Evening star., 1927-05-08
to an African Witch Doctors Challenge to Test of Magic

| Karuna had never heard of men
catching fish.
Well" said +. I'm show YOU"
This with scorn and pity.
| AS I rugged my line, l looked at
those fish again. I was sure--I was
certain. They were, beyond a doubt.
small electric cells. Then they could
be made to give these sulky savages
as fine a shock as / could imagine.
They would be my marvellous sign.
| I sent Hector for one of my kit
| bags. When he returned, 7 ordered
him to cut me a 6-foot pole. Then
| got to work. ran a stout iroR wire,
| of the sort l always carry as part
Of my camp equipment, right through
the hollow bamboo Then l tied two
Gisi pennies--these are thin 12-inch,
| iron strips-on the outside of the pole.
where the fisher would grasp the pole
to spear the 14-inch eel.
| / next drove an iron nail into the
bamboo, SO that it made a connection
| between the iron Gisi pennies on the
outside and the iron wire on the in
side. Now all l would need would be
a source of electricity to provide a
perfect connection-and a shock.
Those foot-long cells, blue in their
muddy water, would furnish this.
WlLH LOOK UP lHS
finished fish.pole. I grasped it below
the Gisi pennies. sent the end.
fitted with it's iron spear point, down
into the muddy water. Up it came,
on its end. a 12-inch. wriggling electric
fish. / felt a nervousness l did not
care to show. If these smaller fish
were really electric. as they seemed;
if they only would give out shock
enough--otherwise I would be in
rather a fix. But then, it was a
chance not to miss from overcautious-
ness. So held up my fish, proudly.
There" said I, 'so--a man goes
fishing
Hector dutifully translated. I
passed the pole to the witch-doctor.
He threw up his face laughing. Then
showed, was child's play. Woman's
business, this fish spearing. He
grasped tn. pole firmly over the Gisi
pennies. Into the water he plunged
it. Within a second It's point had
speared an eel.
But, as soon as the end hit the fish,
over rolled the witch-doctor, on to the
bank. Up into the air shot his legs.
Some mysterious power, some white
mans medicine, had done this thing.
came forward.
Bah" I was careful to grasp the
spear below. the iron, "bah!' I speared
another safely, then passed the spear
to the witch-doctor. TRY again" He
did, and went down, hard on his head.
The old chief led the rough laughter,
which spread among the black boys.
Above all, shrilled the mockery Of
Hector.
II tell him, master, you be big
witch-doctor, but he no believe. Now
he know"
Then, man after man came up, took
the spear, plunged it into the fish,
and rolled over, victim of an electric
shock. Finally took the pole again,
and repeated the process, unharmed.
On this finale, Chief Ansumana
grasped my arm.
"You be my witch doctor, all times!'
he said, generously. Your medicine,
it da be good"'
Hector explained that the chief was
offering to provide me with wives,
servants, and grasshopper stew, all
wished. would be his medicine
MANI" Regretfully, I declined, but my
stock was high on Conju. After that
the chief furnished me with all the
help needed.
Il I1lS IuOSt lHbCACS(AH6 CultOSlhys GhO
- electric fish, I first came upon
down in Venezuela. There they grow
full yard in length, and each es-
tancia-cattle farm-employes men to
keep the cattle streams clear of elec.
trio eels. Otherwise when the herds
| water, these eels bite the calves,
knocking them down from shock.
While their lungs fill with water, the
eels breakfast on fresh veal.
Come along with us" two cattle
hands at Burmeduz. East Venezuela,
had said to me when / was travelling
down there, hunting new grounds for
alligators. Our fish rods then all
looked alike. Mine, I later discovered.
| was followed. Within 1t was and old
iron gun barrel, with brass and iron
nails outside, seemingly for decora-
| ton.
/ speared slaty eel and was sent
down on the bank with a thud. The