The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-02-27
NO LANGUAGE CAN DESCRIBE THE HIDEoUs-


NESS
The striped form, which is found throughout
Africa, is less numerous at the Cape than GRO
Cuta, while the latter much outnumbers the
brown hyena in this district. All HyGnidR
are nocturnal animals, and all are beasts of
prey, but so far actual destructiveness IS
| concerned the spotted species appears by all
accounts 30 stand first. Small domestic animals,
and, rs w n. LockingtOn says even the larger
beasts constantly become victims Of this crea-
lures rapaCity, and on the subject of its depre-
dations books of African travel aud sport abound
with anecdotes. There is no doubt. also, that the
loss OF life among children which is annually
occasioned by hyenas is great Drummond
mentions several instances of this kind, and
Sir James $. Alexander reports, rs the general
opinion of the Hamaquas. with which his own
comedies that this animal. when hungry, will
attack anything" Certainly il muSters up
courage enough to approach lions while they arc
feeding, and TO attempt To obtain share OF their
game, for many hunters have found them dead
by the remains of his repast with the king of
beasts mark plainly to be seen upon thcir
bodies. Again, Anderson was confronted late
one evening in the jungle by starving hyena,
all of whose feet were gone. They had been
bitten oh according TO the common opinion of
the natives, by some lion with whom he had
interiered. Sir w. g. Harris describes animals
or the spotted species rs superior IN size to the
largest mastif." Evidently this is a mistake,
but whatever may be their average bulk, there
is little doubt that the creature is usually rs
cOwardly as il is cunning and fer0eious. 1t is
extremely difficult TO take in traps, and, OF
course, no sportsman lifts his rifle against such
an obscene beast in the way of game. Through
ont North Africa the Arabs despise il. aud Ger
ard, sharing their prcjudices considered the
sword with which he had slain ono to be dis
hOuurcd. They are-that is, NIL species of
hyenas-yery useful in the East, however, rs
coworkers with the vultures, crows, and other
carrion eating birds, in clearing away the filth
which always cncumbers Oriental settlements,
and even in devouring dead human bodies. +.
c. Sclous relates that in the country about the
sources of the Bernbees River, a Hottentot was
executed by the katlirs with whom he was then
stopping. for murder, and his body exposed in
the bush. In the night the hycuas came and
laughed and howled around the corpse for hours,
but they never touched il. The second night
the same thing happened, but OH the third
night they ate him up. Now, as these hycnas
were beasts belonging TO an uninhabited coun-
try, they were unused TO human remains, and
had not, / think, lost their instructive
DREAD OF THE SMELL OF MAN;
for in the Matabele country, where the bodies
Of people killed for wtchcraft are always given
TO the hyenas corpse is inyariably dragged of,
even from the very gates of kraal, before
the night is many hours old" This observa-
Albl - interesting, bHb III IL proves hlh
it is certainly not tho trnih Of that doctrine of
instinct as au implanted faculty, which Selous
seems to hold. Apart from this consideration.
however, II Is well known that hyenas feed
upon the fallen on African battlciiclds, aud
that IN India they clear off most Of the organic
matter left on burning CHATS, rob graves,
whence the stories of their supernatural eharac-
ter arise sud dcvour the eorpses of those who
have been exposed before death upon the
shores O! sacred streams
OF the striped hycna, which during the
Middle Empire WAS Que of the beasts exhibited
IN the Roman amphitheatcr. there is but little
to say that is not too technical TO be generally
interesting. lt is found all over Africa and in
| Syria, Mesapotamia, Persia aud India. Its
bTownish-gra coat aud the outside of It's legs
exhibit biackish cross stripes with iudstuct
borders There is also full, thick name on
the neck and dorsal region, which gives an
appearance Of greater hight to the forequarters
/ than actually exists. In most other particulars
ITS traits OF structure and modes of life closely
resemble those of the spotted species.
". !. Lock ngton states that il often attacks
/ living animals aud has been known to carry
away dOnkcys" Capt. Baldwin says hc has
never known or heard of one attempting to at
tack or face a man" And such indeed is the COM
mon opinion. But il is never safe to assert that
a wild beast will not do anything that it can
/ do, and the following relation of n hyena's
II
/ question OF possible assaults upon men:
There are no pantbcrs bears or tigers any
! where within a considerable distance of Anne
\ cabad. aud yet there Was some large wild beast
/ that had for long time past made. almost
nightly. attacks upon human beings" Newspa-
/ per accounts Of its rayaRes had reached the
Colonel before he arrived ~ the station When
\ he got there the cant0nment was full OF stories
/ about mysterious and murdcrous beast that
/ the natives believed 10 be OF supernatural
origin. aud which they called Boot"
aud which was known among the European
troops As gravr-disscr' IL "was never
seen except al night, but then often very
+ plainly, Tor, having no fear Of man, il would
boldly ADVANCE UPoS ANYONE.
3 There was no part Of our camp safe from
the inroads Of this brute. but its fayortc point
81 attack was the site occupied by the lines aud
bazaars OF the native regiments" quarter
built along the Jungle covered bank of the
( SuDermutti River. The entire station was in
a state Of terrorism, aud Col BarFas got no re-
1 liable information until lac consulted with a
I famous hunter. THAT ripe ShikAri Ialla"
whose opinion, based upon an inspection Of It's
tracks. was 10 the effect that this creature was
nothing but "a very large hyena." After
Z various conferences with the experienced Lalla
the Colonel who was celebrated sportsman,
/ determined 10 pursue this animal TO the death,
aud in iurtheTancc Of his intention sent out
I that rusty htnchfnan, attended by COM
panion, 10 makea reconnaissance by night in the
vicinity Of q neighboriHg tank-tho Kunkria
Ialao IL was hoped that by this means the
beast night be seen and tracked 30 It's den.
IH India" says the author, zone is often
struck with the strange minglng of teeming,
aud even crowded human life with the exist
ence IN its very center Of animals between
whom and man there Is and always has been
war 10 the knife. y Night, especially
in the dark and stormy period Of the monsoons.
is the time for them b carry on their opera
tons" By day the tank near which Lalla and
his associate
WATCHED FOR THE "MAs-EATER"
seems entirely the property Of men,; yet
here the animal was seen, although the track.
ers failed 10 trace IL 10 its lair and notwith-
standing that they pgfscycrcd for several sue
ccssiye nights. they could not haTbor IL. Soon,
however, another victim was added % the al.
ready long list IN the person of child, who
was carried OF from the Sepoy lines, aud on
this occasion I4alla was able 10 follow the trail
10 It's den. This was situated i'm a promOntory
juttng into 2 nullah perfectly bare Of vcgeta-
ton and clear Of rocks. Here be watched by
moonlight, aud about in the morning saw the
auth0rs 81 all this distress returning from for
aging. The father a large powerful animal
led the way with big fresh killed pariah dog
ia his great jaws" aud was followed by his