The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-08-13
THE REAL RHoDEsIA

y.
The misconceptions of Rhodesia
are manifold. Many people seem to
think of it as desert, just as the
name of Egypt brings to their minds
eye vast sandy plain, with Pyra-
mlds and Sphinx instead of grass
and vegetation. But as a traveller
VINO has recently returned from Rho
desia put it, if an average English
man could be blindfolded at home
taken to Rhodesia, and there told
that he might remove the bandage
from his eyes, he would, not, when
ne did so, be able to tell from the
scenery that he was not at home in
one of the more picturesque districts
OF his native land. Mr. Alfred Brom-
witch, the curator of the British South
Africa Company's museum, has
brought back with him from his tour
In Rhodesia quite "a cloud of Wit
nesses' to the luxuriance of the vege-
tation of the country, in the shape of
wonderful botanical specimens.
palms, grasses, ferns, flowers and
heather, and hundreds of photo
graphs, which sufficiently emphasize
the fact that the country is neither
an impenetrable jungle nor an arid
waste. Perhaps the samples of
heather are the most fascinating of
his curiosities. Somehow or other.
one cannot get away from the notion
that in Scotland, Yorkshire and the
Devonshire moors we have the only
heather in the world. One does not.
at all events, think of heather in
such places as Africa and India. But
In Rhodesia there are vast expanses
OF glorious heather-moor exactly like
stretches of Dartmoor or the Gram
plans. And, judging by the way in
which other British fauna have thriv-
en- when imported into Rhodesia, it
would probably be not difficult mat
ter to stock Rhodesian moors with
grouse and blackcock-indeed, with
all the game of an English or Scot
fish grouse moor.
The northwestern district of Rho
desia, in particular, abounds in every
description of big game-elephant
hippopotamus, giraffe, zebra, lion.
Dunalo, rhinoceros and antelope. with
other members of the deer family too
numerous to mention. Even from
the railway, so Mr.. Bromwich SAYS.
great herds of game can be seen, and
are in some cases quite a nuisance.
Inc elephants, for instance. have
some rooted and unaccountable OH
lection to the mile pegs by the rail
way line, and cause endless annoy
ance by their habit Of pulling them
out OF the ground with their trunks.
There is, by the way, some excellent
fishing
The balloons, too, being expert
thieves, and even burglars, are a con-
siderable nuisance, particularly to
storekeepers, of whose goods they
manage to fitch a surprising quantity.
Mr.. Bromwich relates the experience
pr storekeeper personally known to
hlmself. This man, hearing a noise
" his shop at time when he was
temporarily in a small room at the
pack OF the building, returned hur-
riedly, just in time to see a balloon
grab something from the counter and
then dash out of the shop. This was
large bottle, as its late owner dis
covered, and contained EPSON salts.
and as he watched the simian thief
disappear, brandishing his prize. he
shook his fist after him exclaiminp
We'll, l only hope you'll take the
bottleful all at once" However. he
never saw the end.
Baboon hunting is a very popular
sport. and the quarry is abundant
so abundant, in fact, as to be DANGER
Gus on occasion. No single man. even
though armed with a rife. will ven
ture to modest troop of balloons on
the raid. Another nuisance to farm
ers is the tebi cat, little tigerish
beast which causes great havoc in
unprotected fowl houses, and is ruth
lessly killed on sight
Perhaps the greatest recommenda-
ton OF Rhodesia as a sportsman's
country is that it is never necessary
III order TO come within reach of bic
game, to get out of touch with civil
cation. In case of an accident for
instance, this fact is particulartv
comforting, for you can ALWAYS oct
az doctor within a days travel
lhat means that you need not bur-
den yourself with an epormo,,e
amount OF luggage. The necessaries
OF life can be bought near TO the act
ual place where shooting can be had
though, OF course, men who are mar
tlcular In matters OF outfit and nro-
visions will provide themselves win
What they consider necessary I'm Eng
land County Gentleman.
NJ a