Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-07-24
NATIONAL INTELLIGENCER.
HUNTING AND EATING IN AFRICA.

I
Our foreign files sometimes afford US, as our read
Frs know, agreeable extracts from books that never
reach us. Among such is the notice of volume
pf adventure in South Africa, which must offer,
recording to what we see of it in the subioned re-
Fiew much that is entertaining. The work relates
10 scenes quite new, and seems composed with
much spirit and intelligence, yet with an unaffect-
edness, an absence of the eternal effort to make
much out of things, which nowadays renders the
products of book-making so wearisomey exag-
gerated. To the sportsman and the epcure, as well
as to the naturalist, Mr. Methuen's pages must be
quite a treat.
Life in the Wilderness; or Wnaderings in South
africa. By HENRY II. METHUEN.
One would much like know how it to pass that
hrenoogss have neglected to assign any square half inch
the surface of the human Uranium the seat Of that strong
passion which with bears the of ga love of field
sports"
Mr. Mehuen appears to be animated with large share
Of this spirit falls to the lot of any Naturally of
delicate constitutions he had taken voyage to the Cape in
1884, and his health having been restored returned home
the following year. But his native climate not have
agreed with him, and he again sailed for the Cape s43
with the intention of settling there coonist if any fair
prospects OF success presented themselves This intention he
subsequently relinqushed, and meeting at Grahams Town
three gentlemen who had either also abandoned their original
design of settling in the colony, haste put
their design execution, the four sporsmen planned
pedon beyond the colony into the interior regions of South
Africa The party out altogether eight months, and,
although the expedition did penetrate into the interior
far originally intended the result satisfactory
enough to the persons concerned and likely to be
attended with advantage the public, tends to show
that with weapponted train and skfu shots, much might
be done towards clearing up the mystery which still hangs
the central regions of South Africa within the tropics
their journey most interesting Mr. Methuen is
only sate shot, buta good naturalist and klfu draughs
and he handles the pen with almost much facility and
effect he does the pencil possessing the art of making few
strokes TELL Game the party shot in abundance from the
rhnoceros the elephant and the giraffe down anteopes
and parrdges, Mr. Mehuen killing of the latter
casion, less than twenty at shot The apparent marvel
explained by the statement that the birds all seated in
row. having down TO pool to drink, and the
sposmanke character of the shot is humorousy
observation that there many mouths feed and that
they were too hungry to allow conscientious scruples.
The following extract veres the old adage that with spots
men 6 all is fish that comes net :"
SHOT AT A CROCODILE.
We made the river on our return little way above the
wagons, and disturbed crocodile sleeping according the
habits of its race, mud bank These creatures easily
take the alarm, and diving into the water, commonly Use
again to the surface exposing merely their eyes and the Ups
of their noses if TO whether the be clear no.
This crocodile adopted the aforementioned and aiming
in line with his eyes, but six inches before him. had
the good luck to send ball quite through his BRAIN He
bed much, dying the water and lay his back the bot
tom, visible by his white belly. After some difficulty in find
ing ford crossed and proceeded the spot where he lar
Forcing path through the high flags which lined the rivers
margin, we hooked up the crocodile with long stick but
snakeike, though Supplied he not dead, and always
wngged out OF the fork As last resource seized the
emity of his tail and held fast while Froc ran the moose
OF rim his body above the hndegs when drawing
the moose tight pulled the gentleman in fire STYLE
Having first drilled him with another ball. we secured him
" nf mine anF Lair bia
shooting horses that fear nothing unless their
masters do Also The tail touched the ground on one side
of him and the head danged against his ribs on the other
but he walked unconcerned by rider which would have
driven most English horses mad We could help laugh
at the queer spectacle presented by this uncouh savage
reptile horseback. On examining the creature mnuey
perceived how exquisitey adapted its conformation
lille and predatory habits. The small green eyes
prominence the highest part the head SO that they alone
might be raised above the water when all other portions of the
body were submerged the teeth locked together like those of
gn and the lower fitted into cavities sheaths the
upper Jaw, rendering escape from their hold nearly mpossi
BILE the ears which scarcely pecepbe were merely
two Sits running behind the eyes parallel with the jaws
nostrs enclosed in circe small and the tip of the
color on the back dngy yellow and black belly white eight
parallel jagged lines the back, running down the
extremity of the tail five the fore-feet four on the
hnder thrysx teeth in the upper jaw entire length
feet two inches Nearly allied in color the mud, capable
Of seeing all above it and furnished with long jaws and ire
mendous tee the crocodile lies in wait for game the fods
and shadows where they drink, and probably kills them in
most cases by Selling their heads and drowning them"
AN UNwELcoME vIsITER.
"30th-Before daybreak was reused from my sumber
In the tent by Balm saying something has got hold of
and, listening heard the poor creature below and
pteousy, but in kind OF sed tone the horses had all
been fastened to the wheels but the oxen having had
hard days work. had been allowed TO lie loose during the
night Mr.. Bartets hint flashed on my recollection but all
became quiet again, and till dawn nothing could DONE
the Of half hour the gray light was we Judged
sufficient for purpose and three of u.s. well armed sailed
forth in the direction Of the outcry reconnore. We
marked lowering and by its guidance soon discovered
Of the best lying dead We approached with eau
ton, and quick Hotentot pointed the large print
of lions foot in the sand just by The lion had attack
ed the in the rear and fastened his tremendous claws in
the poor wrechs side having pierced through the in
testnes he had then bitten him in the flank and show
the progous power Of the monsters Jaws the thigh joint
dsocaed the hide broken and one Of the largest
snapped in two and proudng from the wound hav-
ing thus crippled his victim, he had apparently seized him
by the throat and throttled him.
The habits Of the king Of beasts are not of that noble
order which naurasts formerly ascrbed him. In the day
time he will almost invariably fly from man. unless attacked
when his courage is that Of mingled rage and despair have
the lon suddenly reused from his lair of tmd
Iy buck. II is said that night they do not like
to seize from party, especially if the persons exercise
their voices and that the of antelope other
be preserved untouched by hanging srrups
branch near that the may clash together when
blown by the wind white handkerchief on the end Of
ramod is another receipt for eecng the object The
lion seathy, cunning brute, attacking unless he