A FOREBODING OF EVIL.
I HAD been for some hours in the camp, but none of the aggageers
had returned, neither had we received any tidings of our people
and camels that had left us at daybreak to search for the dead
elephants. Fearing that some mishap might have occurred in a
collision with the Base, I anxiously looked out for some sign of
the party. At about 4 P.M. I observed far up the bed of the river
several men, some mounted, and others upon foot, while one led a
camel with a curious looking load. Upon a nearer approach I could
distinguish some large object upon the camel's back, that was
steadied by two men, one of whom walked on either side. I had a
foreboding that something was wrong, and in a few minutes I
clearly perceived a man lying upon a make-shift litter, carried
by the camel, while the Sheik Abou Do and Suleiman accompanied
the party upon horseback; a third led Jali's little grey mare.
They soon arrived beneath the high bank of the river upon which
I stood. Poor little Jali, my plucky and active ally, lay, as I
thought, dead upon the litter. We laid him gently upon my
angarep, which I had raised by four men, so that we could lower
him gradually from the kneeling camel, and we carried him to the
camp, about thirty yards distant. He was faint, and I poured some
essence of peppermint (the only spirit I possessed) down his
throat, which quickly revived him. His thigh was broken about
eight inches above the knee, but fortunately it was a simple
fracture.
Abou Do now explained the cause of the accident. While the party
of camel-men and others were engaged in cutting up the dead
elephants, the three aggageers had found the track of a bull that
had escaped wounded. In that country, where there was no drop of
water upon the east bank of the Settite for a distance of sixty
or seventy miles to the river Gash, an elephant if wounded was
afraid to trust itself to the interior; one of our escaped
elephants had therefore returned to the thick jungle, and was
tracked by the aggageers to a position within two or three
hundred yards of the dead elephants. As there were no guns, two
of the aggageers, utterly reckless of consequences, resolved to
ride through the narrow passages formed by the large game, and to
take their chance with the elephant, sword in hand. Jali, as
usual, was the first to lead, and upon his little grey mare he
advanced with the greatest difficulty through the entangled
thorns, broken by the passage of heavy game; to the right and
left of the passage it was impossible to move. Abou Do had wisely
dismounted, but Suleiman followed Jali. Upon arriving within a
few yards of the elephant, which was invisible in the thick
thorns, Abou Do crept forward on foot, and discovered it standing
with ears cocked, evidently waiting for the attack. As Jali
followed on his light grey mare, the elephant immediately
perceived the white colour, and at once charged forward. Escape
was next to impossible: Jali turned his mare sharp round, and she
bounded off, but caught in the thorns, the mare fell, throwing
her rider in the path of the elephant that was within a few feet
behind, in full chase. The mare recovered herself in an instant,
and rushed away; the elephant, occupied by the white colour of
the animal, neglected the man, upon whom he trod in the pursuit,
thus breaking his thigh. Abou Do, who had been between the
elephant and Jali, had wisely jumped into the thick thorns, and,
as the elephant passed him, he again sprang out behind, and
followed with his drawn sword, but too late to save Jali, as it
was the affair of an instant. Jumping over Jali's body, he was
just in time to deliver a tremendous cut at the hind leg of the
elephant, that must otherwise have killed both horses and
probably Suleiman also, as the three were caught in a cul de sac
in a passage that had no outlet, and were at the elephant's
mercy.
Abou Do seldom failed; it was a difficult feat to strike
correctly in the narrow jungle passage with the elephant in full
speed, but the blow was fairly given, and the back sinew was
divided. Not content with the success of the cut, he immediately
repeated the stroke upon the other leg, as he feared that the
elephant, although disabled from rapid motion, might turn and
trample Jali. The extraordinary dexterity and courage required to
effect this can hardly be appreciated by those who have never
hunted a wild elephant; but the extreme agility, pluck, and
audacity of these Hamran sword-hunters surpass all feats that I
have ever witnessed.
I set Jali's broken thigh, and employed myself in making splints;
fortunately, my tool-chest was at hand, and I selected some
pieces of dry wood that had been left on the bank by the retiring
river. I made two splints, one with a crutch to fit beneath the
arm; this I carried to about three inches beyond the foot, and
cut a V-shaped notch to secure the bandage; the other was a
common short splint about eighteen inches long. My wife quickly
made about sixty yards of bandages, while Barrak, the maid,
prepared thick gum water, from gum arabic, that the mimosas
produced in unlimited quantity. Fixing the long splint under the
arm, and keeping it upon the outside of the thigh, with the leg
perfectly straight, I lashed the foot and ankle securely to the
V-shaped notch: I then strapped the upper portion of the splint
with bandages passed around the patient's chest, until he was
swathed from beneath the arms to the hips, thus securing the
splint to his body. The thigh, and entire leg from the fork to
the ankle, I carefully secured to the long splint with three rows
of bandages, the first plain, and the last two layers were soaked
in thick gum-water. When these became dry and hard, they formed
a case like an armour of paste-board: previous to bandaging the
limb in splints, I had bathed it for some hours with cold
applications.
On the following morning I expected to find my patient in great
pain; but, on the contrary, he complained very little. His pulse
was good, and there was very little swelling or heat. I gave him
some cooling medicine; and the only anxiety that he expressed was
the wish to get well immediately, so as to continue the
expedition.
The Arabs thought that I could mend the leg of a man as though it
were the broken stock of a gun, that would be serviceable
immediately when repaired. As these people never use spirituous
liquors, they are very little subject to inflammation, and they
recover quickly from wounds that would be serious to Europeans.
I attended to Jali for four days. He was a very grateful, but
unruly patient, as he had never been accustomed to remain quiet.
At the end of that time we arranged an angarep comfortably upon
a camel, upon which he was transported to Geera, in company with
a long string of camels, heavily laden with dried meat and
squares of hide for shields, with large bundles of hippopotamus
skin for whip making, together with the various spoils of the
chase. Last, but not least, were numerous leathern pots of fat
that had been boiled down from elephants and hippopotami.
The camels were to return as soon as possible with supplies of
corn for onr people and horses. Another elephant-hunter was to be
sent to us in the place of Jali; but I felt that we had lost our
best man.*
* I heard from Jali six weeks later; he was then well,
and offered to rejoin us shortly, but I declined to
risk the strength of his leg.
Although my people had been in the highest spirits up to this
time, a gloom had been thrown over the party by two
causes--Jali's accident, and the fresh footmarks of the Base that
had been discovered upon the sand by the margin of the river. The
aggageers feared nothing, and if the Base had been legions of
demons they would have faced them, sword in hand, with the
greatest pleasure. But my Tokrooris, who were brave in some
respects, had been so cowed by the horrible stories recounted of
these common enemies at the nightly camp-fires by the Hamran
Arabs, that they were seized with a panic, and resolved to desert
en masse, and return to Katariff, where I had originally engaged
them, and at which place they had left their families.
This desertion having been planned, they came to me in a body,
just as the camels and Jali were about to depart, and commenced
a series of absurd excuses for their intended desertion. The old
grey-headed Moosa, by whose fortune-telling and sorcery the party
were invariably guided, had foretold evil. This had confirmed
them in their determination to return home. They were not a bad
set of fellows, but, like most of their class, they required
peculiar management. If natives are driven, they invariably hate
their master, and turn sulky; if you give in to them, they lose
respect, and will never obey. They are exceedingly subject to
sudden impulses, under the influence of which they are utterly
unreasonable. As the expedition depends for success entirely upon
the union of the party, it is highly necessary to obtain so
complete a control over every individual, that the leader shall
be regarded with positive reverence, and his authority in all
matters accepted as supreme. To gain such a complete ascendancy
is a work of time, and is no easy matter, as an extreme amount of
tact and judgment is necessary, combined with great kindness and
common sense, with, at times, great severity. The latter should
be avoided as long as possible.
In this instance, the desertion of my Tokrooris would have been
a great blow to my expedition, as it was necessary to have a
division of parties. I had now Tokrooris, Jaleens, and Hamran
Arabs. Thus they would never unite together, and I was certain to
have some upon my side in a difficulty. Should I lose the
Tokrooris, the Hamran Arabs would have the entire preponderance.
The whole of my Tokrooris formed in line before me and my wife,
just as the camels were about to leave; each man had his little
bundle prepared for starting on a journey. Old Moosa was the
spokesman,--he said that they were all very sorry: that they
regretted exceedingly the necessity of leaving us, but some of
them were sick, and they would only be a burden to the
expedition; that one of them was bound upon a pilgrimage to
Mecca, and that God would punish him should he neglect this great
duty; others had not left any money with their families in
Katariff, that would starve in their absence. (I had given them
an advance of wages, when they engaged at Katariff, to provide
against this difficulty.) I replied, "My good fellows, I am very
sorry to hear all this, especially as it comes upon me so
suddenly; those who are sick, stand upon one side" (several
invalids, who looked remarkably healthy, stepped to the left).
"Who wishes to go to Mecca?" Abderachman stepped forward (a huge
specimen of a Tokroori, who went by the nickname of "El Jamoos,"
or the buffalo.) "Who wishes to remit money to his family, as I
will send it and deduct it from his wages?" No one came forward.
During the pause, I called for pen and paper, which Mahomet
brought. I immediately commenced writing, and placed the note
within an envelope, which I addressed, and gave to one of the
camel-drivers. I then called for my medicine chest, and having
weighed several three-grain doses of tartar emetic, I called the
invalids, and insisted upon their taking the medicine before they
started, or they might become seriously ill upon the road, which
for three days' march was uninhabited. Mixed with a little water,
the doses were swallowed, and I knew that the invalids were safe
for that day, and that the others would not start without them.
I now again addressed my would-be deserters: "Now, my good
fellows, there shall be no misunderstanding between us, and I
will explain to you how the case stands. You engaged yourselves
to me for the whole journey, and you received an advance of wages
to provide for your families during your absence. You have lately
filled yourselves with meat, and you have become lazy; you have
been frightened by the footprints of the Base; thus you wish to
leave the country. To save yourselves from imaginary danger, you
would forsake my wife and myself and leave us to a fate which you
yourselves would avoid. This is your gratitude for kindness; this
is the return for my confidence, when without hesitation I
advanced you money. Go! Return to Katariff to your families! I
know that all the excuses you have made are false. Those who
declare themselves to be sick, Inshallah (please God) shall be
sick. You will all be welcomed upon your arrival at Katariff. In
the letter I have written to the Governor, inclosing your names,
I have requested him to give each man upon his appearance FIVE
HUNDRED LASHES WITH THE COORBATCH, FOR DESERTION; and to imprison
him until my return."
Check-mate! My poor Tokrooris were in a corner, and in their
great dilemma they could not answer a word. Taking advantage of
this moment of confusion, I called forward "the buffalo"
Abderachman, as I had heard that he really had contemplated a
pilgrimage to Mecca. "Abderachman," I continued, "you are the
only man who has spoken the truth. Go to Mecca! and may God
protect you on the journey; I should not wish to prevent you from
performing your duty as a Mahometan."
Never were people more dumbfounded with surprise; they retreated,
and formed a knot in consultation, and in about ten minutes they
returned to me, old Moosa and Hadji Ali both leading the pilgrim
Abderachman by the hands. They had given in; and Abderachman, the
buffalo of the party, thanked me for my permission, and with
tears in his eyes, as the camels were about to start, he at once
said good-bye. "Embrace him!" cried old Moosa and Hadji Ali; and
in an instant, as I had formerly succumbed to the maid Barrake,
I was actually kissed by the thick lips of Abderachman the
unwashed! Poor fellow! this was sincere gratitude without the
slightest humbug; therefore, although he was an odoriferous
savage, I could not help shaking him by the hand and wishing him
a prosperous journey, assuring him that I would watch over his
comrades like a father, while in my service. In a few instants
these curious people were led by a sudden and new impulse; my
farewell had perfectly delighted old Moosa and Hadji Ali, whose
hearts were won. "Say good-bye to the Sit!" (the lady) they
shouted to Abderachman; but I assured them that it was not
necessary to go through the whole operation to which I had been
subjected, and that she would be contented if he only kissed her
hand. This he did with the natural grace of a savage, and was led
away crying by his companions, who embraced him with tears, and
they parted with the affection of brothers.
Now to hard-hearted and civilized people, who often school
themselves to feel nothing, or as little as they can, for
anybody, it may appear absurd to say that the scene was
affecting, but somehow or other it was; and in the course of
half-an-hour, those who would have deserted had become staunch
friends, and we were all, black and white, Mahometans and
Christians, wishing the pilgrim God speed upon his perilous
journey to Mecca.
The camels started, and, if the scene was affecting, the invalids
began to be more affected by the tartar emetic; this was the
third act of the comedy. The plot had been thoroughly ventilated:
the last act exhibited the perfect fidelity of my Tokrooris, in
whom I subsequently reposed much confidence.
In the afternoon of that day, the brothers Sheriff arrived; these
were the most renowned of all the sword-hunters of the Hamrans,
of whom I have already spoken; they were well mounted, and,
having met our caravan of camels on the route, heavily laden with
dried flesh, and thus seen proofs of our success, they now
offered to join our party. I am sorry to be obliged to confess,
that my ally, Abou Do, although a perfect Nimrod in sport, an
Apollo in personal appearance, and a gentleman in manner, was a
mean, covetous, and grasping fellow, and withal absurdly jealous.
Taher Sheriff was a more celebrated hunter, having had the
experience of at least twenty years in excess of Abou Do, and
although the latter was as brave and dexterous as Taher and his
brothers, he wanted the cool judgment that is essential to a
first-rate sportsman. He was himself aware of his inferiority to
Taher Sheriff, though too proud to admit it; but, to avoid
competition he declined to allow the Sheriffs to join our party,
declaring that if I insisted upon the fresh alliance, he and his
comrade Suleiman would return home. Notwithstanding his
objections, I arranged for the present that, as Jali was hors de
combat, Taher Sheriff's party should join us until the arrival of
a fresh hunter in his place, otherwise our party would be
incomplete. To prevent complications, the greedy Abou Do selected
his share of the ivory, carefully choosing the best and most
perfect tusks, and he presented Taher's party with a small
quantity of meat that would render them independent of his
hospitality. I at once ordered my people to give them a large
supply of both meat and corn from my own store, and they encamped
in a quarter of our circle.
The following day was the new year, January 1st, 1862; and, with
the four brothers Sheriff and our party, we formed a powerful
body of hunters: six aggageers and myself, all well mounted. With
four gun-bearers, and two camels, both of which carried water, we
started in search of elephants. Florian was unwell, and remained
in camp.
In this dry climate it was only necessary to ride along the
margin of the river to look for fresh tracks, as the animals were
compelled to visit the Settite to drink, and of course there was
no difficulty in discovering their traces. It appeared, however,
that the elephants had been frightened away from the
neighbourhood by the recent attack, as we rode for about ten
miles without seeing any fresh marks. We therefore struck inland,
on the east bank of the river, intending to return home by a
circuit. The country was exactly like an English park, with no
larger timber than thorn trees. Every now and then there was an
exception in a gigantic homera (Adansonia digitata), or baobab;
these, towering over the heads of the low mimosas, could be seen
from a great distance. Having steered direct for one, we halted,
and dismounted to rest the horses beneath the shade. This tree
was about forty feet in circumference, and the spongy trunk was
formed into a ladder by pegs of hard wood driven into its side by
the Base hunters, who had thus ascended the slippery stem in
search of honey. Bees are very fond of these trees, as they are
generally more or less hollow, and well adapted for hives. The
Adansonia digitata, although a tree, always reminds me of a
gigantic fungus; the stem is disproportioned in its immense
thickness to its height, and its branches are few in number, and
as massive in character as the stem. The wood is not much firmer
in substance than cork, and is as succulent as a carrot. In
Kordofan, where water is exceedingly scarce, the Adansonia is
frequently used as a reservoir; one of these huge hollow trees is
cleaned out and filled with water during the short rainy season.
The fruit was ripe at the time we halted, and after many
attempts, by throwing sticks, we succeeded in procuring a
considerable number. The sub-acid flavour of the seeds, enveloped
in a dry yellow powder within the large shell, was exceedingly
refreshing.
The immediate neighbourhood was a perfect exhibition of
gum-arabic-bearing mimosas. At this season the gum was in
perfection, and the finest quality was now before us in beautiful
amber-coloured masses upon the stems and branches, varying from
the size of a nutmeg to that of an orange. So great was the
quantity, and so excellent were the specimens, that, leaving our
horses tied to trees, both the Arabs and myself gathered a large
collection. This gum, although as hard as ice on the exterior,
was limpid in the centre, resembling melted amber, and as clear
as though refined by some artificial process. The trees were
perfectly denuded of leaves from the extreme drought, and the
beautiful balls of frosted yellow gum recalled the idea of the
precious jewels upon the trees in the garden of the wonderful
lamp of the "Arabian nights." This gum was exceedingly sweet and
pleasant to the taste; but, although of the most valuable
quality, there was no hand to gather it in this forsaken,
although beautiful country; it either dissolved during the rainy
season, or was consumed by the baboons and antelopes. The
aggageers took off from their saddles the skins of tanned
antelope leather that formed the only covering to the wooden
seats, and with these they made bundles of gum. When we
remounted, every man was well laden.
We were thus leisurely returning home through alternate plains
and low open forest of mimosa, when Taher Sheriff, who was
leading the party, suddenly reined up his horse, and pointed to
a thick bush, beneath which was a large grey, but shapeless,
mass. He whispered, as I drew near, "Oom gurrin" (mother of the
horn), their name for the rhinoceros. I immediately dismounted,
and, with the short No. 10 Tatham rifle I advanced as near as I
could, followed by Suleiman, as I had sent all my gun-bearers
direct home by the river when we had commenced our circuit. As I
drew near, I discovered two rhinoceros asleep beneath a thick
mass of bushes; they were lying like pigs, close together, so
that at a distance I had been unable to distinguish any exact
form. It was an awkward place; if I were to take the wind fairly,
I should have to fire through the thick bush, which would be
useless; therefore I was compelled to advance with the wind
direct from me to them. The aggageers remained about a hundred
yards distant, while I told Suleiman to return, and hold my horse
in readiness with his own. I then walked quietly to within about
thirty yards of the rhinoceros, but so curiously were they lying
that it was useless to attempt a shot. In their happy dreams they
must have been suddenly disturbed by the scent of an enemy, for,
without the least warning, they suddenly sprang to their feet
with astonishing quickness, and with a loud and sharp whiff,
whiff, whiff! one of them charged straight at me. I fired my
right-hand barrel in his throat, as it was useless to aim at the
head protected by two horns at the nose. This turned him, but had
no other effect, and the two animals thundered off together at a
tremendous pace.
Now for a "tally ho!" Our stock of gum was scattered on the
ground, and away went the aggageers in full speed after the two
rhinoceros. Without waiting to reload, I quickly remounted my
horse Tetel, and, with Suleiman in company, I spurred hard to
overtake the flying Arabs. Tetel was a good strong cob, but not
very fast; however, I believe he never went so well as upon that
day, for, although an Abyssinian horse, I had a pair of English
spurs, which worked like missionaries, but with a more decided
result. The ground was awkward for riding at full speed, as it
was an open forest of mimosas, which, although wide apart, were
very difficult to avoid, owing to the low crowns of spreading
branches; these, being armed with fish-hook thorns, would have
been serious on a collision. I kept the party in view, until in
about a mile we arrived upon open ground. Here I again applied
the spur, and by degrees I crept up, always gaining, until I at
length joined the aggageers.
Here was a sight to drive a hunter wild! The two rhinoceros were
running neck and neck, like a pair of horses in harness, but
bounding along at tremendous speed within ten yards of the
leading Hamran. This was Taher Sheriff, who, with his sword
drawn, and his long hair flying wildly behind him, urged his
horse forward in the race, amidst a cloud of dust raised by the
two huge but active beasts, that tried every sinew of the horses.
Roder Sheriff, with the withered arm, was second; with the reins
hung upon the hawk-like claw that was all that remained of a
hand, but with his naked sword grasped in his right, he kept
close to his brother, ready to second his blow. Abou Do was
third; his hair flying in the wind--his heels dashing against the
flanks of his horse, to which he shouted in his excitement to
urge him to the front, while he leant forward with his long
sword, in the wild energy of the moment, as though hoping to
reach the game against all possibility. Now for the spurs! and as
these, vigorously applied, screwed an extra stride out of Tetel,
I soon found myself in the ruck of men, horses, and drawn swords.
There were seven of us,--and passing Abou Do, whose face wore an
expression of agony at finding that his horse was failing, I
quickly obtained a place between the two brothers, Taher and
Roder Sheriff. There had been a jealousy between the two parties
of aggageers, and each was striving to outdo the other; thus Abou
Do was driven almost to madness at the superiority of Taher's
horse, while the latter, who was the renowned hunter of the
tribe, was determined that his sword should be the first to taste
blood. I tried to pass the rhinoceros on my left, so as to fire
close into the shoulder my remaining barrel with my right hand,
but it was impossible to overtake the animals, who bounded along
with undiminished speed. With the greatest exertion of men and
horses we could only retain our position within about three or
four yards of their tails--just out of reach of the swords. The
only chance in the race was to hold the pace until the rhinoceros
should begin to flag. The horses were pressed to the utmost; but
we had already run about two miles, and the game showed no signs
of giving in. On they flew,--sometimes over open ground, then
through low bush, which tried the horses severely; then through
strips of open forest, until at length the party began to tail
off, and only a select few kept their places. We arrived at the
summit of a ridge, from which the ground sloped in a gentle
inclination for about a mile towards the river; at the foot of
this incline was thick thorny nabbuk jungle, for which
impenetrable covert the rhinoceros pressed at their utmost speed.
Never was there better ground for the finish of a race; the earth
was sandy, but firm, and as we saw the winning-post in the jungle
that must terminate the hunt, we redoubled our exertions to close
with the unflagging game. Suleiman's horse gave in--we had been
for about twenty minutes at a killing pace. Tetel, although not
a fast horse, was good for a distance, and he now proved his
power of endurance, as I was riding at least two stone heavier
than any of the party. Only four of the seven remained; and we
swept down the incline, Taher Sheriff still leading, and Abou Do
the last! His horse was done, but not the rider; for, springing
to the ground while at full speed, sword in hand, he forsook his
tired horse, and, preferring his own legs, he ran like an
antelope, and, for the first hundred yards, I thought he would
really pass us, and win the honour of first blow. It was of no
use, the pace was too severe, and, although running wonderfully,
he was obliged to give way to the horses. Only three now followed
the rhinoceros--Taher Sheriff, his brother Roder, and myself. I
had been obliged to give the second place to Roder, as he was a
mere monkey in weight; but I was a close third. The excitement
was intense--we neared the jungle, and the rhinoceros began to
show signs of flagging, as the dust puffed up before their
nostrils, and, with noses close to the ground, they snorted as
they still galloped on. Oh for a fresh horse! "A horse ! a horse!
my kingdom for a horse!" We were within two hundred yards of the
jungle; but the horses were all done. Tetel reeled as I urged him
forward, Roder pushed ahead; we were close to the dense thorns,
and the rhinoceros broke into a trot; they were done! "Now,
Taher, for-r-a-a-r-r-d! for-r-r-a-a-r-d, Taher!!!" Away he
went--he was close to the very heels of the beasts; but his horse
could do no more than his present pace; still he gained upon the
nearest; he leaned forward with his sword raised for the
blow--another moment, and the jungle would be reached! One effort
more, and the sword flashed in the sunshine, as the rearmost
rhinoceros disappeared in the thick screen of thorns, with a gash
about a foot long upon his hind-quarters. Taher Sheriff shook his
bloody sword in triumph above his head; but the rhinoceros was
gone. We were fairly beaten, regularly outpaced; but I believe
another two hundred yards would have given us the victory.
"Bravo, Taher," I shouted. He had ridden splendidly, and his b]ow
had been marvellously delivered at an extremely long reach, as he
was nearly out of his saddle when he sprang forward to enable the
blade to obtain a cut at the last moment. He could not reach the
hamstring, as his horse could not gain the proper position.
We all immediately dismounted; the horses were thoroughly done,
and I at once loosened the girths and contemplated my steed
Tetel, who with head lowered, and legs wide apart, was a
tolerable example of the effects of pace. The other aggageers
shortly arrived, and as the rival Abou Do joined us, Taher
Sheriff quietly wiped the blood off his sword without making a
remark; this was a bitter moment for the discomfited Abou Do.
Although we had failed, I never enjoyed a hunt so much either
before or since; it was a magnificent run, and still more
magnificent was the idea that a man, with no weapon but a sword,
could attack and generally vanquish every huge animal of
creation. I felt inclined to discard all my rifles, and to adopt
the sabre, with a first-class horse instead of the common horses
of this country, that were totally unfit for such a style of
hunting, when carrying nearly fifteen stone.
Taher Sheriff explained that at all times the rhinoceros was the
most difficult animal to sabre, on account of his extraordinary
swiftness, and, although he had killed many with the sword, it
was always after a long and fatiguing hunt: at the close of
which, the animal becoming tired, generally turned to bay, in
which case one hunter occupied his attention, while another
galloped up behind, and severed the hamstring. The rhinoceros,
unlike the elephant, can go very well upon three legs, which
enhances the danger, as one cut will not utterly disable him.
There is only one species of this animal in Abyssinia; this is
the two-horned black rhinoceros, known in South Africa as the
keitloa. This animal is generally five feet six inches to five
feet eight inches high at the shoulder, and, although so bulky
and heavily built, it is extremely active, as our long and
fruitless hunt had exemplified. The skin is about half the
thickness of that of the hippopotamus, but of extreme toughness
and closeness of texture; when dried and polished it resembles
horn. Unlike the Indian species of rhinoceros, the black variety
of Africa is free from folds, and the hide fits smoothly on the
body like that of the buffalo. This two-horned black species is
exceedingly vicious; it is one of the very few animals that will
generally assume the offensive; it considers all creatures to be
enemies, and, although it is not acute in either sight or
hearing, it possesses so wonderful a power of scent, that it will
detect a stranger at a distance of five or six hundred yards
should the wind be favourable.
I have observed that a rhinoceros will generally charge down upon
the object that it smells, but does not see; thus when the animal
is concealed either in high grass or thick jungle, should it
scent a man who may be passing unseen to windward, it will rush
down furiously upon the object it has winded, with three loud
whiffs, resembling a jet of steam from a safety-valve. As it is
most difficult and next to impossible to kill a rhinoceros when
charging, on account of the protection to the brain afforded by
the horns, an unexpected charge in thick jungle is particularly
unpleasant; especially when on horseback, as there is no means of
escape but to rush headlong through all obstacles, when the rider
will most likely share the fate that befell the unfortunate Jali.
The horns of the black Abyssinian species seldom exceed two feet
in length, and are generally much shorter; they are not fitted
upon the bone like the horns of all other animals, but are merely
rooted upon the thick skin, of which they appear to be a
continuation. Although the horn of a rhinoceros is a weapon of
immense power, it has no solid foundation, but when the animal is
killed, it can be separated from its hold upon the second day
after death, by a slight blow with a cane. The base forms an
exceedingly shallow cup, and much resembles the heart of an
artichoke when the leaves have been picked off. The teeth are
very peculiar, as the molars have a projecting cutting edge on
the exterior side; thus the jaws when closed form a pair of
shears, as the projecting edges of the upper and lower rows
overlap: this makes a favourable arrangement of nature to enable
the animal to clip off twigs and the branches upon which it
feeds, as, although it does not absolutely refuse grass, the
rhinoceros is decidedly a wood eater. There are particular bushes
which form a great attraction, among these is a dwarf mimosa with
a reddish bark: this tree grows in thick masses, which the
rhinoceros clips so closely that it frequently resembles a
quickset hedge that has been cut by the woodman's shears. These
animals are generally seen in pairs, or the male, female, and
calf; the mother is very affectionate, and exceedingly watchful
and savage. Although so large an animal, the cry is very
insignificant, and is not unlike the harsh shrill sound of a
penny trumpet. The drinking hour is about 8 P.M. or two hours
after sunset, at which time the rhinoceros arrives at the river
from his daily retreat, which is usually about four miles in the
interior. He approaches the water by regular paths made by
himself, but not always by the same route; and, after drinking,
he generally retires to a particular spot beneath a tree that has
been visited upon regular occasions; in such places large heaps
of dung accumulate. The hunters take advantage of this
peculiarity of the rhinoceros, and they set traps in the path to
his private retreat; but he is so extremely wary, and so acute is
the animal's power of scent, that the greatest art is necessary
in setting the snare. A circular hole about two feet deep and
fifteen inches in diameter is dug in the middle of his run, near
to the tree that has been daily visited; upon this hole is placed
a hoop of tough wood arranged with a vast number of sharp spikes
of a strong elastic wood, which, fastened to the rim, meet in the
centre, and overlap each other as would the spokes of a wheel in
the absence of the nave, if lengthened sufficiently. We will
simplify the hoop by calling it a wheel without a centre, the
spokes sharpened and overlapping the middle. The instrument being
fitted neatly above the hole, a running noose of the strongest
rope is laid in the circle upon the wheel; the other extremity of
the rope is fastened to the trunk of a tree that has been felled
for that purpose, and deeply notched at one end to prevent the
rope from slipping. This log, which weighs about five or six
hundredweight, is then buried horizontally in the ground, and the
entire trap is covered with earth and carefully concealed; the
surface is smoothed over with a branch instead of the hand, as
the scent of a human touch would at once be detected by the
rhinoceros. When completed, a quantity of the animal's dung is
swept from the heap upon the snare. If the trap is undiscovered,
the rhinoceros steps upon the hoop, through which his leg sinks
into the hole, and upon his attempt to extricate his foot, the
noose draws tight over the legs; as the spiked hoop fixing
tightly into the skin prevents the noose from slipping over the
foot. Once caught, his first effort to escape drags the heavy log
from the trench, and as the animal rushes furiously away, this
acts as a drag, and by catching in the jungle and the protruding
roots of trees, it quickly fatigues him. On the following morning
the hunters discover the rhinoceros by the track of the log that
has ploughed along the ground, and the animal is killed by
lances, or by the sword. The hide of a rhinoceros will produce
seven shields; these are worth about two dollars each, as simple
hide before manufacture; the horn is sold in Abyssinia for about
two dollars per pound, for the manufacture of sword-hilts, which
are much esteemed if of this material.
Upon our return to camp, I found that the woman Barrake was ill.
She had insisted upon eating a large quantity of the fruit of the
hegleek tree (Balanites Aegyptiaca), which abounded in this
neighbourhood. This tree is larger than the generality in that
country, being about thirty feet in height and eighteen inches in
diameter; the ashes of the burnt wood are extremely rich in
potash, and the fruit, which is about the size and shape of a
date, is sometimes pounded and used by the Arabs in lieu of soap
for washing their clothes. This fruit is exceedingly pleasant,
but in a raw state it has an irritating effect upon the bowels,
and should be used in small quantities. Barrake had been
cautioned by the Arabs and ourselves, but she had taken a fancy
that she was determined to gratify; therefore she had eaten the
forbidden fruit from morning until night, and a grievous attack
of diarrhoea was the consequence. My wife had boiled the fruit
with wild honey, and had made a most delicious preserve; in this
state it was not unwholesome. She had likewise preserved the
fruit of the nabbuk in a similar manner: the latter resembles
minute apples in appearance, with something of the medlar in
flavour; enormous quantities were produced upon the banks of the
river, which, falling when ripe, were greedily eaten by
guinea-fowl, wild hogs, antelopes, and monkeys. Elephants are
particularly fond of the fruit of the hegleek, which, although
apparently too insignificant for the attention of such mighty
animals, they nevertheless enjoy beyond any other food, and they
industriously gather them one by one. At the season when the
fruit is ripe, the hegleek tree is a certain attraction to
elephants, who shake the branches and pick up the fallen berries
with their trunks; frequently they overturn the tree itself, as
a more direct manner of feeding.
Florian was quite incapable of hunting, as he was in a weak state
of health, and had for some months been suffering from chronic
dysentery. I had several times cured him, but, as Barrake
insisted upon eating fruit, so he had a weakness for the
strongest black coffee, which, instead of drinking, like the
natives, in minute cups, he swallowed wholesale in large basins,
several times a day; this was actual poison with his complaint,
and he was completely ruined in health. He had excellent
servants,--Richarn, whom I subsequently engaged, who was my only
faithful man in my journey up the White Nile, and two good
Dongalowas.
At this time, his old companion, Johann Schmidt, the carpenter,
arrived, having undertaken a contract to provide, for the Italian
Zoological Gardens, a number of animals. I therefore proposed
that the two old friends should continue together, while I would
hunt by myself, with the aggageers, towards the east and south.
This arrangement was agreed to, and we parted. In the following
season, I engaged this excellent man, Johann Schmidt, as my
lieutenant for the White Nile expedition, on the banks of which
fatal river he now lies, with the cross that I erected over his
grave.
Poor Florian at length recovered from his complaint, but was
killed by a lion. He had wounded an elephant, which on the
following morning he found dead; a lion had eaten a portion
during the night. While he was engaged with his men in extracting
the tusks, one of his hunters (a Tokroori) followed the track of
the lion on the sand, and found the animal lying beneath a bush;
he fired a single-barrelled rifle, and wounded it in the thigh.
He at once returned to his master, who accompanied him to the
spot, and the lion was found lying under the same bush, licking
the wound. Florian fired and missed; the lion immediately
crouched for a spring; Florian fired his remaining barrel, the
ball merely grazed the lion, who almost in the same instant
bounded forward, and struck him upon the head with a fearful blow
of the paw, at the same time it seized him by the throat.
The Tokroori hunter, instead of flying from the danger, placed
the muzzle of his rifle to the lion's ear, and blew its brains
out on the body of his master. The unfortunate Florian had been
struck dead, and great difficulty was found in extracting the
claws of the lion, which had penetrated the skull. Florian,
although a determined hunter, was an exceedingly bad shot, and
withal badly armed for encounters with dangerous game; I had
frequently prophesied some calamity from the experience I had had
in a few days' shooting in his society, and most unhappily my
gloomy prediction was fulfilled.
This was the fate of two good and sterling Germans, who had been
my companions in this wild country, where degrees of rank are
entirely forgotten, provided a man be honest and true. I
constantly look back to the European acquaintances and friends
that I made during my sojourn in Africa, nearly all of whom are
dead: a merciful Providence guided us through many dangers and
difficulties, and shielded us from all harm, during nearly five
years of constant exposure. Thanks be to God.
Our camels returned from Geera with corn, accompanied by an
Abyssinian hunter, who was declared by Abou Do to be a good man,
and dexterous with the sword. We accordingly moved our camp, said
adieu to Florian and Johann, and penetrated still deeper into the
Base.