American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1858-04-22


ployed in looking for food they kept out Of
sight; they fish chiefly by night. When
eating, they make a loud, champiug noise
which. when once heard, is never forgot
ten. ~
The young, which had come out of their
nests where we spent the night, did not
appear wary; they were about ten inches
long, with yellow eyes, and pupil merely
perpendicular slit. They were all marked
v it'll transverse slips of pale green and
brown, half an inch broad. When spear
ed; they bit the weapon savagely, though
their teeth were partially devolved, utter
ing at the same time sharp bark like that
Of whelp when it FIRST begins to use its
voice. l could not ascertain whether the
dam devours them, as reported, or wheth.
.er the schneumon has the same reputation |
here as in Egypt. Probably the Barotse
and Bayeiye would not look upon it as
benefactor; they prefer to eat the eggs
themselves, and be their own icneumons.
The white of the egg doas not coagulate,
but the yolk does, and this is the only
| part eaten.
DENSE 9oREsTs--Tho forests became
more dense as we went north. We trav-
eled much more in the deep gloom Of the
forest than in open sunlight. No passage
existed on either side Of the narrow path
made by the ak. Large climbing plants
entwined themselves around the trunks
and branches Of gigantic trees. like boa
constructors, and they tften do -constrict
the trees by which they rise; and, killing
them, stand erect themselves. The bark
Of fine tree found in abundance hero. and
called 'motuia,' is used by the Bartose for
, making fish lines and nets, and the mol
ompi SO well adapted for prdjies by its
, lightness and hexiblity. was abundant
| There were other tress quite new to my
companions; many of them ran up to q
height Of fifty feet ofone thickness without
| branches.
BEEn1vEs--M Mushrooms in these for
3 ests we first encountered the artificial bee
hive so commonly met with all the way
s from this to Angola. They consist Of a.
bout FIVE feet of the bark of tree fifteen
e or eighteen inches 10 diameter. Two in
e cisions are made right round the tree al
8 points FIVE feet apart. then one longitudn.
: al slit from one OF these to the other; the
o workmen next lifts up the bark on each
Z side Of this slit. and detaches it from the
I trunk. taking care not to break it, unit
a the whole comes from the tree. The elias
! city Of the bark makes it assume The
n form it had before, the slit is sewed OF
pegged up with wooden pins, and ends
e made Of coiled grass rope are inserted, one
l 6 holo for tl,o Nf
d bees in the ceutre, and the hive is com
E, plete. These hives are placed in hori
l. zontal position in high trees in differen
le parts Of the forest, and in this way all tn
sr wax exported from Benguela and Loand
le is collected. Itis all the produce of FIRE
a. labor. A piece Of medicine is tied roun
J. the trunk of the tree. and proves sufficien
~ protection against thieves. The native
d seldom rob each other, for all believe tbs
certain medicines can inhict disease an
,e death; aud though they Considerthat thes
m are only known to few. they act on th
i. principle that il is best to let them alone
ss The gloom Of these forests strengthens th
,e superstition, feelings of the people. l
or other quarters, where they are net sub
d. iected TO this influence, have heard tn
70 chiefs issue proclamations to the effect th'
s, real witchcraft medicines had been place
o. at certain gardens from which produce la
ty been stolen, the thieves having risked tn
: power of the ordinary charms previousl
Sc placed there.
le This being the rainy season, great quar-
ito titles of mushrooms were met with, an
a were eagerly devoured by my compsnior
lie the edible variety is always found grow
ce ing out Of anti, hills, and attains the dian
nd eter o the crown Of hat; they are qui
CO white, and very good even when cate
in raw; they occupy an extensive region
I'm the interior, some, not edible, are ofa bri
'as liant red, and others are Of the same ligl
it- blue as the paper used by the apotheca
ms les 10 putlup their medicines.
he SPIDERS have also spiders in q
= south. which seize their prey by Jlespil
nd upon it from distance of several inche
for When alarmed, they can spring about
rth foot away from the object Of their own fe
gh OF this kind there are several varieties.
III A large reddish spider, Mygale, obtai
mol, its food ina different manrsr tn
use either patiently waiting in ambush or
to catching it with bound. 1t runs abe
the with great velocity in and out, behind a
,ilc around every object. searching for what
by may devour, and from its size and raI
,od motions, exctes tile horror Of every strs
,ch ger. i never knew il. to do any harm G
ad. cept frightening the nervous, & believef
afcould look upon itfor the first time .withe
nix, feeling himselfin danger. 1t is named
fful the natives 'seIali, ard is believed 10
he the maker Of hinged cover for its mes
pid You see a door about the size OF a shilli
hey lying beside deep hole Of nearly SINH
oon diameter. q The inside of olhe door. lyi
the upward, and which attracts your notice
by Ola pure white silky su ,stance like pap
the The outer side is coated over with ear
the probably like that in which the hole
feet made. nyoulrytol lift it. you fnd.it
lsed fastened by hinge on one side, and, i
ion; is turned over upon the hole, it fits it &
IF a actly, and the earthly side being then ,
lsed lpermost, it is sqpite impossible to det