Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-07

seeds. He had planted fruit trees else
where In Africa, but they had witnered.
He relied upon the falls spray to water
this garden and to make 1t the parent
of all the gardens which may yet be IN
this new country" but feared the raw
ages of the hippopotamus. whose 1ooi-
prints were seen on the island; In ms
second visit to the falls. In 1850. ne re-
planted this garden. which had been de-
stroyed by hippopotami. but Wl!nou'
much hope. His forebodings We're 1usti-
fed by the reports of Baines uS62) ana
GIyn uSssO who found no traces of the
garden.
Livingstone did not give his own name
to this island. 1t was first called Garden
Island. but later appropriately a reeei'eo
the name of the great explorer.
| Having studied the Zambesi in rail-, ano
| in the Zigzag gorge below the falls. one
may with benefit. for the purpose OF full
| appreciation of the contrast between the
upper and lower river, go canoeing on the
Zambesi above the falls. The favorite eX-
cursion Is to kandahar Island. seven
miles up the river. an all-day trip Inc
start is made from boat landing on the
west bank above Devils Cascade. our
canoe was padded by four bare headed
| and bare-legged Africans 1.-TWO of them
| shirtless and bare-backed. in additonl.
while fifth steered with paddle. The
| trip was enjoyable. The upper Zambesi
| Is fine broad stream. dotted with many
| islands, large and small, all covered or
4
tropical trees and bushes Of the under
/ growth Occasionally We crossed shoals
and slight rapids. but the general effe
of the trip Is to give an idea of the
water. Only a few of the multitude of
| attractive islands which We noted have
names. We skirted Loando. the larg-
/ est of the islands. going up on the west
| side and returning on the east side. where
| we landed to inspect fifty or sixty choice
English bulls which the government has
| brought here to be utilized in improv nS
! the quality of Rhodesan stock of cattle.
| Beyond Loando, on the eastern bank OF
| the Zambesi We caught glimpses of the
i mission houses, mission" Climax
/ windmill. and the boys" working in the
/ mission fields or gardens !.
Hippopotami at Kandahar Island.
while lunch was being prepared, collect
ed red beans, long seed-pods and strange
fruits and leaves, admired the wonder
| full variety of palms and curious trees
and creepers, and finally had the unusual
and unexpected experience of seeing two
or three hippopotami for long time as
i they were feeding or playing in the river
near the island
| Our attention was first attracted by
loud snorting in the bushes. it seemed. at
/ the rivers edge. After a period OF
| breathless suspense and careful scrutiny
| we saw the head and broad back of a
| hippo rise out of the water and then,
snorting, he sank again. This perform
/ ance was repeated many times, and final
| ly we discovered that there We're certain
| ly at least two hippopotami and some OF
| our party thought they saw three.
There are only a few OF the h.ppo-
| potami in the upper Zambesi near the
| falls, and 1t is very rarely that these lew
permit themselves to be seen. Iney nave
| been fired at killed or driven away and
Stx
vived and rema ned.
This was my only thoroughly satisfac-
| tory experience SO fla as observation Oh
the wild animals of the tropics Is con-
cerned. Thomas Baines killed rhinoce-
ros and was attacked by a multitude OF
buffaloes in the Rain Forest on the occa-
sion of his visit here in 1862, and from
the various reports the neighoorhood was
favorite feeding and drinking place OF
| tropical beasts ard birds. But too many
men, and especially too many white men
and to crown all the coming OF the ran
road. have frightened most OF the AMI
E. mails away. I saw scores of small tree
monkeys swinging from limb to limb; a
procession of great baboons outlined
against the sky on the preclplce euse'
crocodiles that looked like logs or logs
that suggested crocodiles on the lamoe
sis banks; many strange wild birds, ana
a snake or two. but nothing else OF IN
terest and importance until the nippos
put in their unexpected appearance
In returning from the kandanar lsianu
trip inspected a group of baobab trees
near the hotel farm includinS the so-cali-
ed big tree: The baobab is much In evi-
dence in Rhodesia. 1t has done damage
among the ancient ruins breaking down
walls and overturning monoiiths, altar
platforms and other structures Since II
is a slow-growing tree. requiring centu-
ries TO attain maturity and living IN
some instances to be over thousano
wears old, its presence in run CROWN III
certain relations to these runs Is one o.
the strongest evidences of their great an
tiuuity. One comes across the baoDap
not only in connection with the runs
but with the natural wonders OF Rhodesia
Ike the Victoria Falls.
The baobab, like certain pet dogs is at
tractiye only from it's ugliness 1t IS
SQUAT and swollen and distorted, as II
noisoned or dropsical 1t lacks foliage
and grace of form. 1t lacks everything
that makes the tree thing OF beauty.
From q short trunk OF vast clrcumIerence
snrinp short and swollen branches with
out symmetry, suggesting the Welruest
and most grotesque trees which Dore's
Imagination has ever pictured.
A Famous Big Tree.
The famous baobab big tree Of the Vic
toria Falls group is S8 feet and . inches
in circumference Its appearance sue-
gests that it is two or three paooaDs
which have sprung up together ana so
merged that they are now indistinguish-
able. The indication is OF case OF
S.amese twins or triplets in trees.
/ have wanted to see the giant pao-
babs'' of Africa since in connecuon WIFI
a visit to Militia. Mexico, ana the greas
tree of Tule near these ruins. l READ
Humboldt's reference to these baobabs In
a comparison of them with the luie
giant. 154 feet in circumference.