Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1868-10-15
AFRICAN LIFE.
TWO COVTRASTF,D PICTURES


The following are extracts from
new book by Mr.. E. D. Young, pub
lished in England and entitled "The
Search after Livingstone" The wri.
ter takes US with him through marsh
IS teeming with animal life, dead lev
els of reeds without bush or tree, and
up the chain of waterfalls extending
for 35 miles, which carries the waters
of Lake Nysssa down to join the Fam
besl He introduces us to native kings
whoare seldom sober, but who keep
more than forty wives to stimulate
their capacity for drink by noveLpro-
cess Of tickling, and WHO fill their guns
TO the very muzzle with oakum, plugs
Of iron, human brains made into a
paste with castor oil, and, last of ALL a
handful Of co,rse blasting powder
We have many varieties Of natives, and
an unpleasant sameness of mosquito es
The crocodiles have most healthy
appetite, and are ready Tor anything
from man to a hippopatamus. We
give Mr. foung's description ofhippo-
potamus hunting:
lido not know that there is thing
in the way ofsport that requires SO
much consumatc courage aud GOODNESS
IS this mode Of hunting. The hunter
has to trust entirely TO MS activity
with the paddle to escape the charges
OF the animal, and a touch from the
monster upsets the frail canoes as a.
silly as skiff would be capsized by a
touch from 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 ca,
noe, and that during the utmost excite
ment. The moment the weapon is
lodged in the hippopotamus, he has to
sit down, seize his paddle, and escape,
or he is instantly attacked; nor is the
next stage of the 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 aud very strong
rope. The hunter hauls upon this till
he knows that the hippopotsmus is un-
der water just up and down beneath
his canoe. To feel tor the momen.
when the line suddenly slackens-a
sure sign he is rising to the surface
and to prepare to deliver asother har.
poon the instant his enormous Jaw,
appear with terrific roar above water
within few feet of you, is about as
great q trial of nerves as can very we'll
be imagined. Constantly are the ca
noes crushed to atoms. The only es-
cape then is to dive instantly, and gain
the shore by swimming under water.
for the inturiated animal swims about
looking on the surface for his enemies,
and one bite is quite enough to cut
man in two When l 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
rs sport to the most enthusiastic cancer
in England, or the most base sports
man
AS picture of still life, contrasting
we'll with the animation Of the last
scene, take the account of the Moran.
hala marsh:
1t is in such spots as those I am de.
serihing that animal life abounds be-
yonl conception. The plentiful sup
pl., of water, the rank vegetation Tor
cover and for food, aal the patches
of forest, affo'd all that the antelope
tri:.e and the large game OF Africa re.
qu:re. Elephants, rain land but
talo, are very plentiful, while water
buck, zebra, hartebeest, and numerous
other animals stray about in mixed
herds. The labor Of penetrating far
into these marshes is terrible, nay i'm.
possible, except when the dry season
is at its height; then, of course, the
heat is fearful. Still there is a Wild
kind of charm connected with them.
Acres of azure blue lilies hide the wa
ter in places, and for the moment de-
ceive the eye which has acknowledged
day by day the similar line above.
Hollyhocks and convolvuli are among
the reeds, the palm trees stateliness
and the acacias blossoms are things
that FIX themselves on the minds the
m.sts are winter, the cries ofthe birds
wilder, the largencss larger, and the
still ofth dawn more still upon these
lagoons than anywhere else. An
Nature by consent seems to ,cknowl-
edge 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 allegiance to
the scene. 1t is the lions roar before
dawn, the hippopotamus' trumpet Vi
brating over the CLASSY expanse of va
ter as day breaks, and the shrek Is