The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-08
AFRICAN LIFE.
Two Cohtrasted Pictures.


The folio wing are extracts from new book
by Mr.. II. D. Young, published in England, and
entitled The Search after Livingstone" Tue
writer takes US with him through marshes teem-
ing with animal life, dead levels OF reeds with
out bush or tree, and up the chain OF water
falls extending for thirty-hve miles, which
carries the waters of Lake Nyassa down to join
the Zambesi. He introduces us to native kings,
who are seldom sober, but who keep more than
forty wives to stimulate their capacity for drink
by novel process OF tickling, and who NIL their
guns to the very muzzle with oakum, plugs OF
iron, human brains made into a paste with
castor oil, and last OF all, handful of coarse
blasting powder. We have many varieties of
natives, and an unpleasant fameness of mos
quitoes. The ctocodiles have a most healthy
appetite, aud are ready ior anything from
nan to a hlppopotamus. We give Mr.. Youne's
description OF hppopotamus huntng:-
do not know that there is anything in the
way of sport that requires such consummate
courage and GOODNESS as this mode OF hunting.
The hunter has to trust entirely to his activity
with the paddle to escape the charges OF the
animal, and a touch from the monster upsets
the ffall canoes as easily as q skitf would be
capsized by touch from a steamer on the
Thames. 1t requires, IN fact, that the harpooner
should keep his balance exactly as he stands in
the bow OF his long, slim canoe, and that during
the utmost excitement. The moment the
weapon ls lodged in the hippopotamus, he has
to SIT down, sc re his paddle, and escape, or he
is ins antly attacked; nor is the next stage of
proceedings less fraught with danger. 1t now
becomes necessary to get hold of the
pole which floats on the water; the iron
head of the harpoon which has come
out of its socket remains attached to this
pole by long and very strong rope The
hunter hauls upon this till he knows that the
hippopotamus is under water just "up and
uown" beneath his canoe. To feel for the mo-
ment when the line suddenly slackens-a sure
sign he is rising to the surface-and to prepare
to deliver another harpoon the instant his enor-
nous jaws appear with a terrific roar above
water within few feet of you, is about as great
trial of nerve as can very well be imagined.
Constantly are the canoes crushed to atoms.
The only escape then is TO dive instantly, and
gain the shore by swimming under water, for
the lnfurlated animal swims about looking on
the surface for his enemies ano one bite is quite
enough TO cut man in two. When | add, that
the presence OF blood IN the water is the sign
for every crocodile within hail to lick his lips
and make up stream to the spot, am sure it
recommends itself as sport to the most enthu-
siastic cancer in England, or the most btdSe
sportsman.
AS picture of still life, contrasting we'll with
the animation of this last scene, take the ac-
count OF the Moran bala marsh:-
II is in such spots as these am describing
that animal life abouDds beyond conception.
The plentiful supply OF water, the rank vegeta-
tion for cover and for food, and the patches of
forest, afford all that the antelope tribe aud the
large game of Africa require Elephants, rhi-
noceros, and buffalo are very plentiful, while
waterbuck, zebra, hartebeest, and numerous
other animals stray about in mixed herds Toe
labor OF penetrating farm these marshes is ter
season is at its height; theu oil course, the heat
is fearful. Still there is a wild kind of charm
connected with them. Acres OF azure blue lilies
hide the water in places, and for the moment
deceive the eye which has acknowledged day
by day the similar hue above. Hollybocks and
convolvuli are among the reeds, the palm trees
statelness, and the acacia's blossoms are things
that fix themselves on the mind; the mlsts are
winter the cries of the birds wilder, the large
ness larger, and the stiffness of the dawn more
still upon these lagoons than anywhere ese
All nature by consent seems to ackuo wledge
this reign of stiffness, knowing that sound
travels so easily and swiftly over water and
through white fog. Rarely is silence broken,
and then only by sounds which utter egance
to the scene. 1t is the lions roar before the
dawn, the hippopotamus' trumpet vibrating over
the CLASSY eXpanse of water as day breaks, and
the shrek, as from another world, OF the fish
hawk-these sounds are allowable and alo we'd
in the Shire marshes. The report of a gun is
sacrilege; a birds song would be destruction,
By the pools stand white, ghostly looking bit
terms, bleached for night, whose very lustreless
eyes seem sworn to perpetual silence; they rise
from the sedge in flakes; they slide fe " boats
lengths over the water, and then settle do Wn
again, lifeless and alone. Myriad strings of
geese move twice a day, when the scene shift.
ing must be doue-that il, when the sun rises and
sun sets but they do it as noiselessy as they
can. Troops of peGcans pass here and there,
quariering the heavens into long lines with the
geese, but no noise comes from them: they
never move again when once they alig ht unless
disturbed, for all and everything must help to
keep all still.