The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-25
Col. Roosevelt Treks in a Water
less Country.
Most of the Marching Was Done
at Night.
4 WHITE MANS LAND.
Distinguished Hunter Says This
of East Africa.
Believe Black Men Should Be
Treated Well.

New York. Feb. 25-Colonel Roose-
velt's sixth article on his African hunt,
which appears in the March Scribner,
is entitled 'STreking Through the
Thirst to the Sotik.'' 1t is an entire
change of scene and interest from the
preceding narratives. The educational
value of these articles in reproducing
the life of Africa is attracting wide
attention. The life of the pioneer is
pictured in his African narrative just
as in '"The Winning of the West and
other of his books Mr.. Roosevelt SO
faithfully interpreted our own early
days In this current article he shows
the work that Is being accomplished
by the French Catholic and Ameri-
can industrial missions. MANY parts
| of East Africa" he says, 81 believe will
be made into white mans country
! and the process will be helped, not
hindered, by treating the black man
we'll" The trek across the Thirst, as
any waterless country in Africa is apt
to be called, is a picturesque Journey.
The porters on this occasion were
helped out with OK wagons. Among
the animals hunted were the topi and
the eland.
A Night March.
A march during the night time is
graphically described by Colonel
Roosevelt, in part, as follows:
| Slowly the shadows lengthened the
light waned. the glare of the white,
dusty plain was softened, and the bold
outlines of the distant mountain grew
dim. Just before nightfall we halted
on the further side of dry, water
course. The Safari came up singing
and whistling, and the men put down
| their loads, lit fires, and with chat
ter and laughter prepared their food.
| The crossing was not good, the sides
of the watercourse being steep; and
each wagon was brought through by
a double span, the whips cracking lust
| lily as an accompaniment to the shouts
of the drivers, as the thirty oxen threw
their weight into the yokes by which
they were attached to the lok trek
tow. The horses were fed We had
+ tea, with bread and cold meat-and
most delicious meal it was-and then
| lay doing or talking beside the bush
fires. At half-past eight, the moon
having risen, We were off again. The
safari was still in high spirits, and
started with the usual chanting and
drumming.
We pushed steadily onward across
the plain, the dust rising in clouds un-
der the spectral moonlight. Some
times we rode, sometimes we walked
to ease our horses. The Southern
Cross was directly ahead, not far above
the horizon. Higher and higher rose
the moon, and brighter the flood of
her light. At intervals the barking call
of zebras was heard on either hand 1t
was after midnight when we again
| halted. The porters were tired, and
did not sing as they came up; the air
was cool, almost nipping, and they at
once huddled down in their blankets,
some of them building fires. We, the
white men, after seeing our horses
| staked out, each lay down in his over
coat or jacket and slicker, with. his
head on his saddle, and his rifle be-
fNnrn
hours sleep. At three we We're off
again, the shivering porters making no
sound as they started; but once under
way the more irrepressible spirits
speedily began q kind of intermittent
chant, and most of the rest by degrees
joined in the occasional grunt or hum
that served as a chorus.
For four hours we travelled stead
lily, first through the moonlight, and
then through the reddening dawn.
walled and scolded as they circled
round us.
An Audience of Wild Game.
The profusion of wild animals in East
Africa is shown clearly by the following
excerpt from this sixth installment of
Mr. Roosevelts interesting story:
i I could not help laughing at finding
that we were the center of a thorough
ly African circle OF deeply interested
spectators. We were in the middle of a
vast plain. covered with SO0-ScOrcn6u
grass and here end there stunted
thorn; in the background We're isolated
barren hills, and the mirage wavered
in the distance. Vultures wheeled over
head. The rhiao. less than half mile
away, stared steadily at US. Wildebeest
their heavy foreQuarters and the car
rage Of their heads making them look
like bison-and hartebeeSt were some
what nearer, in ring all round US in
tent upon our proceedings. Four top
! became SO much interested that they
approached within $50 yards and stood
motionless. A buck tommy came ever
closer. and a zet ra trotted by at about
the same distance. uttering its queer
bark or neigh. it continued its COURSE
, past the rhino. and started 4 new trair
If ideas in the latters mudGled reptil-
ian brain; round it wheeled, gaZed after
: the zebra. and then evidently conclud-
cd tina. everything was normal, for i
lay down to sleep
On We went past a wildebeest hero
lying down; at q distance they looked
. exactly like bison as they used to liz
cut on the prairie in the old days. We
halted for an hour and a half to res
, the men and horses. and took our luncf
, under q thick-trunked olive tree tha
must have been a couple of centurie:
! cid. Again we went on, ever scanning
| through tie glasses every distant objec
which we thought might possibly be
lion and ever being disappointed. !
serval-cat jumped up ahead OF US il
the tall grass. but 1 missed it. Then
trotting on foot. 1 get ahead of tw'
warthog boars. and killed tine biggest
making a bad initial miss and theI
! eTnptying my magazine at it as it ran
Il We sent 1t in to camp. and went on
I following a donga. or small watercourse
4 fringed with big acaciaS. The after
= noon was wearing away. and it wa
y time for lions to be abroad