Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-08-18
Elephant Catching.
HOW THEY FILL Up MENAGERIES WITH
WILD BEASTS.

There WAS Il gentleman in this city |
not mtny days ago, whose lifc-yarn
is more romantic than that of Slnbad, the |
sailor. But unlike the great hero of the |
nursery, the history of his life and his ex-
pericnce in desert lands is not mythologi- |
cal. We have reference to George Schmut-
Zcr. the celebrated animal hunter anl
trader of Central Africa, to whom we
alluded last Monday. This remarkable
man has been in the perilous business for
seventeen years. much of which time has
been passed by him in the wilderness re
gions of the Upper Nile and its tributaries.
During the year just passed. Mr.. Schmut-
ger has been employed by the great show
man, Uncle John Robinson. He Started
from New York on the l4th of last October,
aud went directly t. southampton, Eng
land. where he took passage on :, vessel
bound to SueZ via the SueZ Csn,l. At the
latter place he shipped in IN Egyptian
government vessel bound down the Gulf
of Sucz and the Red Sea. His landing
place was Suakin, on the coast of Nuba,
not far from the northern boundary OF
Abyssinia Suakin is the place whence he
,triho, into the interior on each trip. At
this point he leaves civilization behind
him and turns his face towards the iungles
Of kassela and lIlmoran. Yet so much of
this animal traders life has been spent
throughout this region that it can hudly
be said that he is Il stranger in 4 strange
land. Indeed. he says he is more at home
among the untutoreu sons of Africa than
with civilized Cincinnatians.
AT Suakin he hires SIX or seven camels
and rs MANY servants, and, having laid in
4 supply of provisions sufficient to last :.
month OF more, begins his Journey across
the country i'll Il southwestern direction.
eve shall now Use the present tense. be
cause Il description of one is of all the rest
The first objective point is the settlement
of kas>cll. on the river GlZa. so miles
from the coast. This Journey is by no
means Il >inccure, int>much rs the maj
part of it lies through the heart of the Nut
bian desert. Tie servants and camcl>
necessary for this trip are hired from the
Shek Eyal. who is the great chief of MI
bil. At kassela the servants and camcl>
are changed for another set belonging to
the Shck Morcl. the ruling magnate of the
country lying beyond kas>ela. 1t would
not be permitted the servants OF camel> of
one of these chiefs to pass through the ter
ritory Of the other The next stage Of the
Journey is to Ilomoran. nearly POO miles
further toward the southwest Here i
the place where the first halt is made to
h1nt animals. The little village of Dok;,
is the headquarters of Mr.. Schmutzcr
while in this country. This is the laad OF
the giraffe. large herds of which roam
through the nciThborinr country Mr.
Schmuizcr. t. give u an idea of what il
really costs in the long run TO bring one oI
these animals to America. took for an cN-
ample the expense of importing the giraffe
which he Just landed safely in Cincinnati
1t cost 500 to get it To Sutkin: the freigh
hv vessel from there 10 SucZ WAS tN>. an,
go duly was paid before it could b'
transferred to the English vessel at tina
, point The freight from >ncz II Londol
was tl62. after which it cost 50 10 trans
: port him to southampton. The trip acro>
the Atlantic cost $50, and from New Y orl
. to Cincinnati per express, 500. Foot NJ
, these sums and it will be discovered tn,
the shipment alone of an African giratte t
America costs over 81 600. This, OF cour>,
: does not include Mr.. Schmutzer's individ
I ual expenses. nor the recompcnSc for hi
; perious services 1t will, therefore, b
' perceived that it isn't every man who
Y able to keep his team of @iratfcS.
{ As may be imagined, it is not a> easy t
: catch an elephant rs it is to catch 4 rabbit
= Even :, baby elephant is big thing o
e LEGS and combines rs much strength 4
e bodily bulk Mr. Schmutzer'> dc>criptio
+. of how various animals are caught WAS il
l. tcresting. and will repay to recoun
5 The African elephants 90 in drovc>
from twenty to fifty. While thus herle
together they were safe from the attack
of the natives. They must first BE- scp;
a rated from the herd before there is
$ chance of capturing the Young. The Gle
!, plant calf, like the Young of all anima
e follows lis mother wherever She goes. :
l, the only way TO get the calf from the her
|. is to cntice its mother away. The nativ,
It do this bv making fcint> ut the herd O
is horseback. Once separated from the her
c the greatest trouble is overcome. VIII
is one man is attracting the mothers after
Ie ton from the front. another native wi
n ride up in the rear, hastily dl>monnt. IN
s bv a powerful slash of an in>trumcl
= made for the purpo~" llam>trin@ the hug
il unwieldly beast. There is great dang,
n in doing this. bat once the elephant
C. ham>trung. the remainder is easy. III
IS old elephant is killed and the Young ol
/ fastened with ropes. The elephant ca
Il. feeds on its mother milk until it is aho
vs six years old. 1t is therefore not de~ir
H. Bile to capture them under four or fl
Or years of age. and by that time they rra'
: 4 pretty large size and combine 4 got
It. deal of strength with their advoir,lupui~.
ly 1t required the united strength of twenI
rv six men to overcome the last baby" NJ
e. Schmutzcr captured. after its mother Ii
nj been killed Ropes are tied to lis legs al
ne made fast to trees, and the v0un~ mon>t
X is then left for several days. and som
al times weeks. to starvc and get rid of |
to excessive >trcng h. In Il lew months
nix becomes somewhat tamc->o tame that
*. is possible to drive and lead him acr,
1t the country to the coast.
,ut A camel is caught differently. The |
mt tives on horseback pursue the lonw-ncck
.lv beasts rs they flee in herds and la>so t
zee vounr. The l:i>sos used for the purp,
he are made of the tough and pliable in>i
his bark of the brcad-fruit tree. The You
its camel is much more easily captured. a
his is less troublesome 10 keep than IN {
,ut phrnt. 1t soon becomes tame and can
bic led about without much effort. The h
,popotamuS is an animal that has not b,
added to the collections of any mcnaGe
in Europe or America. The reason of t
is that no plan has yet been devised
no which it can be captured without inlu
nd Mr. Schmutzer SAYS that his men have
several occasions disabled one of the
SO er horses by means of harpoons and Il
all taken ii alive But between its am ph
I'M. o,ls nature and the injuries inflicted in c
Il turc. it soon afterwards died. The f
MT" man who succeeds in capturing one
III these strange animal and landing him :;
;d ly in u European Geological Garden
I'm be rich. Mr.. SthmutZcr lltd plan in
'e' mind by which he intends to make anot
're: attempt to capture one of The beasts on
next visit to Africa. He has dcsi
not and traps. now being prepared in Eur,
ter. which he will take with him on his ret
nn to the ungles next August.
"id We asked the gentleman whether in
gu of his travels through the forests and pl;
w. of the elephant country he had ever
tie countercd one of the famous white
phants about which some travellers h
TER, written. He said he had not, and W
htr was more lie didn't believe the animal
III or ever had IN existence. Some cleph
on on reaching extreme old age, bee
Dr Or1v Drctty much rs "A man does but "