The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1910-08-03
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~ n TIE west coast OF Afrlca
scorpions and snakes are
everywher-in cre's shoes.
W IN ones bed At Lambarene
was writing some letters TO
send by native canoe TO the coast 10
/. catch the European steamer. was
Feated on the veranda CT the post.
Overhead was = Towering frangipani
tree. its blossoms beautiful and heavy
with perfume. Before me stretched
the ogowe river Natives passed in
their dug-out canoes. their paddles
hardly disturbing the surface OF The
water. Suddenly something snapped
over my heaa. was startled and
pushed back my chair. On the ground
crawling at my feet was cobra, one
Of the most venomous snakes in the
world! There is no antidote for its
sting. Ny servant had seen the
snake swing itself from the towering
tree and poise It's body ready TO
spring He quickly leaped for the
branch OF the tree on which the snake
was poised and snapped It on. The
snake was thrown violently TO the
ground and soon dispatched.
another time one Of my paddlers
was pushing my canoe out from the
hank. Suddenly he disappeared
When he reappeared he was minus
his leg from his knee down. A c.oc.
odile had bitten It OF.
It is an ordinary occurrence for a
leopard TO steal a native child from
a camp fire around which many adults
are smoking and talking
Wild animals can be guarded
against But there is no escape from
insects and vermin. They spell just
plain he'll for the white man Reaches
fly and are as ravenous as jackals
They eat ones clothing. and devour
even corlss OF bottles.
White ants are also exceedingly
voracIous. What looks AXE sturdy
fallen tree proves to be only mere
shell. II has been eaten out By white
ants.
The Driver ants are the scavengers
OF the jungle Unlike the white ants.
they eat only fatty matter had
brood after brood OF wild chickens
eaten by these tiny insects. They
have been known TO sting TO death
both natives and white men. and to
pick their bones as clean as any vul-
ture or jackal. Woe TO the man who
awakens not at their first sting. he
never wakens again.
These ants travel IN colonies
amounting TO millions. II takes days
for a colony 10 pass q given point.
They travel very quickly and always
have an objective point. They have
generals. captains and guards. and
their march is bus!nessIike and in.
negligent They dig bitches and build
I bridges and tunnels. They make
straight for their goal-a dead animal
some palm oil nuts. a chicken house.
or sleeping human beings. Ever time
they entered my bungalow ! had 70
move out, for they never leave unit
they deYour every bit OF fatty matter
Their sting is frightful. but after they
have gone the house or parts OF the
jungle visited by them IS thoroughly
and saultarily cleansed.
Dangerous as they are 70 men and
animals, they have their uses. There
is only one effective way TO fight them
and TO turn them aside. That IS. by
fire. Their line OF march is broken
up by torches OF flaming bamboo. The
work Is tedious. The little red.5gown
creatures turn away heller skelter.
only 10 line up and resume their
march as though nothing had hap
pened. They return again and again,
and unless the FIRE Is there TO check
them they succeed IN making their in.
tended raid.
There is chance OF recovery from
malaria. blackwater fever, smallpox
and even leprosy. but IN the districts
infested with the tsetse fy. once inoc-
ulated with the germs OF sleep sick
ness. there is no cure.
A horrid thing. ! have seen natives
lie blinking in the torrid sun. eaten
almost alive with insects and hungry.
but they haven't the energy to move
out OF the sun. TO chase away the IN
sects or TO reach out or ask for food
With eyes sinking deeper day by day
into their sockets, with flesh disap-
pearing and bones appearing. they
simply fade into eternity.
Although every government with
possessions IN Africa has sent out
eminent bacteriologtsts TO Try TO learn
something Of this dreadful maiady,
yet very little has been learned, ex-
eept that It is absolutely fatal and
that q -