New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-23
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
AFRICAN TRAVEL.

u,, n rpIREs OF THE sOUDAN; AN ACCOUNT
TIE OF Ti TRAVEL AND SPORT CHIEFLY !, ~ G Gs
s ssSiyor G:f Dodd, Mead Co. svO, PIP 292
pooS, ~ African travel are numerous but II any
,o,ocy were needed for adding another to the ilst'
tbo fact that this work deals with region ana peo
nle very little known and is plainly the nun VI
,a,cb keen observation would supply sufficient ex-
cpse. Mr. James, the author is Fellow OF Tue
ROYAL Geographical Society, who mas seieh'in0
n,sasnre IN travel which s undertaken more LOT to
soke Of the hunters sport than of exploration HIS
narrative Is PLAIN and unpretendlng but none 'he
less attractive that account and Is often reeVe
no a ,leasant vein of humOr. The book is the record
of three winters experiences among the BASE OF
Knnama tribe inhabiting the Soudan, which lies TO-
ward the western portion Of the track KNOWN
vaguely in the Biographies as Nubia
Tha Ras6 tribe is the most uncvliZed to be found
in that part of Africa. They are much nearer the
pure negro type, both in color and other character
ist,cs. than their neighbors The only travellers
that preceied Mr. James into this country had been
surnrised and killed by the Base who have always
had the reputation Of being treacherOus. Under
.base circumstances it required some courage 10
nenetrate that region, especially as all the "arn-
inps which came to the party were against 'no
duplicity of the natives. But the narrative Sno"o
that there was little trouble when niue dlscIe'on
and diplomacy served to convince the DaSo 'n'.'
fbev came with peaceable intentions Inc DOCK Is
;llustrated with about forty engravlngs from pho-
toeraphs taken by Mr.. William James. the authors
brother. These add greatly to ITS interest by
reproducing striking features OF the scenery ana
the life in this portion of Africa.
The start for the interior was made from Souakm
ON the Red Sea. On the way the party, which CON
sisted of seven attended by about the same number
of servants came across several bands OF pilgrims
retnroing from Mecca. Mr.. James narrateS seVerai
strange instances of the barbarous indifference to
suffering to be found among the peopie
Among the Takrooris who had joined MS soon after
leaving the coast were two women, one neil III ,TnSa
along with the rest of the party they SIMPLY leI'
her behind to die i'll the desert; although ner mus
hand was with her, ii appeared that ne was per-
t S1tG sot;sfed 70 do So unfortunately we knew
nothing of it, until so long after she nad oeeh Ielt
@ fta a her She conld quite we'll have ridden
one of our camels; but such is the callonsneSS 10
snferng and total disregard of life. among these
people that one of the drivers hau lhoushV Vi
asking her to do So -, H., ~ mann orossirr
similar event took place when we were crossing
tbe Great Nubian Desert from KOrOsko; four years
before: then it one OF the camel-dl!HtIs I Hat
had been left behind to die. We knew nothing on ~
for several days after and, when we expressed our
horror at what had happened, they considered they
had behaved IN really generous manner oS ic'.'is
him a small quantity of water and dt"rfa-hour
At Cassala they enjoyed the hospitality OF the
Governor III this wise:
One evening we dned with the Governor, IN ulkisn
fashion, eating with our hngers instead Oh using
knives and fOrks,-a not very deIecud0ie lorih ol
entertainment. The dinner was served Oh y laiee
brass tray placed on circular taple' rouhl "HDn
ali sat including some Egyptian oitcers VINO nal
inst arrived after a long march, ana apparently nan
10 fed for n considerable time. Behind us, I'M
movable as statues. and holding lamps ABOVE tnelr
heads were some five or six WHITE Me slaves. i"o
sweet and meat courses alternated throughout nm
ner a rather trying ordeal for the European palale'
hnP ON the slightest symptom of Tagging on our
part the hospitabe Bey immediately INSISTED that
we did not like our tape upon WIFE, we're provided
with an immense number of dishes, u enty,hVe
courses all told inciu d 'T Once when assisting
at a similar entertainment, the at'chtN1 noaTT
Couged the sleeps eye out with MS thnlho anu
NINTH n mark of attention he had some difficulty in
resisting.
The first Base encountered were in great terror OF
the invaders and fed at their approach. They were
mucb blacker than the Arabs even up to that tlme'
had very negrolike features and their sole clothing
consisted of a piece of skin fastened round the
waist. They not only inspired terror III the hearts
of their neghbOrs, but were evidently in dread OF
avery one else They have curious method OF rest
ing quite common among many of the tribes on the
White Nile. They place the sole of the right foot
against the left knee, 4" mode Of repoSe which to
a European seems most uncomfortable and almost
IMPOSSIBLE Mr.. James gives q picture OF
two Base calmly standing like storSs
and saws that the men chad no idea at the time
that they were being taken 80 that position is per-
fectly natural one" he women were particularly
shy "All wore beads and cowrie shells, if hey
had little else; few wore anklets made OF the skin
of some wild animal; one carried skin cross-belt'
The party were generous with little gifts IN order
to conciliate the people. Il offered one woman
some needles and thread; gift she declined, say
ing very sorrowfully that they were useless to her.
as she had no clothes" Her remark was almost
LITERAL. true. The description given OF the eager
ness of the Base TO swoop down like vulturcs upon
INV prey of the hunters, tearing the body III pieces,
deyourng all par with equal relish, and cleaning
tie bones as smoothly as jackals might have done,
shows a real savage type.
1t is impossible, of course, to follow the journey
in detail few interesting incidents and observa-
tions may be quoted. Mr.. James describes the ln-
tense beat in which he found himself after stalking
an ostrich one day. His clothes were literally satu-
rated with perspiraton, and he sat under the shade
of a tree while he took them of and dried them III
the sun. He continues:
We never felt any i'll effects from the heat.
although constantly taking violent exercise during
the hottest hours of the day In fact, we were
always better when camping out, shooting III the
was very little indictment To take exercise.
Taking plenty Of exercise Is the only way To keep
we'll IN very hot climate. Although we never
feared the SUM- always treated 1t with proper re-
spect our pith helmets were the very thckest that
could he bought; mine, an lhlhenSely thICh pno'
had rot four years previously at Benares served me
for two winters in the SOudan. We wore besides,
down our spines thick pads OF cotton waddng
quilted good men OF moro lhlcki tnoSo "o'o JUL
toned into our coats.
The DAYS were intensely hot, and very dry. l
have seen as many as thrty-fye degrees difference
between the wet and dry bulb for some hours
every day the thermometer would range FROM 80 10
95o in the shade usually the latter than the
former temperature had thermometer made eX-
pressiy by Casela of HOlbOn, for testing the beat
of the suns rays which, like all my thermometers
I'D. LAkUs