The San Francisco call., 1903-12-13
In Explorer in Africa.
BY WILLIAM 8 CHERRY
CAfrican Traveller. Explorer and Big Game
HunterD


The 18th Of September. 1895, found
Charles H. McClintock and myself en-
canned at Matadi on the Congo, hav-
ing debarked the night before from the
big ocean steamer which brought US
from England, where We had equipped
our expedition for five years stay in
the interior Of Africa
had been home ard completed the
studies 1 had determined on when leav
ing here three years ago. and 1 felt
confident that we were equipped with
the knowledge and materials neces-
ssry 10 culminate our plans success
fully Mr. McC'lintock was a young
man who had become very much inter
ested in my plans for future explora-
tion. and a year before I was ready to
return had declared his intention of
returning with me If he had to 60 as a
stowaWay among my goods. When /
found that. in spite Of all the discour-
agement ] could possibly throw in his
way. he was still determined. ] became
convinced he had the real exploration
fever and quite as bad as my own ini
tial attack.
That morning when the African sun
first shone on our little camp at Mat
adj Mr.. McClintock went off TO climb
the adjacent hills while ] kept camp,
cooked dinner and cleaned our scien-
tiic Instruments.
He came back after two hours
hunt having made a discovery. He had
got into an army Of white ants
without noticing il, and by way Of en-
"a frar 1,r
danced the Highland broadsword dance
with variations. He said: when
saw those great ants I stopped to see
what they were doing. There was a
trail Of them about a yard wide. as
close as they could crowd TO one an
Other, some bis and some little, the
large ones as big as bees All at once
something stung me. I thought it was
bee. and then I felt more stings.
stings in Dlatoons and then in battal-
ions ] grabbed one ankle. then the
ether, charging up the hill at double
quick time. They would not brush
OF, and I had to pull them off one by
cne, and sometimes they wouIdR leave
their heads before they would let GO
He spent the rest Of the day looking
Up their zoology in our natural his
tory, and then wrote a treatise on the
termes lucifugus that build hills twen-
Jy TO thirty feet high.
Ants were the most wonderful things
We struck for several days. In the
grove Of stUnted trees where we were
camped was one which had been taken
as fortress by some large white ants
and was now in 2 state Of siege. Some
small black ants Of the standard Amer
lean size were intrenched in the rough
bark, and here were enacted all the
horrors o. great siege in miniature.
The little black ants in the cracks had
The white ones treed. There were mill
lions &C them. The big white ones Gov
cred the limbs, their picket line about
three feet from the ground. The white
ants would advance too near the en-
emies' line. and a little black ant would
charge out Of q crack. get the big fell
low by the leg and hold on like grim
death. if he was not supported the big
ant after q short struggle would get
him between his pinchers and pinch
him nearly in two, then chase up the
tree with his spoil until he was beyond
the danger lire. and then he and his
comrades would gather round the little
brave black ant and make a meal of
him: but they never neglected to keep
the picket line supplied with pickets.
We noticed that when approaching
the enemy they would always stop and
seem to liste- and then go on little
and then lie. ..ain- But the white
ants were not -.ays victorious. Very
often when a back ant was supported
by reinforcenents they got hold OF
the big fellows every foot and bit him
gle. but all to no purpose; soon the
struggling would cease and the vic
torioHs band would carry him off 10
odd his corpse to their food supply. We
never saw the black ants eat any of
their spoil, for they always took them
10 their underground storehouse. We
watched this battle many hours in the
course Of our stay here. There were
always active hostilities. and every few
seconds some Of the besiegers or the
besieged would lose their lives.
Frequently when a white ant was al
most overcome by host Of black ones
2 white comrade would rush in and
hear him away bodily. with several
black ants clinging 70 his feet. Some
times the attempt at rescue would fail.
with fatal result to the white art. II
seemed that they had great generals
and great lighters. with all the quail
ities Of wonderful strength sagscity
and chivalry found in the history of
humanity. The siege was still in prog
ress when we left Matadi six weeks
later.
We had waited al Matadi for word
from the trading company which had
worked for on the Upper Congo three
years before. had made them a propo-
sitiOu to take charge of 2 trading post
on the Upper AIobsngui River. Mr. Nc
Clintock and 7 10 attend TO il and buy
ivory and rubber for them Our idea
was 20 90 our scientific work and our
exploring from this base OF supplies.
as we could have ample time. The con-
ditions were that the compan- was to
transport us TO the farthest limits OF
the known terriforv. on the MBomu.
where we would build a house and do