The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1900-12-25
almost the entire world, has hunted
elephants. lions, tigers and other big
in londS l..

s-.l:e IN various LANDS, took part in
,.s .o>oni Matabele war in 1895:
mace his celebrated "Traverse of A.
rica." and has written large book,
giving an account of that remarkable
journey. After the Matabele war.
Captain Grogan made the trip from
Cape Town to Salisbury, so, when he
started upon the big journey in 1898.
he thought it unnecessary to repeat
that part of it and consequently made
the start at Beira. This is a sea
port on the eastern coast of Africa,
north of DelagOa bay, and directly
east of Salisbury. Captain Grogan
was accompanied on his trip by his
friend. Mr.. Arthur Sharp.
From Beira to Ujiji on Lake Tan
ganyika. almost directly west of Zan.
zibar, the trip was what might be
called easy sailing" he said. I'VE
followed well-known roads through
country more or less thoroughly ex.
plored. and in Lake Tanganyika we
had the assistance of a steamer. Az
ujiji wa engaged our porters, cooks.
etc. about $50 altogether, and then
started in to do some real exploring
and discovering, and we got plenty of
| it before we saw Cairo. We fol-
lowed the Rusisi valley to Lake Kiyu
and were the first Englishmen to be.
hold that body of water. The country
in that region is the hilliest I ever
came across. 1t was up hill and down
hill the whole time. The inhabit-
ants are called Runda. The aristo.
Gratis are called Watusi and do no
work. The plebeians are called Wa.
hutu and have to yield gracefully
whenever the lordly Watusi wish any.
thing. The scenery is beautiful.
Passing on the north of Lake Kivu,
we came across great volcanic re-
gion. Its total extent must have
been nearly 5000 square miles. There
were two volcanoes still active and
they covered from forty to fifty miles.
The lava in this region had DESTROYED
everything in the way Of animal or
vegetable life, and was about 100 feet
in depth. Being porus, no water
would remain on the surface, and
hence nothing could live.
In the vicinity of this deadly dis.
trict the country was at that time
overrun by fierce tribe or cannibals.
There were about 5000 of them and
they were known as Balekas. They
had practically exterminated the orig
inal inhabitants. They had turned
the country into one great cemetery
or charnal house. Human remains of
all kinds covered the ground and
filled the streams. These Balekas at
tackled our party several times, but
magazine rifle which carried soon
put them to flight.
Leaving the land of the cannibals
we entered the Kako valley, and here
we discovered hitherto unknown
race, beings which impressed me as
being the lowest yet in the rank of
mankind. They were tall, with long
arms and short legs and the contour
of their heads was all that you could
ask of an ape. They were timid, stu
pid and bestial.
When we got well into the Congo
Free State we found most astonish-
ing state of affairs. We found the
elephants being wantonly slaughtered,
the native men killed, the young wo-
men sold into slavery and the old
women burned to death. The ma
tives were systematically robbed of
everything. The Belgian authorities
have plenty of law against all these
things but they don't seem to enforce
it. The agents are far away from all
supervision, and each one is a mon.
arch in his little district. Belgium's
king is the king of the Congo, but
there is no other connection between
Congo and Belgium. The great bulk
of the kings revenues come from
Congo and enable MIN to build his
palaces and revel in luxury, but the
blood of thousands of natives is upon
his head.
"The eating of elephant flesh is as
common in Africa as is the eating of
beef here. have tried it myself and
it is not SO bad. Really the elephants
trunk is very delicate But most of
the natives prefer the elephant raw,
and l once saw hundred. or more
of them pounce upon a huge carcass.
Old men and young men, women of
all ages, children and babies, all stark
naked, flung themselvesu upon the body
and fought over it like dogs over a
bone. They ate until they could eat
no more and until nothing remained
of the elephant but it's gaunt bones."
When Captain Grogan arrived at
Wadelai, on the Bahr-el-Jebel, or up
nor Milo ho mat pri<ich ~Nnnn. R2~