首页 >出版文学> Travels and Researches in South Africa>第99章
  ThesedetailsaregivenbecausethegeneralrulehasbeenobservedthattwicethecircumferenceoftheimpressionmadebytheforefootonthegroundistheheightoftheanimalTheprintontheground,beingalittlelargerthanthefootitself,wouldthusseemtobeanaccuratemodeofmeasuringthesizeofanyelephantthathaspassed;
  buttheabovemeasurementsshowthatitisapplicableonlytofull-grownanimalsThegreatersizeoftheAfricanelephantinthesouthwouldatoncedistinguishitfromtheIndianone;butheretheyapproachmorenearlytoeachotherinbulk,afemalebeingaboutaslargeasacommonIndianmaleButtheearoftheAfricanisanexternalmarkwhichnoonewillmistakeeveninapictureThatofthefemalenowkilledwas4feet5inchesindepth,and4feetinhorizontalbreadth。
  Ihaveseenanativecreepunderonesoastobequitecoveredfromtherain。
  TheearoftheIndianvarietyisnotmorethanathirdofthissize。
  Therepresentationofelephantsonancientcoinsshowsthatthisimportantcharacteristicwasdistinctlyrecognizedofold。
  Indeed,CuvierremarkedthatitwasbetterknownbyAristotlethanbyBuffon。
  HavingbeenanxioustolearnwhethertheAfricanelephantiscapableofbeingtamed,throughthekindnessofmyfriendAdmiralSmytheIamenabledtogivethereaderconclusiveevidenceonthispoint。
  Inthetwomedalsfurnishedfromhiswork,“AdescriptiveCatalogueofhisCabinetofRomanandImperiallargebrassMedals“,thesizeoftheearswillbeatoncenotedasthoseofthetrueAfricanelephant。*
  TheywereevenmoredocilethantheAsiatic,andweretaughtvariousfeats,aswalkingonropes,dancing,etcOneofthecoinsisofFaustinasenior,theotherofSeverustheSeventh,andstruckA。D197TheseelephantswerebroughtfromAfricatoRomeTheattempttotamethismostusefulanimalhasneverbeenmadeattheCape,norhasoneeverbeenexhibitedinEngland。
  ThereisonlyoneveryyoungcalfofthespeciesintheBritishMuseum。
  *UnfortunatelytheseillustrationscannotbepresentedinthisASCIItext。
  AL。,1997。
  Theabundanceoffoodinthiscountry,ascomparedwiththesouth,wouldleadonetosupposethatanimalsheremustattainamuchgreatersize;
  butactualmeasurementnowconfirmstheimpressionmadeonmymindbythemeresightoftheanimals,thatthoseinthedistrictsnorthof20Deg。
  weresmallerthanthesameracesexistingsouthwardofthatlatitude。
  ThefirsttimethatMrOswellandmyselfsawfull-grownmaleelephantsontheRiverZouga,theyseemednolargerthanthefemaleswhicharealwayssmallerthanmaleswehadmetontheLimpopoTheretheyattainaheightofupwardof12feetAttheZougatheheightofoneImeasuredwas11feet4inches,andinthisdistrict9feet10inchesThereis,however,anincreaseinthesizeofthetusksasweapproachtheequator。
  Unfortunately,Inevermademeasurementsofotheranimalsinthesouth;
  buttheappearanceoftheanimalsthemselvesinthenorthatonceproducedtheimpressiononmymindreferredtoastotheirdecreaseinsize。
  Whenwefirstsawkoodoos,theyweresomuchsmallerthanthosewehadbeenaccustomedtointhesouththatwedoubtedwhethertheywerenotanewkindofantelope;andtheleche,seennowheresouthof20Deg。,issucceededbythepokuaswegonorthThisis,infact,onlyasmallerspeciesofthatantelope,withamorereddishcolor。
  Agreatdifferenceinsizeprevailsalsoamongdomesticanimals;
  buttheinfluenceoflocalityonthemisnotsowellmarked。
  ThecattleoftheBatoka,forinstance,areexceedinglysmallandverybeautiful,possessinggenerallygreatbreadthbetweentheeyesandaveryplayfuldispositionTheyaremuchsmallerthantheaboriginalcattleinthesouth;butitmustbeaddedthatthoseoftheBarotsevalley,inthesamelatitudesastheBatoka,arelargeThebreedmayhavecomefromthewest,asthecattlewithintheinfluenceoftheseaair,asatLittleFishBay,Benguela,Ambriz,andalongthatcoast,areverylargeThosefoundatLakeNgami,withlargehornsandstandingsixfeethigh,probablycomefromthesamequarterThegoatsarealsosmall,anddomesticfowlsthroughoutthiscountryareofaverysmallsize,andevendogs,exceptwheretheinhabitantshavehadanopportunityofimprovingthebreedbyimportationfromthePortugueseAstheBarotsecattleareanexceptiontothisgeneralrule,soaretheBarotsedogs,fortheyarelarge,savage-lookinganimals,thoughinrealityverycowardly。
  Itisalittleremarkablethatadecreaseinsizeshouldoccurwherefoodisthemostabundant;buttropicalclimatesseemunfavorableforthefulldevelopmentofeitheranimalsormanItisnotfromwantofcareinthebreeding,forthenativesalwayschoosethelargerandstrongermalesforstock,andthesamearrangementprevailsinnature,foritisonlybyovercomingtheirweakerrivalsthatthewildmalesobtainpossessionoftheherdInvariablytheyshowthescarsreceivedinbattleTheelephantwekilledyesterdayhadanumbilicalherniaaslargeasachild’shead,probablycausedbythechargeofarival。
  Thecowshowedscarsreceivedfrommen;twoofthewoundsinhersidewerestillunhealed,andtherewasanorificesixincheslong,andopen,inherproboscis,and,asitwasaboutafootfromthepoint,itmusthaveinterferedwithherpowerofliftingwater。
  Inestimatingtheamountoffoodnecessaryfortheseandotherlargeanimals,sufficientattentionhasnotbeenpaidtothekindschosenTheelephant,forinstance,isamostdaintyfeeder,andparticularlyfondofcertainsweet-tastedtreesandfruitsHechoosesthemohonono,themimosa,andothertreeswhichcontainmuchsaccharinematter,mucilage,andgum。
  Hemaybeseenputtinghisheadtoaloftypalmyra,andswayingittoandfrotoshakeofftheseeds;hethenpicksthemupsinglyandeatsthem。
  Orhemaybeseenstandingbythemasukaandotherfruit-treespatientlypickingoffthesweetfruitsonebyoneHealsodigsupbulbsandtubers,butnoneofthesearethoroughlydigested。
  Bruceremarkedupontheundigestedbitsofwoodseenintheirdroppings,andhemusthaveobserved,too,thatneitherleavesnorseedsarechangedbypassingthroughthealimentarycanalThewoodyfibreofrootsandbranchesisdroppedinthestateoftow,thenutritiousmatteralonehavingbeenextractedThiscapabilityofremovingallthenourishment,andtheselectionofthosekindsoffoodwhichcontaingreatquantitiesofmucilageandgum,accountsforthefactthatherdsofelephantsproducebutsmalleffectuponthevegetationofacountry
  qualitybeingmorerequisitethanquantityTheamountofinternalfatfoundinthemmakesthemmuchprizedbytheinhabitants,whoareallveryfondofit,bothforfoodandointment。
  Afterleavingtheelephantvalleywepassedthroughaverybeautifulcountry,butthinlyinhabitedbymanTheunderlyingrockistrap,anddikesoftalcosegneissThetrapisoftenseentiltedonitsedge,ordippingalittleeithertothenorthorsouthThestrikeisgenerallytothenortheast,thedirectionwearegoingAboutLositowefoundthetraphadgivenplacetohornblendeschist,micaschist,andvariousschorlyrocksWehadnowcomeintotheregioninwhichtheappearanceoftherocksconveystheimpressionofagreatforcehavingactedalongthebedoftheZambesiIndeed,Iwasledtothebelieffromseeingthemannerinwhichtherockshavebeenthrustawayonbothsidesfromitsbed,thatthepowerwhichformedthecrackofthefallshadgivendirectiontotheriverbelow,andopenedabedforitallthewayfromthefallstobeyondthegorgeofLupata。
  PassingtherivuletLosito,andthroughtherangesofhills,wereachedtheresidenceofSemalembueonthe18thHisvillageissituatedatthebottomofrangesthroughwhichtheKafuefindsapassage,andclosetothebankofthatriverTheKafue,sometimescalledKahowheorBashukulompoRiver,isupwardoftwohundredyardswidehere,andfullofhippopotami,theyoungofwhichmaybeseenperchedonthenecksoftheirdamsAtthispointwehadreachedaboutthesamelevelasLinyanti。
  Semalembuepaidusavisitsoonafterourarrival,andsaidthathehadoftenheardofme,andnowthathehadthepleasureofseeingme,hefearedthatIshouldsleepthefirstnightathisvillagehungry。
  Thiswasconsideredthehandsomewayofintroducingapresent,forhethenhandedfiveorsixbasketsofmealandmaize,andanenormousoneofground-nutsNextmorninghegavemeabouttwentybasketsmoreofmealIcouldmakebutapoorreturnforhiskindness,butheacceptedmyapologiespolitely,sayingthatheknewtherewerenogoodsinthecountryfromwhichIhadcome,and,inprofessinggreatjoyatthewordsofpeaceIspoke,hesaid,“NowIshallcultivatelargely,inthehopeofeatingandsleepinginpeace。”
  ItisnoticeablethatallwhomwehaveyetmeteagerlycaughtuptheideaoflivinginpeaceastheprobableeffectoftheGospel。
  TheyrequirenoexplanationoftheexistenceoftheDeity。
  Sekwebumakesuseoftheterm“Reza“,andtheyappeartounderstandatonce。
  Likenegroesingeneral,theyhaveastrongtendencytoworship,andIheardthatSemalembuegetsagooddealofivoryfromthesurroundingtribesonpretenseofhavingsomesupernaturalpowerHetransmitsthistosomeotherchiefsontheZambesi,andreceivesinreturnEnglishcottongoodswhichcomefromMozambiquebyBabisatraders。
  Mymenherebegantoselltheirbeadsandotherornamentsforcottoncloth。
  Semalembuewasaccompaniedbyaboutfortypeople,alllargemen。
  Theyhavemuchwoolontheirheads,whichissometimesdrawnalltogetheruptothecrown,andtiedthereinalargetaperingbunch。
  Theforeheadandroundbytheearsisshavenclosetothebaseofthistuft。
  Othersdrawoutthehairononeside,andtwistitintolittlestrings。
  Therestistakenover,andhangsabovetheear,whichgivestheappearanceofhavingacapcockedjauntilyonthesideofthehead。
  ThemodeofsalutationisbyclappingthehandsVariouspartiesofwomencamefromthesurroundingvillagestoseethewhiteman,butallseemedverymuchafraidTheirfear,whichIseldomcouldallay,madethem,whenaddressed,claptheirhandswithincreasingvigor。
  SekwebuwastheonlyoneoftheMakololowhoknewthispartofthecountry;
  andthiswastheregionwhichtohismindwasbestadaptedfortheresidenceofatribeThenativesgenerallyhaveagoodideaofthenatureofthesoilandpasturage,andSekwebuexpatiatedwithgreateloquenceonthecapabilitiesofthispartforsupplyingthewantsoftheMakololoThereiscertainlyabundanceofroomatpresentinthecountryforthousandsandthousandsmoreofpopulation。
  WepassedneartheLosito,aformerencampmentoftheMatebele,withwhomSekwebuhadlivedAtthesightofthebonesoftheoxentheyhaddevoured,andthespotwheresavagedanceshadtakenplace,thoughalldesertednow,thepoorfellowburstoutintoawildMatebelesong。
  Hepointedoutalsoadistrict,abouttwodaysandahalfwestofSemalembue,whereSebituanehadformerlydweltThereisahotfountainonthehillstherenamed“Nakalombo“,whichmaybeseenatadistanceemittingsteam“There。”saidSekwebu,“hadyourMolekaneSebituane
  beenalive,hewouldhavebroughtyoutolivewithhimYouwouldbeonthebankoftheriver,and,bytakingcanoes,youwouldatoncesaildowntotheZambesi,andvisitthewhitepeopleatthesea。”
  ThispartisafavoriteonewiththeMakololo,andprobablyitwouldbeagoodoneinwhichtoformacentreofcivilizationThereisalarge,flatdistrictofcountrytothenorth,saidtobepeopledbytheBashukulompoandothertribes,whocultivatethegroundtoagreatextent,andraisevastquantitiesofgrain,ground-nuts,sweetpotatoes,etc。
  Theyalsogrowsugar-caneIftheywerecertainofamarket,Ibelievetheywouldnotbeunwillingtocultivatecottontoo,buttheyhavenotbeenaccustomedtothepeacefulpursuitsofcommerce。
  Allarefondoftrade,buttheyhavebeentaughtnonesavethatinivoryandslaves。
  TheKafueentersanarrowgorgeclosebythevillageofSemalembue;
  asthehillonthenorthiscalledBolengwe,Iapplythatnametothegorgelat15d48’19“S。,long28d22’E。Semalembuesaidthatheoughttoseeusovertheriver,soheaccompaniedustoapassaboutamilesouthofhisvillage,andwhenweenteredamongthehillswefoundthefordoftheKafueOnpartingwithSemalembueIputonhimashirt,andhewentawaywithitapparentlymuchdelighted。
  Thefordwasatleast250yardsbroad,butrockyandshallow。
  Aftercrossingitinacanoe,wewentalongtheleftbank,andwerecompletelyshutinbyhighhillsEveryavailablespotbetweentheriverandthehillsisundercultivation;