The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-07-08
THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL THURSDAY JULY 8 1873

keep than an elephant. It soon becomes
tame and can be led about without much ef-
fort. The hippopotamus is an animal that
has not yet been added to the collection of
any menagerie in Europe or America. The
reason ofthis is that no plan has yet been
devised by which it can be captured without
injury. Mr.. Schmutzer says that his men
have on several occasions disabled one of the
river horses" by laeans of harpoons
and then taken it alive. But between its
amphiblous nature and the injuries inflicted
In capture, 1t soon afterwards died. The first
man who succeeds in capturing one of these
strange animals and landing him safely in
European Geological Garden will be rich.
There is mistake here. The British Zoo
logical Gardens have pair of hippopotami.
ED. SENTINEL Mr.. s -hmutzer has plan
In his mind by which he intends to make
another attempt to capture one of the beasts
on his next visit to Africa. He has designs
and traps now being prepared in Europe
which he viii take with him ON his return to
the jungles next August. We asked the
gentleman whether In any of his travels
through the forests and plains of the elephant
country he had ever encountered one of
THE FAMOUS WHITE ELEPHANTS 81
about which some travellers have written.
he said he had not, and what was more, he
didn't believe the animal had, or ever had
an existence. Some elephants, on reaching
an extreme old age become gray, pretty
much as a man does, but while young he
had never yet seen one. nor had he ever
met native who had seen one of them
"But," said Mr.. Schmutzer, ''if there are
any in Africa I'll fetch one to America before
many years, and on that you may de-
pend" We made some inquiries
about the nature of the people with whom
he associated while in that uncivilizsd
country. They are all of the Bedouin
or Arabian race, but very savage in their
habits or natures A Scheik or Chief is
the supreme ruler OF certain territory or
tribe and his word is law for either life or
death. Like the inhabitants of all savage
lands, the women are the slaves of the men,
and do most of the manual labor; at least
the older and uglier ones do, but the young
and more comedy females are shut up in the
rich mems harems, and do not see day of
freedom for years. handsome girl as
concubine commands a princely price, and
none but the rich deserve. or, rather, can
buy the fair over there. just as in this
country, they are very dear. in the Nub ian |
country, only in different sense. They
never inquire how rich man is III that Sec
ment bonds, or how mnch gas stock he
owns. The question arises "How many
wives has he?" If a young mans rich uncle |
dies over there and leaves him a fortune the |
first thing he does is to go to town and
invest in a team Of thoroughbred, full |
blooded, ine-haired wives. Whenever an
old sinner sin the land of Caffera" draws a |
100000 prize in the Louisville Lottery, he
goes straightway and squanders it all in a
good supply OF young wives. u'svery queer, |
but We know men in this country who have
only one wife, and yet would be willing to
squsnder all their own fortune and the
uncle's wealth to get rid of her. That's the
way we differ from the Bedouin. They are
not epicurean in taste, if we may Judge from
their
DAILY BILL OF FARE.
Their chief food consists of a cake made from
a mixture of salt and meal and water. The
meal is ground by the women folks" from
a grain resembling our Indian corn. To be |
a chief or ruler in that country is to do
nothing. Mr.. Schmutzer informed us that
while there he would never dare to raise his
hand 10 help himself to anything, or he
would lose the respect and reverence of the
people. If cup Of water sat within reach, |
ne must call servant to hand it to him. If |
he wished to smoke, servant must light |
his cigar. The men and women wear no |
dress except small strip of cloth about |
the loins, and many of them |
are without even this covering.
ger met the famous explorers, Capts. Spoke
and Grant, at Berber, town on the Blue |
Nile. BerDer is a town of some Importance,
and is connected with Khartoom, several
hundred miles further up the Nile, by
small steamer. Yet the vessel had little or
nothing to do in the way of carrying passen-
gers. The Nubian is careful of his money.
and often goes to great sacrifice to save it.
Two of Mr.. SIS servants, who accompanied
him on one of his homeward trips as far as
walked the whole distance back
to Khartoom, nearly 500 miles. 1t took
them three months to make the journey,
but they preferred to walk to spend
ing any wealth in paying their
Two or three dollars in that coun-
try is pretty fair windfall, and will supply
a fast young native with high old time for
six months. If one of them succeeds in
an elephant for Mr.. Schmutzer he
is enabled to retire from business and loaf
all the rest of his life, if he isn't robbed or
does not conceive a foolish notion to buy
bran new wife to wear every day and Sun
day too. We don't want to interfere with /
the good advice of the lamented Horace
Greeley, but we do say, with all due defer L
ence to the dead philosopher, "Young man,
go to Africa and catch elephants" Mr..
with fund of $40, 900 from Uncle
John, will sail from Southampton on an
other trip about the middle of August. He
expects to be absent year.
REVOLUTIONARY RELICS.