, even harder than the preceding one. I was
never able to ascertain the age a land-crab could attain.
So we were racing in every direction after the land-crabs, which fled
with the utmost speed for their burrows. Now and then one would be
caught. We had to be very light of foot when approaching them, for at
the least noise they would go and hide in their dark abodes.
Of the two large claws, one was a tremendous thing, and it was amusing
to watch the crabs walking leisurely round their holes, as if there was
no foe in their neighborhood, but yet holding up one of the large claws
as if they were ready for any thing that might come along. This claw
nodded backward and forward in a very comical manner.
[Illustration: CATCHING THE OGOMBONS.]
I approached one very big fellow without his having perceived me, and,
before he was aware, I laid my stick heavily on his back, and then
seized him with my hand, to place him in the basket which hung at my
side. I roared out with pain, for he had got hold of one of my fingers
with its large claw, and shook it as if he would have torn it off. With
my other hand I quickly seized the crab and twisted the claws from the
body, which I thought would release me; but lo! although the body lay on
the ground, the rascally claws gripped harder than ever. Oh! oh! oh!!! I
shouted--which cries brought two or three of the women to my assistance.
The muscles of the claws had retained their contractile power after they
were separated from the body.
In the mean time the rascal had retired into his burrow, no doubt in a
good deal of pain, but saying to himself, "What do I care; a new limb
will soon come out!" for among the crustaceae such is the case--a new
limb soon springs out, and takes the place of the one lost; so I was
left without my prize. The women again warned me to be very careful,
instructing me how to catch crabs by seizing the big claw and severing
it from the body; but, before doing this, the stick must be placed on
the middle of the back, where the claws can not reach, as they can not
move backward.
I soon spied another crab, but he heard my footstep, and with the utmost
speed made for his burrow. Then I came suddenly upon another, just in
front of me; he had not time to turn round; so, shoving my stick in
front of him until it nearly touched his two big eyes, I put him into a
furious rage. By-and-by he managed to seize the stick, which he shook,
just as the other crab had done my finger. I was thankful that it was
not my finger this time. The motion of the claw at the junction with the
body was very queer. After some trouble, I managed to secure this
fellow. Then I went after another, which at once took to his burrow and
disappeared; but I was determined to watch and wait for him. I noticed
him every now and then peering slyly out, drawing in his head at the
slightest noise; so I hid behind his burrow, and kept very still. At
last he came out, walking slowly from his hole. I put my foot on his
burrow, upon which he turned round, and ran one way and then another,
and finally made for another burrow, where he met the possessor coming
out from his "castle," when a general fight of claws ensued. The
aggressor, being the stronger, succeeded in winning the battle and
getting in, while the other, in his fright, plunged into a burrow the
owner of which had probably been killed that morning.
Great slaughter of the crabs had already taken place, and so many heavy,
fat fellows had been captured that we were sure of a great feast. It was
well for us that it was so, for at last the ogombons got thoroughly
frightened and remained in their burrows; not one was to be seen; so,
after having captured some thousands of them, we got back into our
canoes and ascended the river again.
The ogombons are peculiar. I think they never go to the sea, but deposit
their eggs on the shores of the island, for I never met them on the
sea-coast. They feed on all kinds of refuse, on black mud, leaves,
berries, etc., etc. The crabs found on the main land are not eaten, the
natives believing that they sometimes visit their cemeteries. On the
white sand of the sea-shore are found innumerable little crabs of the
same color as the sand itself.
Besides the ogombons there are many other land-crabs, but they are much
smaller, and are not eaten by the natives. Many of these crabs are of
the most gorgeous colors, some purple and red, others blue and red; they
are exceedingly wild, and swift of foot. They live close to the sea, and
may be seen on the shore in great numbers during the night.
I wish I had had time to spare to study these crabs more thoroughly than
I have done, but I have told you the little I know about them.
As we returned we had to pass through the midst of the tremendous herd
of hippopotami which I have mentioned. For years that herd had taken
possession of an immense mud-bank lying between the island and the main
land, or rather the tongue of land which separated the sea from the
River Fernand Vaz.
The hippopotami began to grunt, and plunged into the water, remaining
there for some time, and then would come again to the surface, until
gradually the navigation became dangerous, so much so that we had to be
very careful, and paddle along the shore for fear of being upset by
these huge creatures, who would surge from under the water in every
direction, and we knew not where the next one would rise. Two or three
times one rose very near my canoe. I did not want to fire at them, for
they would have sunk to the bottom, and would not have risen for two or
three days after, and then probably they would have been found at the
mouth of the river, or been driven into the sea by the current. By the
kind of groan or hoarse grunt they gave, I made up my mind that they
were becoming enraged at having been disturbed, so we paddled carefully
on until I thought we were at last out of their reach. But we were to
receive a good fright before we had done with them, for I saw a canoe
just ahead of the one in which I was seated rocking and jerking about in
an extraordinary manner, and the people in it shouting at the top of
their voices, and there came up a huge hippopotamus, which gave a
terrific grunt, immediately responded to by the other hippopotami we had
left behind. We paddled hard in order to get out of the way, for the
huge creature seemed to be maddened; and at last, with a thankful heart,
I left all the hippopotami behind, and, after some severe paddling, we
reached a safe place on the bank of the river, where a general and grand
cooking of the crabs began.