FRANK ON A HUNTING EXCURSION.--DRIVING THE PLAIN WITH FIRE.
While we were getting ready for the hunt Abdul told me something that
rather surprised me. He said the game-laws of Africa were as exact as
those of England, at least in many parts of the country, and that their
infringement often led to severe punishment. There are large areas of
country, with very few inhabitants, which are much like the
game-preserves in England. The animals run at large, and are undisturbed
except at certain seasons of the year, when the grand hunts take place.
Then the natives assemble for the chase, and the hunt is conducted on a
grand scale. The ground is the property of certain chiefs or large
owners, and a part of the proceeds of the hunt belongs to them.
"In this region the favorite mode of hunting is by means of nets. Every
man has a net of strong cord. It is about forty feet long and eleven
feet deep, with meshes six inches square. The hunt is under the
direction of a chief, who arranges and controls it from beginning to
end, and everybody is subject to his orders.
[Illustration: A VILLAGE HEAD-MAN.]
"Several days before the hunt the big drum is sounded in the village of
the chief of the tribe, to call the head-men of the other villages
together; when all are assembled the day of the hunt is announced, and
the place where the people are to meet is agreed upon. Then the head-men
depart, each to his own village, and the news is scattered as fast as
possible.
"Sometimes a chief gives a grand entertainment before the hunt, but in
this instance he didn't do so. On such occasions he slaughters several
oxen for feeding his guests, and brews a large quantity of native beer
for them to drink. An important personage in such affairs is the
sorcerer, who secures good-luck by certain magical performances. Unless
he practices his incantations it is believed that no game will run into
the nets; and, besides, accidents might happen to some of the party if
they did not have his good offices beforehand.
"The negro tribes of Central Africa are great believers in the power of
magic. Their sorcerers are invoked frequently to discover stolen
articles, to heal the sick, and perform other practical work which we
usually give to the police or the doctor, and they also exercise the art
of rain-makers. Perhaps you never heard of a rain-maker?
[Illustration: AN AFRICAN MAGICIAN SUPERINTENDING THE SLAUGHTERING OF AN
OX.]
"Well, he is generally an old man, and carries a lot of charms about
him, together with a horn or whistle, which he blows to create rain in
seasons of drought, or to stop it when it falls too heavily. If the rain
does as he commands it he claims all the credit; but if it does not obey
he attributes his ill-luck to certain evil spirits over whom he has no
control. If the person who calls him can afford it he generally orders
an ox or some other animal to be killed, so that he can make his
divinations after the manner of the ancient Romans, by examining the
heart of the slaughtered beast. As he is sure to be presented with
choice pieces of the meat, it is not improbable that he has an eye to
his own welfare in issuing his commands.
"The rain-maker is held in great respect by all the people, and
consequently it is well for all travellers to make friends with him at
once. The chief with whom we had the interview was accompanied by his
sorcerer, whose badge of office was a cow's horn, which he carried over
his shoulder, and a whistle suspended from his neck. The whistle was a
wooden one, of rather primitive construction, and not very loud in
sound. I won the heart of the magician by giving him a hunting-whistle
of bright pewter, and a little harmonicon such as you can buy at any
toy-shop. The old fellow had some trouble to manage the harmonicon
between his thick lips; but after a few trials he got along very well,
and was evidently highly delighted with the result.
"Captain Mohammed supplemented my gift with a tin fish-horn, and then
the rain-maker's joy was complete. He appeared confident of bringing
rain from the ground instead of the sky, if necessary, and did not
hesitate to promise a fine day for the hunt. His office has some risk
about it, as he is liable to lose his place and head in case he does not
make the weather to suit his chief; though he can generally excuse
himself in the way I have related by attributing the failure to the
influence of evil spirits.
[Illustration: A NATIVE FERRY.]
"I am forgetting the hunt while talking about the rain-maker and his
performances. We started long before daylight, having sent forward the
servants to get breakfast ready on the bank of a small river that lay in
our way. Some native boats were there to ferry us over, and our horses
were sent to a ford a mile or more up the stream, and then brought down
again to meet us at the place of breakfasting. By this plan we made a
considerable saving of time, as it would have caused much delay if we
had waited in camp for breakfast, and we should have had a needless ride
of a couple of miles if we had crossed by the ford.
"We reached the place appointed for the rendezvous, and found hundreds
of the natives there in advance of us, though it was only seven o'clock
in the morning. There was a small cloud in the sky, and the old
rain-maker at once set about showing us how he could drive it away. A
few blasts on his tin horn and a dozen shrill notes on the pewter
whistle had the desired effect: the cloud melted under the heat of the
sun, and the magician looked at us with a proud and satisfied air. What
might have happened if the cloud had increased and the day been a wet
one, I shudder to think of, as the Shooli chief was bent on giving us a
good time, and would have been sadly disappointed and very angry if the
weather had been unfavorable.
"There had been no rain for some days, and under the hot sun of Central
Africa the grass and ground had become quite dry. This was an important
consideration, as the plan of hunting included the burning of the grass
over a considerable extent of ground, so as to drive the game in the
direction of the nets.
[Illustration: NET HUNTING BY THE SHOOLI TRIBE.]
"The men were all ready with their nets and spears, and at a signal they
moved to the designated spot, and formed the barrier which was to stop
the game. The nets were supported by sticks, and each net was attached
to the adjoining one; the number was large enough to form a fence more
than a mile long, and in the shape of a semicircle; each native was
concealed behind his own net by means of a screen, made by tying
together the tops of the grass till a sort of inverted fan was formed.
When the nets had been placed, and the hunters concealed behind their
screens, there was nothing to indicate the presence of man, and even the
net could not be seen on account of the high grass.
"The ends of the net came to the bank of a brook about thirty feet wide,
but its centre was at least a quarter of a mile from the stream. The
women and children, of whom there were great numbers, formed a sort of
hedge from the ends of the net for a considerable distance, in order to
direct the game into the fatal snare.
"The captain and I had brought our rifles, and the chief assigned us to
places behind a couple of ant-hills. We were each followed by
gun-bearers with extra weapons, in case of accident to our own, and the
captain cautioned me not to fire unless I was quite sure that none of
the negroes were in line of my shot and liable to be hurt.
"When everything was ready the chief of the hunt blew a whistle, and the
signal was repeated by a man stationed four or five hundred yards away.
Then it was repeated by another and another, and so on, till it was
carried at least half a dozen miles to windward.
"Ten minutes after the signal was given we saw a column of smoke
rising on the horizon, and it was joined by other columns of smoke as
far as we could see. Then I saw the whole plan of the hunt: the game was
to be driven by the fire in our direction, and the net was to enable the
hunters to use their spears. We with the rifles had been stationed far
enough from the nets to prevent the possibility of our injuring any of
the men behind them. The captain was opposite one of the ends, and I was
near the other; and we were to shoot at anything liable to escape the
nets, and especially were we to use our weapons upon lions or other
dangerous beasts.
"The rule of the hunt was, that each man was to have all the game killed
within the limits of his net. This seemed fair enough; but it sometimes
happened that an animal speared by one hunter ran into the net of
another before he fell; and this gave rise to disputes, which were
appealed to the chief. Captain Mohammed said that if there was any
trouble about the decision the chief took the game to himself, and thus
prevented any one from feeling hurt at seeing what he considered his
prize given to one of his neighbors. There is also an allowance of a
hind-quarter of each animal killed to the owner of the land.
"The place where I stood was not far from the brook before mentioned;
and in order that I should not be seen I stuck some bushes in the top of
the ant-hill, hoping that my white hat would not scare away any of the
game. The fact is, the animals on such occasions are so frightened that
they pay little attention to man, but are entirely occupied with running
away.
"I waited rather impatiently for a chance to shoot something. Presently
an antelope came bounding over the crest of the ridge, but he was too
far off for me to give him a bullet. Then came others, and I had the
good-fortune to send one over.
[Illustration: DRIVING GAME BEFORE A PRAIRIE FIRE.]
"How my hand trembled as I saw a lion running almost in my direction,
and felt certain he would pass near enough to give me a fine shot! I
brought my rifle to my shoulder, and just as I was on the point of
firing I saw a native rise from the grass directly in line beyond the
prize I had marked for my own.
"I allowed the lion to pass, but took a shot at a hartbeest, and brought
him to the ground. Some buffaloes turned aside, avoiding the nets, and
the natives did not try to stop them. They prefer that buffaloes should
give their nets a wide berth, and are not at all pleased to encounter a
lion. A rhinoceros passed near where Captain Mohammed was stationed, but
too far off for a shot, and he went through the net as a circus-rider
passes through a paper hoop.
"I managed to shoot three antelopes and as many hartbeests before the
smoke became so thick that it was difficult for me to see. I wondered
what I would do when the fire reached me, but did not have any occasion
to trouble myself about it. The flames reached the brook and then
stopped, and in a little while the smoke blew away, and left the ground
all blackened by the fire that had passed over it.
"The hunt was fairly successful, and nobody had any reason to complain,
as the natives got enough antelopes to supply them for some time.
Captain Mohammed killed six; and these, with what I had shot, were a
good addition to our supplies. The chief said the meat belonged to us by
right, as the animals would have escaped the net from running so far to
one side. Some of the antelopes seemed to understand the business; they
had been hunted that way so often that when they reached the bank of the
brook and saw the people, they knew the net was on the other side, and
did not cross. They turned and ran either down or up the stream, and
took the chances of being speared or shot while escaping.
"We had the meat taken to camp after delivering to the owner of the land
the quarter which was his right. Instead of taking a fourth of each
animal, according to the custom of the country, he accepted one whole
antelope out of four, which amounted to exactly the same thing, and
saved the trouble of division. We sent to the chief several presents,
which were more than the equivalent for the game we secured--at least,
they must have been so in his eyes, though in reality their value was
very small. There was a large knife, such as you can buy in the shops
for half a dollar, and several pieces of jewellery--not made at
Tiffany's. He was much pleased with his gifts, and we are convinced that
his friendship is secure.
"Many natives came into camp the next day, and sometimes they were so
numerous that their visits were a little irksome. We managed to amuse
them by getting out a mechanical organ, which was wound up as fast as it
ran down, so that we had a steady strain of music through the entire
day.
"We had several popular airs played by the organ, and probably it was
the first time they were ever heard among the Shoolis. It made no
difference what was performed, and the negroes were equally delighted
with the grand march from 'Faust,' or Little Buttercup from 'Pinafore.'
Several times they formed a circle and danced to the music; they did not
keep step with any sort of exactness, and their dancing was little more
than an excited whirl. I realized the force of what Stanley and other
explorers have said, that a band of music would be better than a
company of sharpshooters for escorting a traveller through the greater
part of the 'Dark Continent.'
[Illustration: THE RIVER BANK.]
"In the afternoon I went to a river a mile or so from camp, intending to
catch some fish. The banks of the stream were covered with reeds for
quite a distance back on each side, and the only way of getting to the
surface was by means of a narrow channel through the reeds to the
cleared ground. A canoe made from the trunk of a tree was the only
conveyance, and as it was not capable of carrying more than four
persons, and was very easily overturned, I did not think it wise to
venture out. So I returned fishless, but had the satisfaction of
shooting a couple of birds on the way back. They had a marked
resemblance to the guinea-fowl of Africa, having a tuft on the top of
the head and a tail which spreads like a fan. They appeared on our table
at dinner, and were a toothsome addition to our larder.
[Illustration: FRANK'S BIRD.]
"True to our arrangement with the chief, we resumed our march on the
second morning after the hunt, and found no farther opposition, though
we did not relax our vigilance in the least degree. The rifles of the
men were loaded and ready for work, and each soldier had the same number
of cartridges as before. It is a rule of African explorers to trust to
no promises on the part of a native farther than the moment they are
made. Undoubtedly we do injustice to many by following this rule, but if
there is any mistake it is on the side of safety. There is so much
treachery among them that, sooner or later, the man who gives them his
confidence is liable to betrayal. It was the invariable custom of
Stanley to sleep in his own tent or hut, and never accept the invitation
to be lodged by any chief or king whom he happened to be visiting.
"In the afternoon of our march we started several antelopes and other
game animals, but they were so frightened at our appearance that they
ran away as fast as antelopes can possibly run. I can't say what speed
they made, but it was altogether too much for us to think of following.
[Illustration: ROCKY HILLS.]
"The country here is very pretty, not heavily wooded and not a level
plain; there are hills in the distance, both on the east and west, and
in the south is a chain of mountains that seem to threaten to stop our
march. Sometimes we cross open areas of a mile or more, with a few trees
scattered here and there, and again we come to stretches of forest of a
density that would require a path to be cut if one did not already
exist.
"There are a good many brooks and tiny rivers running through the
region, so that it is well watered, and the traveller is in no danger of
suffering from thirst. Some of the streams are sluggish and run through
marshy ground, but the most of them remind you of an American brook
gliding over sand and pebble, and occasionally rippling merrily down a
rapid descent. I never supposed there was such a temperate region in
Africa; but when I remember that we are four thousand feet above the
level of the sea, and on the great plateau of Central Africa, my
surprise ceases.
[Illustration: GREAT ROCK NEAR THE CAMP.]
"One of our camps was made under the shelter of a great rock, which had
a deep pool on the surface. We could hardly believe the story till we
climbed the rock and saw for ourselves, and there, sure enough, was the
pool.
"'There is a rock just like this on the route to Zanzibar,' said Abdul,
'and it was visited by Cameron in his journey across Africa.'
"'Yes,' said the captain, 'and there is the same story about that rock
as there is of the one we are on.'
"'What is that?' I asked.
"'They say that an elephant was once drowned in the pool while
attempting to drink from it.'
"I looked around, and quietly remarked to Captain Mohammed that I could
hardly believe an elephant was ever drowned in the pool.
"'Oh, certainly,' he answered. 'The water is very deep, and an elephant
might easily be drowned in it.'
"'Of course that might be,' I replied, 'provided the elephant was here.
But will you explain how he could climb up this rock, which is steeper
than the roof of a house, and has required us to use both feet and hands
to ascend?'
"The captain said he never thought of that, and quite agreed with me
that no elephant could be drowned in the pool. Then we went down by
the same path we had ascended. I slipped in the descent, and had an ugly
fall, but fortunately was caught by one of the soldiers who accompanied
us. If he had not been where he could grasp me I should have been
fortunate to escape without serious injury.
[Illustration: PECULIAR TABLE-ROCK IN THE BARI COUNTRY.]
"Speaking of high and curious rocks, I am reminded of one in the Bari
country, which was visited by Baker Pacha.
"It is near the base of a mountain called Regiaff, and consists of a
large, flat stone supported on a pedestal, very much like the
centre-table of a parlor in America. It is a slab of syenite that must
have become detached as the mountain decomposed. It is so large that the
natives often seek shelter beneath it from the rain or the noonday sun,
and their cattle find it a comfortable resting-place. The pedestal is of
clay, and the broad roof over it protects it from the weather, so that
it has remained unharmed for many centuries.
"The natives have a superstition that any one who sleeps beneath this
stone will die in a short time. The belief probably arose from some one
having been killed by the fall of a fragment from the lower surface.
Several large pieces are partly detached, and a very slight disturbance
would cause them to tumble to the ground.
"The measurement of this wonderful stone is as follows:
Ft. In.
Length of slab 45 4
Breadth of slab 45 8
Thickness from above to below 4 9
Height from ground 10 5
Diameter of clay pedestal 23 0
"The same formation of rock as the one above described can be seen at
Monument Creek, in the neighborhood of Manitou, Colorado. When the earth
beneath the slab is partly worn away the stone protects it from the
weather, and thus these natural tables are formed. The pedestals of the
Manitou table-rocks are formed of a coarse sandstone, while the tables
are of mica schist. Both of them are subject to the action of the
elements, and since the country has been known to the white man there
has been a considerable disintegration of the rocks. Some of them are
quite large, but I never heard of one equalling that at Regiaff."