Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-12-20
Series Of Thrilling Adventures Of
American Mining Engineer.
Attacked by the Tsetse Fly, hordes Of
Mosquitoes and Cannibals-Ran
Into Herd Of HIppopotan,I; Man
Killed by Huge Gorilla.

New York.-With a story of series
Of thrilling adventures in the wllds Of
Africa. Robert Overton Taite. a min
ing engineer, IS years Of age, arrived
IN New York the other day on the
1-apland. He was on his way to his
home near Los Angeles. Cal.
Il sailed for South Africa some ten
months ago to prospect for gold In
hitherto unprospected regions" he
told the reporter. AT Cape Town I
met up with Gordon Campbell. .
hardy Scot Of my age. Campbell. I
learned, was a great hunter and had
penetrated many sections of the dark
continent. We agreed to strike out
with an expedition to the eastward Of
Cape Town. planning to cross the con.
tinent in our quest Of the yellow
metal.
Our troubles began to come thick
and fast after we reached Zanzibar.
in German East Africa. We struck
out for Lake Victoria Nyanza, where
we camped at a small town called
Kagehi. on the southern end Of the
lake.
The second night the camp was
aroused by a series Of nerve-racking
screams. to find that giant crocodiles
had slipped ashore and seized two Of
our negroes. One of these we man.
aged to rescue, but he was so terribly
mutilated that he died within two
hours.
After prospecting vainly for some
time in the Victoria Nyanza country
we set out for Stanley Falls, on the
Congo. Then came the tsetse fly and
hordes Of vicious mosquitoes. Beside
! these troubles we had camped exactly
on the equator, and suffered greatly
from heat.
Although we located some placer
gold that gave every indication Of
proving better all the time, we could
not stand the hardships and struck
out for Stanley Falls. There we built
raft and proceeded down the Congo.
For three weeks we floated through
a wild country, suffering indescribable
hardships.
"One day we ran into a fleet OF
nearly 100 hippopotami. They ragged
about the raft, believing tiercely, al
though they seemed to be frightened
and desired only to get away. In the
excitement the raft was overturned
and party and baggage hurled in
among the rampant beasts. Five ma
tives were drowned by being trampled
under the hoofs Of the hippos. Camp
bell. myself and three natives man.
aged to reach shore, but with no weap-
ons except two revolvers, hunting
knives and cartridge belts.
I'VE found ourselves in wild jun
gle, inhabited mainly by cannibals.
Then for three weeks we wandered
aimlessly about, lodging the clusters
of native huts and seeking what food
we could get by use of our revolvers
"All were weary and i'll and half
crazed from our terrible sufferings.
The only water we could find to drink
was brackish, and made all Of the
party i'll.
I'm the dead of one of those awful
nights screams awoke our half-stupid
senses In the grasp Of giant goril-
la was 'Obo,' one Of our men. The
captor was the largest animal Of its
kind | ever saw and must have been
more than seven feet tall.
"'Big Tim knife barred. sprang at
the gorilla The animal dropped his
victim and charged the oncoming saw.
age Big Tim struck again and again.
but to no avail He was crushed al
most to a pulp in the great arms OF
the monster and carried into the for
est We made no attempt to follow,
as all of US had had enough and Big
Tim already was beyond human aid,
the gorilla having broken his back
against his hairy knees"
Then came fight with cannibals,
thrilling escape and finally rescue
by party Of Belgian rubber hunters,
who conveyed the half-crazed adven-
turers to Leopoldville. From there
they were sent down the river to the
coast and thence to Cape Town.
Mr.. Taite asserts that after the
Christmas holidays he will return to
the field Of horrors with a stronger
party and a physician. Campbell. he
says, is awaiting him in Cape Town.