Inshootingbynight,animalsaremorefrequentlywoundedthankilled;
theflowinglife-streamincreasesthethirst,sothatindesperationtheycomeslowlyuptodrinkinspiteofthedanger,“Imustdrink,thoughIdie。”
Theostrich,evenwhennotwounded,cannot,withallhiswariness,resisttheexcessivedesiretoslakehisburningthirst。
ItisBushman-likepracticetotakeadvantageofitspiteousnecessities,formostofthefeatherstheyobtainareprocuredinthisway;
buttheyeattheflesh,andaresofarjustifiable。
IcouldnotordermymentodowhatIwouldnotdomyself,but,thoughItriedtojustifymyselfonthepleaofnecessity,IcouldnotadoptthismodeofhuntingIfyourobjectistosecurethebestspecimensforamuseum,itmaybeallowable,andevendeservingofcommendation,asevincingadesiretokillonlythosereallywanted;butif,ashasbeenpracticedbysomeGriquasandotherswhocameintothecountryafterMrCumming,andfiredawayindiscriminately,greatnumbersofanimalsarewoundedandallowedtoperishmiserably,orarekilledonthespotandlefttobepreyedonbyvulturesandhyenas,andallforthesolepurposeofmakinga“bag“,thenItakeittobeevidentthatsuchsportsmenareprettyfargoneinthehuntingformofinsanity。
Mymenshotablackrhinocerosinthisway,andIfeltgladtogetawayfromtheonlyplaceinwhichIeverhadanyshareinnight-hunting。
WepassedovertheimmensepanNtwetwe,onwhichthelatitudecouldbetakenasatseaGreattractsofthispartofthecountryareofcalcareoustufa,withonlyathincoatingofsoil;numbersof“baobab“and“mopane“treesaboundalloverthishard,smoothsurfaceAbouttwomilesbeyondthenorthernbankofthepanweunyokedunderafinespecimenofthebaobab,herecalled,inthelanguageofBechuanas,Mowana;itconsistedofsixbranchesunitedintoonetrunkAtthreefeetfromthegrounditwaseighty-fivefeetincircumference。
Thesemowana-treesarethemostwonderfulexamplesofvitalityinthecountry;
itwasthereforewithsurprisethatwecameuponadeadoneatTlomtla,afewmilesbeyondthisspotItisthesameasthosewhichAdamsonandothersbelieved,fromspecimensseeninWesternAfrica,tohavebeenalivebeforethefloodArguingwithapeculiarmentalidiosyncracyresemblingcolor-blindness,commonamongtheFrenchofthetime,thesesavanscametotheconclusionthat“thereforethereneverwasanyfloodatall。”Iwouldbackatruemowanaagainstadozenfloods,providedyoudonotboilitinhotsea-water;
butIcannotbelievethatanyofthosenowalivehadachanceofbeingsubjectedtotheexperimentofeventheNoachiandeluge。
Thenativesmakeastrongcordfromthefibrescontainedinthepoundedbark。
Thewholeofthetrunk,ashighastheycanreach,isconsequentlyoftenquitedenudedofitscovering,whichinthecaseofalmostanyothertreewouldcauseitsdeath,butthishasnoeffectonthemowanaexcepttomakeitthrowoutanewbark,whichisdoneinthewayofgranulation。
Thisstrippingofthebarkisrepeatedfrequently,sothatitiscommontoseethelowerfiveorsixfeetaninchortwolessindiameterthanthepartsabove;evenportionsofthebarkwhichhavebrokenintheprocessofbeingtakenoff,butremainseparatedfromthepartsbelow,thoughstillconnectedwiththetreeabove,continuetogrow,andresemblecloselymarksmadeinthenecksofthecattleoftheislandofMullandofCaffreoxen,whereapieceofskinisdetachedandallowedtohangdownNoexternalinjury,notevenafire,candestroythistreefromwithout;norcananyinjurybedonefromwithin,asitisquitecommontofindithollow;andIhaveseenoneinwhichtwentyorthirtymencouldliedownandsleepasinahut。
Nordoescuttingdownexterminateit,forIsawinstancesinAngolainwhichitcontinuedtogrowinlengthafteritwaslyingontheground。
ThosetreescalledexogenousgrowbymeansofsuccessivelayersontheoutsideTheinsidemaybedead,orevenremovedaltogether,withoutaffectingthelifeofthetreeThisisthecasewithmostofthetreesofourclimateTheotherclassiscalledendogenous,andincreasesbylayersappliedtotheinside;andwhenthehollowthereisfull,thegrowthisstoppedthetreemustdieAnyinjuryisfeltmostseverelybythefirstclassonthebark;bythesecondontheinside;whiletheinsideoftheexogenousmayberemoved,andtheoutsideoftheendogenousmaybecut,withoutstoppingthegrowthintheleastThemowanapossessesthepowersofbothThereasonisthateachofthelaminaepossessesitsownindependentvitality;
infact,thebaobabisratheragiganticbulbrunuptoseedthanatree。
Eachofeighty-fourconcentricringshad,inthecasementioned,grownaninchafterthetreehadbeenblownoverTheroots,whichmayoftenbeobservedextendingalongthesurfaceofthegroundfortyorfiftyyardsfromthetrunk,alsoretaintheirvitalityafterthetreeislaidlow;andthePortuguesenowknowthatthebestwaytotreatthemistoletthemalone,fortheyoccupymuchmoreroomwhencutdownthanwhengrowing。
Thewoodissospongyandsoftthatanaxecanbestruckinsofarwithagoodblowthatthereisgreatdifficultyinpullingitoutagain。
InthedeadmowanamentionedtheconcentricringswerewellseenTheaverageforafootatthreedifferentplaceswaseighty-oneandahalfoftheserings。
Eachofthelaminaecanbeseentobecomposedoftwo,three,orfourlayersofligneoustubes;butsupposingeachringthegrowthofoneyear,andthesemidiameterofamowanaofonehundredfeetincircumferenceaboutseventeenfeet,ifthecentralpointwereinthecentreofthetree,thenitsagewouldlacksomecenturiesofbeingasoldastheChristianera1400Thoughitpossessesamazingvitality,itisdifficulttobelievethatthisgreatbaby-lookingbulbortreeisasoldasthePyramids。
Themopane-tree`bauhinia’isremarkableforthelittleshadeitsleavesaffordTheyfoldtogetherandstandnearlyperpendicularduringtheheatoftheday,sothatonlytheshadowoftheiredgescomestothegroundOntheseleavesthesmalllarvaeofawingedinsectappearcoveredoverwithasweet,gummysubstanceThepeoplecollectthisingreatquantities,anduseitasfood;*andthelopane
largecaterpillarsthreeincheslong,whichfeedontheleaves,andareseenstrungtogethersharethesamefate。
*IamfavoredwithMrWestwood’sremarksonthisinsectasfollows:
“TaylorInstitution,Oxford,July9,1857。
“Theinsectanditssecretionontheleavesofthebauhinia,andwhichiseatenbytheAfricans,provestobeaspeciesofPsylla,agenusofsmall,veryactiveHomoptera,ofwhichwehaveoneverycommonspeciesinthebox;butourspecies,Psyllabuxi,emitsitssecretionintheshapeofverylong,white,cotton-likefilaments。
ButthereisaspeciesinNewHolland,foundontheleavesoftheEucalyptus,whichemitsasecretionverysimilartothatofDrLivingstone’sspeciesThisAustraliansecretionanditsinsectoriginatorisknownbythenameofwo-me-la,and,likeDrLivingstone’s,itisscrapedofftheleavesandeatenbytheaboriginesasasaccharinedaintyTheinsectsfoundbeneaththesecretion,broughthomebyDrLivingstone,areinthepupastate,beingflattened,withlargescalesatthesidesofthebody,inclosingthefuturewingsoftheinsect。
Thebodyispaleyellowish-colored,withdark-brownspots。
ItwillbeimpossibletodescribethespeciestechnicallyuntilwereceivetheperfectinsectThesecretionitselfisflatandcircular,apparentlydepositedinconcentricrings,graduallyincreasinginsizetillthepatchesareaboutaquarterorathirdofaninchindiameter。
JnoOWestwood。”
InpassingalongweseeeverywherethepowerofvegetationinbreakinguptheoutercrustoftufaAmopane-tree,growinginasmallchink,asitincreasesinsizerendsandliftsuplargefragmentsoftherockallaroundit,subjectingthemtothedisintegratinginfluenceoftheatmosphereThewoodishard,andofafineredcolor,andisnamediron-woodbythePortugueseTheinhabitants,observingthatthemopaneismorefrequentlystruckbylightningthanothertrees,cautiontravelersnevertoseekitsshadewhenathunder-stormisnear“Lightninghatesit;“whileanothertree,the“Morala“,whichhasthreespinesoppositeeachotheronthebranches,andhasneverbeenknowntobetouchedbylightning,isesteemed,evenasfarasAngola,aprotectionagainsttheelectricfluid。
BranchesofitmaybeseenplacedonthehousesofthePortugueseforthesamepurposeThenatives,moreover,believethatamanisthoroughlyprotectedfromanenragedelephantifhecangetintotheshadeofthistreeTheremaynotbemuchinthis,butthereisfrequentlysomefoundationoftruthintheirobservations。
AtRapeshwecameamongouroldfriendstheBushmen,underHoroye。
Thisman,Horoye,agoodspecimenofthattribe,andhissonMokantsaandothers,wereatleastsixfeethigh,andofadarkercolorthantheBushmenofthesouthTheyhavealwaysplentyoffoodandwater;
andastheyfrequenttheZougaasoftenasthegameincompanywithwhichtheylive,theirlifeisverydifferentfromthatoftheinhabitantsofthethirstyplainsoftheKalahariTheanimaltheyrefrainfromeatingisthegoat,whichfact,takeninconnectionwiththesuperstitiousdreadwhichexistsineverytribetowardaparticularanimal,issignificantoftheirfeelingstotheonlyanimalstheycouldhavedomesticatedintheirdeserthomeTheyareamerrylaughingset,anddonottelllieswantonlyTheyhaveintheirsuperstitiousritesmoreappearanceofworshipthantheBechuanas;andataBushman’sgraveweoncecametoontheZouga,theobservancesshoweddistinctlythattheyregardedthedeadasstillinanotherstateofbeing;
fortheyaddressedhim,andrequestedhimnottobeoffendedeventhoughtheywishedstilltoremainalittlewhilelongerinthisworld。
Thoseamongwhomwenowwerekillmanyelephants,andwhenthemoonisfullchoosethattimeforthechase,onaccountofitscoolness。
Huntingthisanimalisthebesttestofcouragethiscountryaffords。
TheBushmenchoosethemomentsucceedingacharge,whentheelephantisoutofbreath,toruninandgivehimastabwiththeirlong-bladedspears。
Inthiscasetheuncivilizedhavetheadvantageoverus,butIbelievethatwithhalftheirtrainingEnglishmenwouldbeattheBushmen。
Ourpresentformofcivilizationdoesnotnecessarilyproduceeffeminacy,thoughitunquestionablyincreasesthebeauty,courage,andphysicalpowersoftheraceWhenatKolobengItooknotesofthedifferentnumbersofelephantskilledinthecourseoftheseasonbythevariouspartieswhichwentpastourdwelling,inordertoformanideaoftheprobableannualdestructionofthisnobleanimal。
TherewerepartiesofGriquas,Bechuanas,Boers,andEnglishmen。
Allwereeagertodistinguishthemselves,andsuccessdependedmainlyonthecouragewhichleadsthehuntsmantogoclosetotheanimal,andnotwastetheforceofhisshotontheairItwasnoticeablethattheaverageforthenativeswasunderoneperman,fortheGriquasoneperman,fortheBoerstwo,andfortheEnglishofficerstwentyeach。
Thiswasthemoreremarkable,astheGriquas,Boers,andBechuanasemployedbothdogsandnativestoassistthem,whiletheEnglishhuntersgenerallyhadnoassistancefromeitherTheyapproachedtowithinthirtyyardsoftheanimal,whiletheothersstoodatadistanceofahundredyards,orevenmore,andofcoursespentalltheforceoftheirbulletsontheairOneelephantwasfoundbyMrOswellwithquiteacrowdofbulletsinhisside,allevidentlyfiredinthisstyle,andtheyhadnotgonenearthevitalparts。
ItwouldthusappearthatourmorebarbarousneighborsdonotpossesshalfthecourageofthecivilizedsportsmanAnditisprobablethatinthisrespect,aswellasinphysicaldevelopment,wearesuperiortoourancestorsThecoatsofmailandgreavesoftheKnightsofMalta,andthearmorfromtheTowerexhibitedattheEglintontournament,maybeconsidereddecisiveastothegreatersizeattainedbymoderncivilizedmen。
AtMailawespentaSundaywithKaisa,theheadmanofavillageofMashona,whohadfledfromtheironswayofMosilikatse,whosecountrylieseastofthisIwishedhimtotakechargeofapacketoflettersforEngland,tobeforwardedwhen,asisthecustomoftheBamangwato,theBechuanascomehitherinsearchofskinsandfoodamongtheBushmen;
buthecouldnotbemadetocomprehendthattherewasnodangerintheconsignmentHefearedtheresponsibilityandguiltifanythingshouldhappentothem;soIhadtobidadieutoallhopeoflettingmyfamilyhearofmywelfaretillIshouldreachthewestcoast。