Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1920-02-06
TELLS OF HUNTING
LIONS IN AFRICA
Emory ID. AIvord Writes Interestin0-
~ of Experiences in Dark
Continent

beloW are extracts from an inter-
esting letter received recently by G.
M. Brewster from Emory D. Alvord.
The letter was written from Gogoyo,
Portuguese East Africa.
Mrs. Alvord and l will be located
at st. Salinda, and our post office
address is Mt. Silinda, Melsetter
Dist, South Rhodesia, Africa. We
came here to Gogoyo, which is an
out station of the South Rhodesian
Mission, about 35 miles from Mt.
Silinda, for the purpose of studying
the native language under Rev. Dy-
sart, who is stationed here. We will
return to Silinda in January and will
take up the work for which l came
out here, l. Q. trying to teach the
native African something about agri-
culture. At present it looks to me
as If I have a real job ahead of me
for they seem to know very little
about the principles of crop culture.
As one man said, "Ndi no zia kurima,
ma ndi no zia kurgya" l know how to
dig, and I know how to eat in re-
ply to the question What do you
know" That is about all any of
them know
This surely is wild part of the
world. We are having excitement
of some kind nearly every day. Leo
pards come in broad daylight to kill
goats or carry off chickens. We are
meanwhile getting some lovely speci-
mems of leopard skins. Night before
last five lions came prowling around
and slept near one of the native huts
on the farm. Next morning two OF
the native boys took our guns and
the pack of dogs and accompanied by
several others with spears and bows
and arrows they went out to look for
them, for lion is very difficult
beast to corner in broad daylight es-
pecially when in the timber. (this
country is all timbered) so we did
not go out. We were just finishing
our noon meal when the girls went
rushing out of the kitchen shouting
"Mphondoro va fa'' The lion is dead.
We hurried out, and there came a
big crowd of the widest natives we
have yet seen. Some of them were
almost naked and others were draped
with skins from the waist They
had broken off branches of green
leaves and had them sticking out all
over their bodies. They came up
the path like a bunch of raving mani
acs, their spears and other weapons
bristling in the the sunlight The
leaders were chanting a barbaric lin
go and the others Joined in on about
every other line. When they reached
the house they formed a half circle
in front of us and two of them ex-
ecuted the widest dance I have ever
seen, bandishing their weapons to-
ward us threateningly / guess they
imagined we were the lions. The
women folks began to get frightened,
and | must admit that a few chills
went up my back and my knees shook
some. Mrs Dysart asked Mr. Dysart
if they were drunk.
After we got them cooled off lit
tie we learned that they had killed
a lion. Then we went down the hill
where they had left it to size it up.
It was a big male. the largest speci-
men any of us had ever seen. It
measured nine feet, ten inches from
nose to tip of tail. and had beauti-
full skin for a lion. The other lions
came prowling around again last
night and the boys were out again
today looking for them but did not
see them. They may hang around
for two or three days waiting for
the boss of the family before they
finally take themselves away. (Later,
Wednesday morning) the lions and
pack of hyenas passed right back
of our house last night. We heard
the hyenas and this morning saw the
fresh lion tracks
Later: November 10.
I thought that I would wait until
the "ndaa" (affair) of the lions Cas
the natives say was little more set
tied before finishing this letter, We'd
nesday afternoon old Chief Gogoyo
himself showed up with about 80 of
his men. He was on his way to
beer drink at a "kraal" off to the
north of us. He asked us what was
the matter with our God that ne let
the lions come to trouble us. The
fc4;rYad on nape fiye1