Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1868-06-19
A New and Valuable Book.

w. bukeT, TClioW VI thS Isolui pco-
graphical Society, &c. &c. Hartford;
O. ID. Case q Co.. s vo. PIP. COS.
Here is volume of uncommon inter-
est from the pen of one of those intrepid
and resolute travellers who within the
last few years have made important dis
coveries in the burning wilds of Africa.
How much they have done to make
known the topography of that continent
can be best seen by comparing any map
Of Africa, published fifty years ago, with
one containing the outlines of the explo-
rations and discoveries to which we refer.
Mr.. Baker, the author of the present
volume, was accompanied in all his tray
els by his wife-her heroism and endur-
ance during all the dangers and expo
sures from savage men and beasts, from
heat, hunger and fatigue, adding greatly
to. the attractiveness of the narrative.
The volume before us gives an account of
an exploration made by the author and
his wife, which was preliminary to that
for the sources of the White Nile. 1t is
narration of twelve months expert
! enee in traversing the region of country
which contains the tributaries of the
Blue Nile, so-called, which arises in the
mountains of Abyssinia, and flows into
the White Nile, at about the 18th degree
of north latitude. There are several
large rivers, nearly or quite dry during
the dry season, but which, when the
rainy season in the high regions Of Abs
sinia comes on, suddenly become swollen
torrents of great volume, and bear along
immense quantities of light soil, which
by the inundation is spread over the
plains of lower Egypt. Mr. Baker de
termined beyond all question that the
steady maintenance of the Nile in lower
Egypt is from the White Nile as the out
let of the Equatorial lakes; but that the
annual inundation, which for ages has
given Egypt its fertility, comes entirely
from the immense freshets of these trib-
utaries caused by the gleat rains in up
per Abyssinia.
The country abounds with the great
game of Africa and the descriptions o
the hunt for elephants, rhinoceroses, hip
potamus, girafes, bufaloes. nnd the man,
species of antelopes, &c, are highly ex
citing. Besides the geographical infor
nation of the volume, the reader is Civ
en- a large insight to the manners anc
9 customs, and modes of life of the wan
dering tribes who dwell there. The vol
ume is handsomely printed, and in addi
ton to two small maps, has about seven
ty illustrations, chiefly of incidents Of
the hour, which are executed with grea
spirit and add much to the value of thu
book.
Though Mr.. Baker was daring anC
inveterate sportsman, by the shot o
whose unerring rifles hundreds of th'
great and dangerous beasts of Afric;
:. were laid low, he became acquainted witt
tribe of African hunters, whose match
less ability in managing the horse an'
whose speed and activity on foot exceeded
J everything he had previously conceive'
of. What was more, such was their daI
ing, and their skill, that with no othe
, weapon but sword, they were wont t
> attack successfully the most dangerou
beast. He felt them to be his superior
in that dangerous sport, and gladly al
tached some of them to his service. Thei
mode of procedure is to distract the al
" tention of an elephant by lures an
8 feigned attacks till an agageer the sworC
. ed hunter is called, can by dash wit
= quick and powerful stroke of th
= sword-the edge being sharp as razC
sever the tendons above hind foo
The weight of the animal breaks IL
:, Joint and he is disabled. By anoth'
" movement the other leg is crippled Il
: same way. The elephant is then hel
less and soon bleeds to death. A
= scription of one of these feats is as f
- lows:
" THE AGAGEER's HUNT.
a. Advancing at canter we shortly can
bo in sight of the elephant, a bull. Up
!, seeinp the horses. he deliberately enter