The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-06-16
OF DEATH
MARVELLOUS MYSTERIES OF THE DARK
CONTINENT REVEALED.

WonderS OF Lake Rukwa Described by an
Explorer-Desperate Battle Between a
Leopard and a Crocodile-FIsh That
Kills Men by Contact-A Perilous Trip.
The wonders of Africa would seem
to be without limit, according to the
reports of j. E. S. Moore, who has
just been reviewing some of them.
Mr.. Moore's statements are backed
by the Royal Geographical Society,
who sent him to the dark continent.
The results of his researches bor-
der on the marvellous. The scenes
he witnessed are thrilling in the ex-
treme.
Mr.. Moore, after perilous journey
ing, gained sight of that lake which
only six Europeans have ever looked
upon-Lake Rukwa. It was only
from a distance that he saw it, to be
sure, but that was a good deal in it.
self, for only two Europeans ever
reached the shore and none has ever
foated upon its waters. Of all the
African lakes which are known to
civilization there is none so surround
ed by mystery as Rukwa. Fatality
seems to attach to it, so far as Euro
peans are concerned, and the natives
look upon a white man who strives to
reach it as O foolish mortal, bent upon
suicide.
It was in Lake Tanganyika that Nj.
Moore made his most remarkable dis
coveries and incidentally solved what
has been q mystery, and a fearful
one, to both African and European.
The tradition in that section of Africa
which surrounds Tanganyika has many
tales of the prowess of a gigantic fish
which would rush at the paddles of a
canoe, drag them from the hands of
the wielders thereof, upset the canoe
and by mere contact kill the strug-
Cling humans who were cast into the
water.
For once modern experience verified
ancient tradition. Mr.. Moore learned
hat not only did this great fish exist,
but that it performed exactly those
deeds with which it was credited. The
solution of the mystery is simple. The
big fish is an electric one. In smaller
form it is common in the South
American rivers, where swimmers hold
it in mortal terror. The African speci-
men, however, is of Brobdingnagian
proportions, and darts through the
water at q terrific rate. The source of
electricity, for electricity it certainly
contains, seems to be in cells in the
skin. These give forth a sufficient
amount of electric fluid to stun a hu-
man being, provided the contact with
the fish is at all forcible or is with
any considerable portion of the surface
of the body. From the great danger
which is entailed by cruising about in
the vicinity of such a fish, it has been
found impossible to catch a specimen,
and the knowledge which has been
gained concerning the fish is d-rived
from one that evidently died, for it was
cast upon the shore Of the lake by the
waves that never cease rolling.
From what MI. Moore says, it is no
ex~aggeration to claim that Lake Tan
ganyika is the finest fishing resort, so
far as the actual catching of fish is con-
cerned, in the world. It may sound
like a fairy tale, but it is a fact, that it
is not even necessary to bait ones
hook, so eager are the fish to capture
anything that seems to be of an edible
nature. MI. Moore's greatest success,
however, was in trolling, an artificial
minnow being attached to the end Of
the trolling line, with the half a dozen
hooks.
Another strange fact is that. while
in most bodies of water there are only
a limited variety of fish in Tanganyika
the variety is endless. Almost every
sort of edible fish that the civilized
world knows has it's prototype in this
lake. Perhaps it is not technically
correct to say its prototype, because
there is a slight difference, but the re-
semblance is so thorough as to make
the difference of small consequence.
It must not be imagined that this
new explorer, whose stories of what he
has seen and learned have excited
almost as great interest as those Stan
ley told years ago, saw only fishes.
His experiences were often extremely
perilous, and he witnessed several
scenes which would strike terror to the
hearts of most individuals, although
lacking entirely the element of per-
sonal danger-that is, so far as the
scenes themselves were concerned.
One instance in particular impressed
itself upon the mind of Mr.. Moore. It
was a desperate fight between a croco-
die and q leopard, each specimen be-
ing OF unusual size. The leopard had
gone down to Lake T~anganyika to
drink, and the crocodile had quietly
crept unnoticed to a position almost
beside it. Suddenly the leopard spied
his enemy and turned to make a leap
which would place him out of danger.
The crocodile was too quick for him.
In less time than it takes to utter
the necessary words of description the
leopard's left hind quarter was fast in
the NAV of the ferocious saurian.
Twisting its 1.-the body and uttering
frightful cries the leopard struck at
his assailant again and again, striving
to claw the eyes, knowing these to be
the only vulnerable point of the enemy.
Slowly the hideous reptile dragged his
victim toward the waters of the lake.
The cries of the leopard were fright
full. 1t was like q combination Of a
call for help and a death scream.