Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-25


they pursued the lion with spears and shields
and finally ran him to bay and to the finish
he secured the first motion picture of this his
toric contest between naked savages and the
king Of beasts.
Believing in Martin Johnson's ability as q
camera man, in his eagerness to seek out and
photograph primitive tribes and peaceful wild
animals in their African home, in his earnest
desire to disseminate natural history fact
through motion pictures, Carl had been largely
instrumental in securing for johnson the rec
ignition and the backing of the American MIL
scum of Natural History. Carl now wished to
assist Johnson in Tanganyika in this attempt
TO secure for the American Museum a more
complete and wholly truthful record of this
battle which he had often described as the
most vivid drama in all Africa.
1t was therefore arranged that Carl should
work one motion picture camera while johnson
worked the other Carl accordingly removed
the sun canopy fom his motor truck and put
in q permanent base for his motion picture
camera. It was decided that I should drive 1t
for my husband in the lion spearing show.
The show was both spectacular and affect
ing. For 10 days we trained our cameras on
this ceremony which to white man and native
alike was wholly serious.
When the hunt first begins, the Lumbwa, with
their Apollolike bronze bodies shining with oil,
with headdresses of black and white ostrich
plumes, with Enthusiastically decorated buffalo
hide or cowhide shields and with long FURNISHED
spears, engage in fine parade. Next they
form in a circle and their head man, the leader
in the hunt, exhorts Them preparing them for
the grave ordeal. They answer together with
a movement of spears toward their leader, now
standing in the center Of the circle with arms
uplifted to the heavens. They pray to their
god Mungo, "In-the- Sky" Their exhortation
in this crisis is the same as for any war
danger-the same supplication when once they
warred with the Nasal still their enemies.
grass so help us now" they pray.
When their prayer is finished they march
directly to the donga in which the lion is
concealed. Every man knows his place. The
chief details the men for the advance guard,
those who will first face the lion. IF the lion
is not there and the evidence is that he is not
close at hand, bugle sounds retreat and they
begin the hunt farther on in q more promising
spot. The quickest and most accurate man
casts the first spear; the others follow with
lightning speed. The lion is dead. The war
riors bound and leap about the fallen king
of beasts While one man blows a bugle, made
of the horn of cow and waterbuck, they chant
the death chant of the Nandi, "Okuri! Okuri!"
(He is dead! He is dead!') They chant loud
and long, with unmistakable ecstasy In transport
at their achievement
With such an exciting drama constantly be-
fore us our job Of photographing presented q
maximum Of interest For our protection, Carls
old gun boy BILL In the back of the lorry, was
always ready with one Of the elephant guns.
Carl kept the other by his side while he operated
the camera.
ONE day lion had been wounded. He had
charged past us carrying one spear in his
head. He was very angry and dangerous. He
dropped into ambush in deep hole in the
donga In a place which the Lumbwa found inn
possible or undesirable to enter with their
spears. There was long parley The spear
unoy Wera Observation-Disclosures md
Doubtless it seemed TO them as 1t would to any
one knowing the ferocity Of q wounded lion, q
great hazard. Then Philip Percival stepped
out of Mr.. -sastman's car and walked quickly
Lumbwa that indescribable. long drawn groan-
ing sighi Then Percival came back to US. He
looked at us. His blue eyes were shining, cleo
trio. Then in his cool low voice:
81 was tired of having that beast suffer; but
don't tell the Missis!" and he walked uncon-
cernedly back to Mr.. Eastman's car. Such
sheer bravery when a demanding occasion
arises Is one of Percival's myriad enviable
qualities which have made him one of the best
loved and most profoundly respected men In
all Africa.
Five spirit-stirring days quickly followed.
Then the wildebeest began to travel out Of the
valley seeking better pastures. We next moved
north to Smsonis camp whittier they had mi
grated and from which we continued out mo-
ton picture photography for nine days more.
The lions were there in Sufficient numbers and
both cameras were successful.
Ever since I had first talked to Bill In our
Lukenia camp he had announced more or less
frequently that he wanted "Memsahib to get
q lion In Tanganyika," the country he knew
well, and now that we were actually there he
often mentioned casually that he knew a valley
where there were "Simba mingi sana" Every
many lions) and that he thought no one had
ever shot there.
Shortly after dawn we started for bills
country" The indescribable blue of the morn
ing sky was streaked with rose: the whistling