The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1907-05-09
Ilg.luok sI'gr'd'|e Q
Q o Adventure.
EXPLORERS I1oNEYMooN.


interview with Major Powell-Cptton,
who, accompanied by his wife, has
arrived IN Rome on the conclusion of
2 most interesting journey. which in
It's scientific results will prove more
valuable than his previous travels of
19O2-1903. says the London Chroni-
Gle. 4 - - &C.,.
A romantic interest is to be found
IN the fact that Major Powell-Cott
who had intended on the conclusion
OF his expedition to return to Eng
land to get married, decided not to
interrupt his Journey, and accord
ingly arranged for his financee to go
out to Africa. The marriage took
place on her arrival In East Africa,
IN 1905, and since then Mrs. Powell
Cotton has shared her husbands
hardships and dangers, having,
among other things. lived for many
months among the pygmies in the
heart Of the. .Ituri forest the. first
white woman, ever seen by those in
teresting people.
Perhaps one Of the most notable
features of the Journey" said Major
Powell-Cotton, lis the prolonged per-
iod which we spent among the pygmy
and other tribes of the great Ituri
Forest, during which time the most
complete collections were made, and
have secured exhaustive data re-
garding the forest people, including
photographs, monograph records,
etc.
Zone of my objects waste go into
the little known part of the Congo,
south of Lado, in search of the white
rhinoceros, of which I have secured
splendid specimen. We have fur
Their secured six specimens of forest
animals previously unknown to sci
ence. These are the dusky African
tiger cat, new animal about the
size Of leopard; the honey badger,
or black Ituri ratel, elephant shrew,
an antelope armed with tusks which
dives under the water; new black
and white monkey, and huge red
buffalo. The British Museum au-
thorities have done me the honor of
naming five of these after me-"
Speaking Of his experience with
the pygmies. Major Powell Cotton
said:
THE excitement of these little
people when they first saw my wife
was extraordinary, for they had. of
course, never previously beheld a
white woman. Perhaps the chief
source of wonder was her long hair,
which for the special benefit Of the
dwarfs she would let down, while
| they crowded round our tent in
speechless wonder. During our many
months stay we never had the least
difficulty with the forest tribes, some
Of whom employed as hunters. Oc-
casionally when away / would leave
my wife alone. She had learned a
little Of their language, and did ex-
cellent medical work among them. In
my absence she took charge of the
caravan, and was always treated with
the greatest respect by the people"
While on the banks of the Sassa
River, near Lake Albert Edward, Ma
jor Powell-Cotton saw very large
solitary male lion making his way
back to the jungle on the river banks
and cutting him of fired, wounding
the beast badly. Meantime the ami
NAL got into the brushwood, where
It was almost hidden, and an hour
and half later Major Powell-Cot-
ton, thinking the lion too badly
wounded to move. approached. ac-
scompanied by some Of his men, who
threw mud at the beast. The latter,
however. did not budges but on q
sandal and stick being hurled at
him. he rose, emitting loud roar,
and charged open-mouthed at Major
Powell Cotton, who was only q few
yards distant. The latter instantly
fred both barrels, but this failed to
stop the lion, and the explorer, on
turning to his bearer for another gun
found that he had bolted.
There being no time to reload, Ma
jor Powell Cotton hurled the gun in
to the lions face and TUNED to run.
AS he did 30 the wounded animal
sprang and, digging his claws In Ma
jor PoWell-Cotton back and legs.
bore him to the ground. The infuri-
ated lion; which it was subsequently
found had had his jaw smashed by
one Of the bullets, tore its victims
coat to shreds, and vainly endeavored
to raise his head and get at the eyes.
It then attempted to tear open the
abdomen, but, owing to folded copy
OF Punch which Major Cotton had IN
his pocket. the brute's claws were
unable to penetrate the flesh.
While Major Powell-C Cotton lay al
most crushed under the animal. one
Of the porters rushed at the lion and
hit him on the head with stick.
At the same time the Waganda
headsman. with great pluck, ran up
and slashed the. animal across the
eyes with = whip. This diverted the
beasts attention, and at,that moment
an Askari shot him dead. It was
then found that Major Powell Cotton
had received no less than seventeen
wounds. He. however. rode to the