The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-14
DUCHESS D'AOSTA
QUELLS AFRICAN
RIOT WITH rifle
Thrilling Incidents Are Re-
vealed in Diary of Sister
in-Law of Italian
King

The long awaited volume in which
the Duchess of Aosta promised to re-
late her experiences in the African
jungle at last has appeared, It is a
book which fully confirms her literary
tastes and accomplishments
The duchess opens with a touching
dedication to her two sons. Aimona
and Amedeo, both of whom are ate
tending the Royal Naval academy pre-
paratory to entering the Italian navy,
says a Rome dispatch to the Philas
delphia Ledger.
Il hope" writes the duchess. THAI
this win inspire you with love for
the things your mother loved, with
passion for the great forests where
only the great trees survive and the
/, weaker die: with respect for the great
untamed animals which dictate their
law to the inhabitants of the Jungle
and for the Ieagle which scars alons
above the clouds.
Il hope the book will teach you the
religion of beauty, courage and daring;
| to worship virgin nature which puri-
fies the soul and, freed from vulgar
tiles, carries it toward God, the Crea-
tor of all things"
The book is written in the form Of
a diary and records, day by day, the
most important and interesting events
of the three trips which the duchess
made TO Africa in order to arrest tho
progress of consumption which then
/ threatened her.
In the jungle the duchess heard tha
call of the wild and responded with all
| the enthusiasm she is capable Of and
| ended by loving with all her might tha
| life she was leading.
| From search for health. ths
duchess sojourn in Africa soon became
| PtR SbsA Il
| interest in the fauna and flora of the
| districts traVersed and in the customs,
religion and social life of the tribes
| with whom she came i'm contact Ths
| forests. rivers and desert the duchess
| describes with skill. The accounts OF
her Intercourse with the natives ara
| full of human interest. Here and thera
the book betrays the influence OF
! D'Annunzio, of whom the duchess Is a
great admirer
At Hoima. in Uganda, the duchess
was entertained at the court of the
| King of the Bongoros A most interests
| ing Incident of the reception was tho
! introduction to the duchess of the court
Duttoon. lie is a man who can tell
anything to the King. and follows him
everywhere. He blackens his already
black face wears a feather cap and
suit made from animals skins. and
| from a number of trumpets suspended.
| from his waist obtains the most absurd
sounds and initiates the cries of Wild
animals.
II never expected" comments tho
| duchess, ito find in the court of an
| African King, and In half civilized sur
roundings. this survival of our me.
diaeval courts"
The duchess travelled with only two
white companions, Captain Piscicelli,
her husbands aide-de camp. who head .
ed the party, and Miss Susan Hicks
: Bearch, daughter of Sir Michael Hicks
Beach. former British chancellor of tho
4 eXchequer. One evening, while Captain
Piscicelli was absent, the head of the
caravan wounded a negro porter who,
| backed by his friends, chased him into
the duchess tent. When the duchess
interfered the porter and his friends,
! greatly enra ged, threatened her anil
Miss Hicks Beach with knives and
axes, out only for a second.
| Presently her rifle, the duchess orr
dered them to retreat. and the riot was
queled The day after on returning
| to camp. Captain Piscicelli told the
| porters that the duchess had already
! killed hundreds of men, and hencefortn
| her reputation was made
| On April s. 1910, the diary records
| making lunches off of Hons steal,
which. the duchess writes. '1s no mean
diet and was prepared for us by Cap
| tain Piscicelli, who also killed thu
| lion"