Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-26
NO BIG ANIMALS.
WHAT VAST AREAS OF LAND IN
ToRRiD COUNTRIES LACK.

,t.t,ds Of tho Wet Indian Archipei-
-. called "Gamrics. Country"
Russian naturalist. Professor M
- who passed several years ia the in
IN of Pnpua. describes the highland
s..s,iet Of ihe great island as region
rspnrknbla for its scenery and pro-
s..,,venoss rs for iis salubriuug crimnto
r.rpetual Mry In tho terrace lands,
.5,b March and April plaioaus here and
Ne In tine highest mountains. The
~, Of the whole islnnd exceeds that
y Texas, but It's population hardly
s.,rsrates o million. ninc-tenths OF tho
ssodeines being lowlan1 settlers, BLACK
,ilsrs gorgod with the yam roots and
IA hog steaks Of the coast plain. Tho
rrisnds, too, abound with game and fish,
"a the only conceivable reason why tho
s,syls should limit their hunting
...s-tls to tho sweltering coast iungles
Ain preference for a climate that
'-,N,s them TO dispense with dry goods
ts rear round.
Ia The Torres range there nre submits
,srering to the height Of II 900 feet, but
M close proximity Of tho equator has
,,,ertd the highlands with luzursnt
,.-s.atou. Snow Is hardly ever seen,
I'M chill nights-light frost ovon--occur
ssw and then. and the frizzle haired
,,.st dwollom avoid the mountains 40
No lndios Mansos OK tho Mexican low
i.nds avoid the terra fra. Papua is o
mndisc Of birds, but tho kingdom Of
mammals is represented only by few
u,ruuinls ground kungaroos, trco
tangaroos and opossuins), besides the
Wild hogs Of the river imglcs.
Amuch stranger country IN regard TO
ho absence Of Wild animals Is found in
lac near nolghborhood Of our own con-
inent. The West Indian archipelago,
Win its four magnificent islands and
countless islots, has been justly termed
The "gamclass country" region OF
more than hundred thousand square
niles, monopolized almo.t entirely by
birds and insects even reptiles being
Farce). as n the archipelago had been
somehow overlooked on the last two
DAYS Of creation, and left to DO settled
b. such creatures as could reach its
coasts swimming or flying. Thoro arc
forests tceming with spontaneous fruit,
Int no monkeys, no wild hogs, no bears
or raccoJns. Tho llrger carniyora are
not rc..cscntod by n single spccic1.
NoIDnas or jaguar Enough both are
found on tho coasts of the neighboring
mainland). no panthcrs, lynx or wildcat.
Foxes, wolves aud juckals, too, are con-
ipicuous by their absence. The caves
q tho limestone Sierra would seem 20
Be- admirably adapted 10 marmots and
voodchucks, but they are tonanted only
BY bats. On the fine highland pastures
thercnfo no blsons. no deer, no nntolopos,
and, strange TO say, not even rabbits.
Sheep, goats, horses, donkeys. cows,
hogs and even dogs were introduced
after the Spanish conquest. and the only
domestic mammal kept by the natives
at the time Of discovery was a small
kind Of wolf Oprairio wolf imported
from Mexico, aud II fow species Of SPUR.
Tols. which tho Cubars fattened for
culinary purposes without knowing any
thing about " classic proccdont--tho
fliraria lrat kcnuolO Of the ancient
Romans, who preferred dormouse on
feast TO the best Syrian pheasant pies.
Dogs aud eats were unknown, and
that lack Of household pots seems 20
have driven the Gbohgincs 10 strange
txpodicnis, for in "Osilyy's Voyugcs'
there "a an account of san Domingo
Cciquo who kept o tame manaicD that
nllo its headquarters in un artificial
pond and was sowcll tanned that "whon
called by It's name, Matoom. II wouli
eOme out Of the water and 20 directly TO
Z the cacique's house, where, being fed, Il
returned 10 the pond, accompanied by
men aud boys, who seemed 70 charm the
nanatoe by their singing, and it often
carried two children at timo ON lbs
back. Being onco. however, struck By
apiko in the hands OF Spaniard Il
would never after come ont of tho water
hacloihed man were near.
hanateos have become rather scarce
on the coast OF San Domingo, but are
oiieu seen near the Island of Piuos,
northwest of Cuba, whore shoals Of tho
strange creatures may he seen sporting
shout the reef like the sea lions below
The Chf House. OF all aquatic nam.
hals tho mnnntee, however, can claim
me championship In the art Of dodging
asudden attack; loyeled harpoon Is
enough to mike them plunge undoi
with u "no you don't" snort, ulid then
pr up again at unexpected times and
pnces' waving their iiippors in dorision
shl ready to disappear for good at tho
hfhi suspcious motion.
Tie luxury of the Dom.nican caciquC
was therefore MOI apt 10 DO shared by
many OF his subjects, Puppies aud kit
Ig's were never seen in their cabins, and
Tue largest land animal Of the island was
IN o'ergrown rat, known as tho hutia
tll measuring about eighteen inches
M'Aout the tail. It's cnudal appendag,
hacompromise between that of tho true
!Al ana tho California gopher, whom II
assemblies in It's fsndness for grain and
la ourrowing nania, one pair owning
N'eh rs many US four different dons
tunnels.
"a WIN the exception OF that shy rodent
HN' Dan Domingo, Jamaica and Costa
. .s''1 nave no land creatures deserving
we namo Of game animal, for oven tn,
humorous ,. appetite Of the Haytiar
uliAies draws the line ut tho musl
~ giant rats Of the coast forests -
sah francisco Chronicle.
The Most Costly Hook.