The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1912-11-07
WOMAN IN JUNGLE
Mrs. Kerr Has Spent Many Years
in South America.
No Fear Of Hostile Natives-Has Col.
lection Of Many Specimens of Rare
Tropical Birds and Animals for
.>MAseums and Exhibits.

New York.-A woman must have
two qualities to be successful natu-
ralist, writes a woman who knows
what she is talking about, for she tells
In the Housekeeper an extraordinary
tale of feminine adventure. She must
love nature and she must be without
fear.
Il can narrow my eyes along the
steel-blue barrel of gun. l can look
without fear into the sullen face of
hostile native. Yet, also, these same
eyes of mine bring me message of
pleasure when gorgeous winged but
terf1y fits across the still dark tangle
Of vines and creepers.
My own countrymen who have
come down to this South American
coast have said to me: Mrs. Kerr,
you must be the bravest woman in the
world
Il do not know. There are the
Mathilde Moisants firt with
death in the Clouds There are the
Annie Pecks-tliey court it over the
edge Of an abyss. But my work in
the jungles Of South America, collect
ing rare tropical birds for museums
and private collectors, certainly does
bring me face to face with many vari-
eties Of danger every day.
II never know which one of my enc
mics will claim me-savage beasts, al
ligators, hostile natives, possibly
starvation, or the pestilent fever which
reaches out greedy fingers from the
dark swamps. Often see no human
being for three weeks at a time. Yet
am not afraid. And I love the jun
gle.
My wants are simple-a gun, some
poison, and any old thing to eat
wear boomers, long shooting jacket
with pockets everywhere, and rub
Der hat to protect me from the trop-
ical rains, which sometimes amount
almost to cloudbursts.- My outfit con-
sists of small light bake oven, coffee
pot, pot for boiling, tent, fold;
Ing cot, and mosquito netting.
Sometimes l can get natives to
help me, but often l am compelled to
carry my outfit, for the Atrato negro
rs very superstitious. He believes In
evil spirits, is afraid of tigers and al
ligators, and no money could hire him
to sleep In places where often spend
weeks alone.
Sometimes when there are savage
beasts about climb into the treetops
and spend the night with the monkeys
for companions. One thing with which
have had to contend in this country
is the hatred of the natives for all
| Americans.
Il start out with my gun over my
shoulder from the quaint old city of
Cartagena, where l make my head
quarters between hunting trips, take
the old road leading out from the
city into the wilderness, and paddle
up the Atrato river to where have a
little house built up on poles like the
other native huts. For the Atrato
river overdows it's banks here for hun.
dreds of miles, and as in Venice, we
have to do most of our travelling by
canoe.
AS l push upstream in my little
| So1oo pdot gorgeous IOWeTlnS vines
which | know enough to leave alone
for death turks in their glossy folds
under great gloomy overhanging
trees, with immense vines trailing
down to the water, strange bird flies
into the branches of tree ahead OF
me. paddle softly with my gaze
fixed on the branches Of the tree. The
boat runs ashore.
There is a sudden splash, terrific
blow over the bow of the canoe which
almost shivers it to pieces, and my
gaze is suddenly brought down fSom
the bird to big alligator which has
been asleep on the shore and which
did not notice. The alligator plunges
into deep water and am left lament
ing because the bird has taken fright
and flown away.
II don't mount the birds. | make
what are In museum parlance called
skins. The rarest bird find in Co
lombfa and the most difficult to se
cure is the jabiru (Mycteria Ameri
canal, five feet tall, with spread Of
wings of 100 inches, snowy, satiny
white, with band of crimson wattles
about the neck. He is the most diff
cult of all birds to stalk, showing al
most human intelligence in his self-de
tense.