The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-15
THE LAND OF GOLD
AND DIAMONDS


lied the imminent danger we were in,
and in a moment the blankets were
thrown to the ground and down they
ran into the stream. Some put their
hands to the wheels. some laid hold of
the reins at the heads of the horses
others pushed behind the cart. and
with united shouts, yells, muscular eff
fort and a liberal use of the whip,
the horses moved forward, and we all
reached the banks on the other side
of the river in safety.
Think of that-black men. not more
than one stage removed from rank
barbarism, rushing into the midst of
a swelling river, risking their own
lives in order to rescue the lives of
others. What an example to many
white men in Christian nations, who
look with cold Indifference on some of
their poorer neighbors been swept
away by various currents of adversely
without making any effort to save
them"
He also spoke of the dangers aris-
ing from the presence of wild beasts
and venomous reptiles. Snakes had
been found under the bed of his lit
a house to which elephants had come
forth from the woods during the night
in order to drink water from a dam in
front of the said house. Mr.. Hughes
called one day on a good Dutchman,
while travelling through the country
where he saw very beautiful tiger
skin more than nine feet in length
from the tip of the tail to the end Of
the nose. The Dutchman said: Il shot
that here on my farm, but he had
killed and devoured three of my calves
before | could get an opportunity to
shoot him"
WILD ANIMALS PLENTIFUL.
Mr.. Hughes said that on one occa-
sion he slept in a house very near a
number of very thicllly wooded ra-
vines which were infested with wild
animals, and frequently during the
night his slumbers We're disturbed by
the yelling and barking of jackals.
While living in Algo Bay he fire.
quently saw some very exciting whale
hunts. and some very interesting in
cidents connected Herewith. on one
occasion a huge whale had been
beaChed and was being cut up in or
der to make whale oil. AS some time
had elapsed between the capture of
this great fish and the issue of the per-
NIT by the magistrate to cut him up
an accumulation of gas had taken place
inside this sea monster. Ladders were
secured at length and some Kaifirs
mounted with long knives and COM
menced cutting up the flesh, but as
soon as the knife passed through there
was an explosion of gas, which sound
ed like the report of a cannon and the
poor Kafir was blown up into the air
and then fell down the other side into
the sea. He sustained no serious con-
sequences beyond being made a bap-
tist contrary to his desire.
In the same town he frequently saw
a man who had lost his leg while bath
ing. He had been bathing at the end
of the jetty, and as he was coming
away even while his hands We're on
the jetty steps and he was getting out
of the water a shark came and bit off
one of his legs just below the knee.
A friend of his while in a small boat
on the Crockadile river had his boat
Capsized those who were with him
were swept away by the roaring, rush.
ing torrent. and We're never more seen
alive. but his friend swan to the other
side of the river, where number of
KahlrS were waiting his arrival. They
extended their hands to assist him to
come out of the stream, but just as his
hands touched theirs he was snatched
away like a flash of lightning and was
never seen again. He fell a prey to
the crockadiles of that dangerous riV-
er
AN EXPLORERS PERIL.
\ mining expert from North Wales
| exploited Mashonaland and Matabele-
| land for the space Of nearly three
! years While bathing on a very hot
! day in one of the rivers of those Coun-
! tries he put his cloths on the sand and
rubble near the water and placed his
! little dog on his cloths. While my
! friend was in the water he heard q
squeak and a splash. He looked around
and found his dog had been taken, anC
was in the merciless jaws of the crock
! adile.
While there are dangers arising from
! the presence of wild men and wild
beasts, there are many things of very
| allurng nature in that distant land
! To some people there is a great fasCin,
| alton in paving the way for the spread
| of Christianity, the march of civiliza'
tion, and the extension of commerce
The rule is that civilization and re-
| liglon advance over and partly in vir
tue of the graves of pioneers. Before
we could have enjoyed our present hap
py and glorious environments, very
| many of our ancestors must have eX
| perienced great hardships. The rough
| places of this world cannot be mad,
! plain nor the crooked places straigh
| without the sacrifice Of ease and il
! many instances even life.
Other men did this for us and VIII!
| should not we do something of tn,
! kind for those who are still living II
! darkness and the habitations of cruelty
| Many Christians talk much about self
denial, but what does ii amount to
They live I'm luxuriously furnished
homes, they fare sumptuously ever!
day, and they surround themselves a
great cost with nearly all that is pleas
ing to the eye, delightful to the eaT
and most gratifying to the taste, AM
yet they say that self-denial and per
sonal sacrifice are among the mos
prominent elements Of the Christian