The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-16
= Thomas Samson Miller

"a Z L. ROOSEVELT, we recently
read, was preparing to hunt in
Africa. This preparation was a
matter Of considerable concern
and excitement. By the time the camp
was complete it required something like
eco natives TO transport it through
Jungle and over desert. In contrast I
an reminded OF a pair of 40 pound
tusl-s (which Fan boy brought to me
lwhen ] was in charge OF a trading
coz, pound on the Niger. In voluble,
gosticulating mixture of native and
English he told me how he had, single
handed, trailed his quarry with no
better defense from attack by the
wild animals OF the jungle than the
primitive flint headed arrows of the
stone age.
His story was a compound OF ma
tive superstitions and fear of the In
known; but what was most remark
able was his fearlessness of the jungle
animals and his total ignorance Of
having accomplished anything out of
the ordinary. And the strenuous labor
Of his hunt was entailed by his covet-
BUSINESS Of a second hand uniform Of
an officer OF the Life Guards which had
been bought at some London bankrupt
sale and shipped out as an object likely
20 take the fancy OF some native chief.
For several months 1t had hung con-
epicuously in the bartef store, its sill
Yer breastplate and furnished gold
rusting in the jungle mists. 1 won't
puzzle you with his impossible story,
but Will interpret il as he meant it to
be understood and as II actually hap
pened.
The trading station abutted on a
native village on the jungle's edge
g cluster OF grass matched huts Slip
ping down the bank Of the Niger. Often
did Ogowanna spend idle hours in the
trading compound, watching the bar
tering when canoe loads OF rubber,
ebony and palm oil came In, for the
salt, cloth, beads, trinkets, mirrors, har-
monicas and other goods carefully cal
culated to excite barbarian cupidity.
The sight gave him the desire to har-
vest the natural resources OF his coun-
try and take them to the white man,
who would exchange them for poma-
tum that smelled unto the skies, soap
that was soft and delicious to the skin,
and black bottles of trade gin. Thus
st was that Ogowanna came to set his
heart on the Life Guard uniform But
he had no women to send out to gather
rubber. or chop ebony or work in the
white mans compound for the barter
slips which were exchangeable for
value at the big store. He grew. in
the childish way of savages, very de-
Epondent. He was clever at acquiring
property in only one way, and that way
was thievery. But the coat was toe
bulky to get safely away. He schemed
abortively and mooned around many
days. Then one day a canoe came in
with ivory. Ogowanna lounged over
as usual, to hear the barter palaver'
and to offer gratuitous advice. but was
staggered into open mouthed astonish-
ment to see the value the white man
placed on the ivory. Here was q means
to the coat. He ran back to his hut
routed out his arrows and selected the
six best The heads were barbed and
double barbed, and more cruelty ten
acious than the cunningest of fish
hooks He slung an ugly knife and q
gourd on a goat string over his Shout
der, slipped a kola nut into the folds OF
his Ioin cloth and left the hut for the
abode OF the witch doctor.
He groveled into the wizards hut or
all tours, with much the same awe and
fear as a simple RUDE might display or