Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-02
HUNTED AFRICA FOR FAUNA.
Return of Professor Elliott. of the
Field Columbian Museum.
New York SUM

OF Chicago, arrived in this country yes
to-day on the st. Louis. and is stopping
now with DR. Daniel Stinson. Of II west
Seventeenth street. preparatory 20 his re-
turn 20 the West Professor Elliott with G.
r. Akely the head taxide mist of the mu-
scum left the United States on March
lth last. The object OF the expedition
was 10 collect specimens of large NAM
mails Professor Elliott told a sun reporter
yesterday that he had informed the di-
rectors that the animals Of the kind OF
which they needed specimens were fast
becaming extinct, even in Africa. and
that unless the expedition was under
taken promptly II might be impossible 20
collect examples Of the mammals which
The museum desired. Professor Elliott said
that his expedition had been even more
successful than he had anticipated. A
large number of the skins were shipped
directly from Alden to this country Oc-
tober 10Th. and they are believed 10 be in
Chicago already.
I'VE left Berbera i'm April" Professor
Elliott said. latter having stopped at Alden
10 make arrangements for the compile
ton Of our outfit. We were compelled to
carry everything with Us, and one OF the
chief burdens was the water we were
forced 10 take along. We travelled with
a caravan Of ninety camels and seventy
men. We were all armed with rifles Mr..
Akely, an Engishman named Dodson,
and myself were the only white men IN
the party. We had the satisfaction of
having shot ourselves every specimen
that was brought back. We travelled In
all about 900 miles and went 800 miles
into the interior. We made three expe-
ditions from the coast. which We reached
IN April. The first was eastward from
Berbera over the range of the Coils TO
Il MI la HfF Nc tlfn.af mo "A
for three weeks. We then went south
from Berbera through JeratO pass of the
Coils range 20 the Togo plain 10 get
specimen of the hartsbeest and rare
kind Of antelope which has nearly be-
come extinct. our last trip lasted over
two months. We went over the Mare
deh plain and returned IN October to
Alden.
1--WE suffered intensely from the heat
most Of the time and were sick with the
fever. There was no water TO be had,
eXcept by digging under the dry beds OF
the stream. and the water obtained In
this way was thick with mud. II it had
not been that We made the expedition In
the rainy season we could never have
stood IL as well as we ala. We We're able
20 get some water in that way, but were
compelled 10 rely in the main on the wa
ter that We carried with Us. 10 was the
grew nothing The only meat they eat
Z is that Of the diseased sheep or camels
which are killed when they are about 10
die. We could occasionally get a sheep
from the natives, and we shot some game.
II all tasted the same. The antelope meat
was like tasteless leather, and the birds
were even worse. There is no fat on any
Of the animals. They exist practically
without water. The birds were most
abundant there, and We killed guinea
hens, doves, Frankns, and nearly every
/ Kind Of bird. II / mad gone there with
the necessary facilities for keeping the
skins OF the birds / could have brought
back the finest collection Of birds in the
world. AS II was, 1 brought back about
800
" The rarcst specimen l got was a Baira
antelope, which has not only become very
rare, but Is extremely Giitcult 10 shoot. IL
is q small animal, and very agile. ! got
a most complete collection Of mammals.
and brought back not only an example OF
every kind, but specimens of them az all
age.. They will be mounted together in
groups. surrounded by the plants and
rocks OF the region I'm which they were
caught The museum will have the most
complete collection Nof large mammals ina
the world. We were able 10 hunt only
for "a few hours every day. We started
I dI QtNIIFdhs anu were NDlA4ltAltu 10 sup
by 10 O'Clock in the forenoon. as the heat
was too intense by that time to continue
I'm the sun. We then attended 10 the
skinning OF the animals we had killed. and
II the heat was not too intense we would
hunt again ia the late afternoon, but it
was rarely possible to DO that.
1.-The regions We visited We're almost un
known 20 white men, and We encountered
the natives constantly. We were not mo-
Tested The native tribes were at war
with one another, and too Jealous 10 unite
even 10 attack strangers. Besides that,
we were armed with rifles. We were only
seventy men, but they had only spears.
The Orgadan tribes who have never al
lowed a white man TO enter their villages.
were not friendly when we encountered
them. but they did not attack us We
We're supplied with beads and calico 10
trade with the natives one tribe Of the
Nidgens were devastating the country
around MS. and they were armed with pol
sOned arrows, but they left us alone. The
Abyssinians who were raiding the country
through which We travelled kept ahead
Of u.s. and we were fortunate enough not
10 meet them Some OF the natives who
had suffered from their atrocities fol-
lowed our caravan for protection. We had
with as Duella Idres who had travelled
in Africa with Stanley for eight years.
and other interpreters we knew the Gala
tongue. our force was nothing compared
to the numbers Of natives We met. but
they respected our guns
"The animals OF Africa are RAPIDLY be-
coming extinct. and within a short time
there viii be none Of them left The
rirderpest swept southwark over the coun-
try three years ago. and that destroyed a
great many, particularly IN the South. The
natives Kill a great many, too, but the
chief causes OF their rapid disappearance
are the hunters who 80 there in search OF
biz game. Merely for the sake Of getting
a larger pair Of horns than some other
fellow dd. the animals are recklessy
killed In larse numbers Formerly IN the
South there were great herds Of antelope
that have now been destroyed. The ele-
infants have almost become extinct In that
part Of Africa which we visited. and Il
will not be long before they have entirely
disappeared. II will not be possible I'm
n short time 10 get together such col
lection as we succeeded in making last
summer. Some species or the animals
have already become extinct within the
last few years. IL is mistake TO be
Ieye that Africa is a country that has
escaped the sportsman. There are many
hunters there at all times
The only serious accident that happened
% The explorers was the attack OF a
wounded leopard on Mr.. Akely. lhe beast
attached him savagely, and only by suffo-
eating him did Mr.. Aksly succeed In es-
caning with his life. lie knelt on the ami
mails lungs until II was suHocated. MI.
Akely's right arm and hand were wounded