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Lea diagrammes suivants illustrent la mtthoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) ^ APPLIED irvMGE I ^^^ i653 East Moin Fireet SVS Rochester, New York 1461') USA ^5 (716) 482- OJOO- Phone ^S (716) 288- 5989 -Fax ( E> IHu A h ShoIi lU SEA '"- T '^ -^-^-^ '^ ^D LANI> AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY The mum m Mm Tilings of Natnre EiistiDg More •6 anil since tlie Delnge. EMBODYING DESCRIPTIONS OF THE MIGHTV wnr>, r. «r. BEING A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SEA. Illutfrated by Stirring Adventurat with Whalet D 'i c- INCLUDING A HISTORY OF THE WORLD ASHORE. THE SURPRl^Fc; tmat aoc ^ IN ALL THE REGIONS OF THE EARTH IN tLp 1,k,oI ^° ^^ ^^ ^'TH ANI>4AL IN ha( Ks ok THK ANOKIJ) Th«ir Customs. Habits. Ferocity and Curious Ways. Anthor of "The World'a Wonde^a," "Heroes of the Plaina." "Exile lilfe in % Siberia," eto.,eto. SUPERB EMBLEMATIC COLORED PLATES. - SOLD BY SUBSC^PTiojf ^oj^LY. Published bv 'X. S. ROBERTSON & BROS. TORONTO, ONT. ^50 Copyright, 1887, by J. W. Buek, INTRODUCTORY. Q * JHE work of preparing the following pages has beP„ ' ^P->-ly pleasant one, prompted TitwaT by passionate love for the wnnrlo^A i • « "j' a valuable stn::;L"r:tinrr;hrtt"r^'' '^-^ 1^^. cm, those th^ings w'hieh a'^Testllr TZ pir tZ toineitead:rintot:x^:j:,:rbr<' r' "'^<'' ed with the evolutions in nalre Id 2 ' '""'"""'■ with which we are lea« f , ™"""' 'P'"'*^^ o'' "f« Hi,tor. r ? ""''"' 'o "''*" ""> «t»dy of Katural 2 SEA AND LAND. Standing and appreciation of, the mysterious and infinite wisdom of nature's God. Though I have been somewhat of a traveler, my own observa- tions find place in comparatively few of the following pages, having confined myself principally to discoveries made by more noted investigators. In so doing I have simred nothing to become familiar with the works of the greatest travelers and scientists, and to glean from them their most valuable and inter- esting revelations, by which we are brought into familiar acquaint- anceship with every portion of the globe, and the wonderfully divejsified vegetable and animal life thereon. To attain this end more perfectly, I have consulted more than a thousand standard books of Natural History, and have carefully endeavored to trans- fer the best thought of each to this work ; to these several good authors I therefore desire to extend my acknowledgments, and to give them the larger credit, reserving to myself only whatever merit I may deserve for gathering their ideas and discoveries from out so large a library and condensing them into a single book, to which I have given the comprehensive title, " Sea and Land." J. W. B. •*': finite wisdom own observa- lowing pages, lade by more 1 nothing to travelers and •le and inter- liar acquaint- ! wonderfully ttain this end jand standard Dred to trans- several good tnents, and to nly whatever d discoveries into a single 3, "Sea and J. W. B. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. EMBLEMATIC Page. FRONT- COLORED ISPIECK. Illustrating the Solar Lunar Tides........ 18 Tidal Inundations on the Danish Coast.. Vessel in a Storm at Sea {after£>ore).'.. The Terrible Water-Spout The Luminous Sea Fishes of the Silurian Age '. . Early Man Contending with the Plesio' saurus • The Flying Pterodactyl .. ^ ..', f^ The Teleosaurus -g The Great Turtle. ' * " *.*.*. ... *. \ Combat Between the Ichthyosaurus and Plesiosaurus ^. Monsters of the Kansas Plains in Their Last Struggles >g Neptune's Cup '..,.. 47 Sponge Gathering in the Mediterranean.. 51 Architectural Wonders of the Coral- Worm 53 Birth of the Coral- Worm 21 23 25 30 32 34 42 Adventure with Page. 100 54 Island Built by Coral-Worms 57 The Taredo, or Ship -Worm Lieutenant Lamont's Devil-Fish The Angler, or Frog-Fish .... Stomias Boa, or Serpent- Fish ,03 The Angel, or Monk-Fish '. .".'. *. ' 105 The Pegasus Dragon !*!!.*.* .106 TKe Sea-Horse \\ *."**,q- The Beautiful and Curious ."...!!!! 109 Romans Watching the Expiring Throes of a Mullet Fishing for Electrical Eels by the Aid of Horsts. The Sting-Ray ••....... ....*!!*.*i,6 The Portuguese Man-of- War !*..'..**. 1 18 The Stinging Sea-Nettle Stickleback in its Nest ...*^ The Archer-Fish Queer Fishes of the Mediterranean The Jumping-Fish of Borneo ,,, The Walking-Fish ['^^ 131 .120 .131 .123 .125 The Land-Traveling Perch.. The Climbing-Perch. Cocoanut-Ea.j;g Tn^bs ::: ^ Sea Gryphon (an old print) V^^ - • ■ " - ^^ ! £oo''>ng a Dinner on Leviathan's Back. . . 143 146 a Whale.. 148 The Japanese Spider-Crab Crab Lifting a Goat 1 The Nautilus, in three positions *. 68 A Giant Rock-Squid y. Frightful Adventure with an Octopus 74 The Kraken Sinking a Ship 75 The Giant Cuttle-Fish, as seen from the Ship Alecton »_ Attack on the Great Cuttle-Fish ., 81 Battle with an Octopus. 3, Mangin's Sea-Serpent (from an old print). 86 The Sea-Serpent of Ancient Legend 89 Sea-Serpent of Hans Egidius 9, Gigantic Sea- Weed Resembling a Serpent 96 The Sperm Whale Smashing of the Ship Essex by _ . . „„.^ A Whale-boat Knocked Skyward....".".. ^53 The Right, or Greenland Whale ' ' 1 r6 Pursuing a Whale |',gQ An Exciting Pursuit .".'.*!.'.* i6s Sounding. -^ Cutting up a Whale .' .* '. .".'.' *. * '. '. " * " J!^ The White, or Basking Shark. ...."...'..'.'170 Shark Fishing jj' Boy Bitten in Twain by a Shark. .... .'.'.*.' 19a Courageous Attack on a Shark 194 Excitement of Shark Fishing ,','107 The Hammer-Head Shark ! ! 199 SEA AND LAND. Page. The Great Pilgrim Shark 201 The Kemora, or Sucker- Fish 204 Sicilians Hunting the Sword- Fiih.. 207 Ferocioua Attack of Sword-Fiih 209 H ipooninga Swjnl-Fish 211 Sword -Fish Stabbing a Tunny 213 Savage Battle With a Sword Fish 215 The Sailor Sword Fish 217 The Saw- Fish jio Terrible Fight With a Saw-Fish ...221 A Friendly Visitor jj, Capt. Paul Boynton Attacked by a Dug „^'«'' 225 Perilous Position of two Hoys 227 Russian Mode of Capturing the Sturgeon.229 Page, Swift- Winged Frigate Bird ,,6 The Phantom Ship ."322 Fabled Mermaid and Merman -'...iJS The Ancient Mariner, (after Dore)...." in 343 The Dolphin Apollo Riding the Fabled Dolphin 232 Eyed Pteraclis The Coryphene The Manatns at Home The Beautiful Crested Seal Seal and Walrus Hunting in the Froz Sea Seal Rocks off San Francisco Walrus, Sea-Lion and Seals A Battle with Walruses Esquimau Walrus Hunter The Monster Sea-Elephant 259 The Trumpet Seal ......261 The Polar Bear in His Chosen Haunt .... 263 Hunter Mangled by a Polar Bear 266 231 •234 23s •237 239 I 242 244 252 256 257 •345 •347 •349 •35' •353 •355 ■357 359 361 .363 365 367 369 371 373 EMBLEMATIC COLORED PLATE .. Pan-Kou Che, the Chinese Deity 376 Thor, the Scandinavian Creator. ^78 Labyrinthodon, Restored ^go Megalosaurus and'iguanodon 382 The Ramphorynchus ,84 ,38s 389 Dragon, of Ancient Belief. The Hadrosaur and mals Contemporary Ani The Monster Dinotheria Qq, pX Rrr'^Tw "[ ' T^u"""' "^^ ^^^'■'"' ^^""^ ^"d "» Surroundings.'.".;;. ,0! Polar Bear and Walrus Fightmg 268 The Megatherium... Ill NorwhalFishinguff Greenland 271 Whale Attacked by a Norwhal 272 Gavial Crocodile of the Ganges 274 Scene on the Margin of Bolgodde Lake.. 277 Woman Carried off by a Crocodile 280 Scene on the Upper Nile 281 Manner of Hunting the Crocodi e by Ben- 395 go Natives . 289 Battle Between a Crocodile and Tiger... .293 Missionary Seized 1/ an Alligator .,296 Fight Between a Bear and Alligator ...... 298 Catching a Sleeping Turtle in the Mozam- „^'q"« 3-0 Home of the Lcather-B.ick Turtle 302 The Snapping, or Tiger-Turtle ! .* 304 The Gor-'ou and Its Nest Village .... \o6 The Crested Grebe " The Serpent Bird . The Wandering Albatross •309 •309 •314 The Mammoth and ContemporaryAnimals 397 The Mammoth During the Age of Man. ..399 Forest of the Carboniferous Period .400 The Great Woolly Rhinoce« os 402 Ancient Animals of the Thames, 404 The Hand Animal .^^ The Dinornis, or Terrible Bird 407 Comparative Size of Eggs 408 The Wingless Bird of New Zealand 409 Primeval Man Battling with the Cave Bear. 41 1 Imaginary Scene of the Biblical Deluge.. 413 Funeral Feast in the Great Bear Period.. .415 Feast During the Reindeer Period 417 A Family of the Stone Age 419 The Earliest Manufactory of Flints 422 Man of the Reindeer Period 424 A Giaiial Deluge 427 Fimeial Ceremony During the Reindeer ^Poch 429 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Page. '^ 316 322 ■"""»" 3i3 her Dore) 341 " 343 " 345 " 347 11 J49 ' 35^ 353 : ^« 357 ' 359 ' 361 ' 363 365 367 369 371 373 2D PLATE i5"ty 376 'ator. 378 380 on 382 384 385 smporary Ani 389 391 ""things 393 395 oraryAnimals 397 ge of Man... 399 Period 400 OS. . . k 402 nes, 404 405 rd 407 408 ealand 409 bCave Bear. 411 cal Deluge.. 413 ;ar Period... 41 5 eriod 417 419 Flints 422 424 427 he Reindeer 429 Page. Animals Not Destructible by Fire 434 Great Lantern Fly ,5 Calosoma Pursuing a Bombardier 437 An Army of Ants on the March 440 Ant Milking its Cow 4.2 Carpenter Bee and its Chambers 445 The Diving Bell Spider 447 Pit of the Ant Lion 44,^ The Tarantula .r2 Chicken Spider Killing a Humming Bird. 454 Bread Fruit Tree. . . . , 450 The Weepini,' Tree.. 46, The Wine Tree .'...463 Manna, or Sugar-Tree 4^4 Wax Palm of the Ancles 466 Exiracting Milk from the Cow-Tree 469 The Upas Tree of Java 472 Venus Fly-Trap ...'.'474 The Ya-te-veo, or Man-Fating Plant 476 Chapel 0.1k in Normandy 473 Gigantic Baobab .^ Chestnut Tree of a Hundred Horses 482 Gutta-Percha Tree. 486 The Interrupted Feast 480 Battleof the Monarchs 40, A Criminal Eaten by a Lion "495 Method of Hunting the Lion in Northern Africa ^„„ • •'• 499 Savage Satisfaction Exhibited by a Tiger. 502 Gerard's Adventure with a Wounded Lion ^ The Lion Carrying Oflf Poor Hendric .... .512 A Hair-breadlh Escape ,-,5 A Disastrous Fight ...ziS Mr.lCaldwin's Marvelous Escape......".' ^20 A Broadside Shot ' .^^ Wonderful Tenacity of Life i'n'a Liones's.' '. 524 How the Lion Seizes a Buffalo 526 A Sheik's Brave Defense of His Followers 528 A Tourist's Fortunate Escape from a Tiger 5 -2 Combat Between the Jungle Monarchs.. .534 T'ger Hunting, by Night, in India 538 Hist 1 The Tiger is Approaching 540 Ghoorka Hunter Killing a Tiger 542 A Tiger's Daring Attack on an Indian Officer A Woman Carried Off by a Tiger."......" 549 Battle Between the Elephant and Tiger.* \rc A Herd of Elephants at the Bath 557 The So-called White Elephant .".561 Manner of Capturing the Asiatic Elephint.s64 Page. Kaffir Elephant Hunters egg Manner in Which the Bari Hunters Attack the Elephant --, Night Scene on Lake Ngami 574 Mir.iculous Escape from a Mad Elephant. 576 A Herd of India Elephants Sporting 580 How the Carcass of an Elephant is Dis- posed of ^g2 Sanderson and the Rogue Elephant 586 Camming Charged by an Elephant 589 A Close Charge and Lucky Escape 591 , Cooking un Elephant's Foot .'594 Tragic Death of Officer McClane 1.597 Abyssinian Sword-Hunters Confusing an Elephant g^Q Wo' Jerful Feat of the Abyssinian Elephant Hunters g Combat Between an Elephant and Rhi- noceros ^ „^. 606' A Rhmoceros Attacking a Wagon 610 Battle of the Giants ,5,2 A Great Hunter in a Perilous Situation. . .615 Wonderful Ride of a Namaqua Hunter.. .619 Anderssonin His Skarm at Night 621 Baker's Race with Rhinoceri 626 Vicious Charge of a Rhinoceros 629 Baker's Coolness in a Trying Situation... 631 A Rhinoceros Charging Baker's Horse. ..635 Disastrous Charge Among the Dogs 638 A Rhinoceros Charging a Team 639 The Hunter Hunted . 641 The Hippopotamus, 64. Spear-Trap for Killing Hippos '. ....646 Hunting on the Atbara River r,48 Abou Do Attacks the Hippo 652 Exciting Hippo Hunt 5,7 Trying to Drag the Monster on Short .... 659 Mode of Hunting the Hippo 663 Battle with a Hippo 665 Dr. Holeb's Thrilling Adventure 667 Wild Dogs of Africa 55^ A Leopard Beset by Wild Dogs 673 The Gorilla g_g Female Gorilla and Young 680 Du Chaillu's Captives 683 Combat Between Two Gorillas 686 Gorilla Killing a Leopard 688 Natives Hunting the Orang Outan 690 Orang Outan Killing a Hunter 692 Orang Outan Abducting a Woman 694 Chimpanzee Carrying Off a Woman 701 SEA AND LAND. _ . Page. Baboon and Gibbons 704 Howling Monkeys ....705 Grizzly Bear Carrying Off a Deer ! ! ! 707 Sad Termination ot a Grizzly Bear Hunt.. 709 Cattle Attacked by a Grizzly jn Fight Between a Grizzly and Buffalo 713 An African Pigmy 7,0 A Pigmy Village !."!.'. 724 Du Chaillu Among the Pigmies 729 Niam-Niam Warriors 7,5 Fan Cannibals Attacking a Village 739 A Fan Auctioning Off His Daughter. 741 _ , ^ Page. Celebrating the Grand Customs in Da- '»on'e 7jg An Amazon Review jeg A Dyak Village '.'.'.'.765 Types of the Fuegian Race. 761 Fuegians Feasting off a Whale 784 Patagonians Hunting With the Bolas 786 Esquimaux in their Kyack Boats 790 The Wauru Lake Dwellers 703 Arabs Attacking the Bakone Tree-Dwell- ers »-„ •••• •«•••. 797 Monkey Men of New Guinea. 799 I ! Page. Customs in Da- 756 758 765 « 761 ^hale 784 htheBolas 786 c Boats 7j9o ' 793 3ne Tree-Dwell- 797 aca. 700 TABLE OF CONTENTS. MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. CHAPTER I. Beginning of the World— How the Ocean was Evolved— Wonders of the Primitive Sea- Preponderance of Life in the Sea Over that on Land — Vitalizing Effects of Rain — The World Once an Universal Ocean — How Water Grew Out of Flames— Life that Preceded Man— The Tides and Mow They Are Caused— Effects of Winds— Dreadful Devastation of the Tides — Storms, Whirlpools and Water-Spouts — Description of a Storm at Sea—The Author's Experi- ence— Destruction of Ships by Ocean Cyclones 15 — 26 CHAPTER n. CURIOSITIES OF THE OOEAN. Why is the Ocean Salt ?— Mangin's Theory— Useful Purpose Served by the Salt of the Sea— Why Rain is Invariably Fresh Instead of Salt— The Ocean Essential to Life on the Barth — Gleaming Lights of the Sea— What Mak- he Ocean Sometimes Luminous— Wonder- ful Displays of Phosphorescence 26 — ^31 CHAPTER III. PREHISTORIC MONSTERS OF THE DEEP. Buried Continents — How Creation Prepared the Way for Giant Saurians — Beginning of Life in the Sea — The First Fish Created — Saurian Monsters — The Terrible Ichthyosaurus and Ghoulish Plesiosaurus — Mangin's Description — The Conflict for Existence — Services to Nature Rendered by Sea Monsters — A Horrible Creature — The Megalosaurus — The Flying Pterodactyl — The Invulnerable Teleosaurus — A Creature that was Lizard, Tortoise and Croc- odile all in One 31—39 CHAPTER IV. THE PRE-HISTORIC AMERICAN OOEAN. Death of Oceans — Causes which Produced Displacements — The Ancient Ocean Bed of Kansas — Discoveries of Gigantic Remains of Extinct Animals — A Tremendous Turtle — Fly- ing Reptiles of Astounding Size — Combats Between Great Ocean Creatures — The Largest Animal Capable of Motion on Land — Fish-Birds — A Creature Two Hundred Feet Long — ^An Animal Eighty Feet Tall— Two Titanic Birds— The Last Struggles of Monsters in the Kansa, Pool , 39—48 CHAPTER V. APPEARANCE OF LAND ANIMALS. The Epoch of Great Change — Monster Saurians Feeding Off Each Other— Whales of the Primitive Seas — Evolution of Life in the Sea — How Land Creatures Were Evolved from the Ocean — Birth of Sponges — Marvelous Artisans of the Sea — Flower Gardens of the Sea — Coral Wonders — Exquisite Beauties of the Coral — Wonderful Works Performed — Curiosities of the Coral-Worm — Islands Built by Coral-Worms— Other Architects of the Sea — Stone Borers — The Taredo, or Ship- Worm 4*— 59 7 8 SEA ^ND LAND. CHAPTER VI. Th.H v,o ARMOR -OLAO SEA WARRIORS. Crew Devoured by Cr.b^M^^.Sl S^I-L'^T'''''' ' ^""'-C^b-A Ship„,.cked A c,.b ,.„ ur,.d . a.,-THe ja':::: e";L:S-5L-r^rs^£:;^^^^^^^ .-^^^ CHAPTER VII M , , . . HORRrBLE MONSTERS OF THE DEEP .He HtrLiptnTo°:,:jrjit:"pS"?v„tr ^^^^ gerations of Pliny and Aristotle-The rl.MV.^^ ]°"" °' ^^^ ^'^"' Octopus-Exag- a Terrible Sc^J-fJcTaI^^J:^,^^^^^^^^ 1 Antediluvian Times-AUackcd b'y Ship Atucked by a Monster S^uM-F c s Ibo^rGtlnt Vl "^"^^ '''^" '^ Cathedral-' Depths of the Sea-Capture of a GiganttcutUefi?rn' ^^'-"^--Monsters in the Great Anin.al-The Ship-DesLying K^Z.-MottvX^^^^^^^^^ Made hy the Awful Monstrosity-Battie with an Octopus Varns-A Bishop's Testimony-A Sea 68—84 CHAPTER VIII. -, ., „ THE SEA SERPENT. thecr^rsi^p-r^Gri^E;^^^^^ Adventures of Hans Egidlu,iDescript!ons S S ? '^ ' °f^ Serpent Fifty Feet Long-I . Haunts of Sea-Serpentslsea-Sefpen. Wal^Tn n"''."'' ^Tl '"' Captured-Favofite Viewed by Hundreds of People-K of ^e s«^^^^^^^^^ l''^''^' Eighty Feet Long A Serpent Six Hundred Feet LonTlAF^JZfT^^^^^ Confoundedi Chain ofHogsheads-Captan HarfiniJ^tl L '^T"^ Sea-Serpent that Resembled a Sea Product that Resen,bl« a Serpe t-The Grel^T ""p'"'''" Robert's Sea-Serpent-A ence of the Sea-Se.ent-No One S' Polftlv SX^^f ^ fc ^uJ-^ .^ ^^^ CHAPTER IX. A r ^"^ DEVIL-FISH AND ITS INFERNAL KIN iraordmar. Power of the Devil Fi.h Off h? , "'','''»'>■ "A Lot of Surprised Sailors - Ex- Were Kor..r,, K.tted o„ „:„.„1,thTLs:;l?rBr7j„%l^^^^^ 98—108 CHAPTER X. Fi«h fP ^- -. BEAUTIFUL AND CURIOUS FISHES. Red M^lefbyr A^L^^s-^^^^^^^^^^ J?" Dory-Crue,ties Practised on the Throes of the Mullef-reMafveToufwi^^^^ ""^'^ Fish-Wonderful Death the Deep-The Torpedo Fish The Fl,tS'fT^""''°'' """^ Parrot Fish-Warriors of Horsesa^FisherslinHne fTsI Then'^ '""^^ '" ^''''^'^ '' '^ Caught- Experiments of a F S NaS^J^t NeTS'Tr'"^ Ray-Floating Nettles-UnpleLant H..mhnl^..e i„..^.,:_Ii"'^ Naturahst-Ne»t-Bu,ld.ng Fish-Shooting-Fish-Musinal Fi.:h- ClimbYng P;r;;hlHfJr;:,tts^Ufr'^',;;;:V "° ."^^^ ^^^^^'"^ ^'•^"--^•^^ Wonde-rfm Summary of Curious Files ..._.' traversing Long Distances Over Land-A .108—: 35 CONTENTS. CHAPTER Xr. THE WORLD DOWN UNDER THE SEA Dissimilarity of Elements Does Not Necessarily Destroy Harmony of Tdentity-Down Among Dead Men s Bones-Cc ^.position of the Sea-Maryels of the Ocean-bed-A Land of . TTr?"'' n^u'^fr" ' ' • '^ '^' Sun-VVondors of the Mighty Deep-Perpetual Snow- Oce'an!. '^ ' ' '' ^''''''"'^ Rest-Enormous Pressuri at the Bed of the "^ : 135-139 CHAPTER XII. MODERN MONSTERS OF THE OCEAN WORLD The Wonderful Unfoldlngs of Creation-How Does Life Begin ?-A Simple Experiment Provmg the 1 heory of Evolution-Legends of the Time of Columbus-The Sea Guarded by Gryphons-Chronicles of the Historiographer of Columbus' First Voyage-Extraordinary Ad- ventures of Father Ph.loponus-Ship Attacked by a Whale-AServiceof Mass on Its Back Sed'!.. .?.!.. T ^"'^"'^''""-^ ^1"-'" Ten-fold Worse than the Devil was Ever 139—144 CHAPTER XIIL TITANIC CREATURES OF THE SEA- WHALES nf thi Wh tP° c '°''^ °^ the Whale-The Whale Well Known to the Ancients-Peculiarities iXvlf /T":^'^ ^'^^""^ °^ ^^'^^'^^ Sighted-How the Whale Feeds-Adventures w,.h Whales-A Maddened Whale Sinks a Snip-A Dutchman Rides a Wh.le-Incidents of Patahtym the Whale Fi .hery-Force of a Whale's Tail-Dashed to pTece by a Wh el' m^le ' "/'•^^ Angry Whale-Terrible Smashing o^Vhale Boats-Physical Curi o'si ieTof S^ \\ hale-How the Whale is Killed-Thrilling Adventure of Captain Bellair-A Drldful Sf'TheW Trt-f""^''"^^^"^' Sky-High-Back, 'or Your Live^ -A ^h S ilg F.ght-The Work of Butchering a Whale-Whale-flesh as Food-Fight Between a WhTlnf Grampus-A Whale's Devotion to its Young-Inveterate Enemies of the Whale . . ^^-"77 CHAPTER XIV. THE VORACIOUS SHARK. Dreadful Armature of the Shark-Adventures With Sharks-Capture of a Shark-Fearful Casualties From Man-Eating Sharks-A Singular Way of Killing Sharks-AComnlnv Men Devoured by Sharks-A Shipwrecked Crew Attacked by sSs-t ribte SuSn" Fortuude of an Officer Whose Legs Were Bitten off by Sha'ks-Voracity and Tenacit^ 7f it~t °:l^ ?Z ^'"' '^ ^ Shark-Shipwrecked and Eaten by Sharkl-A Man To ^ .n Pieces by a Shark-A Lad Bitten in Two by a Shark-Terrible Adventure of a Dive 1a Scourge From Birth-Shark Fishing-Worship of the Shark-Members of he Voraciout Satt ;!::.!".!'::"'" °'^'^ Shark-FldeUty of the Pilot-FisLxhe WoTdeS 178—205 CHAPTER XV. THE SWORD-FISH AND SAW-FISH. Fi.h i F '^^^'fl'^'"' ^^^"^ »he Sword- Fish by Songs-Attacked by a Sword Fish-How the Fish IS Frenz.ed by Parasites-Charac;er of the Saw-Fish-Battle With a Sal Fish-Thl ZIZ ^;^-.f ^^^.«°>' -/ ^- '^-en by Dog-Fish-Paul Boynton's IdveLre Wi^h a Sse "al Fold The nYh'" '''JZ^^y^-''' ^'-g— «- Captured and Prepared for re^D^^I^T^^Sr^phrr^^^^^^^^ ' P.raclisiLegends ' 205 — 230 CHAPTER XVL MARINE MEN. ti. rl ^"""^ F^'nily-Fables of Old-Catching a Monk at Sea-Strange Variety and Domes- among Seals-A o.ganlic Leap and Terrible Combats-Adventures in Hunting the Seal^Anec- ]0 f • SEA AND LAND. CHAPTER XVII. THE MIQHTY POLAR BEAR. Amphibious Character of the Polar Bear— Th» h«,^tt tt , Powers-Dangers of Attacking the PolL bL llu , ^" Leads-Hi, Extraordinary Polar Bear-Battles with the Po t B^^l Wo"7^^^^^^^ Polar B Mangled byT of two Cubs ^vvonaertul Maternal Love Manifested by die Mother ' 262 — 269 THE CHAPTER XVIII. NARWHAL - CROCODILE. Unict'.THori^T\Tsr^^^^^ ^^-^ Attributed to the Sea-Mail-Clad Crocodiles-Infanfsa^riCt^Cr:^^^^^^^ *'« ""'-™ ^^ «»>- Crocodiles-Man Seized by a Cro^iditrDe" h of th« ^f "^^ Adventures with Ceylon codile-A Safe Place of ^0081^70^1?°°'*""^°'"^" Devoured by a Cro- HuntcH-Man Torn^;^''^ Tife^C stv"es Sn'^rf'^-.^"" '"" ""^'^'''^ - Englishman Devoured by Crocodiles-Fxdtin.ATv.fr by Crocodiles-A Distinguished dile-" Nobody but a Slave; but oMhe Cklt-^^^^^^ by a Croco- esting Superstitions-Baale Between a Tiger and CroTod^^^^^^ "^^"^"'^ .?,' ^''^-^°'- .onary Seized by an Alligator-Fight Between an X^.., ^'""°"' Alhgator-Miss- CHAPTER XIX. 270-305 T,. „ BIRDS OF THE 8EA. Supeltilirif^the^P^L'n^^^^^^^^^^ ^-^o-A Serpentine Bird- Mother Carey Chickens-The Wandei^li^^ °^ ''"''''' ^'"6- Winged Frigate-Bird-Pirates of the AlJ^f"^"^''"^ ^°' Albatross-The Swk 305—317 CHAPTER XX. 1 ^ r . SUPERariTIONS AND LEGENDS OF THE SEA Legend of the Pillars of Hercules-Monsters of fh. at aP Ocean Navigation-Superstitions of Cotmbus' c ewlJ^e^'^^^^^^ 0"^'° ^f the Sea-Singular Beliefs Still Prevailing-Off«Tnes to tlrHr"" ^h-P-Witchcraft on Ship^Launching and Christening a Shlp-MyteCsI^^^^^^^^^ J'" ^"''» ^^"^^ Marvelous Bird-Bearin? Tree.» n«/ n^T^ 0^° Islands-Virtues of a Child's Caul- Stories of Mermai^rH^hT^de^'M!:^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THE WORLD ASHORE. CHAPTER XXI. TU n ,. , UNFOLDING OF CREATION BY EVOLUTION The Growth of Earth on fnfr-Kao.^ Th^ P! , • «-v"lution. God-Chinese Legend of C^eation-T^T World R?/'" o . ^''^^^""'^"^'rhor, the Thunder MiehtyConvulsion^First Appearal^;rFtt3fs!5^L-- rim^l^r M^ofrrsl^ CONTENTS . 11 Mo.tTerr.ble of Land Creatures-A Fiend too Dreadful to Look Upon-Birth of the Mam- Th^^ilrc r ,. ^"^r ^'^"^^--r^^^ frightful Amgator-Bird-The Ma.todon- The Gigantic Megathenum-Olher Dreadful Creatures in the Early Age of the World-The Coming of Man— Telluric Disturbances 375—395 CHAPTER XXn. MONSTERS OF THE QUARTERNARY PERIOD. SnakesandTurtlesof Enormous Size-Resurrection of the Boaes of Giants-An Earth Mole Large as an Elephant-The Mammoth-Other Monster Brutes-The Great Birds. Dmomis and Epiornis <•"""», 396—409 CHAPTER XXin. THE BIRTH OF MAN. Evidences of our First Parents-Where was the Garden of Eden-The Wonderful Counter of AtlanUs-Plato'sDescription-From Whence Originated the Mythology of the eS ?^JpLlorh ^;'r7"'"'°'' '"''^"'^ of Creation-Periodical Destruction of th^ Chllnl^Us!.! . . .T Py"^''e°'-»«-Re"'"kable Similarity Between the Mosaicand Aztec 410 — 425 CHAPTER XXIV. HISTORICAL DELUGES. The Glacial Deluge-Cause of the Great Glacial Deluge-Theory as to the Periodic De- Shall Man be Succeeded by a Higher Order of Creation ? J.. , , CHAPTER XXV. WONDERS OF NATURE. Universality Of Life-Life Existing Even in Fire-Remarkable Fish Found Living in Boiling Water-Fable of the Phoenix-Bird-Marvelcus Results of Experiments with pfre- Creatures-Lantem Insects-Wonders of Insect Llfe-The Bombardier, or'shoo.ing Bug-RL markable Inte Ijgence in Bees-The Process of Queen-Making-Curious Habits of Ants- Dependency of Master Upon Slave-Ants that Keep Their Own Cows-Battle Between Twa oreat Arm.esof Ants-House-Eaters and Architects-Carpenterand Joiner Insects-How tie SdSl?""; '" belnvented-The Plague of Locusts-The Voiacious Ant-Lion^Curi! ?he Chi^kt ^ T"'^"r " ' Spun-Use of the Spider's Den-The Dreadful Tara.t«la- The Chicken Spider-The Scorpion-Some Astounding Facts About the Scorpion-Youne Scorpions Subsisting Oflfthe Body of their Mother-A Medley of Curiosities.. ...... 433-456 CHAPTER XXVL CURIOSITIES OF THE VEGETABLE WORLD. Tr,^I r' Clock-People Who Live in Palm Trees-The B-ead-Fruit Tree-The Weeping ^Tt T"' M^r""^/'"''-'''^" Manna Tree and Wax-Palm-Trees that Yield Swcef and Refreshing M.Ik and Butter-Strange SupersUtions Concerning Corn-History of the Quinine Plant- fhe ^oap and Camphor Trees-The Deadly UpasSree-Serpe.ts o he Vegetable Kingdom-Ancient Superstitions About Plants-The Bewitching Mandrake-^Car- TsZ TrtVtt ^r-^'^'i^e «-»^-Giants of the Forest-Historical Trfes of the WorSl t^nrTTees Thrn "^'?Tr^°'*'*^'"P°'"'"°f ''^^ ^••»g« «''» Living-Immor- tality of Trees— The Dragon's-Blood Tree of Teneriffe ;, 456—487 CHAPTER XXVIL THE LION. P,„3?-^f..T""'' °f Nature-The Lion-How He Wins His Bride-The Lion Fight- Sn.^hf n '^'T"~l""^' "' '^""■^"'^ «tealing-Eaten by a Lion-Different Modes of Kilhng the I-.on-Lion-Hunt.ng on Foot, Face to Face-Daring of the Lion-Coolness kr?hTFaurA t"'J''T'^'°r^r'''°° '*^"""'"» ^ Lover-A^Lion's Feast off HuZ lesh-The Fatal Attack-Torn by a Lion- Adventure with a Fierce Lioness-Man captured 12 SEA AND LAND. and Eaten by a Lion— A Soldier Carried off by a Lion-Miraculou, F»r„,» i? How a Brave Arab was Torn by a Lion-Mr. Baldwin's WonrfLck-Z^^ Te„T7 of Life in a Lioness-How a Lion Seizes a Buffal<^A Sheik's Brave Defense JS' ^T^ ers-Arab Superstitions Concerning the Lion ... '^'"'' °' ""* f ""°*- 487-530 CHAPTER XXVHL THE TIGER. The Asiatic Monarch of the Jungle-A Voracious Man Eater-Peculiarities of thp T! Fierce Combats Between Lions and T;gers-Superiori,y of the Trer-TiL r h ^^'~ th. T^.r takes its Prey-Hunting the Tiger-Why a Simple Woud^WFa^^^^^^^^^^^ Cannibal Propensities of Ticers— Wild Do«<; .hot i^;n /"""''J^.'^*'^^^ fatal to a 1 .ger— CHAPTER XXIX. ■ 530—556 THE ELEPHANT. No Mention of the Elephant in Bible Historv Th» a^: .• j .,. pa„d-Th. So-Calied Whife E,,^,.,^ri^ETj^I:^TlZ\f:Ti''''''"' '='">■ a P..udo White Elepham-The S^red R.-.rrih, , , ' , „ *""""» Expcnenee wid. How the Elephant Makes His Attack-Perils of Elephant-Shootinp The V ' r ?t'"'~ 556—606 CHAPTER XXX. THE RHINOCEROS. noce™.„,,.s„o,d^r.<.is'-Dip::r,;.„oahrK:ir^^^^^^^^ CHAPTER XXXL .. THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. CONTENTS. 13 gle— Flarpooning a Bull Hippopotamus— A Terrible Fight— Man Killed by a Savage Hippo- potamus—The Fierceness of Bull Hippopotami— An Exciting Hunt by the Howartii— Hippopotamus Flesh as a Delicacj— Korbatches Used for Punishing Criminals— A Hippo- potamus Attacks a Missionary— Nat ve Modes of Killing the Hippopotamus— Attacked by a Hippopotamus and Her Calf— A Close Call from a Charging Hippopotamus 643—668 CHAPTKR XXXH. THE WILD DOGS OF AFRICA. , Description of the Wild Dog— A Singular Creature— Wonderful Tenacity of Life in the Wild Dog— How the Wild Dogs Hunt— In Great Favor with Native Africans— Wild Dogs Attack a Lion— The True Lords of the Forest 668—67- CH AFTER XXXHL THE GORILLA, ORANQ OUTAN AND CHIMPANZEE. Does Such a Creature as the Gorilla Exist ?-Du Chaillu the Only Witness— The Possibility of the Gorilla and Orang Outan Being IdenticaW-The Skeletons Exhibited by Du Chuillu— Du Chatllu's Adventures with Gorillas-Face to Face with a Monster— Capture of a Gorilla— A Pitiable Spectacle- A Pair of Baby Gorillas-Terrific Battles Between Male Gorillas-Fights Between Leopards and Gorillas— Attempts to Deceive the Pubfic- The Berlin Animal and Barnum's Creation- The Orang Outan— Similarity Between the Orang Outan and Gorilla- Power and Ferocity of the Orang Outan— Love for Pretty Women Exhibited by the Orang Outan-Kidnaping Women— The Ferocious Mandrill— Man Attacked by a Mandrill-The Mandrill's Love for Women-How it Watches Villages forVictims-A Strange Incident-A Monkey Enamored of a Young Girl-The Human Ape or Chimpanzee— How the Chimpanzee Fights With Clubs-Human-Like Habits of the Chimpanzee-Chimpanzees Abducting Women—A Curious Baboon Hunt— Howling and Preacher Monkeys.,.. 675-706 CHAPTER XXXIV. THE MIGHTY GRIZZLY BEAR. Ferocity and Power of the Grizzly Bear-His Habits and Untamable Disposition-How He Catches His Prey— Hunting the Grizzly-An Appalling Accident to a Hunter— How the Grizzly Attacks Cattle-Battles Between the Grizzly and Buflfalo— Man Killed by a Pet Grizzly— A LitUe Girl Fatally injured by a Captive Grizzly 706—714 WILD RACES OF THE WORLD. CHAPTER xkxV. WONDERFUL PIGMIES OF AFRICA. Africa the Land of Wonders— Giants that Once Existed in Africa— Evidences of Early Pigmy Races-The Pigmies of Homer and Other Poets-Pigmies and the Cranes-Positive Proof of a .^igmy Race— Schweinfurlh's Discdveries— Interview with an African Dwarf-The Dancing Dwarf-Confirmatory Evidences of Pigmies-Du Chaillu's Hunt for Dwarfs-He Discovers a Pigmy Village-Catching a Pigmy Woman-The Dwarfs Become Friendly with Du Chaillu— A Wonderlul Assembly of Pigmies- 1 he Story of the Dwarfs as Told by Them- selves-How the Pigmies Bury Their Dead-Singular S'lperstitions 714-732 CHAP'ER XXXVI. CANNIBAL RACES — THE MONBUTTO. The Line Which Separates Man From the Beast— Lowest Order of the Human Race— The Monbutto Cannibals-A King Who Dines Off Babies-The Monlmtto Race a Superior 14 SEA AND LAND. fwt. .7.;. ... "*' Custom-Feasting Off an In. • ••• •••• •»»» •••• t*fl» •••• ##•• 7'^2— ^iS CHAPTER XXXVII. CHAPTER XXXVIir. *" , H- r ^"^ BONNY CANNIBALS CHAPTER XXXIX. ' The K-5n„ f n u "^"^ DAHOME AND A8HANTI PEOPLE tionofthe Grand Custom-The Amazon Soidi!r n ^ f" ""°"~"'"'">''« Celebra- In.eresting Review-Storming a FtTipetishSLTr.'^"'"'" °' ^^e Amazons-An Congo Country-How Women^ave Co^'ld^hfDX of^o^^^^^^^ Races-History of the CHAPTER XL. Un.ccouTble°Drren°c:sB^re?Ra?eLH^ ''V' '"' '^^^---' Nation of Head-Hunters-Super^Ss Sacr L^m'' f ''/ P^^^^'-How They Became a People on Earth-Morality of^ie Se^t Tyre^'^H !p'/'? "'" ^yaJ^'-The Happiest From Disease and Insanfty-The Horrfb e Ba^^ f «°^'''«'^^ °^ ^"^ Kind-Freedom Children Eating TT.eir Pafents-o" er Saer^^^^^^^^^ Crimes Punishable by Death-The vTctfrl 1^7 Eatr H °' ^--^x^"— The Foar Upon-Men Cut into Pieces and Fed Raw^o the Peonlflr-T T^" *°° Dreadful to Look nibalism-The Most Curious of All PeoJelpJefeS^^^^ ^'"P'*^ ^"^^ Practice Can- Differences Between the Fuegians ^ndZXau^Zll^^'iT '" " ^d"""°''* ^°'"'»'y~ Prowess of the Fuegians-Wonderful Stone Throwit^S ofFueg.an Huts-Weapons and Filthy Habits and Rare Imitative Powers of ih^T~'^^^''^"'^ Dogs-Cannibalism- Fuegians-Habits of the Pata^niaL-Ipe t in ?h"''~'^"T^ Compared with the HayU-Dreadful Voudou Sacrifices of Infrn, /^ ^'"^ the Bolas-The Cannibals of Child-Human Flesh as Regu:FoodlThlEs7u '^°'''"'^}° "^'P^*' to Eat Her Own ness-Appearance. Dress afd HabuLTa«ootr Th" K Tk"-"'^ for a Frozen Wilde. Superstitions. Social Customs. etc-D^poS 5 Diad BoS ' "' '' Management- 762—790 CHAPTER XLL Trees. •».f itit 7go — 800 MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. CHAPTER I HO has not longed to gaze upon the ocean, or to ride upon its mighty bosom, a world unto itself? Yet, to see it, or plough its sky-tinted waves, fringed by the horizon on every side, is but the threshold of interest, over which we may pass into mysterious labyrinths, the abode of marvels which the landsman has hardly dreamed of. All the wonders of land have their counterpart in the sea, whether animals, birds or reptiles, monstrosi- ties, or sun-hued beauties, gigantic forests, or gardens of floral love- liness. There, too, are mighty cities, peopled by myriads of active and ingenious creatures, living in houses resplendent with richest col- ors, and more bewitching than was Solomon's Temple, or the floating gardens of Ancient Babylon. Wild and uncouth forms, dreadful as the Cyclopean Polyphemus, ravage the sea-world, while about the Madripore caverns, unmindfulof croaking monsters, flit, with lambent wings, gay-plumag J humming-birds, whose iris-decked scales are more gorgeous than was ever painted feather. It is the purpose of this book to describe the ocean-world, its phenomena and inhabitants, that those who have never had the oppor- tunity of crossing the sea, as well, also, those whose opportunities have been wasted by want of observation or time for study, may know how truly wonderful, if not mysterious, are the creatures that move in that buoyant sphere-^ where man is hardly permitted to enter — in a world distinctively their own. BEGINNING OF THE WORLD. We are told that the world is composed of one-fourth land and three-fourths water, but to-be scientifically exact wc must say the world is about nineteen-twentieths water, for there are many times more water-than solids in all animal Jife, while the earth is filled with uuremitUng streams of the life-giving liquid. Superficially, howevei , 16 SEA AND LAND. the,.. es»c„t,„l u,c, for the support of a ,„l life „,,U Z ' h as .media,,, for i„.e,.,„.,io„..l e e„,i„„. H, telfc^Ml, 1"" eept,o„ ,s, must appe,,,- „|,c„ „„ .-eflert tl,.,t Go,P, I V , '" the mm of life, a„d tl,at He is a, ,e A'df .1 f .mI m .''•' "'"''° "'' . the iutelieetua. giaut, of ,,.a,,ki,,;,>- T '' , , u, ^ " '''"h '" "' compared with that o„ the laud i, „,uel ;,:„":, :'" ""'^«' wh,eh we flud i„ the p,.„po,,iou of laud au5 w. te • , ||e tpnl'd teems w,.h .vanns of life, the oeea,, ha. its .u.ria'ds i,: l;:':?;:^ VITALIZING EFFECTS OF RAIN. bc.ence teaches us that pri.naiilv our nh.net wis „ mnlf some say it was a fragment throw/off hy;rt iful. f . ""'' ' sun. while other, attempt to dcscri.,e its 'J^^X'^ ^ T scientists to their theories nines nud h. ,• ^ ° ''''"e»ve tiie follo. „|,e,.e the, lead, ^id'!, fi*^, ^'j^r r:!.:,:,","?^ '" f a basiu of water is left lou, exposed to tle„r"S ,,';•'•; disappears, a„d we k„ow that the disappearance is due o ev of the su„ is continually lifti,,,, „,, Jj' . "" " "* ""^ '"evapc-at.o,, , h.to clouds, and afterViuVS.a .Uhea'viTv , T'^T "'""'""<'■' " is precipitated again in the°fo™''„f,.,in\ """«'" "'"' ""'»'-o it and dischargiug'agaiu, s„hse,:r„™";;f th?:!:;";::^:! r of creation, because it acts the double Bart of »,„.|f ■ . '"'" It purifies bvca„,in,the oeea,, tl ^ i:2 ':;;rio':V "'"'"f discharge of rain is va,.iable so th. ocean level i va Me ' at' T- '"' ever seeking to maintain a level it is ahv ,v. It . . '" the,.efo,.e never stagnate. The vitalih^^^^Xcrof "'•"•' T nourishment it supplies to vegetation I ikf Ti! ! " " '" "■« vegetable f"-,s continually th,^ off a sect io,hroT:', '''"''' "" and this effete matter needs .emoval ; «,? h " i d" f . ,"■ '""•"• same ti,ne ,t furnishes food for the ro and ledf ,' ."' "'^ for the b,-anches. In lifti„„ ,v„ter fror'tl» f !f """Mshraent do not decompose the salt, b^t I ,ve Ts it s toIT f"'" '"""^ and thus only fesl, water is .-aised Id p ec,; t ed ''ih f'T^"'' gi-eat service to sailiu.r vessels for ^o^!.- ' '""' '^ "' that the suppiv of fre-h w! ,. t.l I 7 Tf ™''°S<^' '"■'' ^» '""? which eveniVc„,,vass is spr.dtie::ti,r::::r'''""'"^''" rain falling thereon runs off into ban-els and is thus colirr" " *'" MYSTERIES OP THE DEEP «EA. 17 Evidence,., Which cannot be misinterpreted. 8ho«r us that at one time Ihe world was covered with water, and there is every reason also to keheve that prev.oas to the era of universal ocean, the world was nvoloped w,th fire It is asserted that when the earth was in a oohng state, only fa.rly solidified, the first precipitation of aqueous- apors, com.ng ,n contact wjth certain metals, they were decom kosed.and he result was the earth became enveloped in flames, which hged fiercely unt,! the metals themselves were decon.posed Sa- Humphrey Davy suggested a very beautiful and easy experiment Ihowmg the probability of such a catastrophe having occurred. EVOLUTION OF WATER OUT OF FLAMES But the sea of flame gradually retired as vapors continued condens. lag. until a length tho ocean of water took its place and creaZ, levebpod the majesty of life. Though deep waters covered he Uh, the sea of flame did not die out in the cavernous depths where Kto held his reign and the fierce flre-belching volcanoes contrued lo disturb the ■' landscape of the sea." ,Manrue day upon a completed world." ' During the period of universal fire we may safely assert, thnt ,!,„ .as no life, but as the earth became cove/ed wi 'hwat^r a, imate" eatures came mto existence, so that the ocean was really ZZ^t >f life ; but here we have a singular proof of the theory of evoint on or we find „„ture advancing from the simple to the'^omlx a J I at he lower species of plants and animals preceded t^e cTe'atl™ W the higher. In truth, a series of concurrent facts and testll! • Cion s ha:ditork " """""""^ "^"''=" '"' ""> ^P^^-' <>' We may verv nronerly assnm'^ fK"f -j-^ i ^ . ^ I .jfci-j^ ii.i.-iujii^j tnat, anions- the fii-sf anA ^c ^ auinan interests are concerned, the most iniporta t creatu 1 thll ^xisted,^ were the 3f„<..j..*^coral zLphytes. wh^h have QUEBEC 18 BEA AND LAND. ever been ,o mdustrioua I„ their work, that some of our larires, «^....- «.rain„e.. „,,„U „„„.„„,„ ^^ . „„,,„.„ ^^^^ PHENOMENA OF THE SEA -THE TIDES. Beforo proceeding to u de.enption of the aninuil life of iko ho« ^u :r if ^;;^::r;7^ "' ^'^ r^^ i.nportantphe„on.e:::s amn.gui.h it Fii.t of these are the tides— omittiii/rtr tides, are not to bo compared ^v,th the lunar tides, and in fact nly become percept ble when combined with them ; for, thou-h the ttructive force of the sun is iiu.unparably greater than that of the hoc.n, yet, owing to the more remoi " distance of the former, the dif- iionce of effect on our globe is very murh less." Thu8, then the .«on the earth's handmaid, plays the pri. -ipal part in the p.o'duc- lon of tides. As between bodies attraction is always reciprocal ; as le stronger- that whose density is greater -ulwWs controls the a.aker, the moon is compelled to obey the earth and giavitate round ler; bnt the sous, boundless as they appear to us, represent only a h.nnuum fraction of the terrestrial mass, and our satellite is stron<. luough aud sufficiently near us to draw in her train a portion of the bters of our ocean round the planet from which it cannot separate lem. The ticies usually happen twice m twenty-four hours, because .e rotation oi the globe brings the same point of the ocean .wice [nderthe meridian of the moon. The winds exercise a very remarkable influence upon the tide, .ven . Its partial suppression. Such is particularly the case in the G .If f Veracruz, where, instead of two tides daily, there is often but ne m three or four days, when the wind blows violently in a direu- Son contrary to the wave. If the force of an adverse wind can stay he approaching tides, we can conceive how greatly it will increase .e.r rush ,n a formidable degree when it blows in the same direction, he sea then falls with fury upon the shores, often carrying fri<^htful lestruction. ^ & o i-aui DREADFUL DEVASTATION BY THE TIDES The low coasts of Denmark and Holland are frequently exposed to le fury of devastating tides, and some of the most appalling disas- 3rs which history records have been caused by tides pushed onward y h.gh winds. A few of these may here be given as illustrating the Iireful cnsequences as explained. In the fall of 1634, a tempestuous tide broke upon the Isle of read~o"f cattle! '^'""' '''' ''^^"'^"*^ I^^"P^« «»d fifty thousand In the year 1280, a similu. disaster occurred at Winchelsea, on the 20 SEA AND LAND. coast of Sussex, where three hundred houses and more than a thou- sand people wer° overwhelmed. In 1446, the coast of HoUand was overtaken by a tide that destroyed sevciity-two villages and one hundred thousand persons. In 1483, a rushing tide overflowed the banks of the Severn Eiver for a period of ten days, and so devastated the country that the highest hills were covered, and thousands of persons lost their lives. In 1530, more than four hundred thousand people were drowned by the breaking of the dikes on the Holland coast. In 1617, Catalonia was overwhelmed by a tide that destroyed fifty thousand human beings. In 1717, a tidal inundation devastated a portion of New Zealand, causing the loss of thirteen hundred people. Dublin suffered from a similar disaster in 1787, by the sudden rising of the Liffey, but the number of lives lost has not been esti- mated. In 1829, the Vistula was suddenly overflowed, destroying four thousand houses, ten thousand head of cattle, and so many men, women and children, that when the waters subsided the territory api^eared to be covered with corpses. In 1780, a dijeadful devastation of Barbadoes Island occurred, in which an immense amount of property was destroyed, and thousands of persons lost their lives ; but stranger.still was the fact that after a subsidv^nce of the storm there were several old guns found on the shore, which had been washed up from the bottom of the sea by the tempest's fury. Figuier says, if the waves in their reflux meet with obstacles, whirl- winds and whirlpools are the result. Such are the whirlpools in the Straits of Messina, between the rocks of Scylla and (Jharybdis. Another celebrated whirlpool h that of Euripus, near the island of Euboea, and another of yet greater importance exists in the Gulf of Bothnia. But- the most dangerous of all is the mrelstrom off the coast of Norway, which, at certain intervals, is so powerful as to draw into its vortex and destroy vessels of no inconsiderable size. Tides and whirlpools sometimes combine, and in their effects pro- duce hurricanes, so dreadful to navigators. The Indian Ocean is chiefly the scene of these devastating winds, which are almost i)ower- ful enough to blow vessels out of the water, striking their keels with such a force as to throw them about in the most helpless manner. 21 >yed iver the veti. in a irl. us. of ol to fO- is ss SEA AND LAND. STORMS AND WATER -SPOUTS. Storms are phenomena with /which we are all familiar. The low- ering or green-crested clouds, followed by the inky pall of rolling cumulus, through which vivid flashes from heaven's artillery split their way and roar with deafening resonance ; then comes the wind, a fitful gust at first, playing with light atoms, which are lifted in a whirl, then dropped again ; soon the trees begin to nod and we hear a sullen rattle which now rapidly increases until the storm bursts full upon us, perhaps a cyclone clearing its way through forest or town, like a fell monster with Titanic arm, wielding the axe of devastation, uprooting and tearing down with a rage that subsides only when desolation is complete. For the storm we all feel awe, foreseeing or prophesying calamity as its legitimate spoil, but the storm on land is but a lamb compared with the storm-lion on the sea. Once only in my life have I been a witness to the fury which the elements of sea and air sometimes exhibit to the luckless mariner. It was during my second voyage across the Atlantic, fortunately on a staunch steamer built to with- stand the fiercest onslaughts of wind and wave ; but never can I forget the terror of my experience. It was in the evening, at the close of a lovely day, when the saloon became an inviting place for social pastimes. A game was in progress and none had a thought of impending danger, until the captain appeared and said : "A storm is brewing ; better get below." Hardly had the words been uttered when a crash, loud as a colura- biad at our very side, thundered at the saloon door and blanched every face inside. So surprised were all, that none at first could tell what caused the report, though the tremor which went through the ship told that something had struck her. It was a wave, that, with the force of a falling mountain, had* plunged against the vessel'i broadside and broke over the decks and saloon as well. It was only a storm, but I was spell-bound with interest; we quickly went below, and the hatches being put down we were entombed in the ship, though there were not Avanting sky-lights and port-holes throng!. which we could witness the furious display which now followed. Though the nijjht had now come on and darkness brooded over the «♦ lashing waves and a laboring vessel were distinctly visible. How dreadfully calamitous looked the boiling clouds that hung down like 24 SEA AND LAND. the hand of Satan, pronged and hooked, grasping for the live freight of the assaulted ship ! The masts were bare of canvass, and yet, they curved and tossed under the wind-pressure whilo the ropes rattled like hail on a window pane. The waves rolled up in beetling craigs, then went down again into gorges as cavernous as ocean caves, while one after another they covered our good ship with their shrouds of spray. Onward we sped, the unceasing throbbing of the screw barely audible above the storm's ravings, but it kept the vessel's head on, though billowy waves would rise before her, and so powerful that the impact would be like striking a rock. N(»bly would she dive through the liquid barrier, then vault up again and toss the water like a monster creatu'-e shaking the brine from its mane, and bidding defiance to Neptune's anger. Surrounding her with vengeance and fell purpose, the on-rushing billows would strike the vessel's side with such a force as to heel her over until her very keel would be visible, and only a miracle, it would appear, could prevent her from capsizing. Thus wave-swept and buffeted like a cork, the ship steamed on, but groaning at every rivet in her iron sides and plunging like a mortally wounded bull blinded by his own blood. On the decks a scene of wild commotion had been enacted, which, had I seen, would have increased my solicitude, for nearly all the life-boats had been either stove-in or broken away, while the saloon was fairly smashed into kindling-wood by the irresistible waves. The thought was constantly occurring, what if pur ship should spring a leak ; if the rivets should be drawn, as seemed always threatening; or, if she should capsize, take fire, or even her engines become disabled? In the wake of these thoughts arose the spectre of three hundred frantic passengers crying for help when there could be no help save that of God alone, for in the dark pall of that tumultuous night, out on that wide, tempestuous sea, there was naught but a melancholy wjiste of woe and elemental vengeance ; nothing but the dashing, wild surges growling with maniacal anger; no beacon, harbor, aid; none, save God's omni- presence. The petrels, gulls and other tireless wings were on the shore or flown to some spot where the raging winds were not. I thought, should calamity befall, what if the life-boats are launched, or what friend would a light spar be ; for the curling waves would fill the best life-boat before it cnuld receive a load, nv-d lashed on a wave= washed spar would be like embracing death. I thought again, if this thin barrier which separates us from eternity should be ruptured, how MYSTERIR8 OF THE DEEP SEA. ^5 ..gainst the,,. wH,.' JhI I .^^''^'^ri: vZrr """ """^"'"'" embarking, „„d the. „s the numCZTltZlr"'"'''^ ''""' foundered vessel, her „a„,e w„„,d he adde7t„l Vi o7',::r'"" disappearances at sea nnH fl,.,o - ^ 'nystenous ocean's grin.y catacombs Th» T"" T"""' '""' ''"•"'' «»d m -^-.^nn,.r^^:---;~-;^^o. . THK TERRIBLE WATER-SK)UT. Jng that we would weaf or fho ^..- • spontaneous cmauationTof h ' ni'd t'hfn t ' ^T- '"'^ "^'« «■« «f a contemplated disaster, d c„ ,"'""*; " '"'" ""> P'-««'"'«« circumstances. «>mmon to all persons under like But more dan^erorthaTtrrrmTrrar spout at sea, though 26 SEA AND LAND. SO small i8 the space which it affects, that it is seldom vessels fall within its power. Our modem definition of water-spout is a dense cloud, highly charged with electricity, moving irregularly and w,th amazing n^pidity,;ith inclination to dip. This cloud, owmg to an apparent tendency to fall while gyrating with extraordniary velocity, inwardly assumes the shape of a reversed cone, or funnel Itscolor, as described by Maury, i. a deep gray, its aspect fr.ghtful beyond ex- pression, and no less so are the elemental displays which precede t. The sky becomes dreadfully lowering, an unnatural darkness prevails, caused by a sickly, yellowish sunlight, and the atmosphere is often impregnated with sulphurous fumes. A hurricane or, more properly, cyclone, sweeps over the breaking waves with ominous screechinge, and a dull, monotous roar. It seems as if a volcano were poui-mg forth from the deep bowels of the earth, while the lightning darts m ^'' blinding flashes, and terriffic crashes of thunder swiftly follow each other; then the water-spout falls nearer and nearer the water, which becomes violently agitated underneath, until, rising into a cone, the lowering, twisting cloud reaches the swirling cone of water, and the two are united in a roar so terrible as to be fairly deafening. The cyclone on land is the water-spout at sea, and woe to the luckless ves- sel that chances to be within its influence, for it would almost cer- tainly dismantle and swallow her up, however strong she might be. CHAPTER n. CURIOSITIES OF THE OCEAN. ^^EFORE proceeding to describe the wonderful life that crowds mm the sea, let us explain one of the most remarkable facts in i!^ nature, viz. : Why is the o jean salt? This question has inters ^ ested civilization for ages, and for an equal length of time scientists have had to make answer by quoting some idle fable. It was formerly believed that the saline properties of the sea were due to the fact that during the early period of maritime industry, ships were charged to throw into it large pyramids of salt; what for, no one pretended to know. The strictly scientific maintained tbut suit was engendered spontaneously at the bottom of the sea. The scientists were never satisfied that this was the case, but for want of a better MrSIERlES op IHE DEEP 8EA. gl explanation, they encouniged the belief of immense salt-beds in th. ocean, and looked wise, as usual. a-i-oeas m tn« L. Figoiel-, borrowing somewhat from the theories of Maurv has g,ven us, a length, the true cause of the ocean's salt, and so pe f^ctlv cons,stent ,s h,s .hc„,y with well-tstal.Iished natural aws, thalit is I beheve, now un.versally accepted. From his explanation'l iLZl " In the first stage of our planet, before the wateiT vapors con • ta.ned n, the pr.m.tive atmosphere were condensed, and beZe tlv had begun to fall on the earth in the form of boiling „,i„heS of the earth contained an infinite variety of heterogeneous mi, er' substances, some soluble in water, others not. Whe,t rain fell Jtt bunnng surface for the first time, the waters became c rled wkh all he soluble substances, which were reunited, and afterward, Toos ■ted, accumulating in the large depressions of the soil. ThTsearot" the pr„n,t,ve globe were thus formed of rain-water, hold," i , solu t,on ai that the earth had given up, collected in la^e bas^ Ch ^ r,de of sodam, sulphates of soda, magneSia, potLiur hne and sihcjum, 111 the form of soluble silioMfp . in 1 , j n-atter that the primitive globe l,tI:edio™ed Z^^'J^'Tl contingent of this water. If we reflect that throrjr.l ^L" he present day none of the gencal laws of natu"^ have^h ,Xd f we co,,s,der that the soluble substances contained in the w Sr o^ the pr,m,t,ve seas have .emained the,e, and that the fresh w'^er, ^f tne nvers cmstantly replace the water which disappears by eva,„rl t,o,,, we have the true explanation of the saltness of sea wL, '' In the sal,ne properties of sea water, Mau.y discovws one ^f tb. pnncpal orces from which cu.Tents in the La,, moceed . tL bnne of the ocean is the ley of the earth," he says " ftm it ^he sea der,ves dynamical powe,s, and its currents thei^- main TJ^h Why ,s the sea made salt? It i, ,he salts of the sea tha imZf to ^s waters those cunous anomalies in the law of freezing and of Ther ' ma d,l,tal,„n (expansion by heat). It is the salts o? the sea tha; .s,st the rays of the sun to penet,-ate its bosom. The e re a«o, of the ocean .s ,ndispensable to the disfibution of tcmpcture ^! the maintenance of the meteorological and cli,„„ti. Z7t" °~" rale the development of life, and'this circulatToV'cou d n;';":^!! at least, the cha,acter of its waters would be completely chan'edl ,f they were ficsh, in place of salt." ' cnan^ea— n SEA AND LAND. THE WORLD DOWN UNDER THE SEA. ^^ Julea Verne, in his - Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the bea. has -Iven us a beautiful, though imaginative, description of the ct.es ^^ and marvels which exist under the waves, yet his industrious fancy has hardly succeeded in reaching evdn the boundary of existing facts. So deep are the oceans -sometimes exceeding three miles -that we can never explore, save with plummets, the recesses which are so well guarded by the extraordinary pressure which there prevails. While beyond our immediate observation, we know that even these dark- darklin- caves are the abodes of life, teeming, in fact, with an eye- less infusoria whose skeletons have been heaped into mountains, and helped to make the continents. In the ocean is displayed a marvel- ous mechanism and distributed force, which prevents our planet from becoming a lifeless, frigid body. The ocean life might continue even were there no islands or continents, for land is hardly essential to marine animals. Yet naught on land could survive the drying up of the ocean. The womb of life is in the sea, and therefore it is the ocean and not the earth that is our mother. So infinitely great is the life in the sea, that if we take a portion of ocean water and enclose it in a bottle it almost immediately becomes noisome and corrupt. It can neither be transported nor preserved, and this is due to the fact that its every drop is alive with invisible animalculee, which die the moment they are separated from the great body that nourishes them. The variable color of the ocean often, though not always, is caused by the minute animals which swarm upon its surface. The Black Sea derives its name from the frequent storm^ which convulse it. Around the Maldine Islands the ocean is really black ; in the Persian Gulf a beautiful pure green ; in the Gulf of Guinea white, and in the Polar Sea an olive green. The Vermillion Sea is so called on account of its color, produced by microscopic animalculse ; the Red Sea, however, is colored, at certain periods, by a species of frog-spittle, a kind of water-plant that has its roots barely below^he water surface. But the most remarkable effect produced by the infusoria is seen in the luminosity which their infinitely numerous bodies impart to large areas of the sea. Of this phenomenon, Mangin writes : OLEAMINQ LIGHTS OF THE SEA. *'That those infusoria should tint the sea is, undoubtedly, a marvelous phenomenon; but they do more— they brighten and en- kindle it. The phosphorescence of ocean was long a mystery, before MYSTEEIES OF THE BEIr SEA. ga Which man's reason stood oonfonnded, and which inspired him wi.h mmgled feehngs „f admiration and tenor. Lnminou7waterT Tht sea on fire, yet harmless, and still presei-vin" its cold 07^!^ . peratnre. How extraordinary a mi.Le - Hn» !, '""■ • • • I"'."rtemperateci[n:re,rdinfhaTe:i';"^^^ between the English and French co sts, we sel Soce ' tr t' esccnt only in summer, and in seasons of great trrqn|i'tv''Tl with the scenes prese ted by tbe Itata^ 'l"""^ "."' '" "'""P"^'"' and teen,ing with life. There ^1^1'^"' """' '"" '"^ ""='"«• and bad weather. In the f„ mer caL thT""" """" ''"'' " '"" nings, like a storm-cloud!' 'Zl Zl^erZZTTJjT T' teJotusT'sf 'Tr'' ",""'""' Phe'-men-,.,, during the severe wiu- te. of 1881- 82, whde makmg a trip by sea from Portland to Boston. Tl,„ 1 • -i "."" '"*"^' ™' •" LUMINOUS? The luminosity of the sea has been attrih„.«V , but it was not until 1854 that th„ !!! """''""'' '" ™n»"8 causes, tied beyond dispute for al ti 'CT'° ™' <'i''»™'«vas lis pnosphorescent br <»■ htiips^i fhnf ♦!.„ But Z \ ""'"'• """"'^ ^"•'"''O ^"- <" "'« 'J'- m . ?d e •• Jiut phosphorescence in the son i-« ««+ „i ^ ""'eHituae. for it is an equally well ttlterf??^'''^! ^"' '" animalcule. PRE CHAPTER III. HISTORIC MONSTERS OF THE DEEP. are, once were continent^ nn,i «ri,«. ■^- ""neie islands now vast «.orM of ,„d„stTo ' ' nH "^ ? "',°"'' ^t""''. "habited by. deep and sullen r^ar Not ITh ''"'!5''''' """ **■« ^''' «"-P' i" cur in the „c.„°Id bft the L°h ™"''°'''"' ''''^^"''' '•""■««« »<=- equally remarkable and imth/ ^T'" " """■'""' "^ """'«'»» anced MhT \ ,1 accuracy with which everythincr is bal per e„, ,,,, ,t, „j,„„^^ l."rn,o„yl|,nrtrro:^ho t t ^ " " " the'V;:e:rr ir" -"^ """"'"«' -^ «-:•:;::■«• a that .nai„ti!::„:nn th ™ dTTbTtrr''' "^ """''™"""' ^"' '^^ ceded the higher The 1 ' i "^ "'''"'' °' *""»"»" l"*- cmstsureto heLl„!Ss,sth r'M t"'" "' '•°*' """ ^^^h- r..d, , S^'og'sts the chronicles of cosnioi^onv, in which he earth or wate„ before .ntf^wtt r::;'o"rati::'^ """" ""• If- 32 SEA AND LAND. hfi BEOINNINQ OP LIFE. The first life, which teemed in the sea before any land had appeared, was the zoophytes, creatures which partake of both the vegetable and < 3 M 9S O animal have exam fe, and are therefore called pluiit-animals. Of these we still pies ill the sea-stars, sea- hedgehogs, veiius-girdle, jelly-fish, MTSTEBIEa or THE BEEP SEA. 33 etc. Some of these_f„r there are raony dWerent orders „f zoo. phytes- hnd the „ppear„„ce of beautiful flowers, and covered the bed of the „oe,.n w,lh fore,ts anl gardens „• ni-turesque as eye ov„ beheld They possessed solid bodies, ge,:«-ally, which bore soo. resemblance to the skeletons of superior animals Next to tho zoophytes, and of a higher order of creation.are the mol. IU.SCS, which are protected by hard shells. Of this order, the ammonites now ex,»t only m a fossil sl.te, but the nautili still su,-vive 1""^! %Z thit it" u '""""'"' -"-P-ehends such an immense variety (200) that .t would weary the patience of any ordinary reader t^ desenbe them hero, so we will proceed merely to mention the varLu^ orders as they came into being. »»riou» Fi«h of two species, one of which resembled oar modern perch, the other hav„,g irregular teeth and exceedingly small fins. foHowed he molluscs Remains of these are found in the Silurian • sta^e The shark and lias were nearly contemporaneous with the first fishes, beln^ f,»n,d,n carboniferous formations, which innnediately followed hf Devonian or age of fishes. "^ »^«iuwoa me SAURIAN MONSTERS. We now come to the saurian (fish-lizard) order of creation, which made Its appearance at the same time as the crustacean (she iTfisM and the huge scorpion. It was now that the great paleosaums, ichthy osaurus, and many species of the nothosauri haunted the mar Ly and oed-fnnged shores of the desolate world, limiting the seas' pinla- t,on by heir voracious appetites. Cuvier, the reLwned natural" t whose studies m comparative anatomy created and raised that branch Cirit ''de?""r'''T',''"'"""' '"^ ="'^™ - « complete a,5 *«l accuiate description of these onco mighty monsters «,. font...- an yet so terrible in aspect as to make it ap^rl^ mpoS that c|.e„t,on could suffer such things to mar her handiwork Hil,", 1"*, '1"^"' """'" '" "'^ """■"■'Ions combination of croco- dile teeth, the head and breast of a lizard, snout of a dolphin the ve^ Zl T' , , plesiosaurus, we have a yet more horrid erea- »re for to an equally grisly body there is the long neck of a^erDeT U minatnig in the head of a lizard. The fossil re^mains of ^hZZ I ■»^I3^^ oniybeen found in banks of marly stone, of the secoild 8« u SEA AND LAND. \?i period, and chiefly in England, where they must have been at one time quite abundant. Such large quantities of their remains have D D til S Q o o z < s been gathered that several entire skeletons have been reconstructed, and are now to be seen in the British Museum. Professor Owen, one MYSTEUIES OP THE DEEP SEA. ^5 of the greatest pale(,nt<>I(,n:i.st8 of the century, has ...-ouDed th««p oral saunajKsnto one f..i,^, ,,.,.,,,, ,,,,/^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ large word, hut ,t is only the Greek for .so.-liy.ncl ^ T! lizards have,.<.n .>und measuring n.re Z!:^^:^y ^7'::^ with heads six feet lono- -^ "' '^"gth, Th,. id,t„yo.un.i wo,.„ «,«„„„, designed fo/t tj :':•:'.•', ,1 ■ r^::d^e:::r:t::rs;';^;:;tr.''''-''''-^ .|.«.ie, the j„w8, armed with .,1,„,,, teefl, v 1, ed f ""^. '"•S'-'»' ulv,c.ve„ feet. The vonu-itv „f . 1 " ""'"' "' e,„,.„dih., ,ve,.„ ,uiekiv ■■eph.oed ' ' • ^ ' '" " "'" ™»« """ ""> l>led those of ou,- h„,,e ,e>.|,e„t». ' .T ' '' , , f'!'^'*'; '--"'- «t,ange e,,.at,„.„. whose e..n,o,.di„a,y „ Lfe ' ^ Td " ' '"" ^; (»oa-weed,. t'!:^ tti^iC:;; ::rr ir";;'f "■= .i.o ,.,e™„g ga.e of the iehthvosauH. its „,.lt '^1^m:ZJ:::\ M. I I . , "^"^ MIGHTY MEOALOSAURUS "f a maHne crocodile .T1 if ® '''"™™'''' ''"^ '•»"""» (jrreat lizard)/ ™ ;,,,;■*, '" «"™ ""> "■""" ^^''i.ateau,™ k.mw„ to hive exi ed , V '"""' """'"-^'^'''^ "' -'.V that i« a|.|.eara,„.. ,„ thie "T, ' '' •"""« "'"""' i^eMtieal i„ ■<» 'ength-a lizard lar^e .^ a wL le O w"™ r""""" "^^'''^ '"" not exceed thirty feet. ' '"'"«™'-. """ks it did mi 36 SEA AND LAND. The celebrated gravel-pits in the St. Pierre mountains, near Maes, tricht, have furnished us with wonders scarcely less marvelous, such THE FLYING PTERODACTAL. as skeletons of monstrous sea-turtles, an infinity of shells, and with a LAND. after the evaporation of waters, and the appearance of land which first prescribed their limits, is equally well proved. Erosions and ac- cretions, eruptions, climatic changes, storms, earthquakes, the earth's movements, particularly those whicl^ occur once in 21,000 years, which will hereafter be explained, and deluges, have evolved and dried up, or displaced oceans, as will be done again in the earth's ever active life. The evidences that there was at one time a great sea, covering the vast region which now comprises our western plains, are indtibitable and interesting. Not only do the remains of ocean animals found scattered over the West prove the existence of a sea, but the agglom- eration of saurian bones which lie heaped in singular confusion, as found in Kansas, attest the fact that in the subsidence of waters, from whatever cause, the last water remaining must have been a lake or pool, in the region where the fossil remains of the pre- historic animals are now found; for there they evidently perished. The ancient ocean-bed to which I refer, is easily traced in the State of Kansas, and the last struggles of the monsters in the slime and stagnant waters of that expiring sea were evidently made in a lake, whose limits are seen in the mauvaise terres, or Bad Lands, of the State, a region of country that has been recently examined by a party of scientists. A description of this wonderful territory, the graveyard of gigantic creatures more formidable than the eye of modem man ever looked upon, is thrilling in the extreme. WONDERS OF THti KANSAS PLAINS. From elevated points the plains appear to be dotted with ruined villages and towns, with avenues lined with painted walls of fortifi- cations, churches and towers, while side alleys pass beneath natural bridges or expand into small pockets and caverns, smoothed by the ac- tion of the w'nd, carrying hard mineral particles. If the explorer searches the bottoms of the rain-washes and ravines, he will doubtless come upon the fragment of a tooth or jaw, and will generally find a line of such pieces leading to an elevated position on the bank or bluff where lies the skeleton of some monster of the ancient sea. He may find the vertebral column running far into the limestone, or a paddle extending on the slope, as though entreating aid; ©r a pair of jaws iiiied with Lorriu teeth ; or he may find a conic mound with bleached bones on the apex. Sometimes a pile of huge remains will be dis- covered, which the dissolution of the rock has deposited on the lower MYSTERIES OP THE DEEP SEA. 41 Dieacnoa level, the force of rain and wash having been insufficient to carry them away. The descriptions of these wonderful creatures savor of the exaggerations of Verne, yet are facts. The fabulous monsters that were believed in in the olden times, the dragons, serpents, etc.. are thrown m the shade by these truly ancient monsters that once swam m the ocean that finally became land-locked, and the bottom of which is now raised high above the water level. The shore line of that old ocean is distinctly marked. Imagine the water between New York and London a dry plain, its whales and fishes stranded in the mud, on the sides of the great hills, and on the plateaus that we know exist, and an idea can be forced of the mauvaise terres. Professor Marsh says that in ene place he counted from his horse the remains of five huge monsters spread upon the plain. One of the largest of these, a reptile called the Liodon, exceeded in size the largest whale and of Its discovery Lieutenant Whitten, of the army, says- «* A part of the face, with teeth, was observed projecting from the side of a bluff, and we at once proceeded to follow up the indication with knives and picks. Soon the lower jaws were uncovered, with their glistening teeth, and then the vertebree and ribs. Our delight was at Its height when the bones of the pelvis and part of the hind limbs were laid bare, for they had never been seen before in the species and scarcely in the order. While lying on the bottom of the creta- ceous sea, the carcass had been dragged hither and thither by the sharks and other rapacious animals, and the parts of the skeleton were displaced and gathered into a small area. The massive tail stretched away into the bluff, and after much laborious excavation, we left a portion of it to more persevering explorers." A QIQANTIO TURTLE. One of the most remarkabie discoveries was a turtle, the maximum length of which may not have been far from thirty feet, with a cor- responding width of twenty feet. The discovery of a medium-sized one IS thus referred to by the finder : - The fragments of the Pro^ Tr Zu^ !t'° ^^ ''°' °^ ^^^ ™"" projecting from a ledge of a low bluff. Their thinness, and the distance to which they were traced, ex- cited my curiosity, and I straightway attacked the bank with the pick After several square feet of rock had been removed. w« o\L..A up the floor, and found ourselves well repaid. Many long, slen- der pieces of two inches in width lay upon the ledge. They were evidently ribs, with the usual heads, but behind each head was a 42 SUA AW) lAHt). li plate like the flattened bowl of a huge spoon, placecl cfos«wiSe. Beneath these stretched two broad plates, two f et in width, and no thicker than binders' board. The edges were fingered, and the sur- face hard and smooth. All this was quite new among fully grown animals, and we at once determined that more ground must be explored for further light. After picking away the bank and carving the soft rock, new masses of strange forms were disclosed. Some bones of a large paddle were recognized, and a leg bone. The shoulder-blade of a huge tortoise came next, and further examination showed that we had stumbled on the burial place of the largest species of sea turtle yet known. The single bones of the paddle were eight inches long, giving the spread of the expanded flippers as con- THE PROTOSTFGE, OR C \EAT TURTLE. siderably over fifteen feet. But the ribs were those of an ordinary turtle just hatched, and the great plates represented the bony deposit in the skin, which, commencing independently in modern turtles, unite with each other at an early day. But it was incredible that the largest of known turtles should be but just hatched, and for this and other reasons it has been concluded that this * ancient mariner ' is one of those forms not uncommon in old days, whose incom- pleteness in some respects points to the truth of the belief that animals have assumed their modern perfections by growth from more simple beginnings.'^ ers as con- manner MYarmtts OP rttn i>eei. ska. ^ Other specimens were found that had evidently been torn by sharks, that Avere on a scale equally gigantic, had attained a len.rth of one hundred and fifty feet, and could easily have taken a'horse md cart in thr.r nouths. Dr. John Hunter, of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, London, in describing a specimen of medmra size, says : '« The length of the base of this tooth, from the Carcharodon mcgalodon (Agassiz), is four inches eight lines- th-,t of the longest of its sides, five inches ten lines; with it is "lleed a tooth of an unusually large specimen of the largest known living species of Carchara^s, the length of the base of which is one inch eight ines ana that of Uie longest of its sides two inehes three lines This tooth IS from a shark twenty feet long. The fossil shark if bearing the same proportion to the teeth, must have been over siity feet long. 1 he fossil tooth used in Sir John's comparison, was from the miocene tertiary formations of Malta, and was a third smaUe than the larges found in America. Professor Agassiz made sim lar comparisons with like results. The teeth, although having lain untold ages under ground, still in many cases retain th'eir beautiful polish Zl t;lrr"^°^ -' ''- ^^^-^^-^ ^'^^- -« - P-^- a^when' FLVmO REPTILES OF ASTOON61NO SUi Though the Bad L»nd. of Kansa, furnish many fossil remains of marvelous extmct an.mals, other sections of our country are rich wi^h qua iy wonderful specimens which have been exhumed during the last few years. «"iiug me Near Charleston, S. C, in the beds of the Ashley and Cooper rir ers,p recently found several teeth of a species of land Co "j wh-cTTTre larger on the grinding surface than the outspread palm o ' a man s hand Let imagination determine the size of the mout" of th,s creature J In the same region have been discovered the remains of one „f the largest reptiles of that ancient period, a verUaWe mnhaaus very smidar m appearance to the pterodactyl, already descnbed but many times larger. It measured when fould, twenty mne feet from finger to finger, and when alive and spread in hTat the g,ga„t,e creature was one of the most terrible flyers of the borde; of th,s ancient sea. It derived its powers of flight, not by a mem thumb, like the bat's, nor by a wing without distinct fingers, as on i \ I'l 44 SEA AND LAND. AM birds, but "by a wing feustiiinod principally on a very elongai?d toe, while the other members possessed their normal shortness, and were COMBAT iiiriWlSEN THE. j;.iii ■•, ru=At,r.L:: armed with claws. With this remarkable conformation were associ- ated a long neck and beak. It could fly in the air, remain on the MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 40 wing a long time, and suspend itself to trees and rocks by its short toes. Another wonder discovered was tho Ilesperornin (night-bird), a large water bird seven feet in height, and having knifc-Uke teeth! The teeth were set in grooves, the wings were rudimentary and use- less, while the legs were like those of a duck. A study of its skeleton shows it to have been closely related to the ostrich. Another wonder was a flying bird, the Ichthyornis (fish-bird), having still more rep- tilian characteristics. Its teeth, like the alligator's, were in distinct sockets, and, stranger yet, its vertebrae is bi-concave, a peculiarity only found in the fishes and a few reptiles. One of the most gigan- tic reptiles discovered was the Amphiccelias (a name given to express the peculiarity of its having both the fore and hindei^ends concave). The thigh bone was so heavy that the finders were forced to harness a mule to it to drag it out of the hole. It measured more than eleven feet in length. A section of the vertebrre, from the dorsal portion, was a heavy lift for four men, and when placed on the ground in the position assumed by the animal, it tow'ered above the tallest of the party, being more than six feet in height. To appreciate this, the reader must remember that the corresponding bone of the nearest living representative of this animal can be lifted by the little finger. Other fossil saurians, the thigh bones of which are six feet in len«Hhi have been given a length of more than one hundred and fifty feet! If they increased in proportion to the size of this bone, we should have a creature more than two hundred feet in length, but of course this is merely a supposition, though quite a probable one. A thigh bone of an allied genus more than six feet in length can be seen in the Museum of Natural History, Central Park. It is in a case in Geographical Hall, and side by wide with the same bone of the nearest allied form. Near by are other creatures, representing the sf.me age. Some of the whales of this and later times were one hundred and fifty feet in length, and the State of Alabama was once their roaming ground. THE LARGEST ANIMAL CAPABLE OF MOTION ON LANC. In the Bad Lands of Colorado an animal has been found which is by far the largest animal supposed to be capable of moving on dry land. It fed on the forests of the tinio, a faot r.^ov^'' h" f" - - tounci with It. It was called the Titanosaurus (the giant lizard, evi- dently a misnomer), a huge animal, seventy feet in length and eighty m height. That age ab-'inded in flying reptiles and turtles, besides 46 8EA AND LAND. .'J the monster saurians already mentioned. Some of the land turtles were nine feet in length, and proportionately high. One specimen now extinct would easily hide or cover two men, being about four feet high. At that period a great revolution was culminating, and a perceptible change is noticed, that gives indications of i new era. The body was elevated, instead of being dragged along; the limbs were lengthened, and in animal life at that period the iguanodon takes a pron)inent position. The thigh, when full grown, was more than four and a half feet in length, and the circumference around the head was four and a half feet. The teeth were obtusely conical, and laterally compressed, so as to present a cutting edge, which was ser- rated like the teeth of the Mexican iguana, from which it was named. As restored by Mr. Hawkins, it has a slight resemblance to an im- mense tiger. Mr. Hawkins says, to ^ive an idea of the size of that animal, that the iguanodon, as it now stands in the Crystal Palace, is composed of four iron columns, nine feet in length by seven inches in diameter, six hundred bricks, one thousand five hundred and fifty tiles, thirty-eight casks of cement, ninety casks of broken stone, with one hundred feet of iron hooping, and twenty feet of cubic inch bar. The specimen was modeled after the great Horsham specimen, and to show more clearly the size, the mold was afterward converted into a " «o7/fi a manger,'^ in which Professors Forbes, Owen and twenty other gentlemen sat down to dinner. The great cretaceous ocean of the West, that is now only known to us by its arid deserts and chalky plains, was no less remarkable for its fishes than its reptiles, and swarmed with large forms related to the salmon and saury. Vertebra; and other fragments of those species project from the worn limestone in many places, and one of them uttvacts attention by its formidable appearance. The density and hardness of the bones had shed the rain off on either side, so that the radiating gutters and ravines finally isolated the stony iron- ster. The head was some inches longer than that of a fully-grown grizzly bear, and the jaws were deeper in proportion to their length. The muzzle was shorter and deeper than that of a bulldog. The teeth were all sharp, cylindric fangs, smooth and glistening, and of irresrular size. At certain nointa in oach iaw. t.hev nrnifint.ed thrRA inches above the gum, and were sunk one inch into deep pits, being thus as long as the fangs of a tiger, but more slender. Two pairs of such fangs crossed each other on each side of the end of the snout. That H fa C a o r w y id turtles specimen )out four ig, and a new era. ihe limbs ^uanodon vas more •ound the lical, and was 8cr- 8 named, o an im- 0 of that Palace, is en inches and fifty ;n stone, ubic inch pecimen, ionvcrted wen and y known markable s related of those d one of 0 density • side, so )ny n^on- ly-grown r length. )g. The ^, and of ed three sing thus 3 of such It. That MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 47 fish is known us Portheus Molossus (Cope). Besides the smaller fishes, the reptiles no doubt, supplied the demands of their appet e The ocean n. wh.ch ilourished this abundant .nd vigorous life wa 1; 'MS 1 — ^~^^""~~~*^"<^as>ai ast completely enclosed on the west by elevations of sea bottom so X:^::rrtrta^r"'r"''/-'''°^'^^^^^^^^ na rne Arctic bea. The continued elevation of both ! ;« I 48 8EA AND LAND. eastern and western shores, contracted its area, and when ridges of the sea bottom reached the surface, forming long, low bars, parts of the water area were enclosed, and connection with salt water pre- vented. Thus were the living beings imprisoned, and subjected to many new risks. The stronger could more readily capture the weaker, while the fishes would gradually perish through the constant freshening of the water. With the death of any considerable class, the balance of food supply would be lost, and many larger species would disappear from the scene. The most enduring would longest resist the approach of starvation, but would finally yield to inexora- ble fate; the last one being caught by the shifting bottom among the shallow pools, from which his exhausted energies could not extri- cate him. i.'S '. CHAPTER V. APPEARANCE OF LAND ANIMALS. jE now approach the epoch of great change, when the waters began to subside, and continents were upheaved from the desolate waste of waters, calling into being new forms of life, and radically changing, by metamorphosing or de- stroying, the creatures of the primitive sea. These changes were the product of violent eruptions, coral-builders, great cataclysms, modi- fications of ocean temperature, and the voracity of certain species, which brought about an annihilation of themselves. Monster sauri- ans, finding their nourishment curtailed, fell upon their own species and thus made way for other and superior animals like the mammalia of the sea, such as whales, sea-cows, dolphins, etc. The cetacea, or mammlferous sea animals, evidently existed before the present age, but how long before is not known. They are placed in the period immediately preceding the quaternary epoch, which bordered on our present age, but so few and imperfect fossils have been found that we know little of them. It is well ascertained, how- ever, that whales which existed in the ancient seas were very different from our present species, in that they were more active, while the structure of their jaws and strength of teeth prove that they sub- sisted, not on small animals, as now, but on largo prey, and thus they, too, helped to bring about that great change which constitutes an epoch in the sea. MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 40 EVOLUTION OF LIFE IN THE SEA. The lowest order of life in the sea is the zoophyte or plant-animal, in which the boundary between the animal and vegetable is so difficult to discover that, like the bat, they are a part of two kinjrdoms, if I Min.v be permitted to speak thus generally. Of these semi-animals J» mexora- n among Neptune's gup. the sponge is most difficult to classify, notwithstanding the fact that even at as early a day as Pliny lived, they were pronounced animals, und the males and females distinguished from each other. But in 4a m 8EA AND LAND. I modern times the sponge has been looked upon us vegetable up to a very recent period, when it has again been placed in the animal king- dom, though at the very lowest place. Grant has even undertaken to prove that the sponge is oviparous, and describes its mode of reproduction as follows : "At certain periods of the year small spheroidal bodies are devel- oped in the interior of the sponges, drop into the lacunce (air-cell), with which they are pierced, and are expelled along with the water which pours through them. These corpuscles — the reproductive germs of the sponges — are accordingly armed with hair or filaments, by mean>< of which they move in the water with tolerable ra[)idity, and succeed in fixing themselves upon some object, whence they do not stir. Ordinarily, they choose in preference the rocks and cal- careous stones, and even excavate a kind of lodging, which at first serves them for an asylum, and then insures them, while expanding, a more solid support." The test whicih admitted the sponge into the animal kingdom was subjecting it U} fire, in which it emanates an odor very like burning horn, thus proving that its comi»onent parts are horn, silicate and carbonate of lime, which resemble the bones and cartilage of a zoo- phyte. The sponge while living secretes a gelatinous substance, from which chemists have extracted a fatty matter, thus again demonstrat- ing its animal life ; though of organs th^re is no trace, nor do we know how it dies. THE SPONGE AN ANIMAL. SaysPouchet: •' Sponges are the most truly manifold in form of any animals; they are met with of all shapes, sizes and colors. Some branch out like trees, many resemble a funnel or a trumpet ; others are divided into lobes, like great fingers; for instance, Neptune's Qlove; and there are some which are known by the name of sea- muffs and sea-tapers, on account of their form. , '* A closely allied variety produces regular sponge monuments, which grow from three to six feet high, on the submarine rocks. They have a narrow stalk which, at a certain height, expands consid- erably, and gives the structure the look of a cup symmetrically hol- lowed out, and exactly like an immense drinking goblet. To such a colossal the imagination of the sailor could only give one name, that of the redoubtable god of the sea ; this living vase is the Gup oj Neptune.'' le up to a mal kiiiff- idertaken mode of ire devel- air-cell), he water iroductive lilaments, rai)idiry, B they do 3 and cal- h at first xpanding, ^dom was e burning licate and of a zoo- mce, from monstrat- lor do we 1 form of rs. Some !t ; others dfeptune's le of sea- >numents, le rocks. Js consid- ically hol- fo such a ame, that e Cup oj SPONGE GATHERING IN THE MEDITERRANEAN, 52 SEA AND LAND. ' i1 I''' MARVELOUS ARTISANS OF THE SEA. But a single degree above the sponge, is an order called AntkoaoaSt meaning flower animal, which are rich in coloring, delicate in texture, and of the most elaborate designs, composing, at times, large and gorgeously beautiful flower gardens, and at others, stately and fan- tastic forests. There is a classification of the anthozoas, called Zoanthariay and having the same meaning, which comprise the most interesting features of sea-life. This last branch is again divided into two further divisions viz.: the fleshy and the stony zoantharia. Of the former, the sea anemones are the more popular examples, as they may be en in nearly all public aquaria. Their body bears some resemblance to a bag, adhering at one end to the sea-bed, while the other lies free and open for the reception of food. This opening is armed with tentacles, by which the flower animal seizes its prey and holds it until devoured. Singular enough, though the anemones present to the superficial eye nothing but a sluggish stem of appar- ent vegetation, yet they are not only carnivorous, but actually catch fish and feed upon them. So voracious are they that it is hardly safe to introduce them into an aquarium with small fishes. CORAL WONDERS. The stony zoantharia, also called madrepore and lithophytes (stone- animals), is beyond compare the most wonderful inhabitant of the ocean, as you must agree after reading even the following short de- scription of its habits and mighty labors. In speaking of this animal, we will use the name b}'^ which it is most generally known. Coral, and thereby avoid possible confusion. The coral with which we are best acquainted has a pinkish-red color, but coral is also frequently found bearing a dozen different shades of red, so that it is classified tech- nically among the divers and traders as "blood foam," "flower of blood," " first," " second " and " third " blood. Sages of antiquity were never agreed as to their opinions respecting the nature of coral, some maintaining that it was a vegetable, othfs as strongly asseverating that it was mineral. In 1750, Peyssonnel demonstrated that all the old wiseacres were wrong, and that coral is the direct result of a polyp (many-footed) animal, which builds its fairy grottoes by secreting a calcareous matter. These singular crea- tures bear no small resemblance to other flower animals, and are some- times mistaken for sea flowers. Dr. Chenu, in his admirable description of the coral, says : MTTSTERIES OP THE DEEP SEA. »• ««The tubulose substance by which fh«ir o,.« «^ ^ , . . filled wu. . spiou,„ .™e„L r:tx:h:";;;ra;eii7^^^^^ amerent digestive cavities ; carbonate of lime, iniuglecl 54 filSA AND LAND. with a blood-red coloring matter, and abundantly secreted by the ani- mal, unites together the different masses of polyps, and produces a stem whose size is increased by the addition of new layers, and whose elongation is effected by means of the development of new animals at the extremity of the aggregation." The whole presents the appearance of a tangled, branchy shrub, destitute of leaves and twigs. The diameter of the trunk never ex- ceeds eight inches, produced entirely by a calcareous secretion depos- ited in concentric layers by the polyps. The exterior layer, or bark, IS usually of a light gray color, covered with tubercles, while at the summit there is a pierced aperture divided into eight compartments, BIRTH OF THE CORAL WORM. to provide means for the issue ef as many tentacles of the polyps. These curious creatures are remarkable ior their fecundity, but are very much moro wonderful for their admirable workmanship, skillful engineering and illimitable industry, building up, as they do, with the materials extracted from their own bodies, such massive citadels that the most gigantic monuments of ancient or modern people are dwarfed by comnarison^ ' Cuvior, in his ♦« Discourse on the Surface Revolutions of the Globe," says: ♦« In the torrid zone, where the lithophytes (coral) are numer- ous in species and propagate abundantly, their stony trunks inter- MTSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 55 twino themselves into rocks and reefs which, rising to the surface of the water, close up the mouths of harbors, and lav the most terrible snares for navigators. The sea, throwing up sand and mud on the summit of these reefs, sometimes raises their surface above its own level, and forms them into level islands, which in due time a rich ves- etation vivifies." " The tropical districts of the Pacific Ocean particularly abound with prodigious quantities of coral, which have become veritable palaces of the sea, as gorgeous as ever fairy raised in the creative mind of youth. "Plants of fibre fine as silkworm's thread, Yea, beautiful as Mermaid's golden hair Upon the waves dispread ; Others that, like the broad banana growing Raised their long wrinkled leaves of purple hue, Like streamers wide out-flowing. •' Trees of the deep, and shrubs and fruits and flowers As fair as ours, Wherewith the sea-nymphs love their locks to braid When to their father's hall, at festival ' Repairing, they, In emulous array. Their charms displa^i, To grace the banquet and the solemn day." ♦ 0URI08ITIE8 OF THE COBAL WORM. Captain Hall has written a very excellent account of the coral and Its habits, from which the following is extracted : - The examination of a coral reef during the different stages of "one tide, is particularlv uiteresting. When the sea has left it for some time it becomes dry and appears to be a compact rock, exceedingly hard and ra^^cred • but no sooner does the tide rise again, and the waves begin to tv'ish'over It, than millions of coral worms protrude themselves from holes on the surface, which were before quite invisible. "These animals are of a great variety of shapes and sizes, and in such prodigious numbers that in a short time the whole surfaco of the rock appears to be alive and in motion. The mo^t common of the worms at Loo Choc was in the form of a star, with arms from four to SIX inches m length, which are moved about with r mnJd t"nf,v.. :» all directions, probably in search of food. Others were so slucr.l'ish that they were often mistaken for pieces of rock ; these were'gen- •Soutliey: " Gium of Ketauna. " 56 SEA AND LAND. erally of a dark color, from four lO five inches long, and two or three round. When the rock was broken from a spot near the level of high water, it was found to be a hard, solid stone , but if any part of it were detached at a level to which the tide reached every day, it was discovered to be full of worms of all different lengths and colors, some being as fine as a thread and several feet long, generally of a bright yellow, and sometimes of a blue color; while others resembled snails, and some were not unlike lobsters and prawns in shape, but soft, and not above two inches long. '* The growth of coral ceases when the worm which creates it is no longer exposed to the washing of the tide. Thus a reef rises in the form of a gigantic cauliflower, till its top has gained the level of the highest tides, above which the worm has no power to carry its opera- tions, and the reef, consequently, no longer extends itself upwards. * * * The reef, however, continually increases, and being pre- vented from going higher, must extend itself laterally in all directions ; and this growth being probably as rapid at the upper edge as it is lower down, the steepness of the face of the reef is preserved ; and it is this circumstance which renders this species of rock so dangerous to navigation. In the first place, they are seldom seen above water ; and in the next, their sides are so abrupt that a ship's bow may strike against the rock before any change of soundings in licates the approach of danger.'' ISLANDS BUILT BY CORAL WORMS. Chamisso, another learned investigator, has given ns the result of his observations among the coral, in a very interesting work, in which he says, that after the reef is extended to the surface of the water the animals cease their work, and it would jierhaps remain in this shape but for the fact that below the line they have traced is a con- tinuous stony mass, composed of shells, molluscs, etc., and fragments of coral connected by calcareous sand. It often happens that the heat of the sun penetrates this calcareous mass when it is dry, and causes it to split open in many places ; thd waves then possess suffi- cient force to break up the coral into blocks about six feet long and three or four broai, which are piled up on the reef. Thus the reef is crested by these accumulations until the waves can no longer break over. The calcareous sands which now accumulate offer to the seeds brought thither by the waves or winds a soil wherein vegetation strikes root and soon covers it with a luxurious growth. Whole MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 57 trunks of trees, transported from remote distances, find here a resting place ; next, small animals, such as lizards or insects, are convejed by some inscrutable means to the artificial island and thus become the first inhabitants of the reefs. Even before the woods grow dense, aea-b rds hulM thoi- n— f~ r -' - - ""J""* off^rfK. ' A ^ ■ -mKirncu ncot= m uio copses, and finaliv, long after the industrious and patient coral-builders have completed their work, man appears and rears his habitation on the fertile soil. 58 SEA AND LAND. P It 18 principally in tho South Sea and the Red Sea that the Cv^ral- builders abound. At the approaches to the Maldive Ishindii they form extraordinary masses, of no less extent than the Alps. After describing the process by which the coral animals raise their danger- ous reefs, Owen thus refers to ihe gigantic character of their labors : ♦♦The prodigious surface over which the combined and ceaseless toil of the little architects extends ought to be taken into consideration in order to understand the important part they j^lay in nature. They have built a barrier of reefs four hundred miles long round New Caledonia, and another which extends along the north-east coast of Australia, one thousand miles in length. This represents a mass in comparison with which the walls of Babylon and the Pyramids of Egypt are child's toys. And these edifices of the polyps have been reared in the midst of the ocean-waves, and iu defiance of tempests which so rapidly annihilate the strongest works constructed by man." OTHER AROHITEOT8 OF THE 8EA. T-.e coral builders represent the most perfect workmanship in con- struction and up-rearing, but we have other marine animals that are almost as skillful architects, besides being true miners, hewing their way through stone, cleaving even adamantine marble, and often so seriously attacking ships as to send the strongest wooden hull to the bottom of the sea. The most renowned stone-borers scientists have called Pholadesy meaning, literally, lurking in a hole ; they are bi- valved molluscs, with thin, white, elongated shells open at both ends. At one opening is situated the respiratory tubes that pump up the sea- water, from which it extracts the infusoria (anirnalculse), on which it feeds. At the other, or front opening, projects the foot, so-called, being a thick, powerful sole, which it uses to rasp the rock, and thus, at the expense of the greatest labor it gradually works its way into the stone by using the foot alone. Stone which lies long in the sea is much softened by the water, and if we but rub our finger briskly on the surface while wet, we find it easily indented. It is this same rubbing process which the pholades employ, and by this means finally burrow into the stone rmt of sight. One of these marble cutters has acquired great distinction in geol- ogy, by reason of its having attacked the temple of Jupiter Serapis, situated on the borders of the Mediterranean, and almost on a level *vith its waves. It has cut numerous excavations in tho beautiful columns of this sanctuary several feet above the oresent water Hue. MVSTEKIES Ol' THE D££P SKA. 59 THE 0E8TRU0TIVE SHIP -WORM. But there are other workmen m the sea more injurious and no less industrious than the phoiades. I refer to the Taredo (from the Greek, to rub) riavalis, or ship-worm. These animals are vermiform mol- luscs, which live in the interior ot wood that is submerged in the sea. It is continually gnawing, and thus cuts numerous tortuous galleries] until the wood which it attacks is reduced to the frailest shell. " The head of this animal is armed with a little shell, projecting beyond its soft body with which it does the cuttinir: hence the Greek word bv which it is known is hardlv applicable, since it certainly does not cleave its way in the wood hv rubbinir. The ravages of the taredo, when it attacks ships, is something terrible, since in a short space of time they re- duce the strongest beams and timbers to a state of fraoilo THE TAREDO, OR SHIP-WORM. sponge. In 1731 these ani- mals came very near occasioning the submerging of Holland, having devoured a greater part of the Zealand dykes before their mischievous work was discovered. Working always in the interior of the wood, the rava-es they perpetrate are not easily detected until the whole is readv to^ollapsc from weakness; iience, to preserve vessels from these dreadful wood devourers, their l)ottoms are carefully lined with copper. CHAPTER VI. ^^^^ ■ ARMOR-CLAD SEA WARRIORS. ^^tiH^^^ infinite life which pervades the ocean requires an encyclo- WM^:' P^*^''' ^'*'" '^^ description; hence, it will be necesaarv to nji^s ^s^P "''^'' "^^"^^ interesting things in order to give space to the -^ most important. I should have liked to mention the medusa, or jelly-fish, which are so curir)us, and which have afforded me many 60 SGA AND LAND. hours of AmiiRement ; also, the sea hedgehog, venuj-girdle and a score of other phiiit-animals, as they are called, hut I must forego my wishe**, else this work must necessarily " be stretched out to the crack of doom ;" for no one book could contain it all. Mangin has wol! said: "To n strain the infinite multiplication of inferior beings, and to cleanse the shores from the refuse of dead or dying animals accumulated thereon 'by the ebbing tides, ocean nourishes numerous monsters, hideously ugly and voracious, but strong, invulnerable, admirably organized, armed with a view to their deadly mission —death and destruction. These animals are the CiicstacecB — should ^hey not rather be called the cuirassiers? — lob- sters, crabs, and especially those horrible sea-spectres, with sidelong march, crooked claws, disproportionately long in some species, with enormous talons of extraordinary s^'cngth, a squat body encased in a hard, thick shell, ingeniously composed of pieces Avhich present no point of vantage to an enemy, and yet preserve perfect liberty of movement. In the infernal regions of crabs, monsters two feet long have been discovered." I may also add that upon one occa^ >n I saw a live lobster, quite as large as an ordinary dog. It was kept chained, and well it might be, for it was as ferocious as a bull-dog and equally dangerous; a grip of its huge claw; would have destroyed a man's arm, and jo vengeful did it always appear, that no one dared to approach within its reach. Michelet has observed: " If, in the first place, one visits a rich collection of mediteval armor, and after having contemplated the heavy masses of iron which immured our knights, one flies imme- diately to a museum of natural history, and inspects the arms and mail of the crustacese, one feels a sincere compassion for the arts of man. The former are but a carnival of absurd disguises, heavy and cumbrous, well adapted to suffocate the warrior and render him help- less and harmless. The oth< rs, and especially those of the terrible decapodo, (having ten feet) are so frightful, that if these animals were enlarged only to man's size, no one could endure their aspect ; the bravest would be overwhelmed, magnetized with terror." The crustaceee (shell-covered) are nearly all arrayed, in their atti- tudes of combat, under that formidable offensive and defensive arsenal which they carry so lightly ; strong pincers, sharpened lances, mandibles which could eat through iron, bucklers bristling with darts which have but to clasp you close, and pierce you with a thousand MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. jj his thick hide. " '"""^ "» protection id . FUNNY EXPERIENCE WITH BAND FIDDLER, The smallest crab, the Talilre, h u cu„„i.,. imic. follow thnf to spring spontaneously from the s,„„l t . , """"PP««>-8 feno»-^:„„try,„cn. as soon aVsomr ^ ° T'"* """'""' »' ""» My first experience withX" m"e 3 " "'"'"' "" "" ""' ''<""''■• Previous to the buildin" of he «»• . T' ""'' " ^''^ '="">'™l ""«• River. I was sent to ll delta •„" V r"""" "' "-e Mississippi of Captain Eadsuhctht:t;xro;:s:v'r""'^^ to go out upon a board foot-path which' ■- be™ Zh '"^ ""^'''" peninsula, at the terminus „> Pa„ ,• ", , '"" """"^ "•"■oss a sedgy large number of talitrcs. genera rCm^r: ^ ""fij: °'"^ 7T " ingin my mind's eye visions of deaa.' ., J' 1 j ""'' "'"' '"''- eluded that I was beset by a colZ r i' ."'"'"'""''y <-•»"■ must certainly be bitten beC e^ wa Tss bir''"', '"''"" ""- which I sought to avoid the little crabs must hi™ .'"""""""'" amusDg.andwhcnlina.lotl.. I » . ™ """"' extremely of insects, the limit of ludicrJ """"" '''"'^' "''"'"'^ "■» patch been sorei; fri»hte, ed bt a n Ir''"/"'' "''^'""^ '''"'^•"'- I h»d timid ereafurcs:th:tto„'^; ,";■"'':■•."';'::? ''"■■""^™ ""^ exceedinglv to approach them do 1 me.rj'ifk^ disappeared had I attempfei their toes to the groiind a!^ l„f '"^^'^ "PP""»"> '»"<'''«nly alarmed, when the^ d^t 'off ' uddllv Th"""' ""^ """"'' ""^ and 80 numerous that thev kopn th u 'r^ ^^^^ g»eat scuvengers, matter. ^ ^'^ '^" ''^^^^ ^J^ansed of all animal m. , , , ■""= FORMIDABLE CANCER-CRAB. lUe largest and most terrible of the familv «^ cancer-crab, a creature of c^rent now.,. i I crustaceee is the pons to make his power dCfurm;''"''^ ^''**^" »^'"^"^ ^«- diately begin to battle but th. " '"'' '""'"' "^^^<= *^«^ ^'"'"e. otherim!rtiali th Ixtr me "i:"" '"."'f *^«^ Wmach each thevwalk on f, ....... Jfu !™'- , ^'"'"^ ^fa«'> heads hi^h as Dos«ihl. togethermost • sav^^ei;::^^^ Ca^h the sounds the, produce, coupled^vith the^r ^;^::io:l*^^^^^^^^^ ' ' ' t 62 SEA AND LAND. 1; 1 vfBl ^ ), m^i , A It dreadfu. enough. They fight like gladiators of old, leaving some of their lances (claws) always on the ground. But the loss of a claw or ^e'T to the crab is of little consequence, for the lost members are tfOeedily reproduced. A SHIP-WRECKED CREW DEVOURED BY CRABS. The food of the cancer-crab is decaying animal matter, but tliev Are not averse to fresh meat and have been known even to attack dis- abled mariners. It is said that several of Drake's seamen, having been cast by shipwreck upon a desert island in a helpless condition, were set upon by a legion of these terrible creatures and devoured. The species most popularly known on our shores are the hermit, the soldier, and the cenobite crab, each receiving its name from a peculiar characteristic of the animal. The hermit crab is a veritable cuckold, that despoils a mollusc of its shell and then occupies it itself. But it does not always shelter itself at the expense of another's home, for more commonly it seeks among the empty shells which strew the beach, turning them over and trying them with great fastidiousness until it finds one to suit. At other times they despoil each other, not, however, until a long strug- gle determines which is the stronger. As the hermit grows he must change his shell to accommodate his body. He is a voracious fellow, living chiefly on molluscs, but in ai> hour of scarcity he does not hesi- tate to act the cannibal. MARVELOUS EXHIBITION OF CANNIBALISM. But I cannot charge the hermit with greater sins than are commit- ted by his fellows, for all crabs are cannibals, the weaker always suc- cumbing to the stronger. Mr. Rymer Jones relates a singular story, the facts of which must make us harbor more or less dislike for the voracious crustacean. Says Mr. Jones : " On one occasion I introduced six crabs of different sizes into mv aquarium. One of them venturing toward the middle of the reser- voir was immediately accosted by another a little larger, which took it with its claws as it might have taken a biscuit, :ind set about break- ing its shell, and so found a way to its tiesh. It dug its cro()k- condition, voured. le hermit, lie from a mollusc of lys shelter ly it seeks them over o suit. At ong struii- vs he must 1US fellow, s not hesi- rc comniil- ilways sue- ular story, ko for the es into my the resei- fc^hich took out break- ts crooked y no atten- ons, which em. Oui COCOANUT-EATING CiUJBS 03 64 SEA AND LAND. same fashion, penetrating to its middle, and tearing out its entrai s m th^same savage manner. In the meantime the victim singu ajb' enough, did not disturb itself for a moment, but contuiued to eat the first crab bit by bit, until it was itself entirely torn to pieces by its own executioner-a remarkable instance at once of insensibility to pain and of cruel infliction under the lex talionis (the law of retali- ation). To eat and to be eaten, seems to be one of the great laws of nature.** 0RAB8 THAT BREAK OOOOANUT8. Though essentially carnivorous, the crustaceans sometimes eat marine vegetables. Many even seem to prefer fruit to animal food. Such is the tree-crab of the Polynesian Isles, which feeds a most ex- clusively on the cocoanut. This crab has thick and strong claws ; the others are comparatively weak. At first glance it «ee«^7.7"«f ^^ that it could penetrate a hard cocoanut surrounded by a thick bed of fibre and protected by its strong shell, yet it is a conimon circuni- stance, witnessed bv many travelers. The crab begins by tearing of^ the fibre at the exti^mity where the fruit is, always choosing tlerigh end. When this is removed, it strikes it with its great claws until it has broken an opening through the shell; then, by ^he a.d of its slender claws, and by turning itself round, it extracts the whole sub- stance of the nut. MONSTER 8EA" SPIDERS. From an article in a recent number of St. Nicholas, I condense the following interesting information about crabs : . , t Amonc' the most remarkable, and the largest of crabs, is the Jap- anese se^-spider, highly esteemed in the Orient as an excellent article of food. Its principal claws are each five feet in length, measuring from ten to twelve feet between the tips of the nippers, and present- ing an astonishing spectacle when entangled in the nets and hauled aboard the boats. With their slow, measured movements and power- ful weapons of defense, these crabs are the giants of the spiders of the sea. Professor Ward, who has collected them in Japan, states that they have a remarkable hfibit of leaving the water at night and crawling up the banks presumaoly to feed, and that there they are sought by the crab-hunters. A story is told of a party of fishemen who had camped out on a river bank, and one or whoui arouse^ the others in the night by yells and screams. Running to the spot they found that one of these monster crabs, in wandering over the flats, >n circuni- MTSTERIES OF THE DEEP 8EA. gjj ..e pig, .0. the ..,e. u ^^^v^r.^^^:,^:::^^ THE JAPANESE, OR SPIDER CRAB, 66 SEA AND LAND. The Pirate-crab i, a voracious creai're and adopts many strange Tlie pirate crao numerous about Florida devices to procure ^'^ '°»^; ^tej ;';„ {m,, „hich they sei.e in Keys --l -Y"^ t ,y ■" foJl iierh is also exhibited by other their ™^''- .^/y'P"'„ from St. Mchoh, will show: "I have species, as the following *"'■" J"' „ ^ ■ jhe breeding sea- nften watched the bermit-crabs of B^ ^^^^J^ ^„^ rlldt:..::!: ' 111.1."™ »d the you„g ..irds. The noddy ::;i1,:=ty .e .w .^ced»r. the ^^Zt^-^' fully watched by ■'/«''» "'P'»';;;'',„d , t,,e red-tinted fellow, !:■ ™;u:ibs, with hcis -:;;rz:^:^ir:::;:zi::l toward the ne«. S"- « -^ ." £ "end .he trunk of the tree, mi:!; «;"'; y b™„ h^'lld't'wig abo.. the nes. is occupied by a 1 Irl while the young bird, with wings "»'>; , ; ' fiffy feet broad, to the sea, where tboy deposit ^^^YT.r.^t^ MYSTERIES OP THE DEEP SEA. 67 undaunted perseverance that overcomes all obstacles. At this time they are caught in large numbers for the table, as on the return march to the hills they are in poor condition and soon shed their shells CURIOUS GRABS. The mask-crab is a curious specimen of the quaint in nature, its back being so singularly marked as to strikingly resemble a human face, and particularly a mask,! from whence it takes its name The glass-crab is another curios- ity, since its body is so trans- parent that print may be easily read through it, u precaution na- ture has taken to protect it from hungry fishes whose eyes fail to discover it. " In th^ selection of their homes the crabs show curious character- istics. Some of the hermits bur- row in the sand, arranging the opening so that the large claw fits it perfectly, forming ai, animated door that rises up to grasp any in- truder that seeks entrance. Cer- tain crabs travel about on the backs of turtles ; there is one kind that lives in the interior of the sea-cu- cumber, while another crab is found living within the large Bra- zilian star-fish. One little fellow of the crab family lives in the folds of the jelly-fish, while another clings to the feathers of a certain sea-bird. In the deep sea noire crab, are blind, while other, have wonderful pho8phoi».cent eyes, !:t'™ irl'S't^'^P^ f «"•* «»-' --'<•• Many orab, are fa Jo«, Z^T'°"7 T ™fKnowu »8 Henslow's swimming 'i>b, often Ihi tok •? ^r ""'■ ''"' ''"^ '"'o » '«'"">' "' """"g" ^^ CRAB LIFTING A GOAT. 68 8£A AND LAND. CHAPTER 'HI. MORRIS^ E MONSTERS OF THE DEEP. 5NE of the most beautiful creatures of the sea is the Nautilug, or Argonauta, thoMgh it has a family alliance with the lioi- rible of horrors, the great polypus, which we will sooo do ^W^ scribe. There is in reality ; slight difference between tht nautilus and the argonauta, but so geneially are they confoundefi th ;t they will here be treated as the same. Its body is cval iu shape and THE NAUTILUS, IN THREE POSITIONS. reposes in a shell to which, however, there is no muscular attachment, and it may therefore be cast at pleasure. About its head are eight tentacuise, or fleshy arms, which are furnished with saucer-shaped Buckers. The two principal arms terminate with palmated mem- branes, which act like sails to bear it along the surface of the water. Its shell is shaped like a fairy vessel, and when on the surface pre- seut» a very beautiful appearance r but the argonauta not only Bails, but swims as well, by driving water through a locomotive tubr ™*^ <»• *'""«™^ P«y it may Generally the polypi are sedentary and solitary, thou<.h thev mav UK crevice of the rocks, from whence it is e»oeoJi„<,i.. Jias-.... .- lUislodge them. At all times carniverous, the^wa^ .n";::;!': arte on certain kinds of fish and molluscs, which the^ ofteTwi! »«.ely for the gratification of destroying. The common s^cU. I- ^ ''} ° i. 70 SeA AMD LAND. rarely exceed twelve feet in length, of which the tentacles occupy more t^an two-thirds, but there are exceptional monsters, of which I will speak presently. Old n.ariners, in whom the spirit of exag- geration is predominant, tell marvelous tales of their expenence, or reports they have heard, concerning gigantic polypi both in the Po ar and Tropical seas. It is said that these monsters not infrequently attack the largest whales, which they kill speedily and glut themselves on the carcass, while many and many are the stones told of unfor- tunate persons who have fallen victims to their voracity. THE GREATEST MONSTER OF ANTE-DILUVIAN TIMES. Michelet gives us a fine description of the aiuestry a. well as the present character of the polypi, in the following: -In the more ancient formations of the old world we find the murderous beast an eater and a sucker. The first is revealed to us by the imprint of the trilobite, a species now lost, the most destructive of extinct bein-s (in the paleozoic period). The second subsists in one feartul fragment, a beak nearly two feet in length, which was that of a «rreat »ucker or cuttle-fish (Sepia). If we may judge from such a beak, this monster, if the other parts of the body were in proportion, must have been enormous; its ventrose, invincible arms, of perhaps twenty or thirty feet, like those of some monstrous spider, ihe sucker of the world, soft and gelatinous 1 it is himself. In making war on the molluscs he remains mollusc also ; that is to say, always an embryo. He presents the strange, almost ridiculous, if it were not also terrible, appearance of an embryo going to war; of a foetus furious and cruel, soft and transparent, but tenacious, breath- ing with a murderous breath, for it is not for food alone that it makes war; it has the wish to destroy. Satiated tmd even burst- ing, it still destroys. Without defensive armor, under its threatening murmurs there is no peace; its safety is to attack. It regards all creatures as a possible enemy. It throws about its long arms, or rather thongs, armed with suckers, at random. ' ATTACKED BY A HORRID SQUID. The following incident has been abbreviated from Mr. Beale's "Natural History and Fishery of the Sperm Whale." Mr. Beale U-.3 u „..„k: — t^y ohplU "Miono- t.hfi rocks in Bonin Island, and was much astonished to see at his feet a most extraordinary lookmji animal, crawling back toward the surf which it had just left. It was creeping on its eight legs, which, from their soft and flexible nature, >tVsTBRlE8 OP ThB DEEl" SEA. 71 bent considerably under the weight of its body, so that it was just lifted by an effort above the rocks. It appeared much alarmed, and > > z H 7t O O Ci C made every attempt to escape. Mr. Beale endeavored to detain it by placing his feet on onu s- the tentacles, but despite his exertions the n 6fiA AND tAKft. animal continually liberated itself. Finally he seized one of the ten- tacles with his hand and, bracing himself against a ock, held on untd it appeared the limb would be parted by the strain. Thus for a while the two pulled with all their strength, neither apparently bemg the stronger, until suddenly the enraged animal released its hold on the rocks and sprang on to Mr. Beales arm, which was bared to the shoulder. A more dreadful strugr^' ^med, for from captive the cephalopod had become capt-" 1 v, ^- - tiie act of making a meal off Mr Beale's arm. Despite ui hv, oouia do, the animal clung by its suckers to his arm and tr .d to tear the flesh with its horrid beak, in which it would certainly have succeeded but for timely assist- ance froln some sailors, who killed it with a boat-hook; yet, to free the animal's tentacles from the arm it was nece^ , them away bit by bit. Mr. Beale describes its cold, slimy grasp as terribly sick- ening, and expressed tha belief that he would have speedily fainted had assistance been .< of erred a moment longer. TERniB .E ADVENTURE WITH AN OCTOPUS. The following a' venture was related by a gentleman who, previous to the great civil v^ar, was a well-known sponge-gatherer in the South, having at one time hundreds of divers in his enaploy, and supplying nearly all the sponges used in this country. Said he: "We were off the Florida coast gathering sponges. In those days— and the practice is still pursued bj the poorer classes of sponge-gatherers— we got our sponges by anchoring our small sJoop or schooner over the bed, anJ then diving from her rail to the bottom of the sea, carrying a weight ii^)ng to sink us the faster. A good pair of lungs and years of practice finally enabled me to reach bot- tom in thirty or thirty-five feet of water aiA come up with .lore or less of a haul. " On that warm coast the sharV and i'iifl octopi and other horrible things belonging to the fish or re, , Ue species a present and often lying in wait. The diver has a horror of them at first, but the feeling soon wears away, and some men br e perfectly reckless. During the first year I never went down without a sharp ^: life in my belt to give any prowling shark a thrust, but later on I woi^M take i heauer off the rail when a shark's dorsal fin was cutti..f| tho water not i' hundred yards away. «♦ During the scconf' season we lost two n i b harks, but I >ok no precaution : «,nd h&d no narrow escapes. a thu beginning of the 1IY8TKRIE8 OF THE DEEP SEA. 73 third season we anchored over a splendid bed, in a location well shel- tered from Btorm and 8well,'and we had i on to anticipate a profit- able catch. •• There were four of us on that trip, anu the first man off the rail was ail old diver named Peterson. This was about seven o'clock in the morning, and although we had been up for two hours the bay had been clear of sharks. We watched Peterson go over, but we watched lit vain for him to come up. Twenty seconds passed— then thirty- then forty, and the ciptain leaned over the rail and cried out : • * Boys, the old man has got fast down there and is a goner.' •• We waited ten seconds longer and then felt sure that we should never ses the old man alivo again. We were in twenty-eight feet of water, and the trawl showed the bottom to be clear of weeds and made up of rock and sand. It was hard to guess what had happened. He s.ight have bumped his head against a rock, or had his foot caught in a crevice ; he might have burst a blood-veesel or been taken with cramps. None of us thought of an octopus in connection with his sad fate. We had seen a small one t ee days before, and we knew that the creatures lurked in the still waters, but somehow we specu- . lated on ail oth. r theories but this. •« As you may imagine, the loss of old Peterson upset us, and it was a good half-hour before any of us had rallied our courage. It was my next t ;-!i down, and as I finally got ready to go the Captain handed meal*) ', keen shark-knife on which he had just put an edge. I ^ accepteo . moru in hopes that it might be useful in enabling me to send up tht lead body than through any bodily fear. If Peterson had been < .^Ut in a crevice, or was held fast by a marine plant, the knife woi. >i loose lim. " Well, over I i at last, and it was only a few seconds before I struck bottom close to a large rock. Sponges were growing all around me, and as I reached out for the nearest I felt 8o;:?ething whip across my bare shoulders. All the dress I had on was a pair of trunks, leaving legs, shoulders, arms and most of the be j nakvc'. That'* something" stung and burned and blistered, butinVi^^eJ onds the feehng had passed from shoulders to waist, and in another second it was in my logs. It was not until I tried to spring away that i reaii2ea my sitrrtion. At the first move I was jerked in the' most violent manner towards the rock, and f he b irning increased tenfold. An octopus bad gripped me. He nad three of his terrible arms m* i» ft FATAL ADVENTURE WITH AN OCTOPUS 74 MYSTERIES OV THE DEEP 8EA. 75 il't'i &^£, nroiiud me, and was dniwing mo to the rock. How his suckers ])un)cd and blistered ! How tho hairy arms gripped and twisted I " I tell you 1 was a frightened man, and for several seconds forgot that I iiad a knife in my belt. When I tinally reached for it the octopus hud drugged mc into the shadow of the rock, and there I saw old Peterson's body. Two of the creature's arms were around it and I was to nuike a second victim. *» As I drew the knife I caught sight of the body of the reptile. In fact, tho arms were drawing mo within roach of its beak. I did not sla>h lit the arms, but struck straight at the jelly-like body. I had then been down so long that my ears wore roaring and I realized that I had only u few seconds to spare. I.uck guided my blows and I slashed at tho creature until pieces of the body floated around me and :he arms let up their grip. Then I started for the surface, and I reached it about as near dead as a man could be and have any life loft. They pulled me inboard, and with mc came the three terrible arms which had been cut from the body. Not a sucker would loosen its grip, and they had to cut them off with knives, one by one, close to my Hesh. •'Well, that was tho last dive I ever made, for I was in bed for months. I can show you thirty spots on my body Avhero the flesh looks like a fire-burn, and the remembrance of the situation down there will start a chill over me in the hottest day." ADVENTURES WITH THE FRinHTFUL SQUID. In olden times sailors were harassed by many groundless fears, superstitions being abundant and ignorance general. The early Span- ish poetic chroniclers, who delighted in telling the story of Columbus* voyages, invariably disfigured their narratives with miracles and wonders. In those days Jack, looking over the side of his vessel, was prepared to see anything, and to this willing disposition may be attributed the creation of mermaids, sea-serpents, grinning or wink- in" monsters, and leviathans big enough to swallow a ship. There was the squid which, as the sepia octopus, we know in these days to be an extremely large and most diabolically unpleasant beast; but in the olden times this animal was reckoned to bo larger than a cathe- draU in proof of which tho following story is recited : " A big shii). was on the West At'ricati coast ; the men were getting the anchor, when a squid arose and wreathed its fearful snake-like limbs around the vessel's spars. The tips of these limbs soared 76 6EA AND LAND. quiveringly high above the mastheads, and the weight of the cuttle hove the ship down on to her beam ends. Here now was a lively sit- u u < untion. Tho crew plied axes and knives, but in vain, whereupon they invoked the aid of tbeii patron saint, Thomas. Eventually the v4^r MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 77 wounded monster grew alarmed and sank, and the crew afterward, to commemorate their deliverance, marched in a body to the Church of St. Thomas, where subsequently there was hung up a painting, repre- senting the unparalleled conflict." As Figuier says, it is no easy task to separate the real from the fabulous history of the cephalopods (a Greek word, which implies that the position of the feet is in the anterior part of the head). Pliny, the ancient, relates the history of an enormous cuttle-fish that haunted the coast of Spain and desstroyed the fishmg ground. He as- serts that this creature was iinally captured, and weighed seven hundred pounds, and that its arms were thirty feet in length. As the cuttle- fish was esteemed by the ancients a most savory dish, the head of this formidable monster was given to Lucullas, to whom it belonged rightfully by reason of his exalted rank. FACTS ABOUT QIQANTIO CALAMAR8. * It is an undisputed fact that there exists in tlie Mediterranean and other seas, cuttle-fish of extraordinary size ; to deny this would be to dispute the assertions of hundreds of responsible persons, as well also to deny the evidences which are contained in several museums, where specimens of this huge creature are preserved. A calamar was caught some years ago near Nice, which weighed upwards of thirty pounds. Less than forty years ago an individual of the same genus was caught in the same place, that measured six feet in length, and its body is now preserved in the Museum of Natural History at Moiitpelier. Peron, the distinguished naturalist, asserts that ho met with one off the coast of Australia that was nearly eight feet long. Two travelers, Quoy and Gaimard, picked up the skeleton of a cuttle- fish in the Atlantic Ocean, near the equator, which, when living, must hnvf< weighed at least two hundred pounds. M. Rung found in the Atlsmac the body of another, which he describes as being as large as a tun cask. In this instance the tentacles were quite short, and the body of a reddish color. He secured one of its mandibles, which is still preserved in the Museum of the College of Surgeons in Paris, and is the size of a man's hand. In 18.53 a gigantic cephalopod was cast ashore on the coast of Jutland, where it perished. Some fishermen dismembered the body and bore it away m several wheelbarrow loads. The back part of the mouth of this animal is suid to have been as large as the head of m infant. Another, equally great, was tuken in the Atl>i»tic ip 1658, 78 SEA AND LAND. Mm while it wa8 engaged in a deadly combat with a whale, specimens of which may been seen in the museum at Copenhagen. MONSTERS IN THE GREAT DEPTHS OF THE SEA. Dr. Walsh, naturalist to the expedition sant out by the English Government to make deep sea soundings off the coast of Green- land in the ship Bull-dog, expressed the opinion that the ophicoma (small serpents), drawn up alive by the sounding lead, inhabit the deeps. This opinion strikingly accords with the old legends that tell of marine monsters living at the bottom of the sea, and envelop- ing with their arms all things that approached them. Dr. Walsh says : " We cannot, therefore, doubt that the depths of the sea, where veg- etables flourish eight hundred feet in length, like the colossal f ucus of Forster, are also peopled with monstrous animals, whose organism is adapted to these unknown regions, whence they but rarely emerge. Their very real appearances have formed the basis of the mysterious traditions, which, for more than two thousand years, have been trans- mitted from generation to generation of mariners, and which have given birth to the fantastic creation of the Kraken and the sea ser- pent. '* While the masses of small gelatinous medusas floatmg at the sur- face provide food for the enormous whales, there is also at the bot- tom of the sea an abundant prey for these prodigious animals." But the most important, if not conclusive, evidence yet supplied to sustain the oft-asserted belief that there are mightier monsters in the deep than modern naturalists have yet described, or are willing to admit, is found in an account given by M. Sabin Perthelot, the French consul at Teneriffe, of an encounter with a polypus, as follows : CAPTURE OF A OIOANTIG CUTTLE-FISH, ««0n the 2d of December, 1861, the steam dispatch-boat Alecto, commanded by Lieutenant Bouyer, dropped anchor in our roads on her voyage to Cayenne. The ship had encountered at sea, between Madeira and Teneriffe, a monstrous polypus swimming on the surface of the water. This animal measured from sixteen to eighteen feet in length, without counting the eight formidable arms covered with air- holes, that encircled its head. Its color was a brick-red ; its eyes, placed level with the top of its head, were prodigiously developed, and glared with a frightful fixity. Its mouth, like a parrot's beak, was nearly a foot and a half in width. Its body fusiform, but much pwolleo towftr4 the center, presented an enormous mass whose Imens of ' English if Green- )phicoma habit the ends that envelop- ilsh says : here veg- 1 f ucus of ganism is '■ emerge, lysterious ecu trans- hich have 3 sea ser- at the sur- it the bot- ils." applied to ters in the willing to ;he French lows: )at Alecto, • roads on a, between the surface teen feet in d with air- yes, placed U)ped, and beak, was but much lass whose ;^ 80 SEA AND LAND. weight might be computed at four thousand four hundred pounds. Its fins, situated at it. posterior extremity, were rounded into fleshy lobes of a very great size. . , , .^ *♦ It was on the SOth of November, about hal: an hour after noon, that the crew of tb« jUedc descried this terrble cephalopod swim- ming along-sde. The commandant immediately stopped his vessel, and desp te the animal'« dimensions, manceuvered to catch it. A slip-knot war made ready, muskets were loaded and harpoons pre- pared in all haste. But at th first balls fired the monster dived underneath the vessel, quickly appearing on the other side. Attacked anew with the harpoons, and after receiving several discharges of musketry, he disappeared twice or thrice, each time showing himself a few moments afterwards at the surface, agitating his long arms. But the ship continued to follow him, or rather checked her course according to the animal's movements. This chase lasted for two or three hours . „ . , ^ 4. "The captain ol the Alecto grew anxious, at all risks, to capture this novel kind of foe. Nevertheless, he dared not hazard the lives of his sailors by lowering a boat, which this monster would have readily capsized by seizing it with one of its formidable arms. The harpoons aimed at it penetrated its soft flesh and flew back without inflicting any mortal injury. Several balls had hit it in vain. At length it received a shot which seemed to wound it seriously, for it immediately vomited a gre«t quantity of froth and blood mixed with glutinous matter, which diffused a strong odor of musk. It was at this crisis that the sailors contrived to catch it with a running-knot, but the rope glided along the mollusc's elastic body, and only stopped when near the extremity at the junction of the two flns. They attempted to haul it on board, and already the greater portion of its body was clear of the water, when its enormous weight drew the rope right through its flesh, and separated the hinder portion from the remainder of the animal. Then the monster, released from its bonds, fell back into the sea and disappeared." Berthelot closes this, very interesting account with the assertion that he himself saw the posterior parts of this marvelously strange monster, and he also sent a drawing of the polypus, made by a sailor witness, to the Minister of Marine. Lieutenant Bouyer submitted an equally elaborate report of the encounter to the Academy of Sciences, where it was received without any evideaces of incredulity. MYSTERIES OP THE DEEP SEA. 81 A MONSTER THAT DESTROYS SHIPS-THE KRAKEN. The visitor to tlie coast of Norway, even to-day, is certain to hear stories of the kraken, which, according to ancient legend, is a vora- cious and jlossal animal of deformed shape, with arms aslon^asthe ATTACK ON THE GREAT CUTTLE-FISH. . longest serpent, and covert.5 vjfa innumerable suckers. This mon- xn- is malignantly carnivore as, noi content with the food nds in its natural element, > ut it is ever lusting after human land blood, (t is ttlways at night, aud esjpemlly during the furv of ^ ich it flesh 8? SEA AND LAND. Storm, that he rises from his lair in the abyss of the deep, to search fortbr helples. vovagerr whc an overtaken by the wh.rJw.nd. To secure his prey he wrapc hi. might> arms about the masts of the ship and drags tho vessel and :u living freight down under the waves. It is said that the sole meanr ol escape for the crew thus attacked is by severing the tentacles of tho animal with an axe; but often new mem- bers grow again so quickly that even this means of escape is quite uncertain. . . , ... Deni= d8 Monfort gives a scientific description and representation of this Jcraken, which he calls the Colossal Poulpe, in which the creature is made to embrace a three-masted vessel in its vast arms Delighted with the success which his representation met with, he laughed at the credulity of his contemporaries. - If my kraken takes wi«h them," he said, - 1 shall make it extend its arms to both shores of the Straits of Gibraltar : if my entangled ship is accepted I will make my poulpe overthrow a whole fleet." , ,, , Pontoffian, the holy bishop of Bergen, not to be outdone by Mont, fort, declared that he had seen the kraken, and that it was so large that a whole regiment of soldiers could easily maneuver on its back. A SEA MONSTROSITY. In 1834, Captain Neill, of the ship Robertson, who is reputed a sensible and cool-headed man, gives us an account of a monster which he met in mid-ocean, quite as formidable as anything in fable. His attencion was first called to an object some distance off, which very much resembled a ship lying on her beam ends, but upon approach- ing nearer he discovered, so he says, a monster fish swimming to windward. Its head, which he affirmed was only partly out of water, showed twelve feet of its length, and was at least twenty-five feet broad. As the eye was barely out of water, and *' showed like a large, deep hole," he calculates that the entire length of the head must have exceeded fifty feet, as the portion seen was the snout. In considering these stories we must make no small allowance for the well-known disposition of sailors to exaggerate, yet from the numerour and apparently well attested statements of so-called eye- witnesses, it is not unreasonable to suppose that there are ^are speci- mens of ocean monsters which only occasionally shv,w themselves upon the surface of the deep. We know that for a long time natur- alists doubted the existence of such animals as the hippopotamus and \\iQ ^orrilla. Since explorations iu Cent^iii Africfi b&ve reve^l^d tlj? ^mmmm MYSTERIES OP THE DEEP SEA. 83 ;2 time natur- existence of at least one of these creatures, and thereby proved a fact which was long looked upon as idle tradition, who can say that there are not as great monsters in the deep as those which are described in numerous legends? BATTLE WITH THR OCTOPUS. Jules Verne has orivAn no a »ry.twi.,,.4;..ii.. i-^^ . ... Lttifl w.fh ,.„ «»f „ :„ u: . gj.g^^ ^^^^,^ "Tw<>nty Thousand Leagues battl Under the Sea." ^He r-lat.es that the horrid cioature attacked a ves- im mil sm^ one of t^ iii-rw m JtH ,i)o«8ter tentacles, by wbiojj l,e 84 SEA AND LAND. was raised high in the air, and held suspended ^^'l^'K^'l^f'^^^'l Zould-be rescuers with its other «even mighty arms. The battle raged Lously for a considerable time and the dreadful ^^eature ^ m vanquished until the man who had been seized was nearly killed, and the frightful animal had six of its tentacles severed. CHAPTER Vin. THE SEA-SERPENT. I -,•*;„ onfHfi fish whether true or no«, nat- Tf the sea, most prominent of >vhich is the trad.t.onal se«- T®r r!;nt I Jy traditional, because, though thousands declare • . ^eatd s^L have testified to having seen it, yet sc.ence rra:;;Hraveritah.,.t,.nd.^^^^^^^ TuceThe evidence u;on which those who c.ahn that the sea-serpent .s Isaiah alludmg to 11 ^^ prophet Amos had evidently rdtfleZlesTh" would nottav'e be'en moved in denounci^ heard of sea-snakes or j^.^ ^ ^^y gjght in the his enemies to ^^^'^^^^^^^^ the serpent, and he shall Hflem ' n; probal lelt the prophet had in mind so.ne legend bite them. I^ J^ P^° ^^^^ Egyptian sea-serpent, which, ac of a voracious beast like tne great SJ^ • f Ptolemy ,boarding him at.thepubhc cp^t. 'f^J'^^^^''^^^^^^ i„ the .ixteenih preye.l "P™'*"" ""'r^'TSr'regarding these nautical ph.- iriiro:?::^r:irv;^tTr;erfnd^ /)f attention. ttirsTERiBs Of tun annp s£!a. 85 CAPTURE OF A SEA -SERPENT. In 1629 Thoniad Johnson, one of the earliest naturalists, tells of a sea-snake stranded in the shoal water off Sandwich, where it was captured by two fisherman. It was fifty feet long and of a red. color, and its captors killed it, ate its flesh and stuffed its skin. In 1639 we find the sea-serpei. paying its first recorded visit to the shores of New England. It was seen by some Englishmen and Indians lying coiled upon a rock at Cape Ann. The Englishmen wanted to shoot it, but the Indians told them that if their shots did not kill it instantly it would attack and destroy the boat, whereupon they wisely let it alone. This story is told by a traveler named Jaaselyn, who did not himself see the monster, but who was told of its appearance. In 1687 a sea-snake was seen at Dramoflordan, Nor- way. In 1720 one came into a creek near Koppenwig, and the fol- lowing year one was found dead between the rocks at Amudevaagen, in Nordfiord, also in Norway. These mere mentions are simply noteworthy as localizing the creature. Such, also, is a statement founded on the evidence of a broad-sheet, or poster, printed in 1704, thatan immense dead serpent was washed ashore at Spitalfields, and was put on exhibition there, exciting much public curiosity. CIRCUMSTANTIAL ACCOUNTS OF SEA- SERPENTS. We now come to circumstantial accounts of the appearance of this remarkable phenomenon. Hans Egidius, a missionary to Greenland in 1734, describes a monster seen in 64° north latitude, which was ** of so huge a size that, coming out of the water, its head reached as high as the mainmast, its body was as bulky as the ship and three or four times as large." The detailed description of this I animal gives the idea of an enormous saurian rather than that of a [snake; indeed, one is greatly confused, in going over these many accounts, by the fact that several very dijffereut creature" seem to be [described. Bishop Pontroppidan, in his "Natural History of Foi-way," cer- Itainly mentions several different monsters. Of one of these, the [kraken, which later investigation has identified with the cu'ctle-fish, we shall not take space to give accounts here. The good bishop is in- clined to he crednlmifl. hnf wa An nni- i-hinh- inUCi; importance to the fact that the concurrent testimony of navigators for [jenturies had demonstrated the existence of sea-monsters in the iforthern ocean. One of the instances which he records was attested 86 SKA AKb LAND. by an officer of his ucquuintance, Captain DeFerry. comman4er of the old Castle of Bergen, and confirmed by affidavits of his crew^ The length of this monster vva. declared to be about six hi, dredfc.t- obviously an exajrgoration - and it. back was .id to resemble a row of hogsheads floating inline at some dist mce from each other The crew pursued this animal ani wounded it. but it escaped further mjmy by diving to the bottom. This was in 1746. In 1757, one Cai/ . Joseph Kent saw a sea-serpent in Broad (Penobscot) bay. Its length he estimated at one hundred and twenty feet. Th.s creature was seen in 1778 in the same locality by Eleazar Crabtree, who memu.ns that many others have seen it there alse, and again in 1780 by Capt. Geo. Little. Commodore E. Preble also saw a sea-serpent off the MAGNUS' SEA-SERPENT-FROM A DRAWING IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. New England coast in 1779. He estimates its length at one hundred and fifty feet and its head as the size of a barrel. Captain Little's serpent was much smaller, being not more than fifty or sixty feet in length and its diameter about fifteen inches. In July, 1802, the Kev. Abraham Gumming testified that he saw a sea-serpent again in Pen- obscot bay, and he states in his account that within eighteen years six distinct appearances of the creature have been recorded. In 1809 he gives an account of seeing the creature again. Both of his statements are fully attested by other witnesses. ^ ^ It may be remarked that the favorite haunts of the sc-a-Heri)eut .or move than two centuries have been the bays of New England and >^osQ of Norway. If one of the creatures could only be marked MT8TFRUS& OF THE DEEP SEA 87 in some way, so that it could be known whether they made annual or biP'Mial trips between these localities, science would be duly grateful. About the opening of the present century the scientific importance of these appeanmces began to be recognized. In 1808 wo find a report made to the Wernerian Society of England, by the Rev. Mr. MacLean, of a sea-serpent which appeared off the coast of Coll. He described it vm having a broad head, a somewhat smaller neck, below which the body widened, then tapered to the tail. It seemed to move by undulation, up and down, and to be about seventy or eighty feet long. This creature was seen by the crews of thirteen fiyhing boats, who were greatly terrified, expecting that it would attack them, so near s' ns it at hand. But it drew away from them and gradually sunk from si^ht. It may be here noted that this mon^^or, enormous and fear-inspiring as it is, has no affinity with sur and storm- tossed seas. Its appearance is never recorded except in still water, and on t! least agitation of the surface by wind or otherwise it instantly retires to the depths below. 8EA-8ERPENT8 IN0REA8INQ. Were the sea-serpent wholly a myth we would not expect that the increase in the number of observers, and also of the habit of careful observat on characteristic of our own century ,would be attended by an inci eiisse of its appearances. But such has certainly been the case. "We have hud during the last seventy-five years at least one-third as many well-attested instances in which the sea-serpent has been seen, not by single observers usually, but by numbers of persons with leis- lure to take full and accurate observations. A sea-seipent was seen outside the harbor of Gloucester, Mass., in [June, IS15, which seems to have lingered on the New England coast, [for it V s seen there frequently during the year following. In the [month of August, 1817, a great snake near Gloucester was seen by I so many persons, fishermen and others, that the Linnean society of INew England took the ma^*er in hand and took down the testimony [of a lumber of reliable witnesses on oa h. Sometimes the serpent [was in sight from an hour and a half i > two hours, lying in the still [water of the harbor. One witness deposed as to its rapid movement • ■•^ 4-^*^ M^VA ««tV» « Jll ilTJ l;-l'JX.tZ^llV TT etc linutes. Another described its head as shaped like that of a rattle- anake, but as large as that of a horse. Some had approached within MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TBT CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) A APPLIED IM/IGE 1653 Eost Moin Street Rochester, New York 14609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone (716) 288-5989 -Fox 88 6fiA AJjl) LAlffi. MA forty or fifty yards of it, and found it to be of a dark color above and light below. Its length was variously estimated at from forty to eighty feet. Finally , the Hon. Lonson Nash, the magistrate before whom the testimony had been taken, himself made oath that August 14, 1817, he saw the strange animal both with eye and spy-glass; that it was about seventy feet long, its color black, and its mot'on vertical. PR0CF8 OF THE SERPENT MULTIPLIED- In August, 1818, the sea-serpent was again seen frequently, both near Gloucester and in the vicinity of Nahant. Great multitudes of spectators assembled to watch it as it moved swiftly through the water, holding its head high above the surface. In June, July and August of the following year it again returned to this locality, and sworn testimonials of its appearance from such persons as Mr. James Prince, marshal of the district ; the Rev. C. Finch, chaplain in the United States Navy, and many captains and oflScers were presented in the Boston papers of that date. Its subsequent appearances on the New England coast may be briefly summed up, as follows: Off Swampscott in 1820; again at Nahant in 1826; near Kennebunk, Me., in 1830, and in 1833 off Nahant again ; in 1849 near Swampscott again, and no more until 1875 and 1877, when its frequent appearance in its favorite haunt near Nahant and at other points gives us, in the opin- ion of the Rev. J. G. Wood, who pursues eagerly the trail of this «* ser- pent-snake" through the valuable pages of the Atlantic Monthly, the most valuable and accurate testimony offered in the whole volume of sea-serpent lore. The testimony was very carefully taken, a paper containing thirty-four questions concerning the animal, its appearance, size, place, when seen, etc., being sent out by the Boston Society of Natural History, to be filled up by the persons claiming to have seen his snakeship. It was also seen by persons off the New Jersey coast, and the remarkable uniformity of detailed description in the different accounts not only shows that the creature seen was the same, but pre- clude the suspicion that imagination may have constructed a sea- serpent out of a string of buoys or amass of sea-weed, as is often alleged. EFFORTS OF NATURALISTS TO PROVE ITS EXISTENCE. Of appearances seen elsewhere durinsr the wast fortv vears one or — «... i ./ ,' " — two deserve mention. In 1840 Dr. Hooker, assistant surgeon of Captain Ross* Arctic expedition, sent to Dr. Brewster's Journal of !. where thev are the Un ted StXrw """"".S »" ""' '"rf'oe. Lieutenant Lamont. of .oaSr:rwtrs'ur :^uri:inttr5r^- 100 SEA AND LAND. The Lieutenant's attention was called to a crowd which he saw as- sembled on the beach at Kingston, intently gazing out at sea. Closer examination revealed to his astonished gaze an animate object flopping on the surface ; so large did it appear that he could not make out what it was, but being of an adventurous disposition he ordered the boats lowered, and with several men started for the monster. As it lay less than one hundred yards from his ship he soon came up with it, and one of the men threw a harpoon into its body, but the moment it was struck the monster, which he now perceived was a LIEUT. LAMONl-'S ADVENTURE WITH A DliVIL-FISH. sea-dcvil, made off at the most amazing speed, drawing the boat with equal velocity after it. As it swam around, the other boats came up and harpoon after harpoon was discharged into its body without giv- ing it any fatal wounds or impairing its strength. Thus the battle continued until the boats were drawn more than ten miles out at sea. At length, however, as night was coming on, the impish fish struggled with greatly increased violence and broke loose, carrying with it a dozen harpoons. A short time after this interesting event, the Lieutenant had an- other adventure with a larger devil-fish than the first one encountered, and in the same harbor Ho nHanh^^A •*. • i.i- rapidly did tl,e fish carrv "', ^11 U u" """* ""*"""'' *"" '" possible for the otbe, bill t^ ! ?. •"'* ""'<"■ ""»' " ™' "»■ Tank to the bolon^I.X 1 e": •? Z '* ""'"l'T"""" •™''' " gathered arou„d. and every mrie^tl,;! ^t /'"' T'' ""•"'' """ but in v„i„. After the LpTe!, I't , 'l Lu'rTb • T'"" "'" rose again to the surface, wheh it ™ disltoh Jb f ™ ^ ■"""''""■ halls When brought ashore it llsurXe: feeli^ wTdTb "" d' t mouth two and one-h-ilf f««f i .« 'tfeen leet m width, and its .hi,eits.eight;::r,::::\i:frr^^^^^^^^ was required to drag it. "i""iea sirength of forty men Hon. Richard Hill describes a devil-fish whioh ],« u drew the boat he was in so rm)idlv thlf harpooned that feet higher than the boa wMiriL ^ . '^^''^' ''"'' '^''"^ '"^^''^^ onojundred feet, xae .uth^ trr;'::^;:;;''::^;^^ en«;M^lci'l;ir"tf '^ '""' '""* """"■ ""' -»•» --» the physical pec^hriC'nd habiC'thrrvT^ b"' '.T"^""" "' several adventures he h is had wtb !i ^""'-fi^t, and also relates describes an attack o, ce rade '„ o e „f t\e! "'" f """"'"• «" was harpooned and nmde fit to^br!! f T "™'""-<''' "' "W^h it it. strci^th that thrboa rdesp rt oTffor„'/"V" '■•"' "^ rowers, were towed rapidly out to .!..?* "^™"' "''"'« -.^...er the <^^<>iJ ::i:'^ij;!j:'o :::'^::'z OFF-8HOOT8 OF SATAN. If the devi'.fish is the true .atanic representative of fho ^ %' m St! A AND LAND. have about them the verv inspiration of horror. Foremost among these children, or near kin of the devil-fish, is the sea-frog or angler, a monstrosity of frightful aspect and voracious disposition. In size it equals the porpoise, but in shape it equals the — devil himself. More than one-half the fish is head, and such a head I The eyes are near the top, and have a dreadful wicked look in them. The mouth, however, is its most repulsive feature, extending, as it does, far beyond the width of its body, and with an armament of teeth more terrible than the shark. When distended, the mouth is capacious enou«rh to take in an animal its own size, while the jaws, palate, tongSe and fauces are fairly lined with hooked but mobile teeth, THE ANGLER, OR FROG -FISH. from which no prey, when once caught, can possibly escape. All over the body are small fleshy excrescences which look hke horrid worms that had fastened their heads into the fish's body. From the nose grows a feeler that terminates in a palm-shaped excrescence of a metallic lustre, which it uses as a bait to attract its prey Burrowing in the mud until only a small portion of its head is visible, the frog-fish angles with its long feeler, playing it so as to attract the attention of small fishes, which rush toward the bait expecting a sweet morsel, only to be grabbed by the ferocious jaws ;« wnitincr- Tt is this queer habit which has given the fish its very appropriate name, the angler. The sea-frog, or angler, can live for a long time out of water, and not infrequently makes excursions on dry land in quest of large MYSTERIES OF THE BEEP SEA. 103 game. A gentleman trav<.' , on the Mediterranean coast once came upou a sea-frog that iu. caught and was devouring a fox. GENUINE SEA -SERPENTS. The Stomias-Boa, though undoubtedly a fish, is apparently a very close connecting link between an eel and a snake, as the accon.panv- ing illustration would alone serve to prove. The name is derived from the tentacular appendages corresponding with feet and which it uses as such when moving on the bottom. Its size is never great, fortunately else, as its appearance indicates, it would undoubtedly be a most fori midable creature. Nature has placed a gracefully beautiful body on THE STOMIAS BOA, OR SERPENT- FISH. the stomias but has given it a villainous head; the terminal of itstail, however, is wondrous, very closely resembling a water lilv just openmg. j j " Another fish, called by naturalists OpUmra (serpent-eater) and by sailors a sea-serpent, is a wonderful animal, which attains a length of s.x feet and the thickness of a man's arm. Its body is brown on he upper and silvery white on the lower parts, and has but two fins, the dorsal extending it. entire length and the voi.tral more than half Its length. The head is more pointed than a serpent's and its mouth Ls we 1 suppl.ed with teeth, while the body is beautifully mottled. Al- toffether it laau uncommonly handsome animal. 104 SEA AND LAND. If '5 EELS THAT WERE FED ON HUMAN FLESH. Living in the Mediterranean with the two species just named, is the Murcena, another species of the eel, which the Bomans esteemed above all other delicacies. They were bred in large ponds made for the purpose, so connected with the sea that fresh water was always sup- plied them. For a time all Eome became actually crazy over these lish. At one of Julius CiBsar's banquets celebrating a great victory, he distributed six thousand of these eels to his oflScers and friends. The craze became so great that some one finally suggested that the mursenas should be fed on human flesh in order to render them more tender and succulent, whereupon everybody seized upon the idea, and the great fish ponds were kept supplied with fresh bodies of slaves who were daily throv/n in alive to feed the voracious eels. It is re- lated that a certain Vedius PoUio, a rich patrician who owned large numbers of slaves, acquired great reputation by the liberal manner in which he gave his slaves to feed the ponds. The evil became so great that Augustus recognized the importance of bringing the people back to their senses, and to this end he acceptel an invitation to dine with J*ollio, knowing full well that an opportunity would be offered whereby he could impress upon his host the evil of this human sacri- fice. The occasion came soon enough, for a man who was serving them accidentally let fall a crystal goblet, whereat Pollio was so enraged that he immediately ordered the slave to be thrown to the fishes. Augustus interceded for the servant's life, but finding Pollio determined, dismissed the slave himself, then ordered all the goblets broken and the fish-ponds tilled up. Thus was the atrocious custom forever destroyed. Associated with the mursena as a rare gastropomical dish among the ancients was the lamprey, which is somewhat allied to the mursena, having the same eel-like form, and was also similar in size, both measuring about four feet in length. Its main point of difference is in having a mouth for suction that is provided with numerous sharp teeth, while the tongue acts as a piston-rod. The lamprey feeds by attaching its mouth to the largest fishes, where it gnaws the flesh or scarifies it, and then sucks out the blood. On each side are seven holes corresponding to gill orifices, through which the water is drawn or expelled ; hence the German name for the fish, N~eun Augen, «* nine-eyed." Formerly the lamprey was esteemed a royal dish, so that the city MrsTEKiEs o» thc obep etSA. 105 of Gloucester by an old !,„, ,vas compelled to provide ,, lamprev pie for tl,e s„vere,g„ once „ year Henry I. is said to haveredTrZ t" '".foer t'T'"'"""''^ "' ""^ ^"™-"» "■»'', and the death cfPoT Lle'food "" ""*' "" """"•^ "^ g-S'"? "i"-" ""the A FALLEN ANQEL. As behave a prototype of satan in the sea with numerons satel- THE ANGEL, OR MONK- FISH. lion of th'n T:"^ '"^''"''' '"P"""' '" "'- ''"™ -e » -Prosenta. must be a Lucifer. I refer to the Sqmtina, or an-rel-flsh It i, also «,uently called n,onI.-fish on account of i'ts rou^nied head ^hth =ee„,» to he enveloped |n a hood, and al,o because of a habit it ha, of supplicatory manner, name, for an rolling its eyes in a kind of reverential The "6 x.o ^y^„ ni a luna ot reverential and supt angel-fish is the antithesis of ^iie devil-fish only 108 SEA AND LAND. Uglier creature ciiii scarcely be conceived. The head is disproportion- ately large, the mouth very wide and eyes quite small. Behind each eye is an orifice shaped like a crescent, which seems to be for no other purpose than to increase its horrible aspect. Mangin describes it as resembling a grotesque mask, such as a country boy might fashion out of a hollow pumpkin. The extraordinary appearance of this «' fallen" angel-fish is in thorough accord with its disposition, in which respect it may again THE PEGASUS DRAGON. be compared with' Lucifer. It has two wings corresponding to pec- toral fins, which not only add to its homeliness, but which are very serviceable in propelling it rapidly through the water, and enal)ling it to swoop down upon its prey in "true angelic fashion." There is nothing that swims that has a more fierce and voracious disposition than the rngel-fish, and since it grows to a length of seven or eight feet, it is a dangerous adversary even to man. FLYtNQ MONSTERS. Speaking of angel-fish, leads us directly to a consideration of flying-fish, especially since we are mentioning some of the hovr^ MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 107 creatures which cleave the deep, and know thnt there are two or three species of flying-fi.sh that are ugly as Caliban. The Uxocetus Voli- taus (flying beach-sleeper) is a singular specimen of the grotesque in nature. It takes its name fiom a habit which is ascribed to it of coming out upon the beach to sleep. Whether it really does leave the water for the purpose of sleeping, is not a well-established fact but the Greeks evidently thcught so, by giving it the name by which It IS still known. By means of its extremely large pectoral fins it i« enabled to spring from the crest of a wave and maintain a brief flight. They are surely the most unfortunate of God's creatures since they are continually pursued by dolphin.^ and other predaceous fishes, to escape which nature has given them winces to rise in air that they may fall victims to aquatic birds. The greatest fljcrht they THE SEA-HORSE, ever attain is two hundred and fifty yards, and even this distance they can make only by dashing through wave-crests to moisten their fins. The Pegasus Dragon, or flying horse, is another quaint species, but since it hardly exceeds four inches in length, it does not receive the attention which its appearance would otherwise inspire. Beneath its snout is a mouth which is movable like that of the sturgeon or sucker-fish. Its body, which is flattened, is as well armatured as a knight, being fairly encased in radiated shields, while the posterior part has somewhat the appearance of a crocodile's tail. While the pegasus is a flying-fish, its tuberculated body and crustaceous tail give It close kinship to the Hippocampus, or sea-horse, a singular little animal having a prehensile tail which it uses like a hand to grasp any 108 6EA AND LAND. object it may choose to fix itself upon. The head, especially when dried, bears a very unique reaemblance to that of a horse, from whence its name is derived. Among the ancients, who were given so com- pletely to mythology, there were fabled monsters which they called Hippo- Centaurs, half-man and half-horse. These queer creatures were said to inhabit Thessaly, and were represented as fierce war- riors. The idea is said to have sprung from the supposed fact that the Thessalonians were first to ride upon horseback : but it may also be reasonably conjectured that the sea-hoise, which abounds in the Mediterranean, partly, at least, inspired the mythologic idea of a duplex animal of which the horse was part The male sea-horse is provided with pouches on its tail in which the female deposits her eggs, and these are carried by the male until they are hatched. They swim always in a vertical position and dart about with such extraordinary rapidity that the eye can scarcely follow them. The beautiful fable of Posidon driving his chariot drawn by sea-horses through the coral halls of the deep, is no doubt derived from the then known existence of the e strange little animals. 1 11 CHAPTER X. BEAUTIFUL AND CURIOUS FISH. rVING mentioned a few of the most uncouth fish that in- habit the sea, let us turn to a contemplation of those species .'■\^r " . which are to the ocean what the birds of paradise are to the ♦ land, for in the living infinite of the deep there are fish of such iridescent hues that they may be well compared with the most gorgeous plumage that nature ever invested bird with. The mackerel family includes several species, remarkable for their wonderful beauty, but the most splendid of them all is the King Fish, a habitat of the Northern seas, which grows to a length of six feet and of nearly two hundred pounds in weight. The colors of this fish are exquisitely rich and marvelously blended. The back is of a steel blue gradually shading to a brilliant green toward the tail and a rich rose color on the belly. These well defined colors are variegated by numerous oval spots, some of which are pure white and others reflect the lustre of burnished silver, while the fins are generally ver- ice ISO a )VV 100 THE BRAimpUL AND CURIOUS. no 8EA AND LAND. m I* i,i million. This exquisite combintition is blended into indescribable beauty when the fish darts through the water. The John (yellow) Dory is another very botiutiful fish habiting the shores of the Mediterranean. It is frequently called St. Peter's fish on account of a lej^end which is related to the effect that it was from this fish St. Peter obtained the tribute money. The superstitious de- clare that the two spots which are on its back are the finger-marks of the Apostle. They neglect to tell us why Peter took the fish into his hands, and also why the haddock is identically marked. The body of the John Dory is a deep olive, flecked with yellow. When taken from the water, as it dries, the fish rapidly changes color into a succession of gold, blue and white. ANCIENT BARBARITIES PRACTICED ON THE MULLET. The Red Mullet is delicately colored with rose tints and yellow stripes, which change like the colors on the John Dory when taken from the water, and in its expiring throes nothing can be more beau- tiful than the kaleidoscopic succession of brilliant colors it under- , goes. The ancients esteemed its flesh so greatly that enormous sums were paid for them. According to Pliny, Asinius Celer gave as much as four hundred dollars for a single mullet. These fish were not only estimated for their savory flesh, but also for the beauty of their body, especially during their expiring moments. To gratify this morbid cruelty, the fish were raised in large aquariums, and taken out before guests of the rich in order that the dying fish might afford them amusement by its agonizing death throes. The Sea-Perch has a scaly coat of gray streaked with blue, shading underneath to silvery white. Anotheisperch called the Enoplessus is of a lovely silver-gray, and striped with eight narrow black bands, while the fins are a rich yellow — a very beautiful combination. The Apognon of the Mediterranean is even more gorgeously bedecked than the last named, the body being of a delicate crimson on the back, growing paler toward the belly, while the entire fish is grace- fully dotted with black spots, while three black stripes cross it per- pendici^larly. The LeMered Seranus has a coat of deep orange, over which pass several brown bands. About the head there are lines of brilliant blue, which at a distance somewhat resemble letters ; hence ^■=. name. The Spined 8eranuH is still more beautifully marked, its back being of a deep scarlet, changing to a golden hue on its sides, and to silver on the belly. On the head are three stripes of golden n Ill 112 tSA Amn I. AND. yellow, while Ou oo>*e i .. rated by 'wo bands of bright green. Add to this tins th*t ikve imted ith yellow flud red, and wo have hero a fish that can 8caiv«i|y be exceeded for cxtraordinaiy beauty. THE MARVELOUS RIBAND FISH. We might iitlDTitr"" dozens of otiici fish of equal loveliness, but since attempted (If --^ription can give hardly an idea of the gorgeous coloring which they nali> (*xhibit, it were un idle vaste of space to name them all. I cannot afford, however, to omit mention of the Riband Fish, since it is not only phenominaliy beautiful, but also ex- tremely rare. The body of this strange fish is shaped like a rib- bon, being so thin that it is almost transparent, but it is the color of burnished silver, and in the water gives off a sheen of remarkable beauty. Its natural home is ftt the greatest depths of the sea, from whence it is sometimes dislodged by volcanic disturbance and thrown upon the shore. The Rainbow and Parrot-fisl' are also species so exquisite in dainty coloring that they have been rightfully named. The Rabbit-fish, called by the Norwegians the Sea-rat, on account of its rat-shaped tail, is very bea .ful, id wears a tuft or thread-like appendage on its head, something <.e a crown; hence it is also called King-fish. In fact, we discover i the ocean an alter ego of all tliat is on land, that coinci- dence which marks the brotherhood of land and se.i, and the identity that illustrates and imputes the single origin of universal life. WARRIORS OF THE DEEP. The piously inclined have dreamed of and conceived a millenium, the superstitious have fortold its coming, but Nature herself has de- clared that peace on earth is impossible. Not only has she made dif- ferent dispositions among men whereby differences and disturbances must become our comion lot, but she has implanted warring elements throughout earth, sea and air, so that peace is impossible. Nowhere else can we observe with such interest the singular warlike provisions made by nature as in the sea. While inventive art has given to mar. gunpowder, nature has drawn the lightning and made a store-housc of it in many of her ocean children. How wonderful, because it ex- hibits the care taken by her of the otherwise helpless, which would soon become extinct but i ' the power thus mysteriously implanted. Let us examine somu oi ^hf The Torpedo Fish, whit '! a ural electric battery alwa a tr ^ several different species, is a nat- , ri.;ed, and <. ipable of doing immense MYSTERIES OF TUB DEEP 8EA. US rafsohjef. Water being an excellent conductor of electr.citv the torpedo can shock its enc uies at a surpr> ^n^ distuuce. Very fre- quent y who,i drawing in their nets fishermen reccMVe shocks from the torpedo transmitted to them from their Inos; so vu-lent sometimes are these shocks that the fishermen are compelled to let go the lines thus losing their entire hunl. Dr. Walsh was the irst one to demon- Htmte tha the power of the torpedo was electrical, and also that it was euflScient to kill small animals. The electrical ed has also the power of diseharging a battory that >s capable of produnn,^ violent shocks, sometimes attended by plunfnl consequences, iioth the torpedo and electrical eel use their physical im,peMie8 chiefly to catch their prey, which usually swims better than they; Iv discharging their battery their intended prey is suddenly para yzed and rendeicd unconscious of the fate that overtakes them. But he e ectncity thus stored up is not only used to kill lawful prey, for It IS also a means for attack and defense, as we shall presently see. The electrical eel is fcmnd principally along the South American coast and especially at the mouths of rivers debouching into the At- lantic. ^ ° Humboldt was the first to give a precise account of this curious fish, in which, howe„ver, he gives not his own, but the French traveler, Bon- plaud s experience. Briefly the account is as follows : SINGULAR MANNER IN WHICH ELECTRICAL EELS ARE OAUQHT ''In traversing the Lianas of the province of Caracas, in order to embark a San Fernando de Apure on his voyage up the Orinoco, M. Bonplaud stopped at Calabozo. The object of this sojourn was to investigate the history of the gymnotus (electrical eel), great num- bers of which are found in the neighborhood. After three days' resi- dence in Calabozo some Indians conducted them to the Cano de Bera a muddy and stagnant basin, but surrounded by rich vegetation! They verem.ci. surprised when informed that it would be necessary T I:. 1^ '^^ ^°'''' ^'""^ *^^" neighboring savannas in order to fish for the gymnotus. The idea of this fishing, called in the language of the country embarboscar con caballo. (intoxicating by means of horses), is very Odd. The word barbosco indicates the roots of the lar^nnln^o ^„ _:. other poisonous plant, by contact with which a body of water'acqui7a he property of killing, or, at least, of intoxicating or stupefying the fishes. These come to the surface when they have been poisoned in FISHING FOR ELECTRICAL EELS BY THE AID OF HORSES. 114 AIYSTKitlES OP THE DEEP SEA. i i - lit) thi, maaner. The horse, chasing them here and there in a marsh has, >t seen., (he same effect on the alarmed fishes. While our hoTl^ were explainmg to us this atrange mode of fishing the7rol„ of I and mules had arrived and theSndians had mfdo t s ^o 'V 't'tT p,essmg the horses on all sides and forcing them into t nTZ' The Indians, armed with long canes and harpoons nla,v,l t !„? round the basin, some of them mounting t'he^r;': 1 '':,:: hung over the water, and by their erics, and still re bv th'i canes, preventing the horses from coming ashore. The eeh co used by the no.se, defended themselves by repeated di eh 'Xs of" the;r batteries. For a long time it seemed as if they would be'^vioto st,fl,.d by the frequency and force of the shocks, disanpeare'd unde he water, and some of the horses, in spite of the watchTuTne s of th" Indians, regained the bank where, overcome by the shocks tle^ had undergone, they stre.ched themselves at their whole lencHh The picture now presented was indescribable Gronm ^f T 3 rouuded the basin, the horses with bris'tling mZ, en ^t:.:"; u their eyes trymg to escape from the storm whik had surprised them ; the eel,, yellow and livid, looking like great aquaiic ,e^ „ts swimming on the surface of the water and chasing the en me were object, at once app„lli„g and picturesque. L, less ,";: njinu es two horses were drowned. An eel, more than five f riot gilded under one horse, discharged its apparatus through it! „hl extent, attacking at once the heart, the viscera and tl^ pLls o the nerves of the animal, probably benumbing and finally Zvn! "When the struggle had endured a quarter of an hour the m„l„. and hoi-ses appeared less frightened, the manes became l."sste." he ye, expressed less terror, the eels shunned instead of ",,;,: t oin, at the same time approaching the bank .vhce they I o o.fs| ^ ken by throwing little harpoon, at them attachad ,o lo, 1 c" "d^ the haiiioon sometimes hooking two at a time, they l,oln«^ la'nd, l.J »ean, „f ,he long cord. They were thus drawn a,lfore rthout 'in' able to communicate any shock." ■ "re nimout iicmg . . SrrNOINO FISH. ti-ere is another species of fish that, though coCn^t'el^'Ilu ' ':] 116 SEA AND LAND. weak, are armed with such a trenchant weapon that they are much more to be dreaded than the torpedo fish or electrical eel. The Sting- ray is the most conspicuous specimen of the si)ecies to which I refer, and they are almost as dangerous as the man-eating shark. This fish, which is peculiar to the Mediterranean and the Florida coast, attains a considerable size, but hardly in proportion to its power of doing harm . Its pectoral fins are so large that they resemble wings wide spread and grow up close to the creature's head It has a snout somewat like a beak that gives the fish a villainous countenance, which is by no means relieved by two piercing black eyes that always look murderous. The weapon with which it is so. deadly armed is the tail; this is at once THE STING - RAY. sword and saw, and terrible enough to appall the bravest. The tali is armed with rows of serrated teeth which are so ragged that when the animal strikes it not only punctures but frightfully lacerates the tlesh. Being long and flexible, when about to attack, the sting-ray winds almost instantly about its victim and darts its tail so rapidly that no eye can detect the strokes it is making. Fishermen frequently become victim^ to these attacks despite extraordinary precautions, and before help can arrive their thighs are torn in the most frightful manner. The sting-bull and little weaver are quite small but hardly so pow- erless as they appear. They are common along the English coast, MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 117 where they lie in the sand with dorsal spine erected ready for any emergency. If trod upon they use this weapon most effectively, and woe to the barefoot boy who comes in contact with them . The' lancet-fish is armed with strong and sharp-pointed spines on each side of its- tail, which it darts into a victim like a lance. Careless handling of this fi.sh is certain to result in a painful wound. Our common catfish, as all smalj boys know, are not altogether harmless, for the points of their pectoral fins are capable of inflicting lance- like wounds which do not heal readily, being evidently poisoned. FLOATING NETTLES, The most wonderful of all the stinging species that inhabit the ocean, is what sailors call the ''Portugese man-of-war," but which scientists have named Physalia ntriculus, from the Greek, meaning " stinging bubble." Of this strange creature, several species of which exist, Figuier says : *' Let us imagine a great cylindrical bladder dilated in the middle, attenuated and rounded at its extremities, of eleven or twelve inches in length and from one to three broad. Its appearance is glassy and transparent; its color an imperfect purple passing to a violet, then to an-azure blue. It is surmounted by a crest, limpid and pure as crystal, veined with purple and violet in decreasing tints. Under the vesicle float the fleshy filaments, waving and contorted into a spiral form, which sometimes descend perpendicularly like so many tii reads of celestial blue. Sailors believe that the crest which surmounts the vesicle performs the office of a sail, and that they tell the navrijrator how the wind blows." When the vesicles are filled with air they are almost projected out of the water. In order to descend it is necessary to expel the air. The floating appendages beneath the body are of divers kinds and serve several different purposes. Some are the organs of reproduc- tion, others nurses, and some tentacles for feeding or grasping food ; there are still others called Sondes by naturalists, which are^'probes and suckers, forming offensive and defensive arms truly formidable, for these beautiful and graceful animals, though but one remove above plant-life, are terrible antagonists. Dutertre, the French naturalist, relates the following : " This galley (our physalia), however agreeable to the sight, is most dangerous to the body, for I can assert that it is freighted with the worst merchandise which floats on the sea. I speak as a natural- THE PORTUGUESB MAN-OF-WAR. 118 MrsTfifttlCS Ol* tH£ t>££|> SEA. 119 i8t, and as havmg made experiments at my own personal cost. One day when sailmg at sea in a small boat, I perceived one of these little ' galleys, and was curious to see the form of the animal ; but I had scarcely seized it when all its fibres seemed to clasp my hand, cover- mg It as with birdlime, and scarcely had I felt it in all its freshness (for It IS very cold to the touch) when it seemed as if I hud plunged my arm up to the shoulder in a cauldron of boiling water. This wa^ accompanied with a pain so strange that it was only with a violent effort I could restrain myself from crying aloud." A NATURALIST BADLY 8TUNQ. Leblond, another voyager, in his work ♦'Vx>yage aux Antilles" fays : - One day I was bathing with some friends in a bay in frolit of the house where I dwelt. While my friends fished for sardines for breakfast, I amused myself by diving in the manner of the native^ Carribeans, under the wave about to break; having reached the other side of one great wave, I had gained the open sea and was returning on the top of the next wave toward the shore. My rashness nearly cost me my life. A physalia, many of which were stranded upon the beach, fixed itself upon r^y left shoulder at the moment the wave landed me upon the beach. I promptly detached it, but many of its filaments remained glued to my skin, and the pain I experienced im- mediately was so intense that I nearly fainted. I seized an oil flask that was at hand and swallowed one-half while I rubbed my arm with the other; this restored me to myself and I returned to the house where two hours of repose relieved the pain, which disappeared alto- gether during the night. ' ' The physalia are often gregarious, gathering in vast herds in the shoals. Floating along in large numbers near the tropics in both oceans, they may be seen carried by currents or driven bv trade winds, dragging behind them their long tentacular appenda-es, and conspicu.,us by their rich and varied coloring, from pale crimson to ultramarme. When a fish has the misfortune to come in contact with one of these stinging creatures, each tentacle, by an instantaneous movement, seizes and benumbs it, winding about its body in true boa- constrictor style. A physalia whose body is no larger than a walnut will kill a fish larger than a herring ; in fdct, the common flvin^-fish IS its iiubituul prey. , ' ^ Mr. Bennett describes the physalia as seizingfishes by means of the tentacles, which are alternately contracted to half an inch and then *rfM*'" TOE STINGING SEA -NETTLE. 120 MrSTEKIES OP THE DEEP SEA. " 121 .trU'r'"" T'^'"'^ r'"""^ *" *'■" '<'"^'' "f govern' feet, dra...n„» he helpless and en a„gled prey to its sucker-like mouths anistom: h! ""T-BUILDJNQ AND eHOOTfUO- FISHES Birds and fowls are not single in their habit, of nidifleation Cnent bu,ld,ng) for, as we have fishes with coats hrilliant as thT" ra, dl" plnmage tliat ever decorated the feathered tribe, so have we filh tha ay, and others that lay their eggs in „osts bnilt after the l„tr „f STICKLEBACK IN ITS NEST. birds, and incfbate them in the same way. There are fonr ri;«> * . species of fish that are called nest-builder's, b^rrea t, the- i^^^^^^^^^ one that imitates the birds. This curious little creature is he SUckle back, common i„ English aquariums, and more comml alon " the" English coast and in the harbors. ^ Albert Hancock haP given us an excellent description of the habit, of the stickleback in an issue of the Mam-ine J V / ft^^"^'^^ from which I quote: " ^yi:j""'J-«'»''P"''-selvesto the colors of W an^wh r V?r- ^'"' ■""'« "'-kkl-'ck is a ferocious wamor. and when two of them engage in a combat, which they a« 124 6EA AND LAND. lliimA certiiin to do if rircumscribed in their quarters, thebatMeis continued to the death, for one i» almost sure to be ripped up by the sharp spines of the other. THE 8HOOTINQ-FI8H. Does the reader believe that there is a fish that goes out hunting and shoots its prey in true sportsman's style? Well, the Archer fish may not exactly be termed a sportsman, but it is certainly true that he feeds off the bugs and llies that he shoots. What a funny creature the archer is, and quite small, too, for he rarely exceeds tight inches in length. His range is near the surface of the water and along the shore, where he watches with a sharp eye and voracious stomach. Discovering a fly hovering over the water, or an insect browsing on a leaflet near the surface, the archer takes deliberate aim and propels a small stream of water with almost unerring certainty against the prey, and always brings it tumbling down to its wide-open and waiting mouth. There are three well-known species of the archer fish, two of the largest being peculiar to the Chinese and East India seas. A leading sport among the Javanese is the catching of these fish and confining them in aquaria to watch them shoot flies. The largest species of archer fish can propel a stream of water four feet with wonderful certainty. MUSICAL FISH. All professions and trades are represented in the sea, and musical culture is not overlooked. The flying Gurnard has been called the Lyre-fish because some people long ago imagined they were musical. They might more appropriately be called pyrotechnic fish, because at night as they fly from the crest of one wave to another they emit so brilliant a phosphorescent light as to resemble streams of fire. So far as their music is concerned it is very crude, since about the only sound they make is a deep-seated grunt. The Maigre is a drummer and wakes the dull, cold ear of the Mediterranean almost constantly. The Roman Umhrina go in vast shoals bellowing like long-fasting lions, their coarse notes being plainly heard as the fish swim nearly two hundred feet below the surface. There is a fish found in the Chinese seas which may be fairly called musical, since it has a voice peculiarly melodious, ranging nearly the eniiro giimui/. AjiuuLuuiiin. t> niit, hi «v ,,\fi.^ ^ -i.^u .-s , describing his voyage round the world, relates that upon an occasion while his vessel was lying at the mouth of Cambodia River, his atten- MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. ' 125 Gradually the iioiso increased .-ER FISHES O? THE MEWterraNEAN. c.o.,k,ng„f froga. The sounds he describes as being quite melodious 126 SEA AND LAND. as well as mysterioi's, calling to mind the fahied music of mermaids. It was not until some time had elapsed that the Lieutenant discov- ered his serenaders were rather small fish belonging to the Maigre family. Humboldt has described a similar occurrence to which he was wit- ness during a voyage in the South Sea. He says that at seven o'clock in the evening an extraordinary noise startled the entire crow, none of whom had ever heard anything like it before. The sound was very much like the beating of numerous drums in mid-air, and so mystified the sailors that all the superstition in their natures was at once ex- cited. Atj the vessel proceeded the noise grew louder, and finally ap- peared to be in her hold, so that it was thought a leak hud been sprung. Humboldt calmed all fears by proving to the crew that it was a school of drum-fish making the noise. Some of these fish ex- ceieded one hundred pounds in weight, and ire said to be of splendid flavor when properly cooked. Sir James Tennnnt, while traveling in Ceylon, heard strange musi- cal sounds emanating from the sea, which he explored and describes as follows- ••In the evening, when the moon had risen, I took a boat and accompanied the fishermen to the spot where musical vsounds were said to be heard issuing from the bottom of a lake, and which the natives supposed to proceed from some fish peculiar to the local- ity. I distinctly heard the sounds in question. They came up from the water like the gentle thrills of a musical chord, or the faint vibra- tions of a wine-glass when its rim Is rubbed with a wet finger. It was not one sustained note, but a multitude of tiny sounds, each clear and distinct in itself, the sweetest treble mingling with the deepest bass. They came evidently and sensibly from the depths of the lake, and appeared to be produced by moUusca, and not by fish." THE JUMPINQ FISH OF BORNEO. As there are many well-known species of warm-blooded animals living almost wholly in the water, so may we expect and do find, not a few fishes that spend most of their time on land, where they obtain their food and find greatest enjoyment. In the foregoing pages I have described some of the very ugly inhabitants of the sea, but we now come to one which not only transcends all others in excessive t l1\Ti.tlCLl\J\.l<'»* «>« «-n. place I saw hundreds TZlZ^iZlf "^- ''''''' P""''" ^" <">« had iu5t .h„„H„., J Ty"^ "' ""'"7 «'"•'"=«»■' fton, the tank th^. tr.veii„g on™;d: iV':„;:j;rdi:' '''v ^"'"''^<'» »■"» ^"■'' / 132 SEA AND LAND. level ground, for at these places all the cattle and wild animals of the neighborhood had latterly con)e to drnik, so that the surface was everywhere indented with footmarks in addition to the cracks in the surrounding baked mad, into which the fish tumbled in their progress. In those holes, which were deep and the sides perpendicular, they remained to die, and were carried off by kites and crows. ** My .impression is that this migration must take place at night or before sunrise, for it was only early in the morning that I have seen them traveling, ."nd I found that those I brought away with me in the chatties appeared quiet by day, but a large proportion managed to get out of the chatties by night; some escaped altogether while others were trodden on and killed. " One peculiarity is the large size of the vertebral column, quite disproportioned to tiie bulk of the fish. I particularly noticed that all fn the act of migrating had their gills expanded." Mr. Morns' description of the fish in accurate enough so far as it goes, buthedotis not mention the still more singular climbing habit Tn which it orcisionally indulges, to-wit: the climbing of palm trees. Wood, the naturalist, "says the fact of its climbing trees is not authen- ticated, but in thi>, h^ is certainly mistaken. Several gentlemen of my ncquj^.intance who are perfectly trustworthy, and who have seen gicat numbers of the fish along the Ganges, assure me that, time and again, they havo knocked down these perch from high branches of palmtre.es, vhile another gentleman declared to me that on one oc- casion he saw an anabas climbing up the.body of a palm and watched it until 't reached the branches. So well attested are the climbing habits of this curious fish that in the Tomonle language (of India) it is called Paneiri, which means tree-climber. Besides the anabas there is another tree-climbing perch found ii\ Brazil, and which is quite plentiful along the Amazon River. riOW IT SUSTAINS LIFE WHILE ON LAND. The natural appearance of the anabas, the utter absence of abnormal developments or appendages to detract from its very common fish-like character, leads us to -'onder what means nature has provided to en- able it to live for periods of five and six days at a time out of water. This inquiry is answered by the following explanation : What the lungs are to man the gills are to fishes; dry gills will produce puf- focation in a fish just as the want of air suffocates a man. If the gills can be kept constantly wet, a fish will live out of water for a long time , moLsturesufflcrj " resprufo,,, while i„ others simple wi"c:::i:;;:i^::';,l:„:':t:"^„,p-eh .h„ w„„derfu. ..„.„. THE CLIMBING PERCH OF h AMERICA. :X;ht "it:r i:;!"^;: rrir t- ^^^ •'- these become dry ,„• require m„,-« „ , f, "'™'»''"''^. ""d a" opens .„aa.,„j.,4-rj— Tr::.t.r;!'4" :?t «»h diesexactl, as other species dl tnt/^'f „1 1'/r;' ""' ''' 134 6I5A AiJt> LAim. A SUMMARY OF CURIOUS t iSHES. We have seen in the preceding descriptions of inhabitants of the sea such wonderful curiosities as may well excite our surprise and cause us to doubt if the limit to the phenomena of nature as mani- fested in the ocean has yet been defined by naturalists, for the possi- bilities of creation appear to be endless. We have seen fishes clothed with almost invulnerable armature, while, side by side in the water wilderness, roam the most gigantic and tiniest of creatures in all creation; some, that in appearance are more horrible than the most gruesome spectres of a diseased imagin- ation, while in the same element disport species that rival the beauties of the prisms, or the sun-hued plumage of the gorgeous birds of paradise. But if the marvelous contrarieties and astounding aspects seen in fishes excite our wonder, what shall we say of the effect produced by an understanding of their remarkable habits? We are accustomed to regard the inhabitants of the water as common creatures well under- stood, and as presenting few, if any, characteristics worthy of our special concern or study. The fact, however, is that no where in nature is what we call phenomenal life so abundant as in the sea. By examining species peculiar to the ocean, and those, too, which belong to the order of fishes proper, we find that some are flyers as well as swimmers; others that progress by walking with perfect naturalness ; some that are amphibious and carry their supply of water with them while journey ii|j|g over land ; some that climb trees and spend days among the branches ; others that burrow deep in the mud and require culy moisture ; some that progress entirely by jump- ing and others by creeping. Then we have some species that are admirable archers, shooting their prey with astonishing precision, while others possess powerful electric batteries, by means of which they disable their enemies and secure their sustenance. Singularly enough, there is at least one species that spends its time in angling, nature having provided it with a pole, line and bait, while for hook its teeth sei-ve the purpose excellently. Then again several kinds of fish possess stings, some like the scorpion and others like the corn- worm, with nfettles all over its body. Others again have telescopic lips which they can shoot out a distance nearly twice the entire length of the head, by which they secure their prey. Some fish require the coldest water, while others can maintain life only in water that is a MTSTERIES OP THE DEEP SEA. Jaj few degree, below the boiling point. There are fish whieh are «In,ost en ,rel^ de,„t„,e of the power of locomotion, while otler "rero v.ded w„h organs whi.h enable them to dart through the wa er wkh « speed unequalled by any hind animal. ^ "' dee^'p sla Vtlll wiLeri'""''' ""'° """ "" "'*"''''" "S"' <»""" '» «he aeep sta, still wandering suns, moons and lanterns are found moving ike the e ,™r'L"°' ""'""""^ ^"'"- »* ™«" wi^rcreZreT like the electric light attracts will w-flies and beetles Mo»t „f « i! spawn but others lay their eggs in carefullv-bu ^ststd i ic fate them ,„ excellent imitation of the fowl. Some are possessed o^ the most acute vision, while others are destitute oHhe sense ttt::' "'"'"^ '"'""'y "p- "" -gs-ted sense of feiiirg":: oeJaV is 'a fZ' 1 '"' 'I""' '" ""' ™™''"«' '"""O '- S^bes, for the ocean is a field of mysteries, many of which are not siven us to — g-LTalt.^-"' '-'''' -" ■"-- "« --"'^ ^X CHAPTER XI. THE WORLD DOWN UNDER THE SEA. lE have described some of the curious living things which I come under the observation of travelers most frequently! ff^f ,T ''° '"T '" S"" "' «° i''"" "* tho intimate connec- lA* tion existing between life on land and in the sea- that (h„ ..similarity of elements does not necessarily break th har^ myM resemblance be ween sea and land life. We will n„„ descend into he nigh y depths of dark ocean's caves, where opalescent rays wS l.eaut,.y the surface never penetmte, and where the deep bilo vi, !, of furious tenipests are never heard. There is a mystery in „I 3 hand of man can never explore, down among dead men's bones the skeletons of ships and treasure galore ^ ■"«■> » bones, foJ;::^t:r,::u;^rrf™;it7;:r;-^^^^ m Cr »1 '"'' '"'"'""•' P'"-;^'""'"' !'«■•!"■". strontium, cai: cium, iKiron, aluminum, magnesia, copper, lead, zinc, nickel, cobalt. 136 SfiA AND LAND. manganese, iron and gold and silver. Of gold, it has been estimated that there is the value of five cents worth in every ton of suit water, and of silver there is said to be two million tons held in solution by ocean water. You will doubtless say, " How surprising and won- derful !" but the greatest surprise is yet to come when we consider the marvels of the ocean bed. A REGION OF FAIRY SPLENDORS. Of the world under the sea, Schleiden says : ♦' We dive into the liquid crystal of the Indian Ocean, and it opens to us the most ♦von- drous enchantments, reminding us of fairy tales in childhood's dreams. The strangely branching thickets bear living flowers, the coloring, beauty and variety of which surpass everything. The clear sand of the bottom is covered with the thousand strange forms and tints of sea-urchins and star-fishes. The leaf-like flustras and escha- rus adhere like mosses and lichens to the branches of the corals ; the yellow, green and purple-striped limpets cling like monstrous coch- ineal insects upon their trunks. Like gigantic cactus blossoms, spark- ling in the most ardent colors, the sea anemones expand their crowns of tentacles upon the broken rocks, or more modestly embellish the flat bottom. Around the blossoms of coral shrubs play the humming- birds of the ocean, like fish sparkling with red or blue metallic glit- ter, or gleaming in golden green or the brightest silvery lustre Softly, like spirits of the deep, the delicate milk-white or bluish belles of the jelly-fishes float through this charming world. Here the gleaming violets and gold-green Isabelle, and the flaming yellow, black and vermillion-striped coquette choose their prey ; there the band-fish shoots, snake-like, through the thicket, like a silver ribbon, glittering with rosy and azure hues. Then comes the famous cuttle- fish decked in all colors of the rainbow, but marked by definite out- lines, appearing and disappearing, inter-crossing, joining company and parting again in most fantastic ways; and all this in the most rapid change, and amid the most wonderful plays of light and shade, altered by every breath of wind and every slight curling surface of the ocean. When day declines, and the shades of night lay hold upon the deep, this fantastic garden is lighted up with a new splendor. Millions of glowing sparks, little microscopic medusas and crusta- ceans dance like glow-worms through the gloom. The sea-feather, which by daylight is vermiliion-colored, waves in a green phosphor- escent light. Every corner of it is lustrous. llYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. ' J 37 -Parts which b; .Uy were perhaps dull and brown, and retreated from the sight amic me universal brilliancy of color, are now radiant n the nios wonderful play of light; and to complete the wonders o the enchanted n.ght. the silver disc, six fe.. across, of the moon-fish. moves, 8 ightly lummous, among the clouds of little sparkling stars The most luxuriant vegetation of a tropical landscape cannot unfold as great wealth of form while in the variety and splendor <.f color it would stand far behmd this garden-land.cape. which is strangely composed exclusively of animals, and not of plants; for, character, istic as the luxuna.>t development of vegetation of the temperate zones IS of the seu-hottom, the fuHness and multiplicity of the marine fauna is just as prominent in the regions of the tropics. Whatever .s beautiful, wondrous or uncommon in the great classes of fish and Echmoderus, jelly-fishes and polypus, and the molluscs of all kinds is crowded into the warm and crystal waters of the tropical ocean rests in the white sands, clothes the rough cliffs, clings when the room' IS already occupied, like a parasite, upon the first comers, or swim^ through the shallows and depths of the elements, while the mass of vegetation is of a far inferior magnitude." MARVELS IN THE MIGHTY DEEP. The sea presents all the inequalities that are observed on land • it has Its mountains, valleys, hills, plains and caverns. Until within [he last fifty years no one had measured its depths nor discovered the formation and character of the sea-bed. Dr. Maury, the eminent savant and navigator, to whom the world is indebted for its most important information concerning the ocean, has explored many of the greatest secrets of its depths, and also the laws by which the ocean-world is governed. The average depth of the Atlantic is two miles, but frequent soundings have been made in both the Atlantic and Pacific of five and even six miles. How wonderful the darklin- dephs, where sound nor sight nor motion ever disturb the pulselesi waste of ocean; where even the fish cannot swim, the waves break or the tempest murmur. Down upon the deep sea-bed, most remark- able to relate, decay is arrested, and but for the infusorial life which alone finds existence there, dead bodies might remain for all time resting as still and perfectly in this water-world as though embalmed m H bloc^ Ox iee. Nor does the temperature change, but maintains a * wakes the dull, echoless and tomb-like cradle of the billowy deep. ♦,,.>w-I^., 138 SEA AND LAND. How marvelous is this bod of tho sea, for reposing therein is the em- bryo of continents, of mountain chains, of meadow and field. Figuier 8tat«'s that among tlie fragments brought up from the dead and cur- rentU'ss depths of the Pacific by Brooks' apparatus, Ehrenburg found one hundred and thirty-five different forms of infusoria, among which were twenty-two species never before met with. Of the infusoria of the Pacific the composition is generally silicious, while those in the Atlantic are calcareous. These animalculie draw from the sea the mineral mutter with which it is charged — that is, the lime or silica which forms their shells. These shells accumulate after the death of the animal and form the bottom of the ocean. Living near the sur- face, as they die their bodies are consumed by others of their genus, while their carapaces, or shells, descend like snow-flakes to the bottom. Thi« snow-like fall is continuous all over the sea, and the countless myriads gradually raise tlie bottom of the ocean until islands and vast bodies of land aie formed. The horizontal beds of marine deposits, which are called .se(?imeun- tinental Europe were evidently thus formed. RESTFUL WATERS ALONE PREVENT THE EARTH FROM BEING OUT IN TWAIN. Down at the great depths where these carapaces first fall the i;ea is at such complete rest that not the slightest traces of sand are dis- covered. Did the currents of the ocean extend to these dentbs the weight of water would be so tremendous that, instead of gentl" erosion, as we see on the coast, there would be an abrasion so great as to cut the very globe in twain. The pressure at five miles below the surface is sufficient to collapse an empty bomb, and yet nature, with her illimitable means at command, has created minute animals that live and mo^e freely through this ponderous element that would crush the life out of all other created things. The diver, in his copper helmet and heavy encasement of body, can not go below one hundred and fifty feet on account of pressure ; think, then, what the pressure must be five miles below the surface. A writer has said : "The tooth of ruining water is very sharp. See how the Hudson has eaten through the highlands, and the Niagara has cut its \v!iv tiirouwh laver after laver of solid rock. But what are the Hudson and Niagara with all the fresh watercourses of the world by the side of the Gulf Stream and other great curreat%|iithe ocean? ■&»: MTSTERIKS Ol^ THE DEEP SEA. I 139 nalotwithfl''" P™""™;" ''»»'■ «"terup„„ rlver-bed^ in com- parson w,tl, the pressure of ocean water upon the bed of the dee,, the cahuacta Then why have not the currents of the eea worn its botU,maw.y? Sr^ply because they are not permitted to get down CHAPTEE XII. MODERN MONSTERS OF THE OCEAN WORLD. ?"f„.utir''^.r"'"''? "' '™l"«™''' 'l-ciesis more re- .*P notl!h f ";'"■«""'» ''""«' '■' ""= <"^«"' ">■" "« «»n even '*.! note the unfoldings of creation in a glass of salt-water We marvel and e.clai™, ■• How can,e n,an upon the stage of „ exeZt fro,n progenuors of similar conformation and orga°,iz„ti „?'■ We cannot answer this question better, or ex-plain the evolution of all qun er to the following experiment : Take a glass of crystal water espccally salt water- so pure that the most powerful micro co^ annot detect the existence of any anim.lcular li/e; seal it, TZiZ to prevent the possible admission of atomic dus or life .md hen note the deve „pn,e„t that transpires. After u period of s't lti!n .r decompos,fon, infusorial life is ce.tain to appear ; fi,lt Stesi' mal, microscopic animals, then the development of Ur- ai ima T cul«, which will sustain themselves by feedin.- Z,T,CT " s r-bein'rre,. r:rprcL"'""""% "' """■•"'^' -^ e 1 , ^ '•iioti m.m Its predecessor. Is not this thp niv>nf tw'ZaZ /,'*'""'"' :"""*•"'• "'""?'' 'he "ooean main, bu"t"in' 140 S£A ANl> LaNI>. The links ure soruewhut broken through the lapse of countless yoairt, whoso chronicles are distorted drifts and layers, but the generic niarivs of species discovered give a connection which is sufficiently under- stood to furnish a proof of the theory of development of species into ultimately distinct genera. LEGENDS OF THE TIME OF COLUMBUS. When Columbus crossed the sea nearly four hundred years ago, the civilized world believed as implicitly in the existence of frightful sea monsters as they did in the virtue of saintly bones, shrines and Cal- varean relics. It was almost sacrilegious to dispute the legends which had come down to them from the days of Plato. Some'of the ene- mies of Columbus cried out against his undertaking by declaring that SEA GRYPHON OF PHILOPONUS.— (aN OLD PRINT.) he and his crew would certaily fall victims to voracious sea gryphons and other imaginary creatures that guarded the sea-realm from human intrusion. Singularly enough, there accompanied Columbus on his voyage a priest who was evidently so firmly attached to the superstitions of his times that he felt it his divine duty to perpetuate them, and con-- sequently he wrote a book describing bis adventures at sea, which for rank and indefensible lying, is a record that far transcends Baron Munchausen. This priest's tnie name is in doubt, nor is it to be wondered that he employed means to render it so, considering that the occasion was great. The name by which he wud known Tmontr MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. I41 k at least an imi.li.-ati,,,, tin tthl u. ' "'" ""•"<"•• «"»«^ """e weakness tmusm edt , jl 1 V'f '"""'"■" ■"= " K«"^"'l"gi-I But ho was 1,0," knllr , P, • ''"'"'' ""'■•"»•>''"■•% of „tato„,ont. tlmt all 1,0 wroto was the wl,.,le nith I ^ ** """" wit„ossos. f.™ tho fads, „o,. exIXrat t 1 o hi": ,f :':""= '""' >"' "' ""'» of those advo„tu,es he 'ZCsl tllwlf ""' "' "" "'"' <""• O"' DREADFUL ADVENTURE OF A PRIEST ei.he,^hat^!: fud "XtLrierd a ZlTT l"' '""" "'""^• vessel had sw.ved to tl,. T. , ?««"'""• "l-ock, and aftei- the thoaght we iTadlund d ^^ "" '", "'" '""' '""■'"''^'' ">«' -» l.n.,:..sandanlt;Tetlr;e:.'t'h: ■■'"' """^ "r^-" "" '» of the largest in the A.mada i "■'" "''"'' ''^'"''' ™* "■>« strange phonon,onon lal ^ f '■ '" ''"" "'" "^ *■" ""*"• This ooald pla nly s othe riirlf tl ■ '"" w" """^i'*-^'-'""'' «■"«. and we tl.e.W. When lo I s dl .p trttl^hr'''"'" /"' '"^"^'^ seemed to ™o, a huge conti„;ntf ugh td „"lv t'f IT '""""^ '1 some distance to the rigl t of uj two „,•!?» , "'"'"• ""^ spouting themselves into he .,v,f f ''°'"'"'" "' '""''='• ''«'•« And while wTthhor,rst tie "^ t^e other ship:"T:„:::;:t';tr;;:x;\t\°'^"f"'^ ""^ ^-^ Mash and :r:o.''''«!!!':'"! T'"^^ '^o.-'-- »»« -"king a g..t it was a whale, but I "who folt'Th^"™ "'S'"'*™'' immediately said -^ -. k„;w.ng ^ZZs^t^. ^-^Z 142 USA JlKD land. such an one on board as myself. And then this monster began to swim away from the other vessels, making head toward Spain. Every- thing was done in our power to make tlie monster descend, but all the back-proggings that he received did not seem at ail to disconcert him, and it is no telling where we should have been carried, until it occurred to me that only through divine interposition could we l»o saved from shipwreck, and possibly a more horrible death. So 1 ordered those of the priests who were on board to prepare themselves for the performance of high mass, and to get ready the altar, and tlie sailors to put over the side of the vessel the long ladder, so that I and the priests, and those who were bold, might, upon the back of this foul monster, say mass. "Now," continues Padre Philoponus, «*we began with stronjr hearts our service at the altar. Wo went through the whole mass, but when we came to the Agnus Dei we felt a peculiar trembling be- neath our feet. The waters on either side began at first to recede from us and then to surge up, while the spoutings began to increase in their violence, and we heard strange noises. I then knew that our prayers were answered, and that this terrible beast was beginning to descend to its depths. But I finished the services, and when we were a<'^ain all safely on board and had cheered those therein by our manner and speech, the whale began to descend still more quickly, and sud- denly took itself from our sight; and the ship again rested on the bosom of the placid ocean. Thus were we alone saved by prayer and through my medium. After this the vessel rejoined her consorts, and the voyage was performed without any too serious an occurrence worthy to be recorded or painted." A MONSTER TEN -FOLD WORSE THAN THE DEVIL. Having started his imagination to working, he did not withold oils and stimulants that it might continue with smoothness and alacrity. He relates that coming to one island they found it occupied by a mar- velous tribe of Indians, who maintained supremacy not only over tlio land, but over the ocean monsters as well. A deputation of five of these strange men came to visit the Spaniards on one occasion ; not as one would suppose, on foot, horseback or in palanquin, but, surpris- ing to relate, "seated upon the back of a sea-gryphon, an immense animal havinir a scalv back, frinced collar, a lashing tail and a hog's head. It was also furnished with four huge paws, each paw having three fingers ; it also had tremendous wings and fins — a very savage MYSTERIES OF THE JDJEEP SEA. ^43 looking monster to behold, and one that st.npir *. . . even the bravest of the Spaniard! '• t ' ^'^ ^^^ "^^''^^^^ Clares that the Indians we^.a ^ed .ith b et^t Xri'^/"!?" '^- were as formidable as the dra<.on evTo7e'^^^^^^^ '""^ perceived at the same time in m^l ' :. , ^*''^' ^"^^""« ^^^'^ lassoing similar monste^ "'^"^ ^^^"^ -d"'^-.? i" the sport of Phlloponus, who should have been « r^««f k * foreseeing that l.is spiritual om' iprtence'^^,n.r''/f ""."'''"• this same vovage off Carie Vprr?« « 1 r\ witnes^sed on COOKING A 0,™„ „„ l,„,„„,»,, ,„K_(A„ „,„ p„„^,, beefsteak, .he .iL of't ran^T;,::;''^ "' "■""^'' '"^^ ""'^ "- ^'«'' that durilxr a I r ,1 Ir I ''",""l"'""l^ '«li«ved .I.e »t„lo,„e„t_ .iok„e. „r;: ti ;:■,:::. : s/;'h '^ ",""'"'''^'' "^ -»■ for several hours fo « J. ' ^^"^ '"' ^"'"1' '^"'^ anchored bear's c at, Id tlat t^W^^^^^^ """^"* Laving a hog's head and a out upon the'le::!^!:.!^ "^Zh 7^7''^' "' l'^ '"'- ^"^ dinner, which in no wJ-o ^ wiieroon they cooked a anothe;::::':;.":;!:^..''^^^^'-^^^^ ^'-.^-^ "..imal. ^ontf<.rt. y y this, no, d.d «i.y one n.e to offer objection or question 144 SEA AND LAND. CHAPTER Xm. TITANIC CREATURES OF THE OCEAN. Descending from the lofty and wondrous sphere into which Father Philoponus would fain keep U8» and taking up our places again among the realities of life, we will find the sea no less interesting nor the life therein less wonderful when we come to view some of the marvelous facts of nature as they actually exist. Job has said, writing for the nineteenth century as well as for those long anterior to the first : " '^anst thou draw out leviathan with an hook? or his tongue with a cord thou lettest down ? * * * He niaketh the deep to boil like a pot; he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment ; he maketh a path to shine after him." From this biblical allusion we understand that the whale was well known to the ancients, and that possibly no means had then been devised by which leviathan could be captured, nor was there any incen- tive then to hazard battle with him. Under the name Cetacea^ naturalists include all fishes having warm blood, venous and arterial, and that are viviparous. These are the whale, black-fish, dolphin, narwhal, porpoise, dugong, manatee and nearly fifty others. If we examine the skeleton of a whale we are amazed to find it formed of articulated bones like thoso of the feet and hands of terrestrial mammals. Moreover we will detect the prin- cipal parts of the skeleton of a terrestrial animal. An examination of the whale's organism discloses yet stronger ties connecting them with land animals. We find that they have warm blood, and breathe by means of lungs through the direct absorption of the air ; the diges- tive system is identical, and finally, they bring forth their young and suckle them in the same manner as animals living on land. An ob- servei who has several times drunk whale's milk declares that there is • scarcely a perceptible difference between it and cow's milk. VARIOUS 8PE0IE8 OF WHALES. The Rsa has the hoirnr of being the home of the largest of all created living things, which is very proper and as we might expect, consider- ing the disparity between land and water. The Greenland wh»lQ pot MTSTERIES or THE DEEP SEA. 145 Infreqnently attoins a length of seventv.fl»« fc«t i.- .. weight of as many ton,, and of mrS;* wt ilf- P"™^'"' ' The pectoral fins of sn-l. . „„ . ^ " '" """""""'erenoe- feet Lg, wh,; the l' o " aut^ Z "f '"",*'""' ''" »' '-'" broad. The Northern T^rnlT I '"""''^ twenty-five feet hundred feet in Cth bt tT«L r^",?"'' '"'""^ '^""^'"S <">« land whale. Some Welet^ h ", T"'?' °' '"^^ *■"" "■« G"e„. JT^^^-lsfouSrithrAttnt,*';' ""' ''""""""'* """J one hundred a„d seventv feet !„/ T "''' ="°'' *° '''«'°g"> »* ever having been tlen The' Sn -T "° '•^'■"' "' ^"'='' « »■>«!« peouhar ^^.treri^uth^!!: uSj f ^ ra^^^rotti'^r ' X^Cyirf: ,i:r.^^ - - «-"'- »^-ni oi? r^ thert:th?t:LT^iirnt:::r" *'"'"™'™ ""'•' •"""•- hquid parses through the „trLT;mrfo"fT o" t T" ^"^ of the membrane of th. r>.lnf. j ^ " P"™'""- dispos tion terna. orifice of the nasi" ctitv "th "*' '" " '"« ^'"^ "* '"« - muscles, the water's exoeneH I^ . ""' '='""?'•«*«'") by Powerful to the species) v'^::^:' :^^:tz] z tv""': ^•""""■■"^ holes. Itisamatte- „!!;"' f"""' "'«''«»''. "nd called blow- .he How-holesrwater or Zr'-'ater^'''" '^ ?'""^"'» "■"""S" water taken into the mouth wMll f ? T"^ """^ *""" " '« '^e powerful iets. Scores^ very l^^^,:!:^^ " T" "''' '" *-"> mainUin that it ,s only the va^^To " wh'i I' •"""' "*""'" tact with cold air, immediatelv Z a ' """""S '"'" <=""- afterwards in a siirfinet!^ ""'""• "' ''"' '" ■"""'» "X-O-'d taa, I had an uncommonly fltoZrtJ^v S""i: ''T" ^^^'"'- of whales and to form an onin 1 "^ vL ^. '" °^^"^ *''° "Pouting When a few hund,™ miles rmTll'"' f ?"""• P-'-'-o-tioned! pa..engers sighted two whalel'sTme^ stance ILr^'Z'"'"' "''" to be garaboline. *or thnir /lion. ""»i»"^e anead. They appeared than half a min^ute"Ld m^rZ rT.."''''''' ""'"'^ "«^ ""'" ""'^'> themselves almost'entt 1^ ut of t!e s " If" ''"'^''"•'" '"-^ Rauaucror wnaies increased from two fn «oo..i " -^ir'-^clieu, the ently so interested were thev in th^ * .? ^ * ''"^'°' *"^ War- -teve^and allowed ^Cit -1 ^ J^^thr "m^ in 146 8EA AND LAND. W-M So near were we that several times I could have struck them with a stone as they raised tlieir enormous heads or moved their ponderous flukes high in the air as tliey descended. I do not tliink they were feeding, for during this period they swim in a direct line with mouths open, whereas upon tliis occasion all their movements ap[)eared to be sportive gambols. As the wliales rose tiiey almost invariiiblj spouted, and I was struck at the time with the very peculiar character the water assumed as it left the bio -holes. Instead of being a vertical column, or stream of water — though it was thrown to a height of thirty or forty feet — it ap^^v-dred more like steam issuing violently from an THE SPERM WHALE. escape-pipe, and as it gained its greatest height floated off very much like steam does. As I had never heard of this peculiarity and hntl supposed, according to common report, that whales spouted solid columns of water, I was very much surprised at what I saw. I in- cline to the belief, from what I witnessed, that whales spout as much fn)m sport as they do to relieve their mouths from the water taken in while feeding. It is only reasonable to suppose that the simple pro- cess of closing the mouth, with a possible action of the tongue, would m^l all the watiw m thoroughly as though it were driven backwai-d MYSTERIES OP THE DEEP 8BA. X47 Cetaceans are divided into t«ro classes, the larger of which a- the whales which feed on small R.h, cephaloids, infusoria and bther an, ma s and the other, including lamatins, dugongs, stelleres eti wh,ch are entirely herbivorous, these latter being cLfined^ene^r,.; tropical seas, while whales are chiefly found in cnhtrT,!-^ J But in both species the blow-holes are pr^seja'd use ' mil'r"^^' Mangn, says : -. A profound instinct of sociability s^ems one of rtst^^f-rr,:;'^ "'''" I'r- ■'^*"'" "--^ ^^'^^z:i ::rofte:::e? nTrv^n': "ztm-^rr"""' "«""- 1 , ,, . young, itie same attachment pviat« between the male and his mate, and like the maternal sentTment of affccfon reveak a touching character, since it almost always Za,"! over that .nstmct which in mo.t animals keeps down e3ot"er- rf-pXlr '" "'™ ''-"'''-^'^ "■- ~'^ '-«- of .enem' The'h "b""' "''""'" ''*" ""^ ""<"' ^'^'-g *» their tnrnd annual, ready to fly at the slightest intimation of dan-er Yet an mtrep.d courage is kindled in the breast of this oceanXi when he sees one of his young attacked or wounded , but Ws orobiecUs enemy, and if ,t dies, to perish with it, for the poor beast will ever abandon it. Unprovided with weapons, he can n™ wise Wend hunself : nor does he ever n,ake the attempt, f"r hTiswhl Iv detont m the .nstinot of combat. He can suffer', but hi iS A WHALE 8INK8 A SHIP. To Mangin's latter observations I mn^f ^vnn«* poon wafl made by a m«n in the first boat, but whilte he was in the act f 148 SEA AND LAND. i " i of poising the weapon u whale, whether in anger or by accident, struck the boat a violent blow with its tail, crushing it badly and throwing the harpooner into the water. A return to the vessel was now made to repair damages, but just as the boats reached the ship another very large sperm-whale appeared hardly twenty yards from the ship on the weather-bow. The monster cetjicean was swimming at a rapid pace directly toward the vessel, and in an instant struck it nearly amidships, producing a collision so violent that several snilors SMASHING OF THE SHIP ESSEX BY A WHALE. were thrown to the deck. The whale then passed under the keel and came up directly thrashing the sea into foam ; so great were its con- tortions that it was at once npparent the animal had been severely hurt and was moved by intense agony and anger. In a few moments the whale ceased lashing the sea, moved deliberately off a hundred yards or more, then turned and made with all possible speed for the ship again. During this exciting interval discovery was made that the vessel was filling, the planking having been sprung by the whale's MifSMBIES Of THE DEEI. S15A. l4fl first .ttnck and perooiving „„„ ,h„t the attack was t„ be renewed, tenor ae,zed the entire erew, one of whon, exelanned: " May God have meicy on us ; he is coming again I" ^ The whale eame rushing through the water with incredible swifU ness leaving a foamy track behind him full of swirls and deep wrve of a hundred battenng rams. There was a loud report, followed by she had been gathered up by some Titanic hand and hurled back cTLd Ti'tf f ■'■, ,?!, "'"*'" '•°" *^"P''™-<'- l-ving the ea Zltul T *'"' '''°"''' """^ *"" """"'^^ """-'^fter the vessel raised h,gh her stern and plunged headlong out of .sight. Barely time was gtven the sailors to cut loose the boatl into which they fo tu! nately managed to escape to a small island called Ducies. This land proved sue., a barren »p„t that all of the crew save three en „ Ted .gam .n three boats and set out for the island of Juan Fernandez two hr,;:;i'"bi"t ""*v^'""'^-""-^'' "•''- -f- "">"■ -"-•'' u™ tter: v vori:;Vtht: pr-L'Tbiri' 'r '^"■"""' "'"■ -'-^ »k„ n u- . lapt.im » boat, which was come ui) with by he Dauphm contmned only twosurvivrtrs. and the third boat nor the three mc, left on Ducies I4.n,l wereever heard of again. Ou of a riii: it';:::! "■"' "™ '""■'""' " '^" *"" '•"■■■""^^"'■■^ - - '-" A DUTCHMAN RIDES A WHALE We have all heard of Neptune's chariot, in which the ancients be- heved he rode over hi, ten.pestuous domain drawn by fierre horses h vn,g nebbed feet and bifurcated fish-tails. Imagina ion may ave pictured .some adventurous sea-dog bestriding a dolphin, but we have to mention the fact of a Dutchman actualWridin.^ a whale- nor ^^ there any fable connected with the story, whih is a's ioLws : ' James Vienkc was a Dutch harpooner long en^a-'ed in the whde <.» .cry n, the beginning of the present centur^. U,!on one oce- m struck by the head of the monster and dashed to pieces. By cxtraor- g ted so squarely upon the whale's back that he maintained bis posi! tion. Theharpoon, ivhichhe still mana.'e.l to l.-.id „„ to ,e I wellnow, for, burying it into the monster's l«ck he hddt'oa^dtZ avoided sl.pp,„g off. Instead of sounding, as is usual, the twe 150 8BA AKt) L. Vt). kept on the surface, and thus Vienke and hh oceftn steed cleft the blue sea in truly magnificent style. Great concern was felt for his (safety as the crew saw him giilloping away at more than double the speed they were able to make in their boats, and Vienke was so over- come with fright that he forgot to let go of the harpoon, by which means he might have easily been at once rescued, but held on as a drowning man will catch at a straw, until he was nearly a mile from the nearest boat. Being at last somewhat accustomed to his novel vehicle, Vienke's presence of mind returned and he no longer hesi- tated, but cast himself into the sea, very much as a man might fall off a runaway horse. Being an excellent swimmer he managed to keep afloat until picked up by the boat that was after him. INCIDENTS OF FATALITY IN THE WHALE FISHERY. Scoresby, in his ♦♦ History of the Northern Whale Fi hery," pub- lished in 1820, a copy of which lies before nje, gives a number of in- cidents illustrating the perils of the fishery, a few of which I will here repeat: «« On *he 3d of June, 1811,a boat from the sh'xp Eesolution, commanded at the time by myself, put off in pursuit of a whale and was rowed upon its back. At the moment that it was harpooned it struck the side of the boat a violent blow with its tail, the shock of wL.ch threw the boat steerer some distance into the water. A repetition of the blow projected the harpoonor and line-manager in a similar manner, and completely drenched the part of the crew remaining in the boat with spray. One of the men regained the boat, but as the fish immedi- ately sank and drew the boat away from the place, his two compan- ions in misfortune were soon left far behind the reach of assistance. The harpooner, though a practiced swimmer, felt himself so bruised and enervated by the blow he had received on the chest that he was totally incapacitated from giving the least sui )ort to his fellow suf- ferer. The ship being happily near, a boat which had been lowered on the first alarm arrived to the succor at the moment when the line- manager, who was unacquainted with the art of swimming, was on the point of sinking to rise no more. Both the line manager and harpooner were preserved, and the fish, after a few hours' close pur- suit, was subdued." **A large whale, harpooned from a boat belonging to the same ship, became the subject of a general chase on the 23d of June, 1809. Be- UVSMRIM OP THE Dtxr 8«A. JJI 1.^ myself in the flrrt boat ,vhich approached the fl,h, I struck my harpo,,,, at arm's length, by whieh we fortunately evaded a blow that appeared to be aimed at the .K,at. Another boat then advanced and ar.,ther harpoon was struck, but not with the .ame result jfrn- the I Trr'." '''^■■'''"'""'"* """ '™"«°''ou» blow from the fish- tad. The boat was sunk by the shock, and at the same tin.e whirled around w,th such velocity that the bcat-steerer was precipitated nto the water on the side next to the fish, and was actually car Ld down to a constderable de,,th by its tail. After a n.inute or „ he arose to the surface and was taken up, along with his compLi on "nto ...y boat A similar attack was made on tSe next boat vl i 1^; me up; but the harpooner being warned of the prior conduct of he flsT used such precaution, that the blow, though equal in strength, took effect only ,n an inferior degree. The boat was slightly st.rve " Another somewhat simila, incident is related by the same author though with more serious results: »'"« auinor, • 'I7f\^''f "'"''' *»*"<"' oavigated an open lake of water in the ,gby-firs degree of north latitude, during a keen frost and t"o,: north wtnd a whale appeared, and a boat put off in pursuit. On tl stern Id I • . l'*'"''"'"' ""' """"■'• "'""'^ ^^e boat at the stein, and its reaction threw the boat-sieerer overboard. As the ',',':,r;ft7'""""''^«"'' *■"" "<"" "^y""" Ms reach, the dew thilw ...ne of the,, oars toward him for his support, one of which he f < -! and he fast-bo. t be.ng rapidly drawn away from him, the harpooner cu the line with the view of rescuing him from his dangerou sTua- mo ;ifi™u„r.r"'j"" '"r ''°* P"'"™'"' """'• "• 'h-r extreme mort,fieat,on, they d,scovered, that in consequence of some oars bein. 7" TT" u'"'" *'"'""? ™°"'"'<'' "■"' "tl-^ l^eing broke, » unshipped by the blow from the fish, one oar only re,Lin d vi h which, owing to the force of the wind, they in vaL tried to ah lid nff "T! '"^'" """'"' """■'^'' ^''"'^ ""y ^-oat ft-om the ship could afford him assistance, though the men strained every nerve Z he purpose. At length, when they reached him, he was foundlah ,„n.. f "' .m' '^' '"^ ""'' '" "^ t^eplombie condition. His clothes were frozen hke mail, and his hair constituted a helmet of ice He was immediately conveyed into the cabin, his clothes Lken off. fis ft 152 fi«A Atfb lAm). \w' limbs and body dried and well rubbed, and a cordial administered. A dry shirt and stockings were then put on him and he was laid in the Captain's bed. After a few hours' sleep he awoke and appeared con- siderably restored, but complained of a painful sensation of cold. He was, therefore, removed to his own state-room and his messmates ordered to lie on each side of him, whereby the diminished circulation was accelerated, and the animal-heat restored. The shock on his con- stitution, however, was greater than anticipated and it was with difficulty he was finally restored, his reason for some time threatening to give way." DASHED TO PIE0E8 BY A WHALE. A dreadful accident happened to a boat crew belonging to the Airri' well, by which three men from a single boat were drowned, though help was near at hand. A large whale being sighted in a Greenland sen, a boat containing seven men was put off and the whale was soon struck. But instead of sinking immediately, as is usual when receiv- ing a wou d, the whale only dived for a moment and then rose again beneath the boat, struck it a vicious blow with its tail, dashing it sev- eral feet into the air, and then disappeared. The wrecked crew clam- bered onto the bottom of the boat, which was now upturned, but the lines became fouled, so that as the whale swam off it rolled the boat repeatedly over, throwing the men time and again into the water. Four of them, after each immersion, recovered themselves and clung to the boat, but the other three were less fortunate, and drowned be- fore the assistance that was fast approaching reached them. The four men being rescued and conveyed to the ship, the attack on the whale was renewed, and two more harpoons were stuck into it. But the whale manifested the most furious disposition, churning the sea into foam by terrific lashings of its tail, apparently feeling for the boat, which, however, escaped the blows. The crew, fearing for their lives, abandoned the attack, only too glad that the whale did not follow up 'ts advantage and destroy the boat* A similar accident happened to a boat crew of the Henrietta. A fish which was struck very near the ship, by a blow of its tail stove u small hole in the boat's bow. Every one of the crew, in trying to escape the blows, rushed onto one side of the boat and upset it. They all clung to it while it was bottom-side up, but the line having become 4. I^J J.-i i-U^ i-I ,*= 3J 1 A' i^a. 1 14- ""-1 — "*•«• -i Cijluii^l6u iii ine LiiwariS, ssuuucuiy Uicn- tu6 uwut uiiuci -.Taici, aiiu with it a part of the crew, so that when assistance reached the spot four out of the six that were in the boat were drowned. MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP 8EA. . ^^^ to her destruction. Thov wflr« IZ r ^ ^"""» *''^ "^"^^er the hoats wore unable to keep pace with her "• IM Plioia. All old whaler, who dolighte to dwell upon the mnnv wild nd..n tu,.e, wh,ch ho has participated i„. relates'the followio^ ^LflZ In one „f my earliest voyages I remarked a circumstance which .xci ed my h,ghc»i astonishment. One of the harpo„„e,rstr ck a Sboath'f '-r' "" "■«"»-'"•(? '-"■"« ^-i collected .„,dl tat boat before it rose to the surface again. The first boat f„ll„ .he harpoon-line. approached' the vertical posufon w t 'o tw; .'^ he lea t caution. Suddenly the whale rose with unl,H.ked-fr vi^ lence directly beneath the boat, which was hurled, together Wth t crew, nearly a dozen yards high. The boat fell upon its side ,,ro c ting the men into the water, but fortum-Mv only one of hem w"' injured, and all were rescued." ^ " It is related that in 1804 the ahlD >.'*. ,v „„ .1, .t engaged a large sperm-whale o« tf^.t "; K; ,taUti7S the animal became so anffered ihu* u^ »-4 c»'«im, m wnicn boats, several of the LnTeTng d^wS^ '"' "■" '"^'"^^'' "''"' tl,r'ti.''''^:i''^"'"' ''*™ g!™". I believe, will be conclusive evidence that, though destitute of weapons, the whale is not destitute of cZ ge, but that, appreciating the power of its momentum and L7m tail. It not infrequently boldly attacks bouts and ships with dislsirous PHVeiOAL OURIOSITIES OF THE WHALE. •„,: *^T^'?>.^ '''"''° '' ''™'''"*<' <" '»»"■ i" ""'•cr jaw, hut nature nas provided them with numerous horny lamina, attached to th! :r r;i:;nttittr'rr'''/r'''"^ """•- <' ^^ whl T } "''' *"'' '"'■'''' ""^ «"»"'»'• proof that the luh food ""' '"""' '"•""' *" '"'"'"'■^« "- -'-■ fit is eii;.»ed The lamhlK, baleen, or whale-bone, as it i. most generally called IS a m,«t wonderful provision of nature, consideriifg "he ser i e t' -vb, h ,t ,, employed by the animal. Though of eolo»^,l ' Le ti"^ -vhale feeds upon very small fish, as heietofwe descritd 11 ThVl^ capacity being hardly large enough to admit a ma 'tt ' s„ ^^e .a animal must needs consume a great ouantiiv nf /L l!^^ wouu be utterly unable to secure but fo; the baleen 'wi.h'w'hlch'i; mouth ,s provided. This whalehone-so called. . . u^ nl'rt ly -i> attached to the upper jaw and is of . variable leiigtl, to ZLm i m 156 to the n small ii or othe] the 8 nit of the r out of t the blov vided wi son for ^ An oi'( oil, and 1 sistentlj species, 1 the numl it is proj] The sp cetl, funi termed ai intestines iug in th^ weiofht, b whale. J morbid s( whale, bu! mains to 1 whales ki noticed to ive, strons A large, by whalers and covert tains a sect congeals ii ceti. Its s fiequently In calm proachlnor t hearinij. I MY8TEBIE8 OV THE DEEP SEA. 15; of the mouth a practical proof that the engulfed water does If ^?^ out of the whale's blow-holes while fecdhi.r t\! ku, ^^' the blow-holesis for resniratior AM f ^* J ^'"^''''^ "'^ ^'^ videdwith baleen; nfTZX^t^Z^''^^^^ c^,, f - 1 • . ' '" ^''*^'^' t"e (xeenland whale a one has it the rfln son for which is not thoroughly understood. fi.stently The sperm-whale is really more valuable than a /o hpr e :;i :rH""' ^"^ ^^^^^^^^^^ ^'^-"-«^ d.sease,LnrcVa y r ive,htiong and courageous with other whales. 4"aiiy act- HOW THE WHALE 18 KILLED. bythX^tho Lt""' f"' f"-'^ '" "'° "i*' «'<■<' "' ""> '"""i. -lied 158 SEA ASV LAND. instead of oars, by which means they quietly come near enough to use the harpot)n. When first struck, a whale almost invariably "sounds," or descends perpendicularly to an astonishing depth, taking out some; times five thousand feet of line. But he must come to the surface in half an hour to breathe, when he is again harpooned, only to sound again. This he continues to do until his strength is wasted by fatigue and loss of blood, when he no longer goes down, but swims rapidly along the surface, towing the boats that may be fast to him. If the whale does not turn, the boats are brought gradually nearer by draw- ing in the line, until they come within striking distance with a lance, when he is soon killed. These animals generally traverse the seas in numerous herds, some- times as many as two or three hundred being together. Old whalers affirm that they acknowledge a leader, alv/ays a patriarchal bull, who 8>v:ms some distance in advance and gives the signal of flight orcom- ba bv uttering a noise something like a muffled great bell. AccortI - ing ,c Mr. Boale, the sperm-whale can remain under water for an hour ^.rrd a quarter, and can move at a velocity of five miles an hour, hie oiaary speed being half that. When swimming at its greatest ve , egg-shell, leavngthe men nothing .,ut the small fragments To "n" o. It was now drawing late-in the evening and little hope w, -enta tamed by any of the unfortunate, that their oompanious couldTnd and rescue them. Pieces of the boat were allotted to .he men verv much as sma 1 rations of bread are issued in times of threatred Jter"^ vut,o„; on these they rode the waters, which chanced to be rnHd h . ir J^r . ^^ * ™' P"'"*''- I" "■« n'e«i>time the other b«ts had returned to the ship, and the crew fiading their captain and lem nzrrt'' ''""''"'' "'■' "^"^ -^ -' «»t in«rcho' them. Fifteen miles at sea is not a great distance but o«;n„ ♦ »u XstVt'b'T"*"- " '-'^-»" *""" '^ "orvisiblaboTe a /ew miles and therefore very difficult to find. It was for this reason tZ .carch was prosecuted until far into the morning !„ beZ he recked men were discovered, nearly half dead ftomexporu™ o g m the wa<»r. When taken on board the vessel again not „7e ot A DREADFUL DEATH. whl"tLT7 T " ""' "°° •"*■• ""' '"""P""" h"" •««■• struck into a Whale the utmost ea™ „ust be o,e.ri«d, and it may almost b« JIm 160 that the to this r. and catt instant; tivoid a M'halers, fatal ace him in tt "As s duced m( Carr ! ' pared, sh able to ir us of cm confused charge, tJ long been ions and, weather, whale the were, ind( could not without St motionless tack. A 1 Carr was 1 nioeting h however, f fish, passir was jerket was throwr tioii so ear hegan to f active fello boat by res which coulc and in an | tho water tc niiin, who h 11 R MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP ska ^gi whalers, and a great Arctic explorer rekt^.fhli n • • """'™ "' fatal accident that occurred to onTof the !•/ .^ °"'"^ "'""""'« "^ " him in the North AtlantllT '^ """* ""^ "'"'""§ ""h "A, soon as the boats came within hailing distance, n,v anxietvin pared;sh^;:rre:ct:;q;:ardt^^^^^^^^^^^^ long been absent on the outset, b 0.1 p J'j f™'™ T "' '"' ions and, allured by the chase o/°l , . , ™ ■>«■• <""npan- weather, the, proeLt^ tt^ ^ar^^'t ^^ / ^ rTp "'xt" whale they pursued led them.into a vast shoal of the spec es tLv were mdeed, so numerous that their blowing was incess»rt 1.1 ^K ^ rorrr:^,:::;;-:tr i^-r-t ^-^^^^^^ .o«o„l.swatchi„;^ .sirp^i^i^g e^ :[^:":^ • ;re:r.t;ii::r^^^^^^^^^^^ ■'! ' r r --^ ... so ea a tb p^^^ - ~: ■-- ^^^:^^ tho »;<:.; So z^t s "jr'""""' """^ p"'°s<"' •■'■«' -O" man, who hadbi eyeTn himVtIhrT' ""= """'"* ""''""'y one ^^^ « nis eye on him at the time, was aware of what had 162 SEA A^i) LAlnD. happened ; so that when the boat righted — which it immediately did — though half full of water, they all at once, on looking round at the exclamation of the man who i ?id seen him launched overboard, in- quired, ♦ What has got Carr It is scarcely possible to imagine a death more awfully sudden and unexpected." A MAO WHALE. Captain Deblois, of the ship Alexander, relates that while whaling off the coast of Australia, he lost three meml-rs of his crew under the following distressing circumstances: The look-out rtporteri a whale nearly two miles from the ship, which one of the large bo:it.s and eight of the crew were sent out to dispatch. The we sther was very fine and the animal in no wise timid, so that llh^ boat man came^ up with the whale and a harpoon was speedily struck into it. But no sooner did he feel toe keen instrument m his back than he tarn* id, without sounding, ainl made at the boat with the viciousness of a bull-dog, seized it in his pond; ; uui jnws and crushed nearly evevy plank in it, at the same time almo.i ;n«f •:aly ki}:;/ig three of the men. A. second boat, which was started dS'^rl^y ='fier the first, met with the ^ame fate, though none of its crew vv-;va injured. Being apparently inrtddened, or realizing his power U> destroy his enemies, the whale ntxl attacked the ship by striking her in the weather-bow, and so powerful V as the blow that the vessel sank within an hour. Fortu- nately the straggling crews that had been thrown into the water, were picked up by ;.^eir companions in three other boats, and they all made their way to the coast in safety. Four months after this sad disaster the crew of the ship Bebecca Sims captured a disabled whale in the same waters. Upon cutting it up they found its head badly damaged with a laro-e ship-plank buried in its flesh, while from the body they took two°harpoon8, which were marked, "Ann Alexander." The proof was thus established that Captain Deblois' desperate antagonist [had met its fate. A8TONI8HINO «TRENOTH AHO BNDORANOE OF A WHALE. An old whaler, in a book now seldom met with, relatesthe following interesting' account of how he worried a whale and how the whale worried hfs crew, making one of the fiercest battles ever engaged ni between man and a cetacean : *' One of the harpooners belonging to the Besolution, <»f Wh-.tley, under my command, struck a whale by the edge of a small flfte of ice. ^s^twe Jbeing promptly afforded^ : second .bqM'« }\m "^^e « MT8TERIB8 OP THF. DEEP SEA. . I63 tance „. the'direetion thTfl htemed to '""Vr"*"' '" '-"»«*- ter of an hour the fust boat Z ^° '"''"'• ^" «*""' « «"«- 1-"-. As the «i?p t^Xn withfnZe""' "f '""''^ " '«"'> ^<" ftwrsJ ton-ard the boat w^h l • '""*'" '*"• ™ '"'"""y plaa,, however, we observed fonr n! °i , ' ?f * "" '^^"^"'^ ""e Tw-orthrermlLwerat the""" T"' '""=^'^''^ *"' ^^^-ta-"^ stern.which.as:„:ide:l ':,:;";:;'"<' "™ ""*'" ''°" ''^ *"<' <5owo, while the b„,v of thVboat bv /hi , T."? "' ''^'P'"^ " do..,, to the level of the sea and fh^ T °^"'° """' '"'^ ''^'"'" the line round the bollard 1 t '""•P'"'"^'' ^y the friction of ie,,g.h, when the shlwaf'srrcer''T''i" '"""'^ "''^"""'y- ^t »eivedp..eparatio„s'Lr;^r;'',°:;„\7''-!r*''i^ta..t.weper- "•ere cast upon the adjoinine ic! 7h. sudors' pea-jackets «ewloapedove>board thebowrf h„r! "*'?*''«>"'» • water. The ring at the boat'f sterol t^^„:ltn:s,':s'"'''r"' '° '"^ ■™'' 00 on which was a depth of sever" f: t of w„t 'Ct IT^: ■?' herefore, put rtL^llTirK.'r; f„r 'r "' •''"■ "r- but all of them succeeded in L-llr ? . *'""' P'^s'-^ition, tbey were takenon boll tltCorafte? '"^ '"'' '™"' '""'^^'- .ix lines or upwtdf 4at i w'TJ'''^ f" "''''"""^ "^ ""« •-<"" ^^^ upwaras, tHat it would need any more. «' ^oi, 1 U- ^ ™^ PURSUIT far escaped fro,n „s that we no ,o„^ rji*'l .Ttt'.fr.." '««'. » to tills we set all the sail fV,^ oK- °" -;;•"-« "!=^ uoldof iij owing through sevemlnarZ a w? '°"^^ «afely sustain, and worked «4, -=;;r»":i-xrsr.%'r;r.-4;- 164 BE A AND LAND. descried by the people in the boats at a considerable distance to he eastward; a general chase immediately commenced, and vithin the space of an hour three harpoons were struck. We now imagined the fish was secure, but our expectations were premature. The whale res- olutely pushed beneath a large floe that had recently been broken to pieces by the swell, and soon drew all the lines out of the second fast boat, the officer of which, not being able to get any assistance, tied the end of his line to a hummock of ice, and broke it. Soon after- ward, the other twoboats, stxW fast, were dragged against the broken floe, when one of the harpoons drew out. The lines of one boat, therefore, remained fast to the fish, and this, with six or eight lines out was dragged forward into the shattered floe with astonishing force Pieces of ice, each of which was sufficiently large to have answered the purpose of a mooring f«.r a ship, were wheeled around by the strength of the whale ; and such was the tension and elasticity of the line, that whenever it slipped clear of any mass of ice, after turnin- it round into the space between any two adjoining pieces, the bolt-and its crew flew forward through the crack with the velocity of an arrow, and never failed to launch several feet upon the first mass of ice it encountered. , . , - While we scoured the sea around the broken floe, the whale con- tinued to press forward in an easterly direction toward the sea At length, when fourteen lines (10,080 feet), were drawn from the four h fasF boat, a slight entanglement of the line broke it at the stem. The fish then again made its escape, taking along with it a boa and twenty-eight lines, of 720 feet each, the united l«°gtb^^«'"f '''^f yards or upwards of 3| miles ; value, with the boat, $750. The ob- struction of the sunken boat to the progress of the fish must have been immense, and that of the lines also considerable, the weight of these latter alone being thirty-five hundred pounds. «* So lon^ as the fourth fast boat, through the medium of its lines, retained its'hold of the fish, we searched the adjoining sea with the ship in vain ; but in a short time after the line was divided, we got sight of the object of our pursuit at the distance of near two miles to the eastward of the ice and boats, in the open sea. One boat only ^5.1, l-«- and two empty boats were reserved by the ship. Having, however, fortunately fine weather and a fresh breeze, we immediately aave chase under all sail; though, it must be confessed, with small hope of success, considering the distance of the fish and the rapidity MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 165 Of its flight At length, after pursuing five or six miles, being at least nine m, e« from the ph.ce it was struck, we came up ;ith it,Ld It seemed inclmed to rest after its extraordinary exertio.k The two dismantled or empty boats, having been furnished with two lineseach -a very madoquate supply-they, together with one in a good state of equipment, now made an attack upon the whale. One of the har- pooners n.ade a blunder ; the fish saw the boat, took alarm and again fled. I now supposed it would be .seen no more; nevertheless, we chased nearly a mile in the direction I imagined it had t-.ken aid placed the boats to the best of my judgment^ in the most l^tnlage. AN EXCITING PURSUrf. ou» situations. In this case we were extremely fortunate. The fish ro.o near one of the boats, and was immediately harpooned. In a ew m„„,ents two more harpoons entered its hack, and lances wer apphod agamst .t w.tl, vigor and success. Exhausted by its amazin. efforts to escape, ,t yielded itself at length to its fate, received he P^rcmg wounds of the lances without resistance, an^ finally did Without a stniefer to give in his own words, without comment: *'It ia very generally believed by wlialors that fish have occasion- ally been struck wiiieh, by a sudden f :tension or heave of the body, have instantly disengaged themselves from the harpoon. This case usually happens when the whale is struck with a * slack back,' as that position of the fish is denominated in which t! i.uy:,a., u ing depressed, the flesh is relaxed. A harpoon then struck, occasions an uncommon wound. Hence, if the fish suddenly extends itself, and elevates its back, the wound jnpears twice the size of the harpoon, and consequently the weapon is capable of being thrown out by a jerk of the body. Unde» such circumstances as these, a large whale •was struck by a harpoontr belonging to the ship llowe^ of Shields On the fish extending and lifting its back with uncommon violence, the harpoon was disengaged and pri jected high into the air, when, at the same moment, the fish rolled over upon its back, and received the point of the falling weapon in its belly, whereby it was entangled and caught I This circumstance, romantic as it may appear, is so well authenticated by the periion who struck tho fish, together with others who were in the boat at the time and were witnesses of the fact, that I have no scruple in introducing it here." KNOCKINQ A BOAT SKY- HIGH -THRILLING INCK:>ENT. Sir Samuel Baker, who scenes to have had a passion for the sea almost equal to his love for wild and ■ i^xplor^d lau' , has given a very excellent description of a whale-huni, in which he i^articipated,. which is worthy of transcription here, as follows : **Itwa8 not long before the Sophia entered upon hfr promise 1 hunting-grounds. During a calm night a sound of 'bK- zing' had been heard in various directions, and at sunrise upon th^ -allowing morning the ship found herself in water of alight g''^n co^or, which suggested shallotvs. The deep-sea lead was at on- o and the soundings gave a depth of six hundred and sevent at! os — four thousand and twenty fret. The peculiar color of lue sea was occd- fioned by the presence of innumerable living organisms which form< MYSTERIES OP THE DEEP BEA. 167 oe no doubt of their the favr,rite food for whales, and there couk presence. directed the attention of all hands to a jet of steam about J n. l^- water, .p„. wu... A„aa";L^r„„t ur rre^iro.:.' of the »pec,es-,t was a large shoal „f sperm-whales S IT T were lowered without a moment's delay, Ld hardt had h , I r^P..^ TK ^ . '^ ^ ^ "' ^" ' ^hich fell upon the dood- de k. The next instant the whale, which must have mistaken th« sperm-whal.. are seldom witnessed by human beina, T^ • good order ,.. -hale-ashing, as the fur " o1.t b2 Z^Z wafer cou d be ..edmtely detected. Without any previous warn .ng, except the udden pearance of the whale's head iuTdTerTbcd" an itnm(>n>«n enoi-m ..,i i a. . "^a^* juoi, uv/HcriDca, e«raordiryr,:Cwhief:.^^^^^^^^^^^ the tad appeared to be quite teu ort.elve f^et clear of thl ",ter Se .rthr'm::' !"■■':,'■";,■'''«' ^-""^ »f ">« vessel, and f ron e^^^, ■« o ^ "• *'"',''"♦"""' ™^ -PParently less than this eof ..u- t, tion. So great was the exe.tion, and so unwieldv w«, H,. splii h that might have been heard two miles seating a ; " In a short tinriA fhaicio/i:..~i i. .... «,u 1 ... . "Ox. .5 uuut was witma a iiundred vards nf *lio «onoi""t' t"™'""*"'^""' '"°'""8' "-floating with a smaU po'! boo of ,ts back above the surfaee, apparently "uncocscious of Z 168 BEA AND LAND. approach of an enemy. The swell was sufficient to conceal both the approaching boat and the whale alternately, thus rendering the con- ditions of attack most favorable. The crew, at a signal from tlie steersman, rowed cautiously, and just dipped their ours noiseles^sly in the wafor. The harpooner stood up in the bow and slowly raised his arm. He was a powerful man, with broad, musciiliir shoulders, and his up-lifted hand grasped the harpoon and prepared for a deadly cast. *♦ The boat was now within fifteen yards uf the whale's back ; it was evidently one of the largest size. One steady, long, but quiet stroke had given the boat sufficient momentum to complete the approach, and she glided noiselessly but swiftly through the water, while the crew rested on their oars, ready to bn k-water immediately upon the order being given, when the harpooner should have delivered his harpoon. Every breath was held ; the whale's back was not more than ten feet distant, when the weapon flew from the harpooner's hand just as the whale, having discerned the enemy, gave a convulsive plunge down- ward. BACK! FOR YOUR LIVES I '••Back water, all I' shouted the steersman, but hardly had the oars obeyed the command when a tremendous blow from the whale's tail struck it from beneath, and the next instant the boat, with its en- tire crew, was dashed completely out of the water and fell half in- verted, split from end to end, while ours, lines, harpoons, lances and all the numerous appliances were scattered here and there, together with the men, some of whom were swimming, while others clung for safety to their oars. •'The third boat had lost no time in pulling with all the might of her powerful and excited crew in the direction which it was supposed the whale had taken, while the boat which had picked up the disabled crew immediately hoisted the flag as a signal that a whale was •fast.' The addition of eight men hampered the action of the boat, but some sat down in the bottom, while others assisted at the oars as they best could, and endeavored to save all the floating debris of their damaged boat, which was bottom uppermost. This was quickly effected, and they were considering whether they should right the inverted boat and take it in tow, or whether they should join in the pursuit with the ad- vanced boats, and afterwards return to save their wreck, when it sud- denly disappeared with a jerk and was seen no more. The whale had MYSTERIIM or tlTK DtJEP 8BA. 169 been traveling during the last few minutes at a furious rate, and the line which had remained within the boat had run out to a great length until It became tangled in the thwarts ; the boat was then at once dragged beneath the surface. This was a natisfactorv proof that the harpoon was holding fast, and accordingly the double crew exerted every effort to continue the chase. ♦• The leading boat was now a quarter of a mile ahead, and it was ex- pected that the whale would quickly reappear, as the resistance of the water to the sunken boat that was now dragging would cause great exhaustion. ° STRUCK, BUT ONLY MADDENED. - Upon looking toward the advanced boat they perceived an altera- tion in Its course, and almost immediately after they observed the spouting of a whale upon the right, toward which the boat was steer SOUNDING, h?;h?l .^ ^'''"^ ^'^° ^"'"^'"^ ^'•°'» the Sophia, another boat had been immediately lowered, which was hurrying to their assistance The chase was now at its height, and the excitfment was ntense. It was impossible for the boat with fifteen men to arrive in ri r' vu'^n'"'"^*^''''^"'"' toward which the advance boat va pushing with all possible haste, but they might still be of service. In the meantime the leading boat had arrived within harpooning dis- ance; presently her flag was hoisted, which announced a successful ca; the whale had once more dived, having two harpoons fixed. The direction of the whale was unceitrJn, as it had 'plumbed' the waitedinthe hnii« nf «iaco..ir;..^ fu-i. .. ^ -^ __^ ..^..c.ji.xg tHai, peculiar oiiy streak upon the ee. which denotes the traek of a wounded whale. reLbling the wat of a vessel m calm weather. In the meantime the crowded boaf. 170 SEA AND LAND. crew were pulling: hard to close with their more fortunate companions. Suddenly they observed the wrecik of their own boat floating at a couple of hundred yards distance; steering toward it they shortly arrived, and felt beneath it with a boat-hook to discover whether the line was still fast or had become detached. * • ♦ The line was there; but it was supposed that the harpoon had retracted, or that in some manner the whale hud broken loose. The experienced har- pooner at once made fust another line before he cut the entangled end adrift from the wrecked boat. Fortunately he hud tuken this precau- tion, for almost at the same moment the line became taut and com- menced running out at the rate of about six miles an hour. There was no longer any doubt that the whale was still fast, but its first impulsive rush had been expended, and it was now traveling at a slower rate. They signaled to the other boat, which immediately pulled toward them, and shortly arrived within speaking distance. The whale was •plunibing' steadily into a profound depth. A third line was made fast, and the enormous creature seemed to sink like a leaden plum- met, as though determined upon reaching the deepest bottom of the ocean. ♦♦ By this time the extra boat had arrived from the Sophia, and the crew were oi-dered to pull far ahead in a direction where it was ex- pected that the whale would evrerj^e when it should be forced to once more seek the surf ."e. The line ceased to run, and for a few min- utes an inexperienced person would have imagined that nothing alive was attached. Presently it again moved, but slowly, and at a distanceof about half a mile a long, greasy lane or track was plainly discernible. Upon this track the foremost boat was pulling at best speed, thehar- pooner standing in the bow in expectation of a rise. At once the fast boats began to coil in slack line as they pulled toward the lead< ing boat. A jet of spray suddenly burst from the sea only a few yards uhead ; almost at the same instant the harpoon was dexterously thrown, and once more the whale was struck and forced to dive be- fore it had inhaled a sufficient volume of fresh air." TKE BATTLE OONTINUE8. The boats now closed together and followed cautiously in the direc- tion which the whule had taken. The line was run out to its extreme length, and another had been added; this also was insufficient, and a third had been made fast when, after about twenty minutes' interval, tb« wbal« rose once more and emitted a long jet of spray tinged with MYSTERIES Of THE DEEP SEA. 17J blood. The boats now shot swiftly forward, the men straining every nerve m the exciting race, as the whale was evidently exhausted, and they hoped to arrive sufficiently near to attack it with their lances, nie boat that had been dispatched from the Sophia was the first to raach the spot, but just as the harpooner prepared to deliver his cast the wliale again headed downward, and the broad-fluked tail dashed tae water ,nto the air and descended upon the surface with a smack that narrowly missed the boat, which had fortunately backed water and escaped by only a few feet. The sea around was tinged with blood, and the bleeding would be increased at the depth to which the whale had ' plumbed,' owing to the great pressure of the water - The exhausted creature did not appear to be traveling forward, but had merely dived vertically to an enormous depth as though seeking for safety below from its enemies upon the water. Upward of four hundred fathoms of line were hanging almost perpendicularly as though the deep-sea lead was suspended at the bottom * • • Half an hour had passed and no movement had been perceptible in the nies, which were now hauled taut, as it was supposed that the whale had died in the profound depth to which it had retreated. The crews of each boat hauled awtiy upon the lines until the bows of their hoats dipped low upon the water, but no movement responded to the stram, and it seemed as though they were fast to a mass of rock, buddealy the lines slackened at the same moment, and in a few min- utes an immense whale emerged from the sea about two hundred yardsm advance; after blowing the usual jet of spray it commenced the mos violent lashings with its tail, driving the water into foam and creating a series of loud reports that could be beard at a great wh cir^ni r 7>-l>-hed ahead and quickly reached the whale, wh.ch still convulsively thrashed the water in a manner that rendered an approach exceedingly dangerous. Another harpoon was thrown and imbedded its barbed head more than a foot deep in the yieldin<^ blabber bu this time the exhausted monster remained upon the sur" face instead of taking the usual plunge. The boats now attacked upon either side and, keeping just behind the head, and well forward oftho dangerous tail, which was spasmodically thrashing the water into breaking waves the crew drove their long lances deep into the .i^il^n' Vr "'uT'l '" 'P^""' ^""^ ''^P^"*^^ ^^^'-^ thrusts until the t:::l:':jtll^''''^' faster by degrees. At length all was still , 172 8EA AND LAND. m. *« It was ^ splendid specimen of a bull sperm-whale, measuring about seventy-two feet in length, and the hunt had lasted upward of four hours from the time the first harpoon was fixed until the death.'* (J 0 z THK WORK OF BUTCHERINQ A WHALE. The death struggles of a whale are something awful to see, for the great leviathan fights death with a power uo other living thing can are to estimj with some e: MT8TERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 173 equal. Its mad plunges, wild lashing of its immense tail, the flan- s^S tTn;; "' ''^^"'"t'"^' ''' rollingcontortions of its men: of blood d;y e the ocean to a crimson deep, and swirling eddies gather vast quantises of foam, all attest the immeasurabi: power ff th; monster. When its energies are finally expended the whale turrsder on Its back displaying a very mountain of silver white an/ thll fix ropes to its tail and tow it along side the shTn fn tt n I culting up The first operation, if it be a Greenland whale i. to .ecre the baleen, whieh is a very difficult job, owing to the'thck hd horny substanee which has to be separited from 'he iw Id which even the heaviest and sharpest instrlents cancut but sbwH The next work, called flensing, though not so hard, is very mucilore dsagreeable. A number of sailors, having shaip spikeT on their s oes to prevent slipping, descend onto the body, and wkh shar^ ,7 struments hke spades, begin cutting through the blubbrr and sZrlt-" .ng It into great squares of a half-ton weight each. These pieces a^ or.e.7rarp-r^ American ports and sold to dealers who rendered it, bu durin. Iat!r tee puie oil. It IS also customary now tu take the jaw bones on deck od there detach the baleen, instead of breaking o cut'r t o„f be tore flensing, as wa» formerly practiced. " The amount of oil ^ridded by the whale is most surprisine ■ a whal« of seventy tons gross weight will yield nearly thirty-five to"fs"oL™?t one-half Its weight. In this, however, we behold a wonderful mo ision of nature, for his thick coat of blubber enablerthe wh ,e W w :;: prtfroTttr"! -" '"^r ""- »°^""'- --tb.i: te ted 1 Ithlu "h tl T r """" ""'^'' ""y™™*! "ot thus pro! tectea. Although the whale is monstrous in size it i« nnf ,„i.k i cemies, which pursue it to the death only ti eat Us „ngue „ h"a"n e iiy IS the grampus, and the only means of escape left tl ^ what's fcj' descending to dqrths wh.re this fish cannot approach ^ The whale does not attuiu its maximum of growth under tw.„»„_ ".«jx,-^..''na iialumlists believe it lives two hundred veare "iTL" ...to estimate th -, whale's longevity by its size, a rule which'app ies mth some exceptions, to animal creation, it m„at reach an age Sfiv^ 174 SBA AKD LAND. 'I' hundred, or more, years, but as they cannot be kept in captivity, it will probably never be known what age they attain. The flesh of the whale is red, like a salmon's, and nearly as firm, but very coarse. To those who first eat it the taste is nauseating, not wholly unlike cod-liver-oil, and I doubt that any but an Esquimau can acquire a liking for it. The Esquimaux not only eat whale-flesh with a keen relish, but drink the oil with avidity. Whale-tongue, however, is said to be very palatable; indeed, at one time it was regarded as a royal dish, fit only for kings to dine on. Tromholtv in his late work on Lapland and the customs cf the peo- ple of that country, describes the manner in which Lapps pursue the whale as follows : ** The whaling steamers are specially constructed, and measure from eighty to one hundred feet in length, with powerful engines, but their most interesting feature is the gun by,which the whales are harpooned and killed. It is mounted on a platform right in the stem, so that it can be turned in all directions. To this novel piece of artillery be- longs a shaft, which is inserted into the gun, leaving a small portion outside the muzzle, carrying four movable hooks pointing to the gun and placed crosswise, each about eight inches long. In front of these a large iron ball, or shell, with steel point, is aflSxed, which v filled with an explosive. On the shaft runs an iron ring, to which a cable is attached about the thickness of an arm, which, when the shaft is inserted in the gun, is run up close to the muzzle end, where it is se- cured by a cord. When suflSciently near the animal the gun is pointed at one of the softer parts of the body, the fuse lighted, and the ter- rible projectile launched into the whale. The tremendous jerk of the rope is diminished somewhat by the cord holding the ring breaking, which thus runs up to the top of the shaft. As soon as the wounded animal makes the first pull at the cable, the hooks on the shaft spring into a horizontal position, by which action, through an ingenious mechanism, the shell is fired and explodes with such force that death is almost instantaneous. OUTTINO UP A WHALE. * "When the whale is stranded," says Tromholt, *'the process ot cutting up begins, by means of large knives fixed on long sticks. When the fin is cut out and detached, the blubber is cut through to the flesh, in strips about a foot wide, running from head to tail, and p^e end of a chain being fastened to the tail-eucj, each pjoe is torn off in MTSTBEIE6 OF THE DEEP SEi. , 1« tun. by the steam-engine, the knives assisting in the process Th. ne,t stjage .» the .emoval of the thin. bea„tif„l\yer of n uscTeJ whTch he on the bellj ^tween the blubber and the flefh, whi.h L done bv he same agency. The fleshy parts in the jaw are hen cut away and the tongue fulls out, which is so soft that It trembles at tl e Stest touch and ,f one steps on it, the boots sink to the a Lies ° The mouth .s now open and one can see the baleen platesTn the' uont ,.w. Final y, the breast and belly are opened. During he time this oecomes a kind of animal volcano ; dreadful smells rush violcntlv hrough every fissure, while columns of Wood and dirt are thrown ™J hk ,nterm,ttent geysers. It roars and wheezes in the carcasl a if .steam-e„gn,e were at work inside, while jets of steam ascend fTom ion finished the trunk of the Hnimal is removed, the flesh 0031^ from the body, cut to pieces, and the fat rem„v;d by boiliflJ The ^njauis are then dried and pulverized and sold as gnan, ttileihe blubber and fat are melted to oil. I consider that the fles ofthe whale, the least productive part, ought to be put to a better teha„ T^ 1- L L i. T 6 » "* v,wu.at5, II couia not be compared to t, ip fiAaf English beef I, as well as my friends who tasted it. a'reed that we had tasted worse. Dried, pulverized and preservld i^ t!^, 'f far Himari/tf f» bod^ of ft man and still allow room for its large cartilaginous tougi;.', The eyet ity, bein ach is no like that vital pari TheFi requiem, in the pr kegin the shark swim him, and in single snap not, therefo other monst "Freouer ciew of a b( tbe voyager \V / HTSTBEIES OF THE DEEP SEA. JJg The eyes ,ire the very personification of craelty, ™f lines, a„d ,■«,,„. ity, bei„g „f a groe„i8l, east and peculiarly „t„ ,v Jll Z .' .eh is „„t „„,y ,a,.ge, but dilatable' to a„ e^lZ^^ieJ^ 2l Ike that of a suake ; the brai,,, however, is very emaU af 1™ ' n .1 vital parts, and on this account it is verv'- ,rd lo km ' " "" '"' «;^i!r:;:::rfrf™f:i:,ii:tt;:'?;:"'"^ n.^he presence of tbi.yor„5or^^^^^^^ >.eg,n the requ.em, or recite prayers for the dead. So swiftfy 1, "he THE WHITE, OR BASKING SHARK. shark swi™ through the water that no steamer can keep na^e with l™. and ,n st.-ength he has no equal save alone the .Ti ^ WitT a »...gle snap „f his powerful jaws he can cut a ™an in two;' w! Lay ot, therefore, wonder that he is more dreaded by sailors than any "llicr monster of the monster-haunted deep. ^ "Frequentlv." eovo at... :., <<:.. ., «. , - .. crew of » h;,:."; i;-' "'""*:"■ ■"' 'le^^esi Indian seas, the negro Z7ny'.^Tl /"""'' r'"^: ""^ with a significant air indicatfto tto voyage, the h.deous form of a shark following i» the rear, a.MJ 180 SEA AND LAND. apparently waiting for some false movement or ptidden '-oident. which, by capsizing thc^ frail skiff, may piovide ) is ravenous maw with food. Frequently, too, on tempeFtncus nights, when the wind and the sea seem to howl a funeral dirge, the shark appears in the midst of the heaving billows ; the seamen recognize his presence by the phosphorescence — the elfish light— that glints from his shining scales, and know that he lusts after a human victim. In tropical waters he follows the ship with indefatigable patience, ready to swal- low the unfortunate who may fall overboard, or the dead mariner whose body is committed to the deep ; for to this voracious creature the dead and living are equally satisfactory prey.-" ADVENTURES WITH SHARKS. The shark is met with in all climates, but it is in the torrid seas that his ferocity renders him most formidable. With all his power and valor he has two enemies to dread, though it is doubtful if he really fears either; these are the great cachelot or sperm-whale, which wages against him a murderous war, and man, the enemy of all other created. things. The cachelot is carnivorous, but does not make prey of the shark, its motive for attacking it apparently being no other than a desire to rid itself of a rival. The two fight furiously and always to the death. So ferocious and fearless is tb<'. shark that it never considers conse- quences, and though it might r. :;; .-/old its enemy, being much the swifter swimmer, yet it bears ever savage assault of the whale and yields only when torn and mangled so that it can fight no more. But it must not be supposed that the shark is incapable of inflicting injury upon the whale, for it really bites out great chunks of blubber from ■its monstrous assailant; but the whale's vitals are so protected by its fat, which is several feet in thickness, that the shark cannot possibly reach them, and thus the fight is invariably one-sidea„itt favor of the The fierce joy of a difficult and even dangerous struggle, ithe intense gratification of conquering a great destroyer, would be sufficient motives to animate man in hunting the shark ; but, besides, several useful products are obtained from the monster. His thick, bard skui is susceptible of a fine polish, and is largely employed in the manufac- ture of sheaths and instrument cases. His liver yields a large quan- tity of oil almost identical with that of the cod's, and is a splendid Jj-essing for skins. The flesh of the shuH^is tough and cannot hp MY8TERTE8 OP THE DEEP SEA. 181 boiled to tenderness, yet those who have eaten it in extremities say that Its flavor is not at all uni)leasant. THE CAPTURE OP A SHARK. M. C. Piatt in the " Museum of Sciences," thus describes the cap- ture of a shark in which he was a participaift ; -A shark of great size, certainly not le.s than thi.ty-five feet in length, had ventured to draw near our vessel. As we were then be calmed and had nothing to do, we hailed the pleasant burst of excite- ment, the agree.ble relief to our monotonous occupations, which he was hkely to afford us. By way of precauti<,n, and to keep him occupied. w< flungto himapair of old boots, whichhe con^nentiouslv swallowed. However, hcrequired as yet no entieemc ;«r while the calm lasted, and so long as our ship did not make m... than three or four knot, v r hour, the .hark never stirred from the wake of our 1? !"!*^*u"'^ "^ ^^ ^^""^y' ^'^P""^^^ t« ««« something re<.al allotted to him. ° " -While he amuses him , If in plunging and diving in the wake of the ship everybody ,s in a state of tumult upon deck. We arran.^e our warlike engnies and make ready for the battle. An enormous tish-hook 1 attached by means of u bit of iron chain to the extremity of a long and stout cable. The bait is a large piece of pork, just such another piece as the monster has already swallowed, while it lay soaking in the sea water in readiness for the crew's dinner 'At length all is ready. The captain holds in his grasp a well- greased harpotZ~ K ^it Vl"^ "" ''""''■ ^■•"'"■'"y •■« became so quie that the attention otthe men was attracted tohim , he was paJe but 186 SEA AND LAND. :r still exhorted the men to renewed endeavor ; the heroism of the man was almost without parallel, but, despite his resolution, a groan escaped his lips and his now enfeebled hands loosed their hold upon the boat ; a shark had bitten off both hia legs above the knees. At this most painful of sights the remaining crew felt that to preserve their own lives was no more their duty than to minister to the man who was so willing to sacrifice himself for their safety. He was caught while sinking and laid in the boat, which was now floating half full of water. In all his agony Smith continued to give orders, thinking rather of the men than of himself, until the savage attack of a shark, which caught a man who had a death-like grip upon the edge of the boat, turned it over for a third time, when the heroic sufferer rolled out and sank forever. All the harrowing scenes which characterized the second overturn- ing of the boat were re-enacted at her ihird upsetting, and one after another of the men were torn and eaten until only two remained, who riirhted the boat and got into her. Thouffh still full of water, the boat sustained them, ana by dint of superhuman exertion they bailed her fairly dry, so that they could lie down, when exhaustion came, on the bottom, safe at last from the sharks. It was eight o'clock in the morning when the Magpie went down, and an hour afterward all of her crew, except two, had died the most horrible of deaths and become food for the real "pirates of the ocean." These two, so singularly preserved at the expense of all their comrades, were picked up the next day and taken to New Or- leans, where they were tried before a court-martial and not only acquitted, but afterward appointed warrant oflScers. VORACITY AND TENACITY OF LIFE IN THE SHARK. There are several species of sharks which come under the class name Squalidce, from the Latin squalidus, to be foul or filthy. This term, however, is given more in reproach than as a designation to characterize the habits of the animal. It is true, a shark, like an ostrich, will eat anything, but he is not specially offensive, being quite as cleanly as other carnivora of the deep. A shark found in the fossil state measured seventy feet in length, a monster altogether more terrible than its saurian contemporaries, since its mouth had a capacity of nearly twenty-five feet, while its great testh were four inches in their projection above the jaw. Is it possible to conceive of a more formidable monster, considering its f«r(»ciuus character? : *i* h) << kr'^ 'lO hful •■> &■ Plate a. ■ SHIF '^■"T'T^ m B^bft. ^ ^■ryj^^.y^ .^..^^ *f hne they hauled steadily upon it, and shortened the leng'^h to twTn y yards then they made fast the line by a round turn about the low hwait. and the fish towed the boat at discretion until tired Thecrew then hauled away until the shark was alongside, when a shot from I musket, m t^ie spine. at the junction with the head, killed it. All hands were then employed in cutting the flesh into long, thin strts tliat would dry in the hot sun and afford a lastin. «„.^K '" T}1 The men drank the shark's blood, and ate the meat riw^^s thW P^^ i).red ,t, and ioupd it wonderfully refreshing. Their g;od ZZ Z ^#* 190 SEA AND LAND. further increased by a copious shower, which set in directly after the animal was cut up, and by spreading the canvas so as to catch the rain, a good supply of water was soon obtained and their sufferings were at an end, for three days later they reached Mauritius in safety. SHIPWRECKED, AND EATEN BY SHARKS. A horrifying accident occurred in July, 1885, off the coast of Hawaii, near theKau district, by which not only a vessel was lost, but no less than five persons that were on board fell victims to the vorac- ity of sharks. The newspaper accounts of the casualty are to the effect that the schooner PohoUki, owned by Mark Robinson, the cap- tain, who had his wife and son on board at the time, was caught in a gale and so seriously injured that she could not be controlled, and running for a lee was capsized. The captam's wife and child were almost instantly seized by sharks, and their piercing cries were hushed in a moment as they disappeared forever. A boat that was being towed astern of the capsized vessel was secured by two of the crew, who got into it and endeavored to rescue the three oth'ers that were in the water. The sharks in the meantime attacked the captain, pulling him under the water and tearing his right leg in a shocking manner. Ho manaaed to get loose from his tormentors for the time, however, but as the men were pulling him into the boat they were horrified to see another of the voi-acious creatures fasten onto the left leg of the unfor- tunate, and for son)e minutes there was a tugging at the suffering man between the sharks and the men who would %in save him. The Cap- tain was finally drawn into the boat, but not until his legs were so ter- ribly lacerated that he died in less than an hour. The two sailors that were in the water were attacked simultaneously with the captain, one having a great piece of flesh taken from his left side, wliile the other lost his left arm, but they were both rescued and taken in the boat to Kaawaloa, where Dr. B. G. Baker attended them and managed to save their lives. The woman and child were devoured so si)eedily that from the moment they were drjiwn under water not a vestige of either was again seen. A MAti TORN TO PIECES BY A SHARK™ John Duncan, of the Firth Life Guards, writing cf his travels through the kingdom of Dahomy, in alluding to the traffic of slaves onthe Wydah coast, records the following incident: "I forgot to mention the circumstance of a Spaniard, who was employed as a hand pn boara the Jfedom scljooDer, from hon^on, ]Jpoa perAeiving thp slaves pu he jumpe a few sec kicked wi but it dai ered, but the unfor again seiz the tail of spot, the i of the ai( when he r torn from he was gol died in ha. Sir Sam relates the curred in i shore of C island. H "Thefoi seventy fee commands sea on the Ceylon, an< temperatur( enjoyment, knowledsre diles in the he once qui they are no number of that a whit( enticing bai Thus in plac punity, it Wi Wiis a lament h a sbelte.p MT8TEK1E8 OP THE DEEP SEA. 191 Slaves put on board the American brig, anchored at a short distance, he jumped overboard to swim to her, but had only been in the wate^ a few seconds before a large shark approached him. The poor fellow kicked with h,s feet toward the shark, endeavoring to keep it off, but It dur ed on him and tore his arm. A boat was immediately low^ ered, but before it reached him the shark made a second attack, and the unfortunate man, who was now swimming with one hand was again seized on the back of the shoulders and dragged under .;ter, the tail of the shark remaining in sight. When the boat reached the spot the shark appeared on the surface still holding the man One of the men in the boat struck the shark's head with a boat-hook, when he relinquished his hold ; the poor fellow's flesh was completed torn from the bone. A small rope was fastened around his back, and he was go into the boat, and a/ter being taken on board the Medora died in half an hour." c»u,a Sir Samuel Baker, in his " Eight Years' Wanderings in Ceylon " rela.es the particulars „f a ...gularly distressing aociSent which o'c- carred in he harbor of Trhicomalee, a beautiful indentation of the » ore of Ceylon, in 1845, shortly after the British occupation of he island. He writes : " Thefort stands upon a projecting point of land,whioh rises to about seventyfee above the level of the racecourse, which faces it. llusit commands the laud approach across this flat plain on one side and the sea on the other. This same fort is one of the hottest corners of Ceylon, ana forms a desirable residence for those who delight in a temperature of from 90- ,„ 104- i,i the shade Bathing is the great enjoyment, but the pleasure in such . count, y is destroyed by the 1 now edge that sharks are looking out for you in the sea, and croco! diles II, the rivers; thus a man is nothing more than a liv; \>ltZ^ he once quits terra fimrn. Accidents must necessarily happen, but lheya,e ,,ot so frequent as persons would suppose from the ^rcl nuinber of carn,vo,„us monsters that exist. Still, I „m convi';,ced hat a wh,te man would run greater risk than a black; he is more ,ci„g ba,t, being In-ight and easily distinguished ii^ the wle" !";;'\f r:,: •"■" ">» r''- "-•" «"» '-"'it of bathing with im! I> .n,tj , .t i,„ulu bo mr,8i dangerous for a white man to enter. There Ifl 4 sheUe.«d U09k among the rocks belov the fort, wher* the ngtivM ^0,Y JJITTICN iS^i .TWAIN B.Y A SHAi^^. 182 MrSTEBIES OF THE DEEP SEA. jgj were always in the habit of bathine. a nartv ,>f .„ij- . . ' meat then in g. -ison went down o!; suC „ !. T "' ""' '"S'- wa3 a lovely ^i foi- n»fhin„.^ .''^ '""""*'"■ "^wim. It the reef thit .uJZTtlLto Z ""t '■"*^' '"" "'"' <""■". - heavy snrf , and preseld the nnertZ I l:^^-^^^^ '" *"" were a fine lot of En-^Iish 8„Mi..« .. /. . "" " '"''«• Here ruddy hue of British heal it h /,''''•"'' '° ''='"'<'; »" the J,g„id Eng.ishn.en usnal,;;Zrn:r twrrtdr^alt "^ "■" ^^ "^ However, one after thp nth^,. f«^i ^^ t^'ii-cumstaiices. dock int;the dt;te ' et„:r' U TV '"r'''' -"^ '"« was a fine lad of fifteen the .L If I.^" '""« '""' "' '"'"'«■•« n.ent . and with th?er:i:u:nTf Lre:/JXr'^,r ''""'^^^^ men, and on arriving at the edge he plunged hi,^se^ "1,7""^''"'' into the water and disannoared i „ i ^ Himself head foremost watching the bather^XCiosf t le's:; fr^wT ™f " ""'■■^"' them, but as he shook Ihewafer f,om 1 ih ^ ^^"' " '™ '<*<'"'' to rise from the deep bLith |.t n T '".'''''''^''''''''''"^^'''--^-i (inct outline of a hie Z t -^^ V" T"""' """"•'°' ""^ ^i^- Mow. Atthesam^tttrthrwira t::::;^';!: ""'f, """"^'' was erimsoned,,and a bloody f„„m r„ e t^ he snrfl? th U '™'" gone 1 Before the first shock of horror wasfe t b° tb" '^ T' gallant fellow of the same regiment shot h'ifi ^7 ^'""""" """'*• « spot, and presently reappeared T:n;:dev:td"p,:';I:'r '■"'"' his arms one-half of the poor hnv ti , ^^^'^ P'U'ige, l,earing i„ tM; monstirwSM": ^^r l.t^aTflr ■: """"" '" watching in heart-broken eagerness in ihTl, . """"« ""'■ face of her lost son. This.TJe L ^^a':„X'' e^retV""'' never seftn again." ***""'' ^o lie ; the shark waa V .1- TERRIBLE ADVENTURE OF A DIVER No Other people live in such constant fear of th« «h ,. d.vers. Every year we hear of divers beW lost wh I hi", '""^" the prey of voracious sh-irfev tk A' , ' ^ ""^® ')ecome ..« FiLda ooast'^h tm'™„:'':sr,h:„ttT '■" ^"'"-"^ sceiid into thA wnfoj. ,..,>u^-. - 5 v'ciims, though they never de- ;™.e>ves against su;fa;:ekl'T '1'- O^"" dressed divers are spldoB,^--' ,, . - 6"'ar )8f , o — — vu Kuau ariuor- 194 SEA AND LAND. appearance inspires fear, for often the dreaded monster will approach within a few feet of the diver and look at him with every evidence of curiosity and astonishment, yet show no disposition to do him harm. Sometimes, however, perilous adventures befall these sea-inspectors, COURAGEOUS ATTACK ON A SHARK. and many forfeit their lives by tempting foi-tune in the shark's domain. The pearl-divers are a tempting bait for sharks because they de- scend to great depths, arn)ed,it is true^^ith large j^nives, but their MTSTEBres OF THE DBEp SB* jgj body is naked and thus makes a feast of «■• stone, which Carrie's hi™ to I deoth nt .^^ ^•'^^""•'oard with .his the instant. Retaining hshoW™th. ^ "' '""^ '"'* "'""o"' o" body, he collects togefher as llv „ 7'* " """'''"^ " '"' *" W' -able to regain Lder wr-ZralgLTrwl^r^^^^^ ix'o^fXin.^ fiirrtf - -^^ -- -" of his armor our American er^^Mv'''',:"'' '° *°" "■«■»"■« utility the.. fthappe„edthr^;rt2rof';e:i'"'r'''^'''"°"^ tacked I.y a shark, which failincV ! f" "V*" '""'™ *«« "as at- bim such'a violent b:'lrft;t:tLrr"d'r'"'''''"'''*™'='' The American diver immedi." ei; w nt tolh? ^"". »-'»"^'=»"«- native, and was in turn attacked K '"^VT"* "' *■■* ''""k*" avoided its deadly mon h anTa ' thot by him .' '"' '" """"""^ together he plunged his long knife to tLLuTntnlrr'' '" '""' large a gash that the entraits protrndeT u ? '""^^' ""'''■'« »» native, who was still uneonscious and /. IJtu '"'^ "■' P"''™*' an^,<"na.i„gto those a;re::Ll^^lt?„r Tht-'^"*^'; man was nearly dead when brouffht out nf iL T ^^' ^® '"J"""®^ ulation finally restored hi. a^d^ :!;:;/ ^^^^^ P-per .anip- shark, which measured twenty feet inZZlt ^"^ ^""^^ ^^ *^« days afterward. ^ ^"^*^' ""^^ «««<^ «» shore a few T,. , . ^ 800URQE FROM BIRTH. me Shark, when scarcely born savs Pi«„;^« u "f the sea. He seizes a„ tkat omer„e!rh7„ ' ^^ *J^ """«'' ftsb, molluscs, and fishes • »n,o„„ .k 1 *^* **'" ""« ""tUe- tl.e prey which has t'refeha™'f h'°" '"'''' '=''•'-''*• ^-t b.ves him dearly, hut it fs wth tht "Ltn o"? t'L""""'- ''''''"'' even manifests, according to some .^.^ f gourmand. It «es. If we may beliefe t^rtlXr^Lrfr"? '"^ '"'^" burnan food comes in its wav th. - « «"> ^ben several varieties of Aaiatie, and both o he nZ; R m '\P7'*'^ ""• ^"'"P*"- *» the seeks eagerly for human S f u ' *""*"" '"^^ ^ «"« ""l"'. he p I,)' tor *uw«B «esh, ,n4 bawf» the neijjhborfcood ,vj,e« fc. 196 SEA AND LAND. hopes to find the precious morsel. He follows the ship in which his instinct tells him it is to be found, and makes extraordinary efforts to reach it. He has been known to leap into a boat in order to seize the frightened fishermen ; he throws himself upon the ship, cleaving the waves at full speed to snap up some unhappy sailor who has shown himself beyond the bulwarks. He follows the course of the slaver, watching for the horrors of the middle passage, ready to engulf the negroes' corpses as they are thrown into the sea. Cummerson relates a significant fact bearing on the subject. The corpse of a negro hud been suspended from a yard-arm twenty feet from the level of the sea. A shark perceived the body and made the most prodigious leaps in his effoi-ts to seize it. After many vain attempts the shark changed his tactics and waited until the bow of the vessel sank lowest in its motion with the wave&, and then leaping, seized first the legs, then the body, and thus took it piece-meal until not a vestige remained. The crew viewed with much interest this hdrrifying spectacle, since the vessel was a slaver and no feelings of humanity had any place among the crew. The naouth of the shark being placed much below and back of the snout it is necessary for the animal to turn over in the water when seizing its prey. This well-known peculiarity is taken advantage of by natives on the African coast and also of the Malay Archipelago. These bold adventurers, who seem to be at home in the water, do not hesitate, to invite the shark to attack them, in which event they watch for an ppportunity when the shark turns over and, leaping aside, they plunge. a long knife in the creature's abdomen. SHARK FI8HINQ. Many persons engage in fishing for sharks, not only for the amuse- ment which it affords, but also for the double purpose of destroying the destructive monster and to possess themselves of its hide and teeth, the latter being extensively used for ornaments. Shark fishing is especially good about Nassau and off the Florida coast, where, we might say, thousands are taken annually, yet their number does not appear to diminish. The fishing is conducted somewhat as fol- lows: A dark night is preferable, though there is no time when sharks will not feed, but the advantage of darkness is in approaching it more readily, and its suspicions are not nearly so great as in daylight. A hook is prepared of steel, having a curve of from five to six inches, and j^o thin }& ^ttac)»ed fk phain Joste»4 Qt rope^ since the latter would 197 BXCTTEMENT OF SHARK nsftlNO. 198 8BA AKD LAND. ii IF be quickly bitten in two. A piece of salt pork is generally used for bait, but fresh meat is nearly as good. The bait, which must be well hooked, is thrown overboard ; it is soon seen by a shark, which will invariably, unless extremely hungry, swim up to the bait, smell of it, and then move away again ; but he quickly returns and makes another inspection, repeating the performance two or three times if the bait be left still; but in order to urge the shark to take it quickly, the bait is pulled over the surface, and the shark, suspecting it to be about to escape, rushes swiftly on and swallows it gluttonously. The fun now begins in earnest. The moment he swallows the bait the shark starts downward, and is only stopped by a strong pull on the line, to which he is now fast. He is as game as a bass or pickerel, and will not give up until he has lashed the sea into foam, leaped a dozen times entirely out of the water, and becomes completely ex- hausted from his frantic efforts. The line is then drawn in until the shark's head is above water, when a noo'se is thrown so as to fall over the pectoral fins and run down the body till it rests round the tail ; it is then drawn taut, and, heaving at both lines, the men draw the great creature from his element, and make quick work of him, by first lopping off the tail with an axe, and then cutting ojBf the head. WORSHIP OF THE SHARK. Says Figuier: «< Man worships force; he knows the hand which crushes, the teeth which rend. He respects the master or the king who strikes, and he venerates the shark. The inhabitants of several parts of Africa worship the shark; they call it their yoM^ow, and con- sider its stomach the road to heaven. Three or four times in the year they celebrate the festival of the shark, which is done in this wise: They all move in their boats to the middle of the river, where they invoke, with the strangest ceremonies, the protection of the great shark. They offer to him poultry and goats in order to satisfy his sacred appetite. But this is nothing; an infant, which has been reared for the purpose from its birth, is every year sacrificed to the monster, ; it is feted and nourished for the sacrifice from its birth to the age of ten. On the day of the fete it is bound to a post on a sandy point at low water ; as the tide rises the child may utter cries of hor- ror, but it is abandoned to the waves, and the sharks arrive. The mother is not far off ; perhaps she weeps, but she dries her tears and thinks that her child has entered heaven through this horrible gate. MYSTERIES OV THE DEEP SEA. 199 TU « . MEMBERS OF THE VORACIOUS FAMILY. ine Hammerhead shark is distinffuishp«l hv th^ .- 1 .ion of it, head, which i, fl^neneZt:'^'^.^!''^ Z'f"": :ir,f;srrh::r.r^r^^^^^^ aud very near the junotio,. of th^f^. i, .^e mouth wM^h t .'m' THE HAMMER-HEAD SHARK. ™;e„^trr^:::-ir;er:r:"r;:?,!^^^^^ .»eh„^„etoe.„gtheu,uaI.ize, aud the weight about five huXd The hammer-head, though smaller than it, man-eating congener, i. fiEA AND LAND. yet its equal in boldness, voracity and blood-craving propensities; it knows ni, fear, pursuing its prey to the very limit of audacity and encroachment upon man's domain. Ito appearance is very frequent in roadsteads, where it swims about ships, ready to pounce upon any eatable thing, from a cracker to a sailor, prcfering very much the latter and not infrequently obtaining its choice. The Greenland shark attains a length of fifteen feet, and is equally voracious as the blue shark or hammer-head, but it is not so danger- ous to man ; its ravages, however, as a sea-pirate, are very extensive, and it is of the greatest annoyance to whalers. Almost the moment that a whale is killed its body is surrounded by Greenland sharks, which proceed to devour the blubber more rapidly than the sailors can sometimes remove it, and thus get the greater share. It is almo-^t impossible to either kill or drive them away from the feast; harpoon after harpoon, and lance after lance niay be driven into t!ieir bodies without apparently producing the slightest injury, and even large pieces may be cut out of their bodies without affecting their appetite. Examination of the body of a Greenland shark discloses the fact that they have the least nervous organization of anything in the sea supe- rior to the zoophytes, and the brain is so very small that it is only on the rarest occasion that harpooners are able to strike it. The flesh of this shark is eaten with much relish by Esquimaux, who consider it next to the walrus, and they also use the skin for making lines, for which purpose it is extremely serviceable. Many persons claim that the Greenland shark pursues and worries the whale to death for the purpose of feasting off its body, but this statement lacks confirmation, and is not probable. - Their food is chiefly small fish and crustacse, but it is a great scavenger and will eat any flesh that it may find. The busking shark grows to a length of thirty feet, and is equally formidable as the white or man-eating shark ; in fact, man-eater may be-applied to three or four species, including the basking shark, but this latter is not nearly so voracious as the hammer-head, white or blue shark, and is not much dreaded by sailors. The spinous shark is not a large fish, seldom reaching more than eight feet in length, but his appearance is horrid in the extreme, covered as he is with prickles like iion-claws. To swiin rapidly against a person in the water, a spinous shark would tear the body most frightfully, hut whether it is guilty of such practices or not I have not seen stated. MYSTERIES OF THE BEEP SEA. 201 The blue shark, which sometimes measures eight feet in lonofi • the most graceful and beautiful of this" hideouTr hV V i f ' " Nue-green. and the belly is a .ilver- whi 7 t^^ ^'^ ^^'^ '' ^ «n.a„,heis not wanting^ -r^! ::;^t„,i:::f ,^:— ^^ water us fercciusly as the white »l„„k, about wl,i,.l, T . written enough to show the ...™Hn\v, '^h t h I '^Thtbt hark feeds prn.e.pally on pilchards, tunuies and hcrHngs but he hists for warm-blooded animals also "i-rungs, out he The thrasher, or fox-shark, has two distinguishing characteristics: THE GREAT HLGRIM SHARK. whi!rrw 'T'Ttf "1 ""' ""^'^ ^o^-otthe caudal fin. or tail, wh ch enables h.m to thrash the waters violently till they boil and deep, such as seals, porpoises, lamantins, etc., and has killed ms SEA A17D LAND. HMWiv i sL owrecked sailor by the wild lashings of its terrible tail, out uf pure wail, iinwas, for it ifl not known to eat man. The picked shark and sand ahenk are both small and haimless. ThP former is cauvail ,ng on them six or seven small fishes wiiich never do i art, with band.^. f,lue and green, round their bodien, like comely serving men, and they go two and three before t ,eni and some (,n every side." '1 i, same truvcdcr further relates that in three instances ho saw the shark led certainly by the pilot. When the e ha^^n The killing of sword- fish is 51 lucrative industry among New England fish- ermen, who capture great numbers annually for the fiesh and oil which they yield. In a recent number of Frank Leslie's Illus- trated ]\Ionthly, Mr. C. F. Holder gave a very inter- esting description of the manner in which sword- fish aie killed, interspers- ing his narrative with some interesting incidents as re- lated to him by the captain of the yacht Laughing Dolly. Preserving the ««luns hunting the sword-fish. vernacular of his inform-inf m^ tr 1 1 captain „, follows. ' ^'^ ""'''"• ■•*P'«" *''« «'<"y of the " So'dtishin' ain't all fun " o..,-^ *u i .. holding on to the wheelwi^b'o f ™"""="' ^'^ifPc., who was » time what m kes thin " T f T *''" 'P"''"'' " ^^e.-e comes Why, i,.t thi" Tf^ fi ::\ »"»'-;^'^S'y "»• ".-artin. Haow so? t. J. It off shore^^r. se-e'^r: f t:;/7t.: "T' ' "-f '" . -.i„ ., „jn,vei uuu float ar, (»:if»h o.,ri v i basket, Wd when tb? hylj lot sink one end and sail away, jiayin' aout as ye ^o 9 oyer yaou la;, ou Jtq' b;^ fp^ ^^p -^^^^^ pr so, 208 8EA AND LAND. and then haul her in. Ye .see, ye cover over two miles o' ground, an' if there's any cod or haddock abaoutye're sure to get 'em. "Wall, as I was goin' to say, I was aout one morniii', I reckon afore sunrise, an' was payin' aout my trawl, when the first thing I knew, blini ! came soraethiii' what give the boat a tip, and I felt some- thin' strike my foot, an' a kind o' hot feelin' up along my leg, an' lookln' daown, there was a so'dfish — so'd a-stickin aout o' my ile- skins jest at the knee. Wal, if I didn't buckle on to that so'd it's a caution, an' it was pull, haul, yank an' tug for half an hour. But I got the painter araound it with a couple o' turns, an' hailed a mate that was fishin' close by, an' we broke off the so'd an' got the critter aboard. Ye see, the cuss had took me or the boat for a whale or blackfish, an' come rammin' up like a shot ; the so'd goin' complete through the bottom o' the d{|ry, strikin' jest alongside my boot,passin' up through the lego' my ile-skin pants, an' comin' aout at the knee. I tell ye I never was so took back afore except once, an' that was off Nantucket, a year or so ago, when a so'dfish kem near cleanin' us all aout. We got into him all right, an nothin' else bein' in sight, me an' the boys jumped into the dory, an' soon had the keg aboard; but as soon as wo touched the rope to take in slack, he started off, an' you'd a thought we'd got foul of a whale. It was an hour afore we got the fish alongside, the schooner keepin' alonf, but we were afraid o' passin' the rope, thinkin' it might pull aout the iron. Wal, we gradually hauled in, an' I stood up, holdin' an oar up ready to hit the brute on the head, when it gave a kind o' luno-e or side cut, takin' the oar right between my hands, an' knockin' me head over heels down in the bottom o' the boat. In the confusion, the man in the how slacked the rope, and the next minute, crunch came the fish, and up it's so'd came through the plankin', stickin' about a foot into the boat, not three feet from me. I had sense enough to grab it, an' while I hung on, an' lashed it with the painter, the boys pulled alongside, an' we got him aboard. He measured fourteen foot — a pretty big fellow. "In fair weather they lie mostly on the surface, an' whether they're asleep or jest sunnin' themselves, it's hard to tell. It's a great sight to see 'em in among the bony fish; they go just like a cavalryman, strikin' up and down, right an' left, killin' hundreds o' 'em, an' I've seen 'em keep a-doin' it, which shows the^ kind o'Uke thpfuQof it. J8e§ onpe r" MT8TEBIE8 OF THE DEEP SEA. ' 209 But here there came a cry from nlnff o„j • were on their feet ' *"^ '" * °^«°^«»* «» hands one hundred vMds distant e.itt „I !t u .u ^ ""''" ""^ »'"'"" .l.e sun, the sha,,,fl„„t gilds' ^="' ''' """"• "'"^ «'""■'« ">. ■■Luff a little.- cried the skipper to the man who had taken the FEROaOUS ATTACK OF SWORD -nSH, jljsijiii*^ 210 SEA AND LAND. his place in the pulpit, ready for the fray. The line was ckared, and one of the hands took the gayly-colored keg and stood ready to toss it over. Gradually the schooner and fish drew nearer, and finally, by a sign from the mate, the helmsman put the wheel hard down, and the vessel rushed up into the wind, bringing the great fish fairly across the bows. For a moment the skipper's arms were raised; a gleam of steel, a rush of rope, and the metallic lily was buried in the fish, that, hurlin<' its scythe-like tail in th»«4r, covered the harpooner with spray as it dashed away. Another harpoon being lashed on the pulpit, the skip- per stepped aboard. *' Stand clear ! " shouted the man with the keg, and with a final hiss the last coil leaped from the tub, the keg going over with a jerk, and rushing away over the sea to tire out the gamy fish. The vessel now set a big balloon-jib in' hot pursuit, but another hail from aloft changed the course, and soon ihe Laughing Dolly was fall- ing away sharp to cross the path of another fish ; that, however, was found to be asleep. ♦' I never could make aout," said the skipper, making way for the mate who was to try his hand, '* whether they're asleep or what ; but most every so'dfish we get is lyin' still on the surface, and I reckon if fish do sleep, they're a-doin' it." In a few moments the big balloon-jib was flapping and thundering in the wind ; sail was shortened, and we were well aboard the second fish, the harppon soon sent,hissing into the luckless victim, and soon two kegs were in sight to be followed. '• I've had half a dozen over at one time," said the skipper, ** an' I tell ye it makes a mar look alive to keep his glimmers on 'em." A hail from the top now told that we were gaining on the first fish, and it was soon evident from the deck that the powers of the gamy fish were on the wane, and in half an hour the barrel, now stationary, was alongside. The dory that was tossing astern was hauled along- side, and into it tumbled two of the hands, and the writer as vol- unteer, and, casting off, we pulled for the keg. ♦• Look out ! " yelled the man in the bow, as he grasped the keg and tossed it into the boat, taking a turn with the line. But the warning was too late. The fish feeling the haul, started off, throwing the writer down among the oars and bailers, and amid tlic shouts of the lookers-on we rushed away as if shot out of a gun, 212 SEA AND LAND. huddled in the stern that was high in the air, the bow being buried in foam by the maddened fish. Under this spurt the schooner was l6ft far astern, and as the speed diminished the men laid hold of the rope and endeavored to take in the slack. Every movement, however, caused a renewal of the ter- rific burst of speed ; but, as there is an end to all things, we finally gained slowly on the fish, and before long had it alongside and lashed. The writer incautiously looked over the side and attempted to grasj) the creature's tail, when, with a tremendous effort, the fish doubled ui), cutting a vicious blow over the boat that would have been hard to parry, l>ut the men skillfully caught the sword and lashed it while we awaited tire arrival of the schooner, that in the meai?^ime had secured the other fish. Once alongside, a block and ta(^kle were rigged, and the struggling yet helpless monster, that was fourteen feet long and must have weighed seven hundred pounds, was hoisted aboard, and the vessel was soon on her course for other fields to conquer. " If yaou ever get hold of their so'd, yaou've got 'em," said the skipper, as we watched the dismemberment of the swordsman. " I've seen 'em sleepin' — if they do sleep — and grabbed hold of the so'd and held 'em and brought 'em in shore. Bite? Not often ; but I've seen 'em bite at a line ; but it's rare. They like to run into a school of bony fish or mackerel and do their own killin'. Some folks say thev don't use their so'ds to kill fish, but I've seen 'em do it, an' what's more, I've caught a henp o' fish wid their so'd broke off agin the bottom, ships an' whales, and everyone of 'em was so poor they didn't amaount to nf»thin'. No, I never see a young one, and what's more, they don't come araound the coast. I've got a standin' offer of a hundred dollars for the first so'd-fish under a foot long ; but it's a safe one, as I say they don't breed here." This is one of the most interesting facts concerning the sword- fish. They do not breed on our shores, evidently crossing the ocean for that purpose^ like the tunny and several others. The young have never been nearer our coast than the mid-Atlantic, and then would scarcely be recognized as sword-fish, so unlike the parent are they in form. The adult fish of the genus Xiphias is extremely common upon our eastern shores, and attains a length of fifteen or sixteen feet, and a weight of over one thousand pounds, their fishery forming an import- ant industry from Maine to Long Island, and hundreds of men and ye-i^els being employed. The j5sU Jfinda a ready market, thp weat MTSTEMES OF THE DEEP 8EA. ' 213 somewhat resembling mackerpi f« ^rU- u r .. SWORD -Fi5U STABBING A TUNNY. VKH?i!^ ^^^ ^^c::^z^;:;r:xr'' *- ""--^"^^ -«>- iu ft«A AKD LAND. From the earliest times sword-fishing is mentioned, the sport being described by Strabo and many authorities and naturalists of the early days, ^lian described it as entering rivers, and Southey records one that pierced and killed a man while bathing in the Severn near Worcester. The use of the " sword," says Wood, is not clearly ascertained. In all probability the fish employs this curious weapon in gaining its subsistence, but the precise mode of ho doing is not known. It is an ascertained fact that the sword-fish will sometimes attack whales and seals and stab them mortally with its dreadful weapon. It is also known that this fish has several times driven its beak so deeply into a ship's heavy bottom timbers, that it was broken off by the shook. The following may be related in confirmation of this well established fact. ' ATTACKED BY A SWORD-FISH. In the year 1868, the Clyde built merchant vessel, Dreadnaught, while passing through the Mediterranean, was struck by a sword-fish with such terrific force that her bottom was pierced and timbers sprung below the water-line. The shock was at first supposed to be caused by the vessel striking, though the sounding lead showed no bottom. Directly after a monster was seen floundering on the sea, and hooks were speedily prepared with the hope of capturing it, but all effort was without avail, and in turning their attention finally from the fish, the crew discovered that the vessel was leaking badly ; further examination showed that her hull had been perforated, but while the captain was now convinced that his vessel was suffering from the thmst of a sword-fish, the beak had not been broken off in the timbers, and the proof was therefore only circumstantial. The vessel was put into harbor as soon as possible and claims for insur- ance made. The insurance company, however, resisted the claim, under the plea that the risk did not cover such a casualty, and'a pro- tracted suit in the English courts followed. The final result, I am sorry to say, I have never been able to learn. Professor Owen, the well-known naturalist, was made a witness in the case on the proba- bility of such an accident, and his testimony was conclusive. He related a number of instances of the prodigious power of the sword- fish, stuiliig that it could strike with the force of an artillery pro- jectile, the fish being perhaps the swiftest swimmer in the sea, while his *' sword " is almost as hard and strong as steel. MT8TERIE8 OP THE DEEP SEA. .he.thi„K, „e,t throaih aVLrr /f.^ «""* ""■""Sh the copper oakl,o«,^li„i„y .™7l" 1° '«""-d. «>«■' through three inches of .nd auuck ior:ron ctk . S;™ '""/ "'.'"'"' "hite^ak timber ^^aMIcoak, altogether perforating a sheet of copper ?lT:rvr;L"i':'!^. «■"•'"[, .^» '« ^""Hf. if a ,o,ia Shot fl6 SSA AND LAin>. The food of the sword-fish is rather varied, consisting of cuttle-fish, especially the squid, and of small fishes, neither of which animals would in any way fall victims to the sword. It certainly has been said that the weapon is used for transfixing the flat-fish as they lie on the bed of the sea, but this assertion does not appear to bo worthy of credit. ADVENTURE OF THREE DIVERS WITH A SWORD-FISH. The bold character of the sword-fish is in striking contrast with the general timidity of fishes, and it not infrequently occurs that this well-armed warrior exhibits a bravery and savageness which goes far to prove him to be the most fearless, as well as dangerous, enemy that lives in the bounding waves. The following case in point may serve to illustrate this assertion : In the spring of 1886, a sloop, with yaluable cargo, was lost off the coast of Martha Vineyard Island. The vessel lay in only nine fathoms of water, and the owners resolved to recover the freight, and, if pos- sible, to also raise the sloop. In pursuance of this resolve, they em- ployed three expert divers, who, on a comparatively still day, repaired to the spot and descended to the wreck. They had been down only a few minutes when one of them was much alarmed by the sudden appearance of a dark shadow, which hung above him like a cloud, and which he thought was a man-eating shark. He lost no time in communicaLing his fears to nis companions, and the three at once prepared to fight for their lives. The experience of ocean-divers is a nard one, and teaches them the necessity of being always well-armed when visiting the haunts of ocean monsters, for there is constant dread of fateful adventure with some shark, sword-fish, octopus or dog-fish. After a few moments of suspense the divers were thoroughly en- lightened as to the kind of enemy that was threatening them, for, with a graceful sweep of its broad tail, which made a swirl that nearly raised them off their feet, a great sword-fish swooped down and thrust its powerful weapon between the men, knocking one of them down, but fortunately doing little damage. That the design of the fish was to fight, or drive the invaders from his briny realm, was ap- parent from the first attack, but he emphasized this purpose by turn- ing and again rushing with savage impetuosity at one of the divers, who would certainly have been impaled but for the thick copper hel- met he wore, and which was the object of the fish's attack. The MYSTKBIlia or THB DEEP 8KA. nj shock was, iievertheloss, terrific, and knocks 1,!.^ fl . ^ , .e„.ele»8. At thU juncture another dWer had X . " """' ...i„d to seize the creature by itsZTjai thVfl h •""'"''"' °' tivclj heiplexs when its weanon !. f / ?u '^ '^ oompara- with their i„„g di k kni"e7w"th wh V*H •"'"'""" '"''P""''''' " The adventure Ld a niostfo'rtTnln 7 ^^."*" '"'PP"^ ''™'^- - .at one or _ ortS^Tsr::' ^^^ :rj4-:;: THE SAILOR SWORD-FISH. a* Zl f: IT;--'^' -™'- -> -«' ^»«-U3 fish that rav. THE SAILOR awORD - R8H. Ihe sailor sword-fish is sometimes called the Fan or C5„:, « u . 318 SEA AND L4in>. fin. Those both of the Atlantic and Mediterranean possess tbis fin in its full proportions only during the earlier stages of their growth. Its dimensions even then are much smaller than in the Indian species ; and it is a curious fact, that it gradually decreases as the fish ap- proaches to maturity; whereas, in the seas around Ceylon, it retains its full size throughout the entire period of life. They raise it above the water while dashing along the surface in their rapid course, and there is no reason to doubt that it occasionally acts as a sail. " ADVENTURES WITH THE SAW • FISH. Somewhat resembling, and yet entirely different in habits and dis- position from the sword-fish, is the Saw-fish, which though carnivor- ous is a most inoffensive creature everywhere except among its prey. The sword-fish has possibly been misrepresented, for all it does oc- casionally attack vessels with apparently wicked intent. The fact is, the sword-fish sometimes becomes infested with a parasite, a crusta- cean of the LerncB family, which burrows into its flesh and bites so viciously that the poor fish grows fairly delirious with pain ; in this most unhappy condition, from which there is no relief, the sword-fish strikes maddening and distracted blows which occasionally full upon the hull of a vessel. It is most probable that all such attacks are niuclo out of frenzy caused by worrying parasites, and not due to a ferocious disposition to harm the vessel or man. For this reason I have chosen to regard the sword-fish as an innocent creature. CHARACTER OF THE SAW -FISH. The saw-fish is found throughout a wide range of seas, and is one of the most terrible appearing animals that cleave the ocean. It grows to a length of nearly twenty feet, and in addition to its saw- like beak it has a dreadfully wicked-looking eye, appearances Avhich utterly belie its true character. The snout of the eaw-fish is a pro- longed beak flattened like a sword, six feet long, and the edges are armed with a row of powerful teeth deeply imbedded in the boue. The tip of the saw, as if specially tempered by nature for severe service, is covered with extremely hard grarular scales. Like the sword-fish, it has an antipathy for the whale, and frequently attacks the huge cetacean, thrusting its saw into the thick blubber and caus- ing dreadful wounds; being very agile, it easily avoids the blows directed by the whale, and seldom suffers injury from its monstrous enemy. Captain Drayson says he has frequently seen saw-fish charge into a shoal of herring and mackerel, and by vigorously striking right MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. gig and left with its serrated weapon, kill large numbers, upon which it afterward fed. This fact explains the purpose designed by nature in giving to the saw-fish such a formidable weapon. Captain Wilson, commanding the HaUfax, relates the foliowins adventure which he had with a saw-fish some years ago : BATTLE WITH A SAW- FISH, -Boing in the Gulf of Paria, in the ship's cutter, I fell i„ with a Spanish canoe manned by two men, then in great distress, who be.r<,ed me to assist them to save their lines and canoe. Going to their i^Tief THE SAW- FISH. and coming alongside their boat, I discovered that they had got a large saw-hsh entangled in their turtle-net, which was towing them out to sea and but for my assistance they must have lost their net or canoe, and perhaps both, which were their only means of subsistence. Having only two boys with me at the time in the boa^. T ,\.a-.a ,u^^ to «ut u,v.y the fi.sh, which, however, they refused to do." I then took the bight of the net from them, and with the joint endeavors of themselves and my boat's crew,.we succeeded in hauling up the net, 220 SfiA AND LAND. and to our astonishment, after great exertions, we raised the saw of the fish about eight feet above the surface of the water. It was a fortunate thing the fish came up with the belly toward the boat, or it might have cut it in two. '* I had abandoned all idea of taking the fish until, by great good luck, it made toward the land, when I made another attempt, and having about three hundred feet of rope in the boat, we succeeded in making a running bowline round the saw of the fish, and this we fortunately made fast on shore. When the fish found itself secured, it plunged so violently that I could not prevail on any one to go netu* it ; the appearance it presented was truly awful. I immediately went alongside the Lima packet. Captain Singleton, and got the assistance of all his ship's crew, but by the tin^e they arrived the fish was lees violent. We hauled upon the net again, in which it was still en- tangled, and got another three hundred feet of line made fast to the saw, and attempted to haul it toward the shore ; but, although mus- tering thirty hands, we could not move it an inch. By this time the negroes belonging to Mr. Danglad's estate came flocking to our assistance, making together about one hundred in number, with the Spaniards. We then hauled on both ropes for nearly the day before the fish became exhausted. On endeavoring to raise the fish it be- came most desperate, sweeping with its saw from side to side, so that we were compelled to get strong ropes to prevent it from cutting us to pieces. After that one of the Spaniards got on its back, and at great risk cut through the joint of the tail, when animation was at once suspended. It was then measured, and found to be tweifty-two feet long and eight feet broad, and weighed nearly five tons." ENCOUNTER WITH A SAW- FISH. Dr. Quackenbush, the port physician at Mayport, Florida, an invet- erate hunter and fisherman, related to me the particulars of a savage fight he had in the summer of 1883 with a gigantic saw-fish, near the mouth of St. John's river. The Doctor stated that he was in a small row-boat with his little daughter, nine years of age, fishing for sea-bass, when a sudden jerk of his line admonished him that some large creature had attacked the bait. Instead of responding to the pull given, the fish made off at a moderate speed and was so heavy out all the line, but so slowly that it gave lime for another one to be added, and continued swimming away from the boat until four lines, MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. £21 the line allowp*1 if k ,• ^t-uei ceiemoiij. 1 he strain whch tnei.ue allowed -It being a quarter of an inch plaited silk-at lenad no .Ssj^rxtlix^uST:"/- entire catch of herring, hadd^randn °„tf:."T^^^^^^ alsoahab t o* takino-nii fK^u -4. • ,. . "»«iu* nsn. 1 hey have «s either. ;^d'^:KJ;ra:o;;^^^^^^^^^^ Shi^oTh"- • r '" """""^ '»" '- ttetherr r dTb*:; thl shot «r.^und\hfschoo, ^ir'fi i: ''T« '" *'" P"P"-' ''™ "...v.^ two thousll;: Ifal^fetlf- "'" """'""'' ''"^ '" " A fl U ^ °°^ *'^° "**" EATEN BY DOQ - PISH at Town's End^^ime "trbijr* ""'' T" 'P™'''"« ">« '""''I term oay. The IitUe boat was anchored oit a Aort di.tanc 224 SEA AND LAND. tanoe from shore, and the man undressed and swam out to get it, but he had o'one only a few yards, his wife sitting on the shore watching him, when he gave a scream and leaped up half out of water, but in the next moment he disappeared, and nothing was seen of him again. Tlie fisherman procured a boat, from some distance up the shore, and rowed back to the scene where the distressing accident occurred, but he could discover no signs of the unfortunate man, but saw a school of spotted dog-fish, that were so ravenous they even bit his oars. The mystery was thus explained. An accident somewhat similar occurred the year before up the Georges. A schooner came into the bay having on board only three men and the ten year old boy of the skipper. On the evening of the schooner's arrival, by some unlucky chance, the little boy fell overboard. His father was standiiig near him at the time of the accident, but before he could act the little fellow was seized by a school of dog-fish and torn to pieces ; so numerous were the fish that, as they attacked the boy, they appeared like an animated ball, tangled up like a thousand angle worms. Thouo'h the flesh of the dog-fish is said to be not unpalatable, there is a prejudice against eating it, and those that are caught are used principally for fertilizing purposes. From the heart, however, is extracted a very excellent oil, and the skin is valuable for sword- handles and instrument cases. A NOTED SWIMMER ATTACKED BY A DOG-FISH. Few persons have not heard of Paul Boynton, who has floated down nearly all the great streams of the world in his peculiar rubber suit, and o-iven aquatic exhibitions in the harbors of Europe, Asia, South America and the United States. Having spent so much of his time in the water it is not strange that he should have met with many ad- ventures, dangerous as well as amusing. During one of his visits to St. Louis he related to the writer the particulars of an exciting inci- dent which befell him while passing through the Straits of Messina, near the Italian coast, in 1882. Boynton was passing from the town of Messina, in Sicily, to the neio-hboring shore of Italy, and when near the latter coast he noticed following behind, keeping pace with his own movement in the water, a nsii wuicu uc tuougut at nrst was & snarxj, mougu tie remariicct rnfi absence of a high dorsal fin, which is usually the first thing seen of the eburk wbea it approaches the surface. At ftU tijgaes, wbei^ in 8*It water, tV at any t] MTSTEIilKS OF TirE BEEl- SEJ. 225 water, the swimnier is well armed to meet the atlnok, wM.K at a„, ..,ue be n.aUe b, some „„.„3ter of the J o/thif o^ Tte pursuing fish did not make itself e.early seen for some time. 226 8EA AND LAND. keeping well under water, but watchful and persistent, evidently seeking for a favorable opportunity to catch his prey at a disadvan- tage. Boynton placed his knife between his teeth, where it could he most readily seized, and then plied his double-bhided oar with greater vigor in the hope of shaking off his pursuer. The fish, however, was determined, and growing every moment bolder, at length swum beside him and kept a steady pace less than five 3 ards distant. Boynton was now made acquainted with the character of his visitor, for it plainly showed itself, and he saw that the creature was a monster dog- fish, in whose green eyes was the devilish look that makes the shark so dreaded. The purpose of the flesh-loving fish was soon after exhib- ited, for ceasing its movements for a moment, as if gathering greater strength for the exertion, it gave a tremendous spring toward the swimmer, with horrid gaping jaws, in which gleamed several rows of dagger-like teeth. Boynton was so well ju'epared for the attack, how- ever, that he received the desperate creature with a swift thrust of his knife that struck it in the head, so that its mouth closed with a loud snap short of its intended prey. Following up his advantage, Boynton plied his weapon vigorously and succeeded in not only beating off the enemy, but also in inflicting upon it such deep wounds thut the fish retreated, no doubt fatally injured, for the surrounding water was dyed with blood, and the movements of the fish indicated that it was badly hurt. TWO BOYS BE8IEQED BY DOG- FISH. In the spring of 1885, a pilot-boat was sunk off the coast of Maine, about two miles from Portland, and, lodging upon the banks, a con- siderable portion of the mast remained labove water. One Sunday, when the sea was still, two boys rowed out to the wreck, and finding the mast solid, they got out upon it, where they fell to playing with each other until, in some manner, their boat became loosened and floated off, to their great horror. Intensely alarmed at their perilous position, they shouted in vain and waved their handkerchiefs with the hope of attracting the attention of passing vessels or some one from shore. Two hours or more were spent in this vain endeavor, when suddenly their attention was attracted to the green, shining body of a large dog-fish that swept by underneath their dangerous perch, cast- ing up its wicked eyes as if whetting its appetite for a cnnteraplated feast. It swam off and disappeared, but soon came back again, bringing with it a school of its horrid fellows, which now began fran- tic ef« ort to exerci MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. £27 tic ef.orts to reach the terribly affrighted vouth. TV, a u to exercise the ffreatesfron^ ' * 'irntea youths. The fish appeared gieatest rea. .„, for, backing off, they would dart for- • - ft* "'•I'cim.j'-'fYi-Hfii ''rffflififiii S"ix^tK trc.^t-L--Kr« • 228 8EA AND I.AND. feet. This continued for another hour, while «ach minute added to the number of fish, until more than five hundred were at length bo- sieging the boys, and their savage leaps became so terrifying that the lads could scarcely retain their position for fright. After the adventurers had been on their perch for nearly five hours, they were discovered by a steam-vessel, that first put into port and reported the circumstance, v/hen several row-boats \v'ere sent to their assistance. As the boats came into the school of dog- fish, they were set upon and could only be beaten off by vigorous blows from the oars wielded by the several men that came to the rescue, while two of the boats were struck so hard that their planks were sprung and they could only be kept afloat by constant bailing. THE STURGEON. In the Sturgeon we have a fish that jiosses^es a cuirass almost equal to that of the alligator, and an appearance as forbidding as the shark, which it nearly rivals in size, yet it is destitute of the power or dis- position to do harm. The great sturgeon, which frequently attains the length of twelve feet and a weight of one thousand pounds, is found in all the rivers that flow into the Caspian and Black Seas; and on account of its highly esteemed flesh, the caviare which is made of its eggs, and the isinglass which is mad^from its air-bladder, it is hunted with great persistency by Russian fishermen. The manner of taking this great fish may be described as follow,. • Stakes are driven into the river-bed so as to close the stream en- tirely, except ar. one place, where an opening is left barely suflScient to let the sturgeon pass. Toward this center gate-way the dike forms an angle opposed to the current, and the opening leads into an inclosure consisting of fillets, if the time be winter, or of osier- hurdles if it be summer, and over the gate-way a scaffold is erected, on which the fish-men station themselves to look out for the fish. When it enters the opening a gate is dropped so as to prevent its return, and the bottom of the inclosure, which is movable, is raised, and the fish easilv taken . The fishermen are informed during the day of the approach of turgeons to the inclosure by the movement they communicate to 1 )rd8 suspended to floating corks on the water. During the night the •Vi onfc fh o mnlnaiiro f< a.orifafinor Inv thojr mnvamanfa ofhflr O O 9/ i»nrr1s ranged round the hurdles. The agitation communicated to the cords 'sufficient to shut the gates behind ; they are thus imprisoned by the 229 RUSSIAN MODE OF CAPTURING THE STURGEON. m 6tA AND tAm>. dropping f)f the «j;at(', whirh in falling, causes a bell to ring to wake the watching fit^herman on the scaffold, should he be sleep! g. Another plan of capturing sturgeons is employed in various part« of Southern Russia. A great number of fishermen assemble in their boats, and proceed abreast toward retreats of the fish, nets being spread as they row forward, until the sturgeons are completely sur- rounded, then by a violent beating of the water the fish are excited, and dart about until they are all fast in the nets. Caviare is made from the roe of the sturgeon, as much as eight hundred pounds of which having been taken from a single fish. It is made by removing all the membranes, and then washing the roe in vinegar or white wine. It is next dried thoroughly, well salted, and then subjected to a strong pressure in order to force out uU moisture caused by the wet-absorbing properties of the salt, and is after^'aid packed in kegs for sale. In making isinglass the air-bladder is removed from the fish, washed carefully in fresh water, and then hung up for a day or two to stiffen. The outer coat of membrane then becomes separable and is peeled off, while the remainder is cut up into strips. These strips afford so large a qu;\ntity of gelatinous matter, that one part of isinglass dis- solved in a hundred parts of boiling water, will form a stiff jelly when cold. In former times the sturgeon was considered a royal dish, both in England and Rome, and in Russia to-day it is more highly esteemed than any other fish, but my opinion of it, judging by a dish of stur- geon which I ate in Moscow, is anything but favorable, and I believe it is not now eaten anywhere out of Russia. STORIES OF THE DOLPHIN AND ITS KIN. Having considered some of the ferocious and dangerous subjects of old ocean's melancholy dominion, let us now turn to the more placid characters, in which the spirit of revenge and the power of destruction is either wanting or of compaiatively slight development. First of these, because best known and most celebrated in history, embalmed in the most beautiful legends and apothessized by the greatest of ancient poets, is the Dolphin, first cousin to the fanciful mermaid and the genius of loving devotion. By the ancients the dolphin was dedi- cated to Apollo, who was worshipiied with extravagant ceremonials at Delphi, where he was represented as sitting upon a throne supported by dolphins, and sometimes as riding a dolphin. The name is doubtless MYBTERIins OP THE DEEP 8BA. 931 denved iTKt.from Delphi, wh. re the omcles were deiiveml and second from Dauphin, the heir apparent to the throne o^France or rather from the province of Dauphiny. from whence the title of Datiphm arose. Dolphins are always seen in large schools, and they have a habit, not thoroughly understood, of gamboling, in which they throw thon.selves by a 8lowplung..so as to show only their curved backs above thJ ya er. When thus tumbling of a clear day. they present a beautiful stght the.r lustrous bodie. reflecting the sheen of burnished gold, mingled with iridescent colors of bewildering .splendor. There are two spec.es. the -sea-peacock " and the - blue-fish," receiving their appellations from the variety of their gorgeous decorations. Though covered with only a slick skin.,the light is decomposed when striking their bodies, almost as if it were a prism. ^ THE DOLPHIN. A beautiful Hsh a„d full of grace, yet the dolphin is a most vora- ,ou, oreatun, rarely hesitating to gratify its ravenous appetite ev" upon ,ts own speces, but its principal prey is the ilying-fish, which it pursues w„h such constancy as leads to th,. beiief'that its hunter is ZluT^ ""■''"'•k. *;;'"""'" '''"' ""» S'""" »" -™"-' des^ril^ CHASED AY A DOLPHIN. "Shortly after observing a cluster of flying-Ssh rise out of the waer we discovered two or three dolphins ranging past the ship in -cb woiide^urs^:-: -^z i:::::^^::^^:^:^ her progress through the water, soon put up another shoal otaZ SGA Am> LAND. little things, which, as the others had done, took their flight directly to windward. A large dolphin, which had been keeping company with us, abreast of the weather gangway, at the depth of two or three fathoms, and, as usnal, glistening most beautifully in the sun, no eoonsr detected our poor, dear little friends take wings, than he turned his head toward them and, darting to the surface, leaped f r o ni the water with a velo- city little short, it seemed, of a cun- non-ball. But, although the im- petus with which he shot himself in- to the air gave him an initial velocity greatly exceeding that of the flying-fish, the start which his fated prey had got, enabled them to keep ahead of him for a considerable time. •♦ The length of the dolphin's first ijpring could not bo less than ten yards, and after he fell we could see him gliding liko lightning through the watei for a moment, when he again arose and shot forward with a considerably greater force than at first, and of («ocmed to stride along with fearful rapidity, while his brilliant coat sparkled and flashed in the sun quite splendidly. Ashe fell headlong MYSMRIES OF THE DEEP SEA. ^33 on the water at the end of each huge lean a sflr,-«= «# • ^ f.r ov„ the surface, which ,ay ., f^'o'o^h IZZfor'"' """' ''"* "Thegroup of wretched flvinir.flsh th,,. i,„,i , dropped into the sea, but we we e'llioLd ^ T""'"'' °' '*"«* n.e™.. touched the to^ of the"L:ra:drate,;°s:; kTit.t'.e'aT SaT^:r:i:i''r:-rtrr^^^^^^^^^ wasquite different from the one 7n wh , h u .""' ""^y """ """' bat too obviously, that^heyhad te^ d thZ ^"^ '""' ''T'^"'*- following them with giant^steps on the av s Id !,"""'' ™ '" ™ them rapidly. His terrific pace was 117;! "7 «»'!""S »" swift as theirs, poor little things ' *™ "^ *''™'' '""« «» .;:g-th!:;thtt%t;Te;;drL^^^^^^ their flight in the emallestXree h^ToU n„T'r"^r u'"' ™''*"^ second in shaping a new on.,Z^ . *'"' '""*'' P"'' »' « tb»y, in a ma„L°°notreaTly :: k; tl hi e" T I'^'^ f'""" """o once on their pursuer Bui I .»? ' 7'^^ '""''' "■"■■« "»» the strength and confld! e 'of'-LX it fi h "" "" ^ ^"" *■"" Their flights became shorter and shorter"^ a,fdttir" "'* ""'"'"S- tering and uncertain wl.il. *i "*'• "'"^ """' raii'se more flut- .ppearedtogrwrr;;tlu?«t''''TT'".'°"P^ "' "'o ^.-Iphin we could see'or ^ancTdr: M ellatX ;uinrr""''^' """""'• armnged all his springs with such !„ . ' ^""""l-ortsmaD contrived to fall at the end I^f u ■'""""'' "' ™««^«». that he which the exhau ted flyinlll, waTa J^.' '!;"'" *'"' ^''^ «"»' "» catastrophe took nlace alV . , '° ^"'^'- Sometimes this deokexactly What haTDened iT " ""'*""" '"'^ "' *'' "" ft'™ 'he g.»g, we m^yt tidThat; bl t ^urd"":!"^;''^'; """ """ "> •liscover that the unfortunate lit.! T. , ""• ''"■ *''*" "« """^'i WPed right into the dolPh , tw as tZS^VV'?"'""*''"'-' """« we« snapped up instantly afterwarf. ' ''^'•'''' "'' """ '™'"' "' "It was impossible not to t.ilt« .., »„.■ • ^ friends of the weaker side „n^ «» act've interest in our little o»r revenge. Trmrddies.'nd he""; "!.'^,."'' ™''^ «P=«di'y had 'i?«edour. do.e„rt:.rii:fe:rmV:^:t^^^^^^^^ r/xcibr sru^h^nrbT'^f '' -^"^^^^^^^^^^^^ "..nyaproud dolrhin! ma ng^'^'^t^, !"? ," "^^^ »' "-« flv".g-«sh, "Pture at the glittering prize" "' '"°"'*'' '™P'"1 *» 234 SEA AND LAND. tHE EYED PTERA0LI8. Very closely allied to the flying-fish, and with a beauty which rivals that of any other creature of the sea, is the strange looking fish illustrated below, and known by the name of Eyed PteracUs, so called on account of the dark-blue round spot found near the edge of its expansive dorsal fin. This peculiar species is found in great THE EYED PTERACLIS. numbers along the Mozambique coast ; it is also occasionally met with along the American shores, but not so often as to make it a well- sv..-. TTii iti^ix v'.f ptv/pic \n \.!u.L OOaal. jin cOiwi it IS iSUIIICWIlUt llKO lIlC tarpon, with beautiful, burnished side?, and a golden gleam upon the pectoral and tail fins, while its other fins are tinted with dark-blue. MYSTERIES Of THE DEEP SEA. 335 UEQEND8 OF THE DOLPHIN. to ships i„st as sharks are t„ fled off !h„ ," '"•»''""'<='''' dolphi,. feeds off ,he s^a., fisfe/ThVl ^if; Z^TX^ T to n,ofest any one whr^ilf T'.™''"',""' ^''P"" '»!'' ""t »«« they regarded' rdl.p^rfrjefrnr^Jli'./r "^ ^ """"^ oordingly, with the^«*.., „f Munehansen " ''""" ""■ Among the authors who have soncrhf f« «.* ut 1. x. Jm mmi^-^ ^ ^^n-i^^Ki^S-^*— ?;^ ""■^^ftfc.:;-?^ J^^?^^ ^^^- >.-"^^^/ "'•^-i*'^ THF. CORYPHENE. «i4<6SZ4^ ":e™r xn-ori^r^re:;-'*''^™" '^'-^^ '""«>' "has mistaken a seal for a dlhin '" f''"'»»"f'' «■»«>*» Boitard, •nd may be true in ever: n^' ■' f^^"! ^self perfectly , Kiated to one of the herbrvnl,',. I ' "* "."" "^ ''"'""•'«• " '' togong. herbivorous cetacea, such as the manatee or The name. » Sirenida," which has been bestowed upon them. 2r seA AMi> tAim. reminds us cf those fabulous beings, half human, half iSsh, so fre- quently celebrated in ancient mj'thology. Many modern naturalists have identified with the manatee and dugong, those tritons with their wreathed shell horns, those melodious and fatally fascinating sirens and those charmingly beautiful nereids, who have been immortalized by the poets of Greece and Rome. Mangin remarks: **The ugly creatures which we now call the sirenidm are i^ery far apart, and inhabit very different seas from those fair creatures with loose-flowing, amber-colored tresses, azure eyes, and voice of enchanting melody, who figure so attractively in the ancient poesy. Nor may they be compared with the merman and mermaids of the Gothic fancy, the medieval successors of the ancient tritons and sirens." " At night I would wander away, away ; I would fllLig on each side my low flowing locks, And lightly vault from the thtone and play With the mermen in and out of the rocks ; We would run to and fro, and hide and seek, On the broad sea-wolds in the crimson shells, Whose silvery spikes are nearest the sea." These lines of Tennyson are decidedly poetic, but if we use them to describe the dugong, the comparison destroys all the romance and very beauty of the verse. THE CORYPHENE. Partaking of the same nature as the dolphin, with which it is fre- quently confounded, is the Coryphene, a somewhat larger fish and also more beautiful ; in fact, our description of the changing colois and magnificent splendor of the dolphin, applies more appropriately to the coryphene. The porpoise is also quite frequently mistaken for the dolphm, owing to the fact that their gamboling movements in the water are almost identical. One particular difference between the two is found in the fact that while the dolphin is purely carnivorous and, we may say, cleanly in its habits, the porpoise is something of a scavenger, and roots in the mud like a hog, feeding at times on worms, snails and burrowing molluscs, though it also commits great ravages among the fish. They are very sociable and are the most familiar objects one beholds at sea. During a stay of some weeks -s— &»£« .- * «»» ^.^ ................ ^ . .3«.-7...' .....T^'ftcs T7t*-'Rv TTrV«"vi:r Sit tfc *-'tt« out on the Gulf of Mexico ; on each trip I met great schools of por- poises and amused myself with the somewhat cruel sport of lying in mtstebies of the deep sea. 287 the prow of the boat and shooting the animals as they rolled by within a few feet of me. But in every instance where I succeeded in^T tin" one -I used only a small pis^^l- the creature vould give voice to f Kind of grunt and immediately the herd would cease rising and not another would be seen until a new school appeared. The grunt wa evidently a note of warning. ® The manatus dugong and lamantin are all herbivorous and their flesh excellent food, not inferior to beef or veal. In the Malay Archt IS THE MANATCS AT HOME. pAgo the dugong principally abounds, and on account of tile affec "tlM TtZ "r '"' "' ^"""8. it is there caUed I mean, of her fl.ppera ,n the most loving way. When attacked .h. -arm their hahits though ota^d ^:S:'^Z:2^ 238 BBA AND LAND. the lamantins being peculiar to the South American coast, the mana- tees to Africa, and the dugong to the Malay coasts. The stellar, found chiefly in the Kamtschatka seas, also resembles the dugong, but it is comparatively unknown. It is also called sea-calf, sea-cow and sea-bull, and its flesh is highly esteemed by the Kamtschatdaler.s, while its hide is employed for many useful purposes. CHAPTER XVT. MARINE MEN. ~^ROM a brief notice of those marine mammalia about which cluster so many wondrous stories, connecting them with tlic human race, we turn to a consideration of what Maiigin felic- 'M^ itously terms marine men, though they are known poi)ularIv by the name seal, and scientifically under the classification Phocce. Though we cannot truthfully picture the seal as a man winding his horn as he rushes through the water on a shell for a carriage, aiKftloI- phins for locomotion; nor as a bewitching siren chanting Orphic hymns, or combing sea- weeds out of Ler tangle 1 tresses, whiio men looked on and died of love's raptures ; but we inuy describe the species as a type of rare development, the amphibious carnivora of the deep, with frequent expression of countenance very like, and intelligence more strikingly, human. Writers on natural history have not failed to point out that the seal, like the dolphin and dugong, gave rise of old, and in the middle ages, to those fables which represented certain regions as inhabited by fantastic creatures, half human, half fish, or haunted by the shades of shipwrecked mariner,?. The fact is, that the belief in marine men and women, a belief the origin of which is lost in the night of time, has been maintained down to our own days ; this not only among ignorant and superstitious fishermen, but even among very enlightened persons, whom a keen fancy for the marvelous has induced to incline a willing ear to the fables related on this subject, just as others have accredited the stories told in reference to the sea- serpent; but I shall have occasion to speak more specifically on this =^«j^^« .^v...,Txt,'i,r iTuSti i uumc i,\i iciate luv supersciuons oi the sea. OATOHINQ A MONK AT 8EA. As an evidence of the imagination, superstition and ignorance of the people of the sixteenth century, wbc^e knowledge of natural his- MTSIEBIES OF THE DEEP SEA. }M lory must have been unaccountably limited, Eondelet, . writer of that penod says : '• In our time there has been caught in Norway'^tlr I .sreat tempest. a„ ocean monster, to »hich all who saw itincontinrntly ! with a"hT: ' f "'•'u""" " '""' " '"'"''""■=<'• -'ticandung^c! ful, with a bald shmmg head, on whose shoulders, like a monk's hood, were two wmgets instead of arms; the extremity of the body teimmatcd in a broad tail. The drawing from which Ihave taken the present descr,pt,o„ was given me by the very illustrious lady. Mar! jaret of Valo.s, Queen of Navarre, and she received it from a geX THE BEAUTIFUL CRESTED SEAL. SMi„"''Th''rT'' ' ''"■""' "-^ *""" ^■"""""^ «""'»» V. then of bpaui. The gentleman asserted that he had seen the monster iust as .^portra trepresented it, i„ Norway, cast on the so"; Cod "daguauonof thesca, at a place named Diezes, near the town „f Donelopock. I have seen „ similar drawin^in Rom. -.ill °T" -- -pect from mine. Among the marine beasts, Pliny ni;k;sle:ti:n .efers to the tnton. I have seen the portrait of another madue # 240 8EA AND LAND. monster at Borne, whither it had been sent, accompanied by letters assertiufr, us an indubitable fact, that such a monster, habited like a bishop, as in the portrait, had been found in Poland in the year 1331 and conveyed to the king of that couaty, making certain signs indica- tive of its great longing to return to the sea ; and being carried thither, it immediately flung itself into the waves." Even the smallest school-boy of our day could have told Rondelet that the animal which he thought so monstrous, was only a crested seal, and yet so ignorant were the people of the time that, though there were vessels crossing every sea and there was every opportunity of seeing all the different species of seals, this writer leaves us to understand that there was no man wise enough at the courts of Na- varre or Spain, or among the ecclesiastical pundits of Rome, to know one of the most common of animals when they saw it. A 8TRAN0E VARIETY AND DOMESTIC CHARACTER OF SEALS. The Phoc8B family is divided into several species, presenting the most remarkable differences, which will be seen hereafter. Amon^ the important species are the common seal, crested seal, sea-lion or bearded seal, marbled or leopard seal, trumpet or elephant-seal, the otary and walrus. They are famili rly called by sailors, sea-calf, sea-cow, sea-dog, sea-horse and sea-lion, being general applications without regard to species. The entire seal family is very closely allied to our domestic ani- mals in the development of their instincts and intelligence, and under domestication manifest the most gentle and sociable disposition. Dr. Chenu, an excellent authority, says : ♦♦ Seals live in great herds in all parts of the globe ; yet it appears that most of their species vary, according as they belong to the waters of one or the other pole ; fo- it is remarkable that they prefer cold or temperate countries to the warm climates of the Torrid Zone. It is in general among the rocks and reefs which fringe every sea, and even among the Polar ices, that we must seek for the larger species. They an skillful swimmers, though in this respect are surpassed by the cetaceans. It is a curious, but seemingly indisputable fact, that these animals, when they put to sea, ballast themselves, as is done with a ship, by swallowing a certain quantity of pebbles, which they dis- char0"e on rfitiinnnor tn fho sViova firt»n/» »i.ofnT> o...>■. f«.e of the wLr in colan'v r""" " """ ^^'"^ "'"'o •" "■« »-- birds skimmed the Ue7and ml'dT"^, """"" •"' «""'• '^'^ «.tch the dei^of the fish whtrtht. ,':? ^"^ T" "'"' »''""'»' '» rising his head from thl wl ^It "d/^^^^^^^^^^ of the birds." ^t-eeaea each time m snapping one MATERNAL LOVE AND SINGULAR HABITA «i. ,^ .":o?rr o:;rs::;urrt:t:t^ *t t ^ -- suckle them for twelve „r aft J„T T ""» """"■"■■d. Tbey born; after which the moth!^!. t^! "i""' P'""* """"^ «">? «™ whe™ she teache them t7sw m ZZ t *."•"! °"'' *» *"" -"' upon her back when they be»me «r^ f *'"*"'.''"''' ""''"8 ""=» see them in their clum,veZrt '•'! ' '* " "^^'^ """^'"S ^ -ly gives birth t7r„;frn tloTaTim?'^'"""''- ^'""' overly bu,-densome, and she soon gives tlem the '. ""T "" ""' enables them to provide for themfZs T > "*""" "'"*"' dowedwith much sentim«„, "'«'^«oivc8. Seals are naturally en- ..sisteach ottr, treCn" ca" .•'"•''''?t'"'' "^'^ """""""d »"<> ™? certainty in Ihe X"!;: nulr s^ hi d ' r'""^ "'"' ""^»"- voice, a,.d when she calls, flv to heTsM tl '^ "^""^"^^ ■"' Thuuderandli^htnin.. so ffr f ^ t^^'""' P^-nP* ohedience. b.ve the very op^T^r^i ct I'T '"'™"'''""8 """ ^™'' 'o^""' to «t exubemnce of spirit uln the 'T ""'^ "«*<'» "-o «"■"- •he sea and avoid tC te-Slr i'!:'?:"!"" <".\''»™ '"ey leave -...ess.p.di.or,rt;;^.:^':- XTre-ir. 242 with fa unci un buskiiu and it i a most of life ; the wat prefers from th culty, I with clu '*The a phocu as fur as to him. and proti favorite < in a sEon their doi center, tl force, wh takes pla lord of 1 stranger. "But J absolutely families, fifty paces biyat mu rock, a ca' the origin ever medd On seve Cisco, I ait disport an( as the "cli intelligent MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. £43 with fat from two to four iiiphp«i {« *i.: i .."d „„.i„dv. a„d sleep ■ Zh a d X^unZ' "th -"^ ""^^ basking places arc the iie-goes „r .1™ wh. ^H^' ''™'''*'' a„"tiiJg of seals is 0. nfe „..e !he„ that iirZe iif ^^ rrLrr;!;;'^:":^' the water eve.i with a musket ball in the head Thlh I !. 5 ^" SQUATTER SOVEREIGNTY AMONG SEALS. " Ihe corner or mossv rock " s-ivu .,« u i i a phocu and his family is a euio '?d r, °''^ ''"' '"""'"•• " °" ''"'='> as far as regards other Zd^ZtT , • ''°''°' *""""■*' "' P^P'^^ to him. AUhou/h I, tl^e I H " T'''' "'"'"' "■■« ^'™"g«'^ «..d protect and talit/de: IhTh '" '" """""•"' '"'"'"• favorite element, chev rL»rH~.h ^ <'">«'•• ™«« "merged from their in a., red do 1 'e^-^'o e„„:; ^ l°" '"^'^P-"™'— «" - .heir domestic tra„;nTlitv If™!", th"' " "^'" '" '"'""'^ "P"" stranger. * eompulsor^ retreat of the indiscreet ahl^; rZl'^Tdt:: ■*"""' '"n°' S-*--'entthan it ^»n. /that are^;li7L": Zr^riXr ort^^^^^^^ fifty paces. If compelled bv necessifv fi, ".,, ^*''^^*' "^ ^^'-tj or the original partit"! ,td shnt serfTpT It ^T """««'"'"■" ever meddling with individual: If'tothitfUii;."' " ' "' A OrOANTIO LEAP AND TERR.BLE COMe.TS. u» several occasions, dtirino' the visits t i ™co, I amused myself bv ^ll-Ht'^J. '.""'" """''' *" S»» Fran- -,,ge„tereatu.X^:-r--J- 244 SKA AND LAND. Senl-Rocks." I have neen hundreds of sonls in evpiy condition of size, character and disponition, at one time on the three rocks which rise up out of the ocean nearly one hundred feet, and have been de- lightfully entertained by their variable moods and ludicrous actiorib. trr-STEKIES 0' THE DEEP SEA. J45 On one occasion I remc.bcr Imving «ee„ „ „«!, evidently ,n imilalor of Sara Patel,, einnb with no little exertion to the vo,y apex of the loft,e»t of the thtee roek. .efened to, and raiding hi. h'X , , i™ penous lo,,k.at-me banner, he barked loudly, ™d then ,!„„,, hi .elf ,nto the sea a sheer descent of one hundred feet. The objeT-t of thj, queer unttc I could not understand, especially since there was no collection taken up for his benefit, but must still suppos,. that he was proraptod l.y a spirit of bravado to uttetnpt so remarkable e feat. That seals are extremely sociable in their relations to each other is beyond cont,ad,ctio„, but they are quick to resent an insult, a'nd know well how to use the weapons nature has given then,, ihose who dehght.n the barbaric sport of hghtin,.. n.fv, any clear day 0 summer or faU, witness the bieodiest of eo„,bals-on the seal-roeks have watched with re„. u ,ible interest, such battle betwee,^ setu as I never saw take pis „ „,„ou,; other anin.als , a fight between great honsts hardly more te ri« , t!,a„ an engagement between large Teals Th y advance w,th eyes ?..,hi„, .ire and heads reared to the ut.nost, and cotning together, thej ,„rry each other like do^s with their pow! erfu teeth, nor give the lightest blows « ,. h their flippers, givin. ioice .1 the wh, e to a kind of growling bark, which seems to come' frl the stomach, deep and awful. This applies more appropriately to the sea-hons, the seal proper being a very n.uch smalle, anin.al, aud much less disposed to angry disputations, and it is also more easily While passing through the Baltic sea, on a voyage from Hull to St. Petersburg, one beautiful day, my attention was attracted to sev- eral objects m the water some distance ahead of our steamer. As we rrfv -ri;";-^ "r '?"'^' "''''■« "^y^" "■"■ -tonishment at what I venly bei.eved to be, at first, a party of n.en in bathin., so far from shore that no land was visible. The idea that they were seals d,d not occur to n,e, and the illusion was st perfect The .eawas unruffled by a singi, wave, and the seals, perhaps a dozen were n.ovmg sh.wly, their heads only above water" look',,.,, 't th * dstanee I was from them, exactly like n,en. At the first sug.resti„„ seals I immediately saw my n.istake, but thjir resembfa^iee to riof tZ "'".r^V"^' ''^*"."'>«" -« «■""» up within a hundred ._ _..., . ,.,„.„ ^^^i^-civcu ixiiw natuiuiiy tiie supersition of mermen and mermaids originaUd. ^ ^ "*''' ""^ 246 8EA AND LAND. ADVENTURES IN HUNTING THE SEAL. The marbled or crested seal, sometimes also called the Greenland seal, and by the Esquimaux, "Neitsersoak," is the most valuable animal the Arctic natives hunt ; its flesh affords them excellent food; its fur provides them with the warmest of clothing, and is also used to cover the little kayaks, or boats, which they dexterously use even in tempestuous seas; of the stomach air-buoys are made, which the Esquimau fastens to his lance to float it after it is struck into his prey, and even the teeth are not valueless, for with them the Green- lander heads his spears, and the females sometimes use them for dec- orating their persons. There are two methods employed by the natives of the fur north in capturing the crested seal, both popular and yet so radically differ- ent in the spirit and result, that it is to be wondered why one has not long since superseded the other j they may be briefly described as follows: I Seals are in the habit of excavating considerable cavities in the thick ice, and leaving a kind of shelf upon which to repose ; by mov- ing their bodies, in some manner not yet explained, these excavations are made quite round and smooth and are sometimes four and even five feet above the surface of the water. Notwithstanding this slip- pery doorway, the seal bobs up and climbs the walls without any difficulty. Many of these seal-holes are covered with an incrustation of snow, and this fact is a great aid to the hunter, who can approach without detection, and taking up his position over the hole he waits with unexampled patience the coming of his prey. A seal may leave its hole and remain away for twelve hours or more at a time, but the patient hunter knows it will return, and is contented to' cover up his feet and legs and bundle himself for a twelve-hour wait. During all this time he must remain perfectly quiet and hold his lance constaTitly in position for a blow; the least noise will frighten the animal away, for it is wary almost beyond belief. Its presence at the hole is detected by a slight scratching noise, hearing which the hunter drives his lance through the '^rust and into the seal, usually striking its head. The second mode, which seems to be altogether more superior to the first, though 't is not more popular, is as follows: Proceeding on the hunt with siedge and dogs, the Esquimau approaches the baskingpgrounds with great circumspection, and the moment he comes MrsiERies or thu beep sea. U1 ra sight of seals, leaves his sledge and creeps along with the greatest possible care toward his game, moving not only vefy slowly! Ct a po.,fon as nearly prosf-ate as possible. The moment hfperce^es the animal betray signs of suspicion he lies flat upon the ice until the seal becomes quiet again and reposes itself. Thl man cannot there! after crawl „s he did before, hut must imitate the actions of a sell wh,ch the Greenlanders manage to do with wonderful fidelity i he turn blesand shifts hnnself like a seal moving its position, but by each movement he contmues to approach a little closer.or rather, between he animal ^and its hole, from which it never strays far If the , «„ er succeeds m cutting off the seal's retreat, his suLss is ceiW for the poor ammal cannot make fast progress on the ice, nor has i ^ISr^Tr""' "'"* '° '!'™'' """ "^••-' fo "un'ter's c::bs »NEODOTe8 OF THE SEAL'a MOAOITY. Seals are persevering hunters of fish, and their depredations among the salmon fisheries ai-e terrible. Not on are they the most expert of swimmers and catch their prey in a fair chase, bnt they haunt tl" fislnng-nets and sometimes devour nearly all the catch. These Jty aminals have been known to remain by the fishing-nets an cnti e season, rarely taking a fish outside the meshes, and al the conclns on 0 be season leave the locality with the business-like characteris ti«^ of tne fishermen themselves. ■ -iis l.Z'f T' *'"";° '' *.™™"' "•^^'""" «mongthe inhabitants of the Li coast respecting the seal, which constanUy haunts the same apo! thr ugh a series of years. They think that the animal is supernat- umlly protected from harm of any kind -that bullets will n.^ trill um however well the gun be aimed ; that steel will not enter his body! ..wever keen the blade or strong the arm that wields it , and that t^e hig army of nets are powerless to retain so puissant a being in the^r »a„i old meshes. So after a while a seal, if it be onlv bold and w.^y may ead a luxurious life at the fisherman's cost, for no one will veni tare to attack an animal that has a charmed life Fortunately for the seals in general, they are not often visited by he wrath of those they rob, for there is a feeling prevajramonR itr'„ ':l!^ ::!'".» r"^•T'"«' -'''"-"-P-t'-e slayer.'-S ^ " \""^ -vvcptaiiuo oevona liie iishermen, for no animal is more remorselessly pursued than the seal, whose so t fur consZtes a source of such infinite delight and envy among ladies. 248 6£A AND LAItD. HOW SEALS ARE OAPTUREO. The customary manner of taking the fur-bearing seal is for the hunters to land quietly, cut off the seals from the water, and then dispatch then with blows from a bludgeon across their nose When driven to desperation they fight savagely but fruitlessly among expe- rienced seal hunters. The animal has a very awkward and no less sipgular habit when trying to effect its escape, of lying partially on its side and scratching furiously with its fore paws, when, if rushed upon, it tries to fling itself upon the intruder and bear him down. Should the land upon which it is reposing be covered with pebbles, the hunter had better keep well in front of the animal, for in its leaping, cater- pillar motion, it flings the stones behind it with great violence, capa- ble of doing serious injury to a man. Much sea-craft is required for the chase of the seal, as well as con- siderable knowledge of its habits. It is a remarkable fact, that if the seal be disturbed while the tide is ebbing, it will always make its way seaward, but if alarmed while the tide is flowing, it will direct its course landward. The seal is also a good barometer, and by its movements indicates to the practiced eye the forthcoming changes in the weather. Whenever an old seal is seen rollinsrandtumblinffalonor a bank, a storm of wind and rain is sure to ensue before many hours are passed. Nearly every species of seal is fond of musical sounds, and it has been frequently known to follow boats in which musical instruments were being played. Some persons have gone so far in their opinionsof the seal's love for music as to seriously recommend that hunters employ pipers to go with them and lure the animal, a8-« «"> -°ter season, the seal Z rntrived J« ,T^ '"^''' ''"' ''"'^ '"-^ 'to'-y- but the poor seal conhived to find its way through the driving waves and blinding snow 250 8EA AND LAND. back to its beloved home. It searched in rain for some hole through which to reach its sleeping place again, but finding none, it retunud to the door, and there laid and cried, unheard by its mistress, until the bitter cold froze out its affectionate life. A FIGHT WITH A MOTHER SEAL. A story is also told in the same work somewhat as follows : A number ot men had gone in a boat to the Sound of Achil, and having seen a seal and her young one reposing on the sand, had borrowed an old musket and set off to attack them. They succeeded in se- curing the cub before it could reach the sea, and tossed it into their boat. The mother seal, however, inspired by maternal love, swum after the boat that contained her offspring, and could not be deterred from following the captors, in the hope of rescuing her child. The men attempted several times to shoot the poor creature, but their rusty weapon would not explode until it had been snapped a num- ber of times ; the weapon was finally discharged, and the bullet lodged in the creature's head. Life being apparently extinct, the mother was lifted into the boat, but at this moment she recovered from the stunning effects of the shot and made a furious attack upon her enemies, floundering about so violently as to threaten to upset the boat, and snapping savagely at the men. At such close quai-ters, and several in the boat, the seal had a decided advantage, which she was pressing, and would have no doubt killed one or more of hei as- sailants had not aid from a neighboring boat reached them wheu it did. Tlie Harp or Atak-senI, so-called from the singular coloring of the fur on its back, is most common along the Greenland coast, and on account of the very rich oil it yields is regarded as being most valua- ble, commercially, of all the species. Two harp-seals were placed in the zoological garden of Paris, where they soon left off their shy- ness and manifested the greatest docility, allowing even strangers to caress them, and showing much pleasure at having their heads rubbed. Two small dogs were put in the pen with them, and it was amusing to see how grateful they were to have them for companions. The seals were now large, and would brook no familiarities from other members of the seal family that shared their quarter, ) t they im- mediatelv formed an attachment for the doars reallv ^ uitiful to see. The four slept together and ate from the same disLjs ; '^ Tact, it was no uncommon thing to see one of the dogs seize a .d take from the MYSIERIES OF THE DfiEP sea. 251 sea a piece of food already in its mouth. The dogs would perch on their b.g fnends' backs aud baric at visitor., and often, in play- fulness, would bite the seals ; but these familiarities were not resented, and when the dogs made their way to another apartment, which they were able to do, the seals would try their utmost to follow, and be- tray great uneasiness until their little companions returned. THE ORFAT SEA-HORSE. What I have written concerning seals applies generally to the sev- eral species, except my references to the domesticity of the animals which has immediate reference to the common seals. The elephant' seal ar^d the walrus, though belonging to the Phoc^ family are so distinct in certain features and habits as entitles them to separate mention. I might also explain that the sea-lionproper is far different from the animal exhibited in menageries and zoological gardens as such, as we shall hereafte: see, an'd I therefore prefer to treat them separately. Of all the Phocine family none present? so torrible and grotesque an appearance as the gigantic Walrus, al.o Known under the nanies of mor.e ana sea-horse. The most striking feature of thus great animal 18 its gnzzly head, bristling muzzle and immense canine teeth, which are developed into mighty tusks, growing straight downward from the upper jaw. These fearful weapons attain a length of two feet and measure at the base as much as seven inches in circumference * and sometimes weigh ten pounds. They are the tine.tquality of ivorv' and constitute an article of considerable commercial value. By reason of the enormous size of these teeth, which are deeply imbedded in the upper jaw, the nose is ab rmally enlarged, imparting to the beast much of its ferocious aspect . "The Walrus," says Marmier, "is a shapeless, unwieldy beast, roni twelve to fifteen feet long, and eight to ten in circumference, ts thick hide IS covered with hair; under this skin stretches a thick layer of fat, which protects the animal against the ngors of winter Frequently the walrus., lie in great numbers -long the banks of ice motionless and piled pell-mell one upon another. But one of them during their repose, enacts the pr.it of sentinel ; at the sliahtest appearance of danger it precipitates itself into the waves. AH tli oUpfs immediately attempt to follow ; but in this critical moment tL^ owness of their movements sometimes produces the most grotesque scenes. In the confused state in which they have been lying it is .!!*;•:■ 8BA AND LAND. 252 with difHciilty they diseng ige thctnseWeifl^^Hpi masses of heavy flesh wit 'i enclose them on every sioMimjjj^Hbll awkwardly into the wai. ;i' ; others crawl painfully along til^ ice. The weight of theit bodies and th? enormous disproportion of their limbs rcudor jili hiove- WALRUS, SEA -LION AND SEALS. ments upon the ice ^-'tremely difficult for them. '•'■ it as soon as these ungainly animals t ^ a the water, they resu their vigor, audif attacked defenu themselves with astonishing : urage. W .. imtsiiil-!! MT8TEEIE8 OP THE DEEP SEA. flA8 1^ .! " At times they themselves begin to fight ; they dart upon the fishermen's boats, seizing the gunvfalea with then long, hook-like teeth, and draw them furiWusly toward them. At times the> glide under the skiff and endeavor to capsize it. Their hardy, scal> skin resists the blows of pike and spear, and it is neither without difficulty nor danger that the poor fishermen escape from such formidable adversaries. In these desperate combats the walruses are generally led by a chief, who is easily recognized by his great size and impetuous ardor. If the fishermen succeed in killing him, at that instant all his comrades abandon the struggle, gather round him, support him, by means of their teeth, on the surface of the water, aijd drag him id all haste far from the attacking boats and out of peril. DESPERATE BRAVERY OF THE WALRUS. But the most impressive and dramatic scene is when the walruses fight to secure their young. Generally they attempt to deposit them on a bank of ice, in order that they themselves may be left to fight more freely without injuring their young. If the mothers have not sufficient time to place their offspring in a remote place of safety, they take them under their paws, clasp them to their breast, and throw themselves with desperate audacity against the fishermen's boats. The young walruses exhibit a similar devotion and intrepidity when their parents are in peril. They have been known, when placed ,9part in security, boldly to quit the asylum chosen for them by anxious affection, and take their share in the struggle in which the mother was engaged, to sustain her efforts and participate in her dangers. Captain Cook, who, by the way, was the first to give any correct accnant of the habits of the walrus, which previous to his time was regarded with no little superstition, thus describes an incident illus- trative of the great affection which the walrus has for its young. * * *« We hoisted out the boats and sent them in pursuit of the sea-horses that surrounded us. Our people were more successful than they had been before, returning with three large ones and a young one. On the approach of our boats toward the ice, they took all their cubs beneath their fins and endeavored to escape with them nito the sea . Several , whose young ones were killed or wounded , and were left "floating on the surface, rose again and carried them down, just as our people were upon the point of taking tham into the boat, and they might be traced bearing them a great distance through the water, 254 S£A AND LAND. which was colored with their blood. We afterward observed them bringing their youn«^ up at times above The surface, as if for air, and again diving under it with a dreadful bellowing. The female in par- ticular, whose young had been destroyed and taken into the boat, became so enraged that she attacked the cutter and struck her teeth through the bottom of it." The walrus is not without curiosity, but it never becomes impru- dently so. Sailors who hunt the animal for its oil and ivory, tell wonderful stories of its remarkable sagacity. In approaching the animal in a boat it will sometimes manifest great surprise aud gaze at the crew with wondering eyes, but in such cases the mothers will keep their young well in hand, so to speak, holding them carefully by their flippers, and when they anticipate danger will push their offspring under water, and hold it out of sight till their fears subside. CUNNING OF THE POLAR -BEAR. Aside from man the walrus has a dangerous enemy, and one, too, that gives him fair battle with results that vary ; this bold desperado is the Polar-Bear, whose existence is maintained in the frozen re2ion^. where his life is almost a continual battle. Knowing his power, the walrus regards the bear with great dread, so that in order to reach his elephantine prey, bruin resorts to some very cunning schemes one of which is told in the following language: " One sunshiny day one of these animals, about ten feet in length, rose in a pool of water not very far from us, and after looking round, drew his greasy carcass upon the ice, where he rolled about for a time, and at length laid himself down to sleep. A bear, which hud probably been observing his movements, crawled carefully upon the ice on the opposite side of the pool, and began to roll about also, hut apparently more from design than amusement, as he progressively lessened the distance between him and his prey. The walrus, sus< picious of his advances, drew himself up preparatory to a precip- itate retreat into the water, in case of a nearer acquaintance with his playful but treacherous visitor. On this the bear became instantly motionless as if in the act of sleep, but after a time began to lick his paws and clean himeelf , encroaching occasionally a little more ou his intended prey. But even this artifice did not succeed; the wary walrus was far too cunning to allow himself to be entrapped, and suddenly plunged into the pool, which the bear no sooner observed than he threw off all disguise, rushed toward the spot, and fQUQ^?c| MYSTERIES OF TttF DEEP SEA, him In an instant into tlie water, where he was as much disappointed in hib meal as v'e were of the pleasure of witnessing a very interest- ing encounter." FI0HT8 BETWBFN THE WALRUS AND THE POLAR- BEAR Although the poiar-bear will attack the walrus with the view of making a meal of him, such attacks develop into combats that are by no means one-sided. The bear fights for food, while the walrus fights for life, and a desperate engagement it invariably proves to be. The tactics of the bear are to seize the walrus from behind and worry him to exhaustion, but, though clumsy, the walrus usually manages to keep its quarters well protected, until the bear becomes very much enraged and rushes in to fight at close quarters ; it is now that the combat becomes interesting, but terrible. As the bear leaps toward the walrus, the latter tries to receive him on its two powerful teeth, which U f requenUy accomplished ; but the b.ar is not easily killed! and survives the most astonishing wounds; the bodies of the two are 8oon covered with blood,and they become so maddened that neither will give up the contest until death ends the struggles of one. After kill- ing a bear, the victorious walrus has been seen to drive its tusks into the dead body, as if it could not satisfy its bitter revenge. When the bear wins, he usually forthwith begins his feast, regardless of his numerous and sometimes fatal wounds, and eats up to the very i, meut that death claims him. DREADFUL COMBAT WITH WALRUSES. Owing to the difficulty of securing the body after the animal is shot, mthe water, walrus hunters employ means to come up with their game and knock it in the head, or harpoon it. The dangers encountered in such sport are quite enough to deter any but those with stout hearts, as will be seen by frequent instances where men have lost their hves in pursuit of walruses, only one of which I have room her« to lecord. A large herd of walruses being discovered gamboling on an ice-floe, two boats were dispatched from the ship to go after them ; each boat contained six men armed with harpoons and clubs, but no guns, as these weapons are not in favor with the hunters. After proceeding yvitnm two bimdred yards of the herd, a single walrus came up within a few feet of ^a bow of the advance boat, and offered such an ex- cellent target, that a harpoon was thrown which struck it near the shoulder and remained fast. The animal made a noise indicative of -■* 266 I greiit distr tance iiwuj took place hundreds c they all pi?; bnnta C! se became muc their course all battles b( Hi MYSTERIES ( THE DEEP SEA. 257 great distress, and dived to a rons; lerable depth , reappearing some dis- tance away in company with three others. A singular thing now took place; there was aijparentiy a council of war hastily held by the hundreds of walruses that were on tire ice-floe, and in a few moments they all phinged into the water and made ail possible speed for the ESQUIMAU WALRUS HUNTER, --^— oetii.i; ^11 auvaiiuujg liwst lii sucr; poweiTUi creatures, the luen became much alarmed, and would fain have put back forthe ship, but their course was speedily intrrcepted, and one of the most terrible of all battles began. Th wairm?^^ threw theroseJve* witli unexampled I7i . ^ 258 SEA AND LAND. fury on the boats and received the blows that were showered ou them without quailing for an instant. Every man felt that hia life de- pendod upon his ability to beat back an enemy far more powerful than he, under the circumstances against which he was contending. As the animals that attacked the boat were struck back by telling blows from the men, others would fairly climb over the sinking bodies, their gap- ing mouths, fiery eyes, dreadful tusks, ponderous bulks, and horrify- ing growls, inspiring ■' 'error greater than words can express. The contest could not continue long, as the number of walruses eonfeiantly increased and a casualty to the boats was certain soon to occur, from some of the strokes made against them by the vicious and fury-driven animals. The men fought as never men fought before, plying their heavy cudgels with great effectiveness, but apparently in no wise diminishing the army that hud attacked them. That portion of the crew remaining with the ship saw the peril oj their companions and quickly made ready two more boats, while the ship herself was moved up, so that from her decks the fight, whiili was now defensive, might be waged in greater safety. Before the other boats came up, however, a dreadful event had happened: the gunwale of one of the boats had been torn off and the water poured in so that it soon filled, and the poor unfortunate occupants were at the mercy of their tormentors. It was the work of a moment for the numberless walruses to fall upon the men and fairly rend them to j)iece8*, like so many wolves set upon a stricken deer. Their furv was 80 fiojMJentrated upon the men in the water that they left the other boat and thus permitted it to row away, and the men in it were ^aved, but at the expense of their ^comrades' lives. This painfully thrilling event occurred off the .coast of Oreenland in 1856, since which time there has been much greater caution used by walrus hunters, and such a serious casml,ty has ^lot been pepeated to pay knowledge. The jusuajl mode of huntjng ^b^ walrus now is with dogs, which are (trained to attack them oy ,the ice, and so disperse the herd that they cannot niuke a simultaaeows charge upon the hunters. Such a chase is called a " cut»" which is sometimes so successful that fifteen hun- {flred or two thousand are killeijl out of a single her^. THfi 8eA-eL£PWANT~A VERITABLE MONSTCfi. Though pot exactly a prototype of the Jand-ejeph^nt, the Seu- ;:joph^ut 19 w,eW ww»e4 Mu4 }B » likel^r first-wusip o^ the jgf^te^ 9f MVSTEBIEB Or TH« DEEP 8EA, 259 Und quadrupeds. Large specimenB of this monstrous seal measure as much as thirty feet in lengtl^ and eighteen feet in circumference, H prodigy much larger than the mightiest Jumbo, or the Mastodon of Petersburg. The sea-elephant is an inhabitant of the southern hemisphere, where it is found over a wide range, and is extensively hunted on account of the vast amount of oil which its body yields. This ani- mal not only resembles the land-elephant by its snout, which bears 8ome analogy to the proboscis of the elephant, and from which it takes its name, but in habit there is also a marked similarity. Unlike all other members of the seal family, the sea-elephant is not confined to the sea, but is particularly fond of fresh water lakea and swampy THE MONSTER SEA - ELEPHANT. places, where it feeds on both fish and regetables, though generally «p«akang, 5t is a carnivorous animal. About June the females bear their young, during which time they Mire inland and remain to nurse their offspring for two months. It is stated by naturalists as a fact that the males form a cordon about the females and compel them to care for the young, which they would otherwise desert, a statement which I can scarcely reconcile with female nature. The sea-elephant is a polygamous animal, and takes his consorts by conquest. The season of courtship begins immediately after the young are brought to the ae&, usually ftboul %wq mowtfes after birth, ,.l!i 260 SEA AND LAND. and is a period of battle in which the males all participate until thci ^ is a settlement of the question as tap;,which are strongest and which 'veakest. The former then proceed to select their several wives from the females that have been watching the fight ; after the victors coin elude their selections the vanquished are allowed to select from those " left over." The sea-elephant is a very tyrant over his harem ; he has the virtue which many husbands luck ; he will not obtrude upon another's family nor will he abandon his females in the hour of great- est danger. Knowing this fact, the seal hunters always direct their attacks against the females, being sure to capture the nuile afterward. If they were to kill the male first his harem would disperse like in- constant creatures detected in their guilt, or like bond-women to whom the door of freedom was accidentally opened. Although these animals are of great dimensions and bodily strength, and are furnished with a very formidable set of teeth, they are not nearly such dangerous antagonists as the walrus. When roused from sleep they open their mouths in a threatening manner, but more for the purpose of frightening than attacking their enemies, for if the latter do not flee, the animal, more accommodating, will flee itself. CURIOSITIES OF THE SEA- ELEPHANT. Wood says: ** The extraordinary development of the nose, which gives so wend-like a character to the aspect of the elephant-seal, is only found in the adult males, and even in them is not very percepti- ble unless the animal is alarmed or excited. While the creature is undisturbed, the nose only looks peculiarly large and heavy ; as soon, however, as the animal becomes excited, it protrudes this proboscis- like nose, blov-3 through it with great violence, and assumes a very formidable appearance. The female is entirely destitute of this struc- ture, and except for its enormous dimensions might be mistaken for an ordinary seal. In the male it does not appear until the third year. **The elephant-seal is easily tamed when taken young, and disphiys great affection toward a kind master. One of these animals was tamed by an English seaman, and would permit its master to mount upon its back, or to put his hand into its mouth without doing him any injury." The trumpet-seal is also provided with a proboscis which is more elephantine than that of the elephant-seal itself. It derives its name from the trumpet-like sound of its voice, which is very sonorous and deep, and in the mating season ma^ be he^^rd for ^ distance of two wileSf MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 261 THE SEA-BEAR. The Ursine Seal, or Sea-Beai-, is the most valuable, commercially, of thephocine fiimilj, and, strange enough, it is also the most numer- ous. In size it is not nearly so great as other species, but the limbs are much better developed and it can travel faster. It takes its name from a fancied resemblance to the bear, but the likeness is not noticeable to an ordinary observer. The color of its fur is very pleasing, the I(»ng| hairs being of a grayish-brown, while the thick, soft wool which lies next to the skin is a reddish-brown. When the skin is dressed the long hairs are removed and the wool only left, which constitutes the seal-skin of commerce. THE TRUMPET- SEAL. The sea-bear is a native of the cold regions, being found in greatest numbers qn the coast of Kamtschatka and the Kurile Islands, where they congregate in such vast herds during summer as to fairly blacken th« banks which thev haunt. TJUo nfhoro nf fV»« -fixniiir +»,« o^.. u^.... IS polygamous and a squatter sovereign, choosing his domain and suf- fering no encroachments thereon. As the number of females playing the part of consorts to the male is from forty to fifty, on an average, 262 8EA AND LAND. and the offspring of such family is usually mr^fe than one hundred, ft will be seen that their reproduction is very rapid, partisilly justifying the great slaughter which is practiced by seal companies every year. CHAPTER XVII. THE MIGHTY POLAR-BEAR. HAVE prefsired to include a desciiption of the Polar, oi Greenland iitar, in the first department of this book, because he is a sea-animal to the extent of livino; m the ocean a great ^'M^ portion of his life, and finding nearly all his subsistence by fishing. His natural home seems to 'be the ioe, and his delight is greatest when surveying the landscape of driving floes, watching for his favorite prey, the seal. Three and even four hundred miles from the nearest land, he may frequently be seen riding on fields of ice, careless of threatening storms or approaching ice-bergs, that any minute may destroy his footing and leave him floundering in the sea ; for he is almost equally at home in the water. Not only can the polar-bear swim without fatigue, but he can dart through the water and dive so deep, swiftly and unerring, that he is as perfect in fishing as the otter, and if left miles from land in the ocean, he could still find food abundant. Nature has singularly endowed the polar-bear, making it one of the most remarkable of animals. In size it surpasses all others of the ursine family, possibly excepting the grizzly, while in activity its superi- ority must be acknowledged. Cast by nature in a rigorous dibtrict of the world, where the food supply must, from the very nature of things, at times become precarious, this animal has been given the power to subsist upon its own fat to a much greater extent than is seen in other hibernating animals. Sometimes raging storms sweep along the ice-ribbed shores for weeks, during which time the seal* remain close within their caves, and the fish seek the quiet of great depths. Cut off from his supply of food, the polar-bear loses his appetite, as it were, nnd fasts without inconvenience until such time as his accustomed prey is again obtainable. Of the habits of the polar-bear, Scoresby, the extinguished whaler •nd explorer, says ; MYSTERIES OP THK DEKP SEA. # 263 "This formidable animal is, among quadrupeds, the sovereign of the Arctic countries. He is powerful and courageous ; savage and sagacious ; apparently clumsy, and yet not inactive. His senses are THE POLAR -BEAR IN HIS CHOSEN HAUNTS. extreme!}/ acute, especially his sight and smell. As he traverses ex- tensive fields of ice, he mounts the hummocks and looks around for prey; or, rearing his head and snuffing the breeze, he perceives the ^■■M ;!(! < 'I II if ii! 2(^4 dfiA AND tAKO. scent of the carrion of the whale at an immense distance. A piece of kreng — fleshy part of the whale after the blubber is removed — thrown into the fire will draw him to a ship from the distance of miles. The kreng of the whale, however offensive to a human nose, is to him a banquet. Seals seem to be his most usual food; yet from the extreme watchfulness of these creatures he is often, it is believed, kept fasting for weeks tr»gether. He ^eems to be equally at home on the ice as on the land. He is found on field-ice over two hun- dred miles from the shore. He can svim with the velocity of three miles an hour, and can accomplish some leagues without much incon- venience. He dives to a considerable distance when in pursuit of his prey, but only when forced to. I^ear the east coast of Greenland they have been seen on the ice in such vast numbers as to appear like a large flock of sheep. The extraordinary power of the pMar-bear ipay be estimated by considering the following facts: The uisual size of this animal ia eight feet in lengtli and nearly as much in circumference, while its height is from four to five feet, but Barents, in 1596 — a long while ago— r killed two bears, one of which measured twelve and the other thirteen feet in length, and their weight was nearly a ton each. Bears are not nearly so large now as they were three hundred years ago, judging by the size of those which Barentz killed, but they are still large enough to do infinite mischief. Those which measure eight feet in length have a paw seven inches broad, with claws two inches long, while their canine teeth, exclusive of the portion embedded in the jaw, are about an inch and a half in length. Having an amazing strength of jaw, they have been known to bite a lance in two, though made of iron, half an inch in diameter, or at least this fact is asoerted by Scoresby. DANDERS OF ATTACKINQ A POLAR -BEAR The polar-bear may be captured in the water without subjecting cme's self to great danger; but on the ice he has such powers of resistance that the experiment is extremely hazardous. Wlien pur- sued and attacked he will invariably turn upon his enemies ; and if struck with a lance he is apt to seiz^ it in his mouth, and either brte it hi two or wrest it from the hand. If shot with a ball, unless he is strucic in the head or heart, or in the shoulder, he is enraged rather than depressed, and fulls with incieased fury upon his pursuerr. When shot at a distance, und able to escape, he has been observed lo •4 ;c5- " MtsTERifis Of Tttfi DEEi. gRA. m retire to the shelter of an ice hummock, and, as if conscious of the styptical effect of cold, apply snow to the wound with his paw« A curious fact concerning the bear is the palatableness of all its flesh, while the liver, usually a dainty morsel in other animals, is so deletenous that many sailors have died from the effects of eating it while others have suffered the loss of the outer cuticle, which peels off as if blistered. Scoresby relates severs! anecdotes of the polar-bear, some of which are worthy of transcription to these pages. INTELLIGENCE OF THE POLAR -BEAR. -The captain of one of the whalers being anxious, to procures bear without wounding the skin, made trial of the strataaem of lav- ing the noose of a rope in the sm.w, and placing a piece of kren- withm It. A bear ranging the neighboring ice was soon enticed to the spot by the smell of burning meat He perceived the bait ap- proached and seized it in his mouth ; but his foot, at the same moment by a ,ierk of the rope, became entangled in the noose ; he pushed it off with the other paw, and deliberately retired. After havincr eaten the piece he carried away with him, he returned. The noose, 1th another piece of kreng, being then replaced, he pushed the rope aside and again walked triumphantly off with the bait. A third time the noose was laid ; but excited to caution by theevid-ntobservafonof the bear the sailors buried the rope beneath the snow, and laid the krena i„ J deep hole dug in the center. The bear once more approached" and he sa.lors were assured of their success. But bruin, more sagacious than they expected, after snuffing about the place for n few moments scraped the snow away with hi. paw, threw the rope aside, and ac^ain escaped unhurt with his prize. ° "lathe month of June, 1812, a female bear, with two cubs, ap- proached the ship I commanded, and was shot. The cubs, not attempting to escape, were taken alive. These animals, though at first evidently very unhappy, became at length, in some measure, reconciled to their situation, and. being tolerable tame, were allowed occasumally to go .t large about the deck. While the ship was moored to a floe. . :,cvv days after they were taken, one of them, having a rope fa: terod round its neck, was thrown nv«.K»n..i rl «.ately swar. ^^ the ice, got upon it, and attempted to esciape. F nding itse f . however, detained by the rope, it endeavored to d^s- engage liseU m the following ingenious way ; Near the ,^ge of the 266 SEA AND LAND. floe wa8 a crack in the ice, of a considerable length, but only eigh- teen indaes or two feet wide, and three or four feet deep. To this spot the bear repaired ; and when on crossing the chasm, the bight of the rope fell into it, he placed himself across the opening; then, suspending himself by his hind feet, with a leg on each side, he dropped his head and most of his body, into the chasm, and with a foot applied to each side of the neck, attempted for some moments A HUNTER MANGLKD BY A POLAR -BEAR. to push the rope over his head. Finding this scheme ineffectual, he removed to the main ice, and running with great impetuosity from the ship, gave a remarkable pull on the rope ; then going backward - < ««.„«a v,«^«.-.o.,fo/i fVio I'pik At. Ifino-th. after reoeated attempts to escape this way, every failure of which he announced by a signili- cant growl, he yielded himself to his hard necessity, and lay down on the ice in angry and suUeu silence," MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 267 MANGLED BY A POLAR • BEAR. Continuing his remarks on the sagacity and ferocity of the polar- bear, Scoresby relates the following : '♦ Two of the crew of a vessel which had anchored near Nova Zam- bia, landed un an island at the mouth of the WeigatB, and impelled by curiosity, wandered some distance from the beach ; but while unconscious of danger, one of them was suddenly seized on the back by a bear, and brought to the earth. His companion ran o£E and gave the alarm, and a party of shipmates came to his assistance. The bear stood over its jyey during their approach, without the least ap- pearance of fear ; and on their attack, sprung upon one of their number, and made him also a victim to its ferocity and power. The rest now fled in confusion, andr could not be induced to renew the conflict. Three sailors only among the crew had sufficient courage to combat with this formidable animal ; they attacked it, and after a dangerous struggle, killed it, and rescued the mangled bodies of their two unfortunate shipmates." BATTLES WITH THE POLAR • BEAR. Captain Cook, of the Archangely landed on the coast of Spitzber- gen, accompanied by his surgeon and mate. While traversing the shores a bear suddenly sprang up from a hummock, where it was con- cealed, and seized the captain between its powerful jaws. At this juncture, when a moment of hesitation must prove fatal, with rare presence of mind the captain shouted to his surgeon to fire, who, with admirable resolution so speedily obeyed the order, that he shot the bear through the brain before it had time to do the captain serious in- jury. Captain Hawkins met with a similar danger, from which he as providentially escaped. Discovering a bear on a cake of ice, in Davis' Strait, he took a boat and rowed out to it. Upon reaching the bear, which appeared unconcerned for its safety, the captain struck his lance twice into its breast, but instead of the wounds intimidating or badly injuring the animal, they only served to enrage it, for in a trice it seized the weapon, and jumping into the boat, bit the captain sav- agely in the thigh, and then threw him over its head into the water. S: 1 ...1- iuUgii, tiic wear diu not up LUC custom, but leaping into the water Itself, on the other side, made off while the other men in the boat were giving their attention to the rescue of their oapt>jin. 268 SEA AND LAND. Captain Scoresby tells another curious story, illustrating the bear's insensibility to danger, from which I condense : A boat's crew at- tacked a bear in the Spitzbergen sea, with harpoons and lances, but POLAR -BKAR AND WALRUS FIGHTING. 80 far from disabling the anlmril, it turned savagely upon its enemies and continued to climb into the boat, whereupon the crew speedily be- took themselves to the water, so that the tables w«ire completely MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP S^A. 269 turned To keep fron, drowning the poor fellows clung to the rinas of the boat, from which chilling position bruin did not attempt to drive them, but contented itself with a seat in the stern of the boat where ,t sat fairly laughing at its enemies' discomfiture. Another boat crew at length ca ■... to the rescue of their. companions, and shot the bear as it sat staring at them. WONDERFUL MATERNAL LOVE MANIFESTED BY A BEAR The female has her young in the month of March, and generally brings forth two at a time, which are remarkably small. The attach ment she has for her young inspires her with a courage well worthy of admiration . The following occurrence was obseryed by the f ric^ate on which the famous Nelson began his naval career. This fric^atewas m the polar regions, in 1773. , At day-break, one morning, three bears were seen from the top of the mast coming very quickly over the ice toward the vessel. The men made out that it was a female accompanied by two young bears almost as strong as their mother All three ran to a stove, into which some remains of a porpoise had been thrown ; they drew out the pieces of flesh which the fire had not consumed The mother distributed the pieces, giying the larc^est share to the young ones. The sailors seized this moment to fire at the two young bears, who remained at the stoye, and also at the mother, whom they wounded without killing. Her despair would have touched the hardest heart. Without paying attention to her own wounds, or to the blood she was shedding, she only attended to her little ones ; she called them with sorrowful cries, put before them her own share of food, and even broke it up for them. As they re- mained motionless, her groans became still more melancholy She tried to lift them up, and finding her efforts useless, she went away a few steps and renewed her calls; then retur-'ng to the dead bodies, she licked the wounds, and would notleaye them until conyjnced that hfeAvasgone; then, with frightful bowlings toward the vessel, she seemed to accuse the murderers, and they answered with another dis- charge from their guns. Fatally wounded, the poor mother came to die by her young ones, licking their wounds to the last. 270 SEA AND LAin>. CHAPTER XVin. THE NARWHAL AND THE CROCODILE. IhE word Narwhal signifies in the Gothic, "beaked whale," which is not inappropriate, since it undoubtedly belongs to the whale family. Sea Unicorn, by which it is known, is i deserving title, given on account of the curious weapon of ivory, which springs from the upper jaw and protrudes directly forward a distance of eight or ten feet. The male narwhal, in which alone this polished weapon appears, uses it very dexterously, not only in charging his enemies, but also in breaking holes through the ice where ^great force is required ; it is also employed to dig in the mud and around the rocks, vheri the ani- mal's food is chiefly found, such as squids, shrimps and niolluscw. Some persons maintain that the tu. k is used to impale tish of consid- erable size, but this statement is hardly probable, being baseu on pre- sumption rather than ocular evidence. A narwhal has been known to encounter a ship and drive its tooth- spear through im heathing, and deepiy into the timbers, with all the power of a s- '> (sh. Occasionally these tusks are developed iu the female, Ivt i^ecimens of which were captured and their heads still preserved, euch of which had two tusks more than seven feet in length. In former days an entire tusk of a narwhal was considered of ines- timable value, for it was looked upon as the weapon of the veritable unicorn, reft from his forehead in despite of his supernatural strength and superhuman intellect. Setting aside the rarity of the thing, it derived a practical value from its supposed capability of disarming all poisons of their terrors, and of changing the deadliest draught into a wholesome beverage. These pleasing superstitions are perpet- uated on England's coat-of-arms, whereon is a figure representing a horse with the unicorn's tusk growing out of his forehead. The old superstition was that an antidotal potency was of vital con- sequence to the unicorn, whose residence was in the desert, among all kinds of loathsomu beasts and poisonous reptiles, whose touch was death, and whose very look was contamination. The springs and pools at which such monsters quenched their thirsty were saturated niijii m MICROCOPY RESOIUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) A APPLIED irvVIGE Ir 1653 Eost Main Street Rochester, New York 14609 USA (716) 482 - 0300- Phone (716) 288-5989 -Fox 272 SEA AND LAND. with poison by their contact, and would pour a fiery death through the veins of any animal that partook of the same water. But the WHALE ATTACKED BY A NARWHAL unicorn, by dipping the tip of his horn in the water, neutralized the ypoow and rendered the pool harmlesg. Thja admirable tjuality of MYSTERItS OF THE DEEP SBA, 278 the unicorn was a great recommendation in dav«i whon f h« • oh.Hce o.ept too fe^ueof, „pon .he feTtit'bol'd: tjn" ,hav,„gs of the u,>,co.n s horn „ere purchased at a high price and thl ready sale for such antidotes led to considerable adierationlla f^! which IS piteous^ recoMcd by an old writer, who tells us that "some »,cfced persons do n,ake a mingle-mangle thereof, as I saw amonX Venetians, bemg, as I here say, compounded with lime and s"an or peradventure, with earth or some stone (which things are ap to mak ' bubbles arise) and afterward sell it for the unicorn's horn "The same wnter however, kindly furnishes an easy test, whereby the ge„u„,emay be distinguished from the counterfeit article. " F™! n nee of the un.corn's horn, to know whether it be right or nTput silk upon a burning coal, and upon the silk the aforesaW horn and if so be that It be true, the silk will not be a whit consumed ° The narwha usually lives on terms of friendship with the Green laad whale, but it not infrequently occurs that the former becoZ angered at hie gicat fellow-cetacean, and dreadful combats ensueT ^een them An old whaler describes a fight which he once sa^ brtween a whale and a narwhal, as being the bloodiest and ZZ to nble battle that he ever beheld, not excepting those whicrhe W Zr-^flT "^TirT," T: T" '"■"^Srnmpns,and the what ana sword-fish. The narwhal, though fairly a mite compared with such a gigantic competitor, is extremely agile, and possesses a „T„ erful weapon that it uses with an effect ^ImLst as terr b el Z z ifthiieL'r^?r f-'r^"'""'^' «™idi„g'"p'unisrm ' taself, while he thrusts his long, keen-poi.ted tusk into the whale's S:j;rtretr"'''°"' °"^'""^" "■"" «-= ■"'^-'^ --^ . . "^"E MAIL-OLAD 0R000DILE8. Ihe transition from seals to crocodiles is liardly violent and wh«» we consider that both are carnivorous, and can live equa iV "„ o^out of water, and that they both haunt the shore a greater portion of th« ^me we must regard the change as natural, if fot xacCccc^^^^ to natural history classification ^ according vnlt> ''"r^'*'' .''''^"^ *^ ^'' ^'^^^^^^^ "^«' strength of muscle voracity of appetito and terrible arm«fur*> n* ^^^^ ^ Ju " '^1^' dread of the countries which he inhabiVo, rulVihe^nVe;:* ^L"! sway as despotic as is exercised by the lion an^d fe^^^^^^^^ eagle in t.. air, or the sWk i, the aeas. TWe .re Z I Jd^lr 274 SEA AND LAND. ent species, hardly more than three, in fact, that are distinct, viz.: the Gangetic (Ganges), Egyptian, and American, the kilter bein^ improperly called Alligator. The Gangetic crocodile, or gavial. is the largest and most curious of reptiles, frequently reaching a lentrth of twenty-five feet, while the extraordinary projection of its muzzle gives it a weird and grotesque appearance. It is confined to India, where the Ganges River particularly swarms with them. Since man worships force, the same disposition which prompts the Africans of Guinea to sacrifice little girls to the shark, as already related, influences the Indian mother to throw her child into the Gano-es. the poor deluded woman believing that it will find the easiest road to GiMnatvr THE GAVIAL CROCODILE OF THE GANGES. heaven through t'le stomach of a crocodile. A reference to such atrocious practices is enough to cause us to shudder, but our thirst for knowbdge compels us to acquaint ourselves with many revolting facts. SAORIFiOEe OF INFANTS TO CROOODItES. In India, particularly before Great Britain began to exercise pway in the country, and, we may say, the original practices still continue about Rp.nares and other interior places, it was common to see a mother bearing her child toward the Ganges, and with every demon- stration of maternal love show how precious to her w^s the iMuden >..< > MY8TE5IE8 OF THE DEEP SEA net, viz. : ter being gavial, is g a length ts muzzle to India, )inpt8 the s already e Ganges, st road to 275 5 to such )ur thirst revolting oise 8 way continue to see ft y demon- e b'udeji she bore away for sacrifice ; the fond mother, believing she was pre- paring rr flowery way to h.aven for her child, would pause upon the nver s bank and cover it with i.assionate kisses, fondle it in a thou- sand ways, as if deferring the dread act about to be committed, until a fairly bursting heart was overcome by religious devotion, when she would toss the innocent offspring to the cruel monsters that were waiting for the sacrificial feast. Never more than a single cry would fall upon her ears, for in an instant the little innocent would be torn to a hundred pieces, and only a bloody dye on the surface remain to show, for a few moments, where the tragedy occurred. Not only have such tei.ble sacrifices been made in years long sijice passed, but they are being made every day now, and are diminishing so slowly through public opinion, that we cannot prophesy when the infamous practice will cease. BAKER'8 ADVENTURES WITH OEYLON ORO00DILE8 Sir Samuel Baker, aside from being one of the most distinguished explorers that has ever penetrated the world's wilderness, was an enthusiastic sportsman, fitted by all the qualifications that nature could bestow for conspicuous success in the field of adventure But besides his vigorous constitution, courageous spirit and Gpiendid acquirements, he had a large fortune at his command, so that he was thus in all things, provided to follow the bent of his inclination and indulge every desire. He was an excellent linguist and profound scholar, and as a chronicler of stirring incident he has no equal, if we regard the interest excited in the masses. He wrote many books descriptive of his adventi-ps in various lands, md in utilizing these, w.nch are all filled with exciting escapades, I will have frequently to quote from him. Though Baker spent several years in Africa, seeking the source of the Nile and in trying to suppress the slave-trade - the results of which labors and all his adventures there being recorded in my pre- vious work, entitled - Worid's Wonders" -he was, for a still longer period, hunting and conducting business in Ceylon and India. In^an admirable little book called - The Rifle and the Hound in Ceylon " • he reports some thrilling incidents connected with his battles with elephants and other wild animals, but he does not overlook the croco» dile which in that countiy is as fierce in water as the tiger is on land. Uf this animal he writes : "Some of these vmi^ ( ?) grow to a very large size, attaining lUe 276 SEA AND LAND. length of more than twenty feet and eight feet in girth, but the com- mon size is fourteen feet. They move slowly upon the Uind, but are wonderfully fast and active in the water. They commonly lie in wait for their prey under some hollow bank in a deep pool, and when the unsuspecting deer, or even buffalo, stoops his head to drink he is sud- denly seized by the nose and dragged beneath the water. Here he is speedily drowned and consumed at leisure. '< It is a common opinion that the scales on the back of a crocodile will turn a ball; this is a vulgar error. The scales are very tough and hard, but a ball from a common fowling-piece will pass right through the body. I have even seen a hunting-knife driven, at one ])lovv, deep into the hardest part of the back; and this was a croco- dile of large size, about fourteen feet long, that I had shot at a place called Bolgodde, twenty-two miles froip Colombo. «* A m.Mi had been setting nets for fish, and was in the act of swim- minor to the shore, when he was seized and drowned bv a crocodile. l..e next morning two buffaloes were dragged into the water close to the spot, and it was supposed that these murders were committed by the same reptile. I was at Colombo at the time, and hearing of the accident, I rode off to Bolgodde to try my hand at catching him. Bolgodde was a very large lake, of many miles in circumference, abounding with crocodiles, widgeon, teal and iucks. " On arrival that evening, the headman pointed out the spot where the man had been destroyed and where the buffaloes had been dragged in by the crocodile. One buffalo had been entirely consumed, but tne other had merely lost his head, and his carcass was floating, in a hot- rible state of decomposition, near the bank. It was nearly dark, so 1 engaged a small canoe to be in readiness by break of day. "Just as the light streaked the horizon I stepped into the canoe. This required some caution, as it was the smallest thing that can be conceived to support two men. It consisted of the hollow trunk ot a tree, six feet in length and about one foot in diameter. A small out- rigger prevented it from upsetting; but it was not an inch from the water when I took my narrow seat, and the native in the stern pau- dled carefully toward the carcass of the buffalo. «*Upon approaching within a hundred yards of the floating carcass, I counted five forms within a few feet of the flesh. These objects were not over nine inches square and appeared like detached pieces of rou^h bark. I knew them to be the foreheads of different croco- MYSTERIES OP THE DEEf SEA. 377 dlles, and presently one moved toward the half devoured buffalo " long head and shoulders projected from the water as he attempt'ed to SCENB ON THE MARGIN OK BOLGODDE LAKE. fix his fore-claws into the putrid flesh ; this, however, rolled over toward mm, and thus prevented him from getting a Bold ; but the gaping 278 8EA AND LAND. jaws, nevertheless, made a wide breach in the buffalo's flank. I was now within thirty yards of them, and being observed, they all dived to the bottom. *« The carcass was lying within a few yards of the bank, where the water was extremely deep and clear. Several large trees grew close to the edge and formed a good hiding-place ; I therefore landed, and sending the canoe to a distance, I watched the water. DEATH OF THE MONSTER. **I had not been five minutes in this position before I saw in the water at my feet, in a deep hole close to the bank, the immense form of a crocodile, as he was slowly rising from his hiding-place to the surface. He appeared to be about eighteen feet long, and he pro- jected his horny head from the water, bubbled, and then floated with only his forehead and large eyes above the surface. He was a horri- ble looking m meter, and from his size I hoped he was the villain that had committed the late depredations. He was within three yards of me; and although I stood upon the bank, his great round eyes gazed at me without a symptom of fear. The next moment I put a two- ounce ball exactly between them, and killed him stone-dead. Ho gave a convulsive slap with his tail, which made the water foam, and turning upon his back, he gradually sank, till at length I could only distinguish the long line of his white belly twenty feet below me. " Not having any apparatus for bringing him to the surface, I again took to the canoe, as a light breeze that had sprung up was moving the carcass of the buffalo away. This I slowly followed, until it at length rested in a wide belt of mshes which grew upon the shallows near the shore. I pushed the canoe into the rushes within four yards of the carcass, keeping to windward to avoid the sicken- ing smell. "I had not been long in this position before the body suddenly rolled over, as though attacked by something beneath the water, and the next moment the tall reeds brushed against the sides of the canoe, being violently agitated in a long line, evidently by a crocodile at the bottom. The native in the stern grew as pale as a black can turn with fright, and instantly began to paddle the canoe away. This, how- ever, I soon replaced in its former position, and then took his paddle away to prevent f ui-ther accidents. There sat the captain of the frag- ile vessel in the most abject state of terror. We were close to the shore, and the water was not more than three feet deep, and yet be MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 279 dared not jump out of the canoe, as the rushes were again brushing against its sides, being moved by the hidden beast at the bottom. There was no help for him, so, after vainly imploring me to shove the canoe into deep water, he at length sat still. "In a few moments the body of the buffalo again moved, and the head and shoulders of a crocodile appeared above the water, and took a bite of some pounds of flesh. I could not get a shot at the head from his peculiar position, but I put a ball through his shoulders, and immediately shoved the canoe astern. Had I not done this, we should most likely have been upset, as the wounded brute began to lash out with his tail in all directions, till he at length retired lo the bottom among the rushes. Here I could easily track him, as he slowly moved along, by the movement of the reeds. Giving the na- tive the paddle, I now by threats induced him to keep the canoe over the very spot where the rushes were moving, and we slowly followed on the track, while I kept watch in the bow of the canoe with a rifle. "Suddenly the movement in the rushes ceased, and the canoe stopped accordingly. I leaned slightly over the side to look into the water, when up came a large air-bubble, and directly afterward an apparition in the shape of some fifteen pounds of putrid flesh. The stench was frightful, but I knew my friend must be very bad down there to disgorge so sweet a morsel. I therefore took the paddle and poked for him; the water being shallow, I felt him immediately. Again the rushes moved ; I felt the paddle twist as his scaly back glided under it, and a pair of gaping jaws appeared above the water, wide open and within two feet of the canoe. The next moment hia head appeared, and the two-ounce ball shattered his brain. He sank to the bottom, the rushes moved slightly and were then still. "I now put the canoe ashore, and cutting a strong stick with a crook at one end, I again put out for the spot and dragged for him. He was quite dead; and, catching him under the fore-leg, T soon brought him gently to the surface of the water. I now made fast a line to his fore-leg, and we towed him to the village, the canoe being level with the water's edge. " His weight in the water was a mere trifle, but on arrival at the village on the banks of the lake, the peoole turned onf. with *rrMof glee, and fastened ropes to different parts of his body to drag him out. This operation employed twenty men. The beast was fourteen feet long; and bd was no sooner on siiore, than thtf natives cut iiim SEA AND LAND. to pieces with axes and threw the sections into the lake, to be de- voured by his own species. This was a savage kind of revenge, which appeared to afford them great satisfaction." A WOMAN OARRIED OFF AND DEVOURED BY A OROCODILE. *' I remember an accident," suys Baker, •« that occurred at Ma- dampi, on the west coast of Ceylon, about seven years ago, the day before I passed through the village. A number of women were em- A WOMAN CARRIED OFF BY A CROCODILE. ployed in cutting rushes for mat-making, and were mid-deep in the water. The horny tail of a large crocodile was suddenly seen above the water among the group of women, and in another instant one of them was seized hy the thigh and dragged toward a deeper part of the stream. In vain the terrified creature shrieked for assistance ; the horror stricken gfoup had rushed to the shore, and a crowd of spec* MYSTERIES OF S THE DEEP SEA. 281 »tatorfl on the bank offered the little help that was in their power, which, however, was without avail. Three of the more daring natives followed the monster and thrust their spears into him, but he never relinquished his hold upon the victim. It was some distance before the water deepened, and the unfortunate woman was dragged for many yards, sometimes beneath the water, sometimes above the sur- face, rending the air with her screams, until at length the deep water hid her from their view. She was never again seen." A SAFE PLAOE OF DEPOSIT. There are many queer things and beliefs in India, some of which tax our credulity, but yet we are prepared to hear much that is won- derful respecting the practices of that country without stamping it with improbability. People of India are not more honest, if they do affect more religion, than citizens of other countries, but they have some original ways of enforcing honesty hardly compatible with civ- ilization. It is gravely assorted by travelers that the Government sinking fund in India, instead of being kept in iron vaults, protected by time locks and several walls, as in this country, is committed to a hollow log, the ends of which are sealed up. A hollow log would ordinarily prove a poor precaution against thieves, but as eve'ry man, high and low, is alike suspected in India, the money is entrusted to the keeping of no person. The log containing the treasure is thrown into a large pool, wherein are kept a large number of croco- diles, maintained at Government expense within the capitol walls. As tiiese voracious creatures are forever hungry, and have such ferocious dispositions that no amount of studied blandishments will curb their appetite for human flesh, the sinking fund is not liable to any dis- turbance. When, at length, it is desirable that the money be recov- ered to meet the uses for which it was publicly in( i sed, a proclama- tion to that effect is made, and the crocodiles of the pool are dragged out and killed; a machine, made for the purpose, then grapples the log and pulls it to the shore, where the seals are broken in the pres- ence of certain functionaries. THE EGYPTIAN MAN - EATING OROCODILE. This terrible creature is found chiefly in the Nile, where it fairly swarms, and though the most dreaded and destructive animal of all Egypt, it has its uses ; living exclusively on animal flesh, which it seizes with equal avidity whether fresh or putrid, it performs the part of an indispensable scavenger, and prevents the waters from be- ■*<¥ 282 SEA AND LAND. coming putrid. The crocodile is a dangeiou: foo to cattle and other beasts that come to th« river-brink for water. The creature lies like a log upon the bank, watching for whatever prey may chance to come near, and cattle do not usually detect its presence until a stroke of its powerful tail knocks them into the water, where the unfortu- nate animal is seized and quickly torn to pieces. Many instances are known where men have been surprised near the water's edge and captured by the monster. Mr. Petherick, a Briti>h consul in Eg^-pt, relates an instance, where a man while drawing water, was attacked by a crocodile, and having his escape cut off was forced back into a recess behind the well-boxing. The crocodile fol- lowed after, but its body was too large to pass through the space and became wedged, with its gaping mouth scarcely one foot from the horrified man. Being unable to get forward or retreat, the crocodile fell a victim to several men who, hearing cries for assistance, ran to the prisoner's relief and dispatched it with bludgeons and spears. HOW THE OROOODILE 18 HUNTED. As this reptile is so dangerous and costly a neighbor to the inllal)i^ tants of the river banks, many means have been adopted for its de- struction. One such method, where a kind of harpoon is employed, is described by Dr. Ruppell: " The most favorable season is either the winter, when the animal usually sleeps on sand-banks, luxuriating^ in the rays of the sun, or the spring, after the pairing time, when the female regularly watches the sand islands, where she has buried her eggs. The natives find out the place, and on the south side of it, that is to the leeward, dig a hole in the sand, throwing the earth to the side which they expect the animal to take. Then they conceal them- selves, and the crocodile comes to its accustomed spot and soon falls asleep. The hunters then dart their harpoons with all their force at the animal, for in order that the strokes may be successful, the harpoon head ought to penetrate to the depth of at least four inches, that the barb may be firmly fixed in the flesh. Upon being wounded the crocodile rushes for the water, and the hunters retreat to their canoes. A piece of wood, attached to the harpoon line, swims on the water and indicates the direction in which the crocodile is moving. The huntsmen, by pulling on the line, drag the beast to the surface of the water where it is struck with other harpoons until destroyed. ♦• When the animal is struck, it by no means remains inactive, on the contrary, it lashes with its tail and endeavors to bite the rope in MY8TKRIE8 OF THE DEEI* SEA. 283 two; to prevent this the line is composed of thirty separate smull lilies, not twisted together, but merely phieed in jiixtiipoHition, and bound together at intervals of every two feet. The thin linos get be- tween the teeth and become entangled about them." SCENE ON THE UPPER NILE. In spite of the great strength of the animal, two expert men can drug it from the water, tie up its mouth, twist its legs over the back, and kill it by driving a sharp steel spike into the spiral cord, Just at the back of the skull. ,'. ' 'H ^,J,%Mi^^- Mn- S84 SKA AND LAND. There are inany other modes of capturing and killing the crocodile, such as a hook baited with meat, to which the voracious creatures are attracted by the cries of a captive pig, and the yelping of a dog wil! answer the same purpose. In some cases the negroes are bold enough to engage the crocodile in his own element, and to attack hira with a long knife, with which they rip up its belly. The margined crocodile is distinguishable from its Nile neighbor by the great concavity of its forehead and the strong keejs of its back- plates. It is confined to the rivers of South Africa, and in boldness and ferocity equals the Egyptian and Indian species. Captain Dray- son, author of "Sporting Scenes Among the Kaffirs," tells the fol- lowing story to illustrate the voracity of this creature: MAN TORN BY A CROCODILE. ** About two or three miles from the Bay of Natal there is a river called the Umganie ; into this river a lake called tiie Sea Cow empties itself. The lake was, during my residence at Natal, the retreat of several hippopotami and crocodiles, which were in the habit of treking into the Umganie River. Often, when riding round the banks of this lake, I have disturbed two or three crocodiles, which were stealing among the reeds and long grass in hope of stalking a fat toad or a sleeping guana. Sometimes a scaly reptile might be awakened from his doze by the sound of my horse's feet, and would then rush throi'^h the long reeds toward his retreat. Their movement is much more rapid than one would suppose from their appearance, and they care nothing for a fall, head over tail, but almost fling themselves down the steep banks when alarmed. **0q the banks of the Umganie were several Kaffir kraals, in one of which resided a man who had been roughly treated by a crocodile. This man, seeing me pass his residence, called to me and asked, as a favor, that I would watch at a particular part of the river until 1 shot a rascally crocodile that had nearly killed him. The animal, he informed me, always made its appearance about sundown, and he hinted that a position might be selected so that the sun would dazzle the crocodile and prevent him from seeing me. Finding that I was willing to gratify his revenge, he limped out of the inclosure surround- ing his huts, and offering me his snuff-gourd, at my request gave me the following account of his escape : ' ** He had so frequently crossed the stream below his huts, at all times of day, and had seen crocodiles of small dimensions, that he MYSTERIES OP THE DEEP SEA. 285 had become, as it were, familiarized to tliem, and did not imagine that there was any danger to be expected from them. One evenin*', at about sundown, he was wading across the river, the water of which reached above his waist. Suddenly he felt himself seized by the under side of his thigh, while he was at the same instant dragged under the water. His wife was following him, and seeing him "fall, she scrambled forward to the place where he had disappeared, and thus caused considerable noise by splashing, which (or something else, perhaps the toughness or bad flavor of the Kaffir) had the effect of making the crocodile quit his hold, not, however, without tearin*^ off a great portion of the under part of his thigh. The man with difficulty escaped to the shore, but he remained a cripple for life, unable to do more than put the toes of his foot to the ground." EXOITINQ ADVENTURES IN KILLING THE OROOODILE. In some of the rivers of Africa the natives are bold enough, and, indeed, skillful enough to combat with the crocodile i s own ele- ment; and, armed only with a sharp dagger, dive beneath it and rip the reptile open. It often happens, however, that the combat is fatal to the man, and frequently his only chance of escape is to force his dagger, or, if this be lost, his thumbs into the reptile's eyes with all his might, so as to produce great pain and blindness. Waterton's account of catching a cayman, as the crocodile is some- times called, is amusing. The creature had swallowed a large hook cast specially for it, and was being drawn toward the vessel, where the naturalist was waiting with a great rod in his hand intending to force Jt down the reptile's throat when occasion should offer. At this point of the proceeding Waterton says: - By this time the cay- man was within a few yards of me ; I saw he was in a state of great fear and perturbation. I instantly dropped the rod, sprang up, and jumped on his back, turning half round as I vaulted, so that I o-ained my seat with my face in a right position. I immediately seized his foie-Iegs, and by main force twisted them on his back ; thus they served me for a bridle. He now seemed to have recovered from his surprise, and probably fancying himself in hostile company, he began to plunge furiously, and lashed the sand with his long and powerful tell. I was out of the reach of the strokes of it by being near his head He continued to strike, and made my seat very uncomfort- able. This feat of riding a crocodile, as performed by Waterton, was not 286 8EA AND LAND. 80 wonderful when we consider that several persons were drawing the reptile by a rope, which prevented it effectually from doing the least harm to the rider. In South Africa a similar feat was performed still more recently. A crocodile was shot at and wounded, but, though apparently not much hurt, he rose at once out of the water and attempted to reach a morass. At this juncture a native approached the reptile, and hefore it could retreat he threw himself upon the creature's back, snatched up its fore-paws in an instant and doubled them across its back. The crocodile, deprived of any support in front, was thus thrown upon his snout, and though able to move freely his hind feet and keep his tail in motion, he could not budge half-a-yard, though he made the most frantic exertions to move forward.' The native bravely kept his seat and held the monster, which measured eighteen feet in length, until another shot could be fired into the reptile's brain. A DISTINGUISHED ENGLISHMAN DEVOURED BY A CROCODILE. The Teoge, or Zouga, Kiver, in Southern Africa, is noted for the gigantic and ferocious crocodiles that swarm its banks and waters. Notwithstanding the well-known man-eating propensities of these reptiles, hundreds of natives, living in the vicinity of the stream and fishing ill its waters, fall victims every year to these voracious crea- tures. But a particularly sad accident befell an English gentleman named Kichardson, who, in company with another wealthy sportsman, named Manning, were shooting in Southern Africa. The circum- stances attending the horrible death of Richardson were related by Mr. Manning, as follows : While encamped on the Zouga, finding water-fowl somewhat scarce, the unfortunate gentleman shot a museovy duck, which he was very anxious to secure, but could not for want of a boat. While looking for a canoe he observed a fine antelope approaching, and running quickly toward the wagon, which was hard by, he called out to his men to bring him a rifle. On his return to the river he found that the antelope had escaped. He then proceeded toward the spot from TiJience he had shot at the duck, which was still floating on the sur- face. Manning having by this time joined him, he expressed his de- termination to posse;ss the bird at any cost, and that he would swim after it. He confessed, however, that he felt Bome' doubt about the safety of such a proceeding, adding that he had once been a witness to th^ death of a man who was seized and destroyed by a shark along^ *» MYSTERIES OF THE DEEF SEA. 287 side of his own boat. NotwithstanJing this (his own) opinion of ihe risk he was about to incur, and the wa- g of his friend, he un- dressed and plunged into the stream. IL jg swum a little distance he was observed to throw himself on his back, as if startled by some object beneath him, but in another moment he was pursuino- his course When, however, he was about to lay his hand on the bird, his body was violently convulsed, and, throwing his hands on high, he uttered a most piercing shriek, after which he was seen to be gradually drawn under the surface, never to reappear. HORRIBLY MANGLED BY A CROCODILE. Baker, in his "Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia," mentions the death of a celebrated Arab hunter, caused by being dreadfully mangled by acrocodile in the Atbara River. He says: " Accidents are continally occurring m this dangerous sport (hunting hippopotami), as the hunters are so constantly exposed, like baits, to the attacks of croco- diles. During the last season one of the sheik's party was killed Several men were swimming the river supported by inflated skins when one was suddenly seized by a crocodile. Retaining his hold upon the support, his comrades had time to clutch him by the hair and beneath the arms; thus the crocodile could not drag the buoyant skins beneath the surface. Once he was dragged from their grasp but holding to his inflated skin, he regained the surface, and was a-ain supported by his friends, who clung to him, while he implored them to hold him tight, as the crocodile still held him by the leg. In this way the hunters assisted him 5 at the same time they struck down- ward with their spears at the determined brute, until at last they drove It from its hold. Upon gaining the shore, they found that the flesh of the leg, from the knee to the foot, had been stripped from the bone, and the poor fellow shortly died.*' NOBODY BUT A SLAVE; BUT CHI THE NECKLACE I The Kafue River of South Africa is almost as famous as the Zouga or the huge reptiles that render its waters so dangerous to man or beast. The crocodiles in this stream are said to frequently attain a length of twenty.five feet. Lurking in the reeds along the banks, these mighty saunans succeed in capturing great quantities of game, not infrequently taking in the fierce cape buffalo, that is a fair match for tbe strongest hon. To effect the capture of these great animals, the crocodile hides himself in the reeds beside a frequented watering place, and when tb« buffajo stoops to drink, the wily reptile Bevm ' i '0. 288 fiEA AND LAND. the unsuspecting beast by the nose and drags it into the water ; here, having all the advantage, the crocodile holds the head of its victim under the water until it is drowned, after which the carcass is re- moved to the bank, where it is allowed to remain until putrefaction begins, when the reptile enters upon its repast. Women, who do all the menial labor in Africa, and their duties taking them most frequently to the river banks, fall victims to the crocodiles so often that accidents of this kind rarely occasion any excitement whatever among the tribes to which the victims belong. Bains mentions a case to illustrate this indifference upon the part of the natives to the loss of their women. He says that Chapman, his companion, upon reaching Victoria Falls, tried to obtain from a sheik some information respecting the Kafue and other rivers. In so doing he casually mentioned Green's accident on the river near Libebe, where, after the canoe had been capsized by a hippopotamus, Mr. Bonham and one or two natives were seized by crocodiles. ♦* Yes," responded the sheik, •' they are nasty beasts, those crocodiles; only lust night one of them took one of my girls, and my necklace, too! A fine bead necklace I was letting her wear." He was utterly unconcerned about the death of the girl, but suffered the greatest grief over the loss of his necklace, which was much more difficult to replace. TWO SLAVES EATEN BY OROOOOrUES. Francisco Valdez, who spent six years in Africa, and has given us some very interesting descriptions of that country, writing of the River Barrado Bengo, says: ♦* The crocodiles in this river are numer- ous, and of an enormous size. The natives have a novel way of de- stroying them ; t^iey take a small pig, and after killing it, drive through it a strong stick, each end of which has been made very sharp, and to the center of which they fasten a long rope. This bait being thrown in the way of the crocodile, that voracious animal im- mediately seizes it, and the sharp pointed stick piercing its jaws, the natives at once draw it on shore, where it is quickly dispatched." Valdez, continuing his journey up the Bengo, came to some well cultivated farms, which he was invited to inspect, and while describ- ing his visit, says: «« While we were engaged in inspecting the vari- ous parts of the farms along the river, we were suddenly aiarmed by the piercing cry, *UafuI Ay-u-el' and a great move- ment toward the river. Soo» afterward we were informed that it ww I s ■ '' 1|.''' i\ > ■ I'Hil 1. z ■'i H T> HfjM i 0 mllw 'i •fl Ifflli''! X Hw'nu wl c 1 ' z 1 z Rli'! 0 ■ if'hrfl'' •i ■ill 1 ■ BlUJU ; |:i| { B 0 ^Hl inll'BII ' 1 V ■JWiC 0 Ml irrl 0 1 iHrll 0 i'l z IP ""if f Bt'Hi'lii^.irAi' r H 1 1>' L ''fi 'Ib < ■Jp|P!!:'|'j U lf'i H ■n K 290 SEA AND LAND. occasioned by two negroes, when about to enter their canoe, be^ng attacked by the jarcares, or crocodiles, which succeeded in seizing the unfortunate men, who were drawn to the bottom of the river, and again raised to the surface for the purpose, as the people believe, of tantalizing them, and showing their triumph. It is said that the crocodiles never commence devouring their victims until quite dead, when they drag the bodies to some secluded place on the edge of the river, where they devour them. '* Soon afterward a number of the negroes came to the master and /equested permission to go and revenge the death of their two com- rades, both of whom were carpenters belonging to the estate. If I was amazed at the awful catastrophe, I was more so at the strange answer returned. ♦ No,' said he, ' the jacara is mine, and I ordered him expressly to kill every one whom he met, until the bridge I or- dered you to build was completed.' " EXTRAORDINARY TENACITY OF LIFE. There are few, if any, creatures so difficult to destroy as the croco- dile, as one or two instances will serve to show : A gentleman in Ceylon contrived to catch a crocodile by means of a large hook, and landing it, crushed its skull and otherwise mutilated the creature, until, to all outward appearances, life was extinct. Wishing to pre- serve the body until he could have it skinned, he opened the belly and removed all the viscera, and kept the aperture open by means of a stick placed across it, and turned the animal upon its back. What was his astonishment upon his return to the creature, after an hour's absence in search of some persons to do the skinning, to find that the dissected animal had recovered sufficiently to leave the bank and dis- JEippear in the water, where he was unahie to find it again. John Duncan, the Dahomy traveler, had an experience not wholly different from the above, which he relates in the following language: *' Mr. Hanson, myself and a young Portugese, went up the lagoon to visit the Greejee market, and also to endeavor to kill an alligator- crocodile. We only saw two on our passage up; but on our re- turn in the afternoon, we first observed one of small dimensions. about five feet and a half. It was close to the water's edge, under the boughs of a low shrub. I fired with a rifle and struck it, but it However, in ten minutes after we were more fortunate. One of the canoe-men observed a large one on the banks, several yards from the MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 291 water, apparently fast asleep. After ffettinc ti,« « I fired and shot it through the hardesfpa't of^> ^ ^ '*''^^' it rushed into the water AfLTT ^ u '*' ^'"'^' "P"" ""^^^^ about to leave the Toot' .;t .u"^ ^^""* '^"^^ *™«' «°d being at a Short TtateX ;f ^^ Jhtro\lh4^^ ^^^^^^ broken Stake of the f^s,i.,^::J:tr:^s1^:-:'^ ^V above the water T fii-ori « o^ j i ^'vei, us nead only •oa Cried away /.a^e" ;o^'lf::^'^Jr'^'^ T''' ^'^ into the water, but imn,.Hi„t.i ' P"" "'"<■'' '' '"nk thee took a sw;rd be Z-t"';'^. Z"'" "«"'" "> ">e surface. I into it, belly, wlfik^ffow" '"'"''' ^"'"^'^^«' »"<" '•'«' i' tothebottou,":' Consider ulhal thTZT'' ""^ ""'^•"•" -"^ deredthe cauoe-man to geri, toM ° ? ™7'" '"'" dead. I or- iiiau lo ger into the water and secuifi if K..f „ii l ■hi. ti.e, a« if proved ^1'; Ir ^L' ^n™ Lt' ;: liV"'' " " after perceived twenty yards hiaher nn .L 7 ™' *"'°" ^though in this mutilated state ° "^ '""""• ^"" «*'''°«' ™:„T:daTl"alTe"'oirr.he"" '"."':, ""' """'"' - --""O' the back. As "ilcoltaued rr ; 'f'"' '"" '"'■•P'"'- '» "^ another bullet 1 7 Zd ';, ™f « ^'"l "PP--d ^fong, 1 lodged pletely smashed it After'clSeV m"^ '""'"""''^ ''"'"'"^' <="»- the animal to the sterT f the ' T"''" '""gS""?. »« secured fishe,™an. ' ""^ ™"°' ^"'^ a rope borrowed from the «wTcMefroroV;htt7k r/r •""'^^'' '° ="^™ "»«- 1- «>» the anim 1 is a very vTrulenS" r ""^'"^ ' '"'• »' ""> g"" »* all such occaaionsTo Zhe d^ -"" '" ^'"'""'^ '° "^ S'"™ <"> Wng used uulawfuny Me' Tethl ^ TT' "'."''"^ '" P'»'«"' "» throw it into the river c^ti^J^ L n'u .? "" ""' "^e gail and then delivered to t:e pr/on f ^ ^k^I \ ''''^^- «-'• ,^0 animal is cradle of ac'V-?"" fS - earnest civilization and bein^ fKo •dge of art anri^ktarietT whe-e «,,ece derived her k°no;i. «».. than any oZr ritC T^Tt^ ""^ '""^' '"'>'' -P"'*"" ^ - duog-heetleand o:^;dife^;r„: SSt^r 1 298 8EA AND LAND. held especially aacred, where it was buried in the labyrinth with dead kings, beiug held too sacred in death even for Herodotus to see. In the city of crocodiles, founded gratefully by King Menas, whom a crocodile ferried over lake Moenis upon its back when the disloyal hunting hounds drove royalty into the water, was a crocodile so sacred, that it was kept separately in an especial lake, and suffered the touching of the priest. This was the crocodile Sachus, says Dr. Gardner, quoting Strabo— " one of our most distinguished citizens" in the city of crocodiles,— showed him and his friends as the sacred curiosity, conducting them to the brink of the lake, on whose bank the animal was extended. While some of the priests opened its mouth, one put in the cake and then the meat, after which the wine ^as poured. The crocodile would then dive to the other side of the lake, where a similar lunch would be given it. It has no tongue, says Plutarch, speaking through Sir Gardher, and is therefore regarded as an image of the deity itself, " the divine reason needing not speech but going through still and silent paths while it administers the world with justice." BATTLE BETWEEN A CROCODILE AND TIGER. The crocodile is not only master of the haunts wherein he dwells, but his survey of power extends to the shore also, where he delights to lurk and watch for his prey as it comes to drink. He has an om- nivorous appetite, and fully, conscious of his strong armature and the power of his well-armed jaws, he is little respecter of the character of his prey, whether it be the graceful pallah, innocent and defense- less, or the lordly tiger, whose fierce howls strike terror into the breasts of all quadrupeds, and whose teeth and claws are so terrihle to cope with, the crocodile is totally indifferent ; he attacks either with the same assurance when moved by hunger. The tiger, like the crocodile, prefers the deep shadows of a dense copse, and he seldom strays far from water, as an ungovernable thirst invariably follows a heartiy meal, and he madly plunges his head into the water up to his eyes to slake his desire. At this time the tiger becomes almost indifferent to his surroundings, and while thus drink- ing he frequently falls a victim to the deadly crocodile, that ap- proaches with a stealth which is rarely discovered until he is fast in the reptile's jaws. A hunter in India thus describes a combat which he once witnessed, and which took place on the edge of a small, stagnant creek that, in the spring-time, flows past a little village not far from Jabalpur. 293 BATTLB BETWEEN A CROCODILE AND TIGER. 294 81SA AND LAND. *« I had been hunting tigers for some months in the valleys of t!ie Jabalpnr country, and was fortunate in bagging eight without en- countering any particular peril. In the month of September I got on the trail of another that had been committing much havoo amonu- the flocks in the district of Ramgarb, but though I followed hira with the greatest perseverance, and adopted every possible expedient to get a shot, I was unsuccessful. One day information came to me that the tiger had been seen in its favorite haunts, and, moreover, had cap- tured another bullock which it had dragged into a thick copse, whence the natives were afraid to follow. " Getting everything ready, I procured two gun-bearers, and fol- lowing the directions of my informants, I proceeded m quest of the wily animal. An hour's walk brought us to a place where I felt sure the tiger had entered the jungle with his prey, and making my way slowly and cautiously I was not long in, tracing him to the spot where he had made a heaity meal off the bullock, which I found was more than half eaten. The most careful examination, however, failed to discover the tiger, which I was now certain was not far off quenching his thirst at some pool of water. I knew there was a small creek less than half a mile distant, and thitherward I directed my steps, quite sure that I should find the bold depredator, and in a condition, too, that would make him an easy victim. **I found the creek without trouble, and followed its shore only a few hundred yards, when around a sharp bend I heard a slight splash- ing, which led me at once to believe that I was very near the game. I had proceeded less than twenty steps further when my ears were thrilled by an agonizing roar, followed by a dreadful splashing in the waters and a half stifled growl. Bushing up, I was soon made acquainted with the cause of the tumult, for in the boiling, mud- covered waters I saw a crocodile and tiger in a terrible death struggle; at the same moment I caught sight of a female tiger as she was mov- ing off, evidently little concerned about the dire extremity into which her male companion had fallen. • '* The two combatants were too deeply engaged in the conflict to give any heed to my approach , while I was too much interested in the fight to end it by a shot from ray rifle. I therefore let them fight it outs finxious to see the outcome. The crocodile had seized the ti^sr by tku head, and evidently while the latter was drinking, for its hold was a terrible one, and placed the forest rover at a great disadvao' MYSTEOIKS OF THE DEEP f,EA. jgg luge, Notwithstanding this, the tiger strove valiantiv »„^ . entirely without avail, f„.. „ith it, lefl fore^inw H Z 1^' dt! , " L.k3 a 6u l-dog the erocod.le maintained it, powerful hold on it, ad vcr,ary 8 head, from which blood flowed freelv and soon ,h » " tongue was protruded hotweeu the two eaniu: t ^r. Ht gt^,:; allyhlack from the grinding pressure exerted on the vietin N w d" for nearly a nu e ; the trger seemed only anxious to escape its foe and so tugged violently shoreward, while the crocodile exe ted alMU strength to draw ,ts victim into the water. Thus was the tut of , conttuned until, weakened fron, great pain a,d I stf bLd tZ .ger gradually gave way, until soon the crocodile had lomploted Us r,n„,ph and started across the creek to make a meal J^ho I't it il :' ™„7T '"■ .f ",' ""• """'"• •™" O"-"- 'he trophfo ins vi<-t<"-y. but I, nevertheless, put a ball behind his ri-" -- -=1^; fo::fi":tt.irt,>r i.rwr;:,/,:''"'"''', r ^""■"'' '-' A IX- 11 , ° J ^ "'^" "^^n crushed and its thr#»nt THE VORACIOUS ALLIGATOR. .in!l;L''!rpuh:ireV'''' "'"-t •"" ■""»"""" '^ *«™" '« ^■- i^uisn, except that the former is larger than the latter- its teeth i« »m„re formidable, and the head somewhat longer, but in hab otlie alligator, entirely wanting in the crocodile, is its habit of we n the croaking of a large bull-frog and the roar of a mad bull . Like tr:r„dt,t xro^ •: t d!yr *" '"' ™'-^- lainmg' life for some time even when mutilated in i he brain and viscera are destroyed ; and so In ce of life, 't will try to bite. Fortunately, ev 296 v A tan> T.AN1K hi. III turn its head vei'} iilffhtly fion.j ^ dl« to 8id«, rw nccoutit of bony pro- jecti(tii?i, but its tail y f,m his rider, and the next moment an alligator seized Mr. Butler's thigh with its horrible jaws. The river at this place is about one hundred and fifty yards wide, if measured at right-angles with the current ; but from the place we enter to the place wo go out, the distance is three times as great. Mr. Butler, when he felt the sharp teeth of the alligator, clung to the mane of his horse with a death-hold ; instantly he was dragged from the saddle, and both he and the horse were floundering in the water, often dragged entirely under, and rapidly gcjing down the stream. At first the alligator drow them to the middle of the river, but at last the horse gained shallow water and approached the shore. As soon as ho was within reach, the natives ran to his assistance and beat off the alligator with their spears. " Mr. Butler was pierced with five deep gashes, and had lost much blood. He left all his garments except his shirt and coat on the op- posite shore with a native, who was to follow him ; but when the struir- gle commenced, the native returned and dared not venture into the vater again It was now dark, and without garments, and weak from "•'-' loss of b'oo.'% he had seven miles to ride before he could reach iu station of a brother missionary. He borrowed a blanket of a na- tive, and after two hours succeeded in reaching the station, more dead than alive. His hors^jvas terribly mangled, a foot square of flesh and skin being torn frAm the flank. The animal, it is supposed, first seized the horse, and when shaken off it caught Mr, Butler first below the knee and then in the thigh, making five or six wounds from two to four inches long, and from one-half to two and one-half inches wide. After a severe illness, Mr. Butler recovered." *^.-^% 298 SEA AND LAND. FIQHT BETWEEN AN ALLIGATOR AND BEAR • Huntmg alligators in our country ulong the gulf-coast affords considerable sport, and is indulged in to a large extent. Although thousands are killed every jear, their numbers do not perceptibly diminish, and the supply will no doubt be abundant for many yenrs to come. They are very destructive to poultry and pigs, and will craw out of the bayous at night-time and visit barnyards with all tne stealth of foxes or bears. FIGHT BETWEEN A BEAR AND ALLIGATOR. A gentleman visiting in Florida, while penetrating the tanc^led forest upon one occasion heard a growling and wrestling which lave him much concern for his safety, but ve.ituring to discover the cluse observed a bear and eroeodlle in deadly conflict. Bruin was bleed- mg from several severe wounds, but he was now astride the saurian, which, in Its struggles, had turned upon its back, holding one of its UTstERtlss OP TBS t>BEt SEA. 299 fore-feet in h,s mouth and evidently at great advantage. Th« all.Va- tor s rtrnggles were terrible, lashing its tail with a foL sufficientt Ml almost any hvmg thing, but its efforts now had no other effect ^lat Th r" "^ "'f g""'" »»» make a clear space for tte combat. The bear never left his safe perch, but kit chewing his .ntagonisfs leg and giving voice to low growls of vjgeful sSac The fight thus continued for the space rif several minutes without change unt.l at length the alligator realized the futility of his efforte to shake off tho bear and wisely concluded to transfer the scene of Wtle to U,e water Conceiving that he would be altogether better off m h,s proper element, the alligator dragged itself wi^h great diffi «Jyo„ three leg., to the river bank, bruin riding his foe with no tor rolled into the water like a mud-turtle tumbling off a lo.- • hu'l tenacous and dogged was the bear, that it maiut°u„ed itsl,old aud disappeared under the water with the alligator. Bnt, though full of courage and the disposition to conquer or die, bruin could not Mt uajer water, and was compelled to let go. As he rose to the surface, e looked anxumsly around, but failing to discover his enemy, he re^ IhTwH "■"' ''""'"" ""'' " ""«• "'"> "'^" '•'"•<•« "■'» THE THAtASSITES. Associated with the seal and c-ocodile in their habit of spendine a greater portion of the time on land, while yet being evidently waler ammals, are the Thalassilee, which is a Greek term used by naturll- ,sts, meamng the sea, and applied to sea-tnrtles to distinguish them ron, the land-tortoise, marsh-tortoise and river-tortoise. It is LZ ■ a,„ed by some that the sea-turtle never quits the water except at Jdmg tnne, to deposit their eggs in the sand, where thry a™ hatched by the heat of the sun. But this assertion is manifestly i ,! 00.™ , for there are hundreds of trustworthy travelers who d - cla e that a greater portion of the tin.o is spent out of water by sev- roreTord'r'"T-°' r''"' """' «»>""> •"Sthms on the Lean W ! ^ i °'"'""' P'"'""- ^' '' "■""- '"'wever, that the thal- M.tes do not come on shore to sleep, like the tortoise or t.,wl .7 „f oar rive,^ iut sleep profoundly out ..t sea, cradled by the waves- a .b wh,ch ,s taken advantage of by fishermen, who Approach Tt so cautiously ,n boats as to be able to seize it bv their hands 300 BBA AND LAND. 4 t The Chelonidce, whose dorsal shell is covered with hard, horny plates, possessing peculiar properties, and which are well-known to everybody under the name of tortoise shell, is the most common o* all the sea species. Its fecundity is amazing, as it lays no less than one hundred eggs at a time, and these are not destroyed by birds or ani- mals, as are the egfi:s of crocodiles ; neither are the young turtles CATCHING A SLEEPING TURTLE IN THE MOZAMBIQUE. pursued by any enemies. Notwithstanding its rapid increase, the chelomdaB are appreciably decreasing on account of man's incessant pursuit of .them for the sake of their costly and beautiful shell. This gnhsfnnno \a fTa^nr>A f..^ ;*.- i j . , ,- c ,,, ,„,a^.a iui ita iiarunuss, transparency, gleuiiHiig shades of color, the ease with which it is wrought and, the fine polish of which it is susceptible. MT8TERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 301 OURIOSITIES OF SEA - TURTLES. The edible, or green turtle, is one of the largest of the genus, some- times attaining a length of seven feet and weighing nearly ohe thousand pounds. In shape it somewhat resembles a heart, or the shields worn by mediaeval soldiers. Its flesh is peculiarly-savory, on account of which it is vigorously hunted in its haunts about Ascension Island and the West Indies. In the hot months of January, February, March and April, the females seek the land at night, and waddling over the sands in tho various bays of the islands, far above high-water mark, they scrape up, by alternate scoops of their flippers, a hole deep enough to cover their bodies. Into this they get, sighing heavily, and deposit from one to two hundred eggs, cover them up and leave them for the sun to hutch, and then waddle back toward the sea again. Two hunters are, in the meantime, on the lookout, watching her movements, and running after 1 1 r one of them seizes a fore-flipper, which he dex- terously shoves under her to serve as a purchase ; while the other, careful to avoid a stroke which might lame him for life, with a hook cants the turtle over on her back, where she lies helpless, being un- able to turn herself again. Thus in a night two men will some- times turn fifteen or twenty turtles, and in the morning drag the unfortunate creatrres into their boats, whence they are taken to market. The imbricated, or hawk-billed turtle, is so called from the fact that its scales lap over, like tiles on a roof, and its nose terminates in a beak, which bears a striking resemblance to a hawk's bill. It is a native of the warm seas, where it is hunted for its beautiful shell, which is semi-transparent, and finely checkered with cloudy undula- tions of a whitish, reddish, yellowish and brownish hue, so that when polished and carefully wrought, it is capable of adaptation to numer- ous ornamental purposes. In the Mozambique Channel, where the imbricated turtle is found in considerable numbers, the natives capture it by employing the remora, or sucking-fish, in the following curious manner : This^fish, which has already been described, is attached to a long line by means of a ring, so fixed around its tail as not to interfere with its swim- ming. The fish is thrown overboard, and as its nature is to attach itself to the first moving thing which it sees in the water, it usually encounters a large turtle, and so firmly adheres to it that both fish and turtle are drawn on board. HOME OF THE LEATHER-BACK TURTLE. 802 MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 3^3 >ve,Vhi„g fifteen hunSpondl T" . """"f ' '"" ■°f'->»™"y eulated ridge, traverse the ':» o e,,.^™, itTeli; "'"'"■"'"' '""''- caught .... harpooned the, g.e ve„t';fa;i,;d " ^^r:' hT'f l.le to hear; hence its scientific immp .*i 'nte™*'-" the singular natures bred in the ocean realm. Ho J mach too big appears the whale from the mammalia family, an anfma" aaable to breathe m water, warm-blooded and suckling its;„„n? Tnd jot flsh-like. We may say the same of seals and thalassftes which «^ conspicuous types of a double kingdom, since thev are do ibS natured. But the anomalistic features of Hfe i„ the sei extends stm ftlrther. for there are aquatic birds so singularly allied toflsh-natu " hat they are equally common to land or water, while the madrep " c ormafaons are the connecting link between the mineral and Znd l,fe , thus have we a universality, and representatives of all the div i ' .oas of natural history in the sea. which baffle our undorstandin J f o reconcile. If my readers have found entertainment i, The wfi, ! pages devoted to life in the sea, they will find no little interes T h^ fclowmgdescripuonsof curious sea-birds, those ocean rovers whose sails are always spread and whose keels pass alike lightly over b"ffot! mg waves or deadly reefs. '^ ounet- THE OREAT DIVERS. The largest species of water-birds, of which we have any distinc account, was the Great Auk. last found on the coast of IceiLd si, tb rty years ago and now believed to be extinct. It warappareX «»ly.n enlarged image of the millions of existing auks ?^u,d ™ '2H:z\t ": ^r^""" '""''•^"' -«»-' bein^giusL ":'.:; " It ^H? - ---d f -"b ": '"""^ principally in th"e Arctic regarded by ^Jto."^"^" """"•""'* '"'«'«'' '« auperstitiously The great diver swims and dives with astonishing facility, .nd 306 SEA AMD LAND. trusts so completely to this natural accomplishment that it very rarely takes wing, and is an indifferent flyer. It is possessed of a marvel- ous instinct for foretelling storms, and this same instinct admonishes him to seek the open sea, and there receive the tempest, where he rides the waves fearless of injury. Though it is common to find the dead bodies of auks and penguins on the beach after a storm, where they have been killed by waves dashing them against the rocks, such THE GORFOU AW ITS NEST VILLAGE. an accident never occurs to ithe diver, and his immunity from storm dangers and prescience for foretelling foul weather have raised him to the positiMP ^ 'true prophet ampng sailors, who consider it a grave ^cfime ito ;kiU rthe bird-augur. The feet of the great diver are placed so far behind that they are almost utterly useless on land, except in jjushing the bird forward on this breast, its progress on lapd .being mjide by crawling. Thou|;li MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 307 no little formidableneas lA. • ,, * ^^'^^ '* * ^^^P^n of On^ r.t 4.U . . "^"^ JA0KA88 PENGUIN. gates i'„ /oeks' numbo j g tuS^of th ° 'T' "^^7 '' """i^ placed so far behind th.. L boltart Mt Irif :; T' '"* '"" its tarsus, or lower portion nt fKl i u '^"" "P"?''*- "hen on shore, of a sole to stand onThe'in;, ^' J" ^ *""'""'' '" "<=' «>« ?«« rise, b„t, like the 7wer uZTZ '"'"'^'^' '" """ " -""""" great. Singuiarly enort thoullr"""""^ •""'*'^' ""<* "* fear, and will suffer itsel°f to h« ,!, ' *''\P«»e"'° '««'>'» ii-sensibl. to stick, particular,, rnto* felZ r^' ''""''^' ""' "'* ' it™^:^trn!:re:-ri:rifr;r:r^^^^^ ":^.r»:\rn,:retr:th-h?H-^^^^ habits, which are atriti„„i„ „ • !^ * ""P* '" ""« <" two ■parade Jt'^np^2LTT\-^''"\'''' ^'"'"' '"=*<""' "^ « array, and whether fyin"ost"„dir;r"t "^^ "''"'"' " ""'''"y dressed, and eyes front' B,rt tf * ^^.^'''' '" "g"'«"l<>^e rank, than a mere Tview for ?J ^^ °T^ '.^." "'''""'^ ^ ««" '"^her of classes so th7 alh wU tlZltfT '" *"" "^-^^-t cupy one position the^„,,?f ^ 1 "'«y»'»'g birds will oc tl.W,and?h;d :; btdsatu7h.'":fd """T-':"' ""'"^ ""- » these regulations that if a bf^ !f ■ '" """"^ ''" ^^"y '"'^«"'« i. at onc'e ejected^o entlv and b °'"' ' "*'' ''^"'' "''°"'»' '' .epeat the offense Srafes^vTlv """? " '"'^" ""* *° stead of being committed to :i^i; ''fried In"! f .7"b :"""' '■- thighs, and never abandoned for a n.;;eX„timftlhr ^" ""' rnu r. * ^''^'^^ ^"'^"^ B^ OORFOU8. "A a goose, and also for the extrnorHmo^^r „,„____ • ,. . . "57? "t-*" «.««.. h«i;;,'ii;.~— ■■•'- "-» 308 SKA AND LAND. ill the neighborhood of the sea, as level and free of stones as possi- ble, and arrange the earth in perfect squares, the lines crossing eacli other at right-angles as exactly as if drawn by a surveyor, forming squares just hirge enough for nests, with a compartment between tiietn which serves as a passage-way. After having made ready their encampment each bird selects a square for its nest and takes posses- sion of it. All the different species which breed in the rookeries, the albatross excepted, take care of their brood as a family, and arc governed by one and the same law ; they never abandon their nests even for a moment, until their little ones are old enough to care for themselves. The male bird hovers nep.r the nest so long as the female sits upon it, and when the latter is about to retire he immediately glides into her place; for if the eggs were exposed for an instant the nearest neighbor would be certain to steal them. The royal gorfou was the first to make thefts of this kind, and never lost an oppor- tunity of stealing the eggs which he found unprotected near him. Thus it sometimes happened that when the eggs were hatched, three or four kinds of birds were found in one nest. The Great Crested Grebe is even homelier than the gorfou, a com- paiison which represents the former as about the ugliest and most wierd-looking creature nature ever designed. Its two horns might be likened to the devil, while its unkempt circular beard gives it the pro- nounced look of a nameless thing that drives through the brain of a dreamer when the stomach is disturbed by boiled cabbage and stale beer. This fright-inspiring creature is equally adaj^ted to flying and swimming, though preferring the water, and will not take wing except when driven to it. The female grebe will bear her young upon her back when danger threatens, and so closely will they nestle under the maternal feathers that it is with difficulty they can be distinguished. A SERPENTINE BIRD. If naturalists did not maintain that it was impossible for a reptile to wear feathers I should be inclined to call the Black-Bellied Darter a serpent-bird; not that its appearance, when killed, resembles a snake, for it does not, but because its habits and movements in the water are singularly snake-like. This curious bird has a habit of stealing to the shore and secreting itself on a limb hidden by thick foliage which overhangs the water. Here it basks and watches for fish as they swim beneath, whicu it catches by darting its sharp head like a flash, swallowing the small prey al?jost ^s quickly. A person MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 809 THE CRESTED GREBE. may watch a darter for hours and all the time believe it to oe a snake, unless ho ,s familiar with the bird ; for its body lies so close to a limb that It can scarcely be dis^nguished, while the bird has a way of mov- ing its head and long serpentine neck backward and forward that is an exact imitation of the action of an excited snake. To carry the delusion still further, when alarmed, the darter drops into the water head-first, and that, too, with as little noise as would be made by an eel ; and ., , , , w^en coming to the surface again It does not show any of its body, only a portion of the head and neck movmg in a track exactly like a swimming snake would make. The darter seems to have been designed especial- ly for rapid move- ment through the water under the surface, for its ibody is very slim and its wings are made to perform the part of power- ful fins, so that it can shoot through the water ivith greater rapid- ity, I dare say, than any fish, with possibly, a very few exceptions. THE PELIOAN AND SOME SUPERSTITIONS ABOUT IT. The Pelican is a bird so common, even though its home is on thfi 3ea-coast, that it hardly merits a description here; nor do I need to say that it is chiefly remarkable for the dilatable pouch sustained by its lower mandible, which is capable of storing a half bushel of fish BLACK -BREASTED DARTER, OR SERPENT- BIRD. 310 8114 AND LAND. at a time. «« This expansive pouch, whoso elasticity is well-knowfl to all who have witnessed the shapes into which it can be stretched, will hold a considerable number of fish, and thus enables the bird to dis- pose of the superfluous quantity which hiuy bo taken during fishin"- excursions, either for its own consumption or for the nourishment of its young. In feeding the nestlings — and the male is said to supply the female, when setting, in the same manner — the under mandible is pressed against the neck and breast to assist the bird in disgonrino- the contents of the capacious pouch, and during this action the red nail of the upper mandible would appear to come in contact with the breast, thus laying the foundation for the fable that the pelican nour- ishes her young with her blood, and for the attitude in which the im- agination of painters has placed the bird in books of emblems, etc., with the blood spurting from the wounds made by the terminating nail of the upper mandible into the gaping»raouths of her offspring." Some of the means employed by the pelican in catching fish mo 80 cunning as to appear like the result of reasoning, combined with a perfect knowledge of the habits of their prey. Sometimes, like the gulls, they will hover in the air until they discover a fish near the sur- face, when they pounce down upon it with almost unerring certainty ; in so doing they flap the water with their wings violently, evidently to distract the fish from darting off sideways, or else to paralyze it, though the reason is not fully uc lerstood. One of their ingeni- ous methods, however, is as follows: Discovering a shoal of fish, the first pelican that sees them turns back and communicates the intelligence to all the rest, if a flock be near. They now swim out from the bunch and form themselves into a large circle, surroundin ^B them as fast as caught. MV8TEH1ES OF THE DRRP gfiA. ail THE SWIFT -DIVINQ CORMORANT*. ^"M* The Cormorant is not Ic.h common than the pelican, beinir found in nearly a 1 parts <,f the worhl, inchuJing fre8h as well as salt water bodies. They are allied to the pelican, though not closely, f(,r while the latter is on the wing a g.eat portit,. of the ti.ne, the cormoi-ant rarely soars, being a good swimmer and diver; but it is supplied with an »8ophagian pouch, into which they stoi-e the fish not i.iimediately needed for their food. For vo.acity the cormo.ant has no feathered equal, and so expert are they that two or three of thcni will soon de- populate a lai-ge lake of fish, During the summer of 1885 I had the opportunity of watching five cormorants that kept together in Spirit Lake, Iowa. They wei-e iiot particularly wild, and yet wise enoucrh to keep jiist beyond shot-gun i-ange. The.r gluttony quite astonished me; nearly eveiy moment they would dive and seize a good-sized fish, which they would nearly always bring to the surface before swal- lowing. Fiequently they would catch pickerel and wall-eyed pike- fish of as much us two pounds weight, which they had little difficulty in swallowing, and it appeai-ed that digestion was accomplished almost instantly, for they never left off feeding. The Chinese make excellent use of the cormorant, which thev tram with no little care to take fish in the following manner- A string IS tied to the bird's leg, of sufficient length to allow it to swim to a distance from the boat, that it may gain confidence and for-et that it 18 a captive; a ring is slipped over the neck that fits barely tight enough to prevent it from gorging a fish of any size. Thus prepared, the bii-d is taken out in a boat some distance from shore au(l put into the water; it swims rapidly from its captoi's until a Ijundred yards separate them, and now, feeling free, begins to fish Ihe owner watches his bird carefully, ^nd the moment it captures a large tish ho drags the bird toward him by the string ; the bird will not loose its hold on the fish, but will continue its frantic efforts to swallow It until the prey is taken from its mouth ; the bird is then given a small piece of fish and set back into the water again, where the same pei-formance is repeated. After sevei-al days spent in this manner of training, the cormorant learns what is expected of it, and will catch fish and return with them to the boat to receive the small piece that is awarded for its services, apparently forgetting that it eouiu swaliow the entire fish. 312 SEA AND LAND. MOTHER OAREVS OHIOKEN8. Far out at sea, and usually presaging rough weather, the stormy petrels, or Mother Carey's chickens, as they are most generally called, are met, skimming the waves and sometimes tapping their feet on the surface, hence the name Petrel, or Little Peter, from a fancied imitu- tion of 8t. Peter walking on the water. These birds, when flying, vtMv closely resemble our common bank swallows both in size and appear- ance. For many years it was believed that the petrel never visited land but carried her eggs under her wings through sunshine and tempest, ULtil they were hatched, when -the young immediately took wing, which it never quitted again while living. It is now known that they frequent headlands and islands not subject to disturbance, and there nestle in crevices of the rocks, holes in the turf, or under stones on the weedy shore, where the female lays a single large egg. Until able to fly the young do not quit their nest, and as the setting birds will not desert their young, however imminent the danger, they may be taken with the hand. Upon being seized they discharge the con- tents of their stomachs, which is generally a viscous fluid resembliuc^ oil •' Up and down ! up and down ! From the base of the wave to the billow's crown, And amidst the flashing and feathery foam The stormy petrel finds a home ; A home, if such a place there be For her who lives on the wide, wide sea, On the craggy ice, in the frozen air, And only seeking her rocky lair To warn her young, and teach them to spring At once o'er the waves on their stormy wing." It is not true that the petrel quits its flight only at breeding time, for I have seem them time and again resting on the water like cruljs, which their webbed feet and thick coat of breast-feathers eu^'abies them to do with ease. BrRDS OF TIRELE88 WINGS. Besides the sea-birds that haunt the coasts or dive through the waves as their natural element, there are others that live in the air, visiting land only to deposit their eggs, or to sleep a short time after great engorgement. Most familiar of these birds is the gull, of which there are a number of species, but all essentially of the s.ame bahlts. They are decidedly sociable, and at times become so tame that they may be knocked down with clubs. Sailors regard them with cousid- MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 313 eruble affection, and will invariably protect them, so that compara- Uvely few are wantonly killed. One of the first evidences of an approach to land ,s the appearance of gulls about the ship; they come out several nnles from shore to greet incoming vessels, and in hun- arcds troo^p about the stern, watching in the wake for any bits of food hat may be thrown overboard. Amusement is sometimes afforded by droppmg a line with baited hook in the wake of the vessel, which .s sure soon to be seized by a greedy gull, and being caught by the ook a hvely struggle ensues to land it, for the line and hook must both be very strong, or the bird will break away. THE WANDERING ALBATROSS. The least met with andyetthe best known bird that haunts the sea, IS the Wandering Albatross, a bird of omen, and the subject of sailo^ superstitions, so exquisitely described in Coleridge's - Ancient Mari- ner. It is very large, having an expanse of wings sometimes of fourteen fee . and yet possesses the power of sailing along for days at a tune without requiring rest or even flapping its wings. This power to cleave the air by merely extending the wings, is possessed also by the condor, buzzard, vulture, and a few others, and is a mystery winch science does not attempt to explain. While walking in the footsteps of hose who have gone before, and approaching the altars of science with a feeling of veneration, nevertheless, I cannot resist the omptation to offer my humble and crude opinion in explanation of this sailing power of certain birds: The most striking difference in the structure of birds and creeping animuls is found in their bones, which in the former are hollow! while in the latter they are filled with marrow. We know that mar- row 18 the hfe principle of bone, for in case of fracture resulting in a loss of marrow, the bone, thus bereft of its life-imparting princi- pIc, dies, becomes rotted and disintegrates. If marrow is ^o essen- ^1 to the bones of animals, why is it wanting in the bones of birds? The answer may be found in this : Nature, having designed birds foi piissage through the air, gave to them a structure wonderful for ts lightness and strength, in doing which she made their bones hoi- w, and mstead of marrow, filled them with circulating air, which is an equally active life-principle. In the albatross and other h".! rirr • ""'?? ^ T"" ^y ^^^ ™"'^ expansion^ their wings.'the a^ which circulates through their bones is supplil. not directfy from tbe respiratory organs, but from the heart, which pumps the blood 314 SEA AND LAND. through the veins, and hot air at the same time through osseous ducta of the bones. This heated air acts to buoy the bird, in some much greater than in others, because the supply is not the same in all THE WANDERING ALBATROSS. species. Any one who is careful to examine the bones of the alba- tross will be astonished upon cracking them open to find how numer- ous are the minute osseous ducts which ramify the hollow, and, if the MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 315 ;l bird be recently killed, they will also be surprised at the great heat of the bones. The tendency of the bird, whose bones are thus filled mth heated gases, is to rise or remain in suspension, as the will directs, and by placing its wings at the required angle it is enabled to move forward or sail in circles. Those who have watched these sail- ing birds know that in moving directly forward they never do so on the same plane, but gradually rise, then drop again, and thus continue alternately rising and falling; this illustrates the principle I have tried to explain, and serves to furnish a demonstration of the theory here advanced : that it is due to the circulation, through the bones, of air or gases, heated by the heart, certain birds are able to sail without flap- ping their wings. ANQLING FOR ALBATROSS. The Albatross is found only in Southern seas, its principal haunts being in the latitude of Patagonia, where it lives in great numbers. Like the petrel, it follows ships for the sake of obtaining food, and is such a glutton that it never knows when its appetite is satiated. A voyager around Cape Horn relates that he once saw an albatross seize a piece of whale's blubber weighing at least four pounds, which it swallowed entire; the bird was now unable to rise from the water, so gorged was its stomach, yet it eagerly seized another piece of equal size, which was thrown to it on a hook, and only escaped capture by the hook breaking in its mouth. Wood says: " Angling fc albatross is a favorite amusement, and the bird often gives good sport, sometimes rising into the air and being drawn down on deck like a boy's kite, but generally hanging back with all its might, and resisting the pull of the line by means of its wings squared in the water. It is no easy matter to haul in an albatross under such circumstances, and the bird often escapes by the hook tearing out or the line breaking. Nothing, however, teaches it wisdom, for in a few minutes it is quite as ready to take the bait again. Even those that have been captured, marked by a ribbon tied round their necks and set at liberty, will follow the vessel as soon as they recover them- selves. "When an albatross is hooked the others become very angry, think- ing that their companion is monopolizing the tempting food. Down „hey sweep accordingly, pounce on the spot, and when settled on the water are very much astonished to see their companion towed away and themselves left sitting on the waves with nothing to eat. Should m I:;; I li ^^^^^^raS? mh s 316 SEA AND LAND. one of these birds be shot, the remainder pounce upon it at once, and soon entomb their late companion in their rapacious maws. These birds may, under some ciicumstances, be dangerous to human beings as they have been observed to swoop upon the head of a man who had fallen overboard, and their long, powerful beaks are fearful weapons." " I have read," says Mangin, " in a French paper, of the super- THE SWIFT -WINGED FRIGATE-BIRD. cargo of a French vessel, who having in bravado mounted on one of the yards and missed his footing fell into the waves. Unfortunately, the ship was not provided with any effective apparatus for the rescue of the drowning; but while a boat was being lowered to hasten to his tx^Tl^tr^i batrosses threw themselves upon the unfortunate man, striking him with their heavy wings, and tearing his head and face with th«ir cruel MYSTE.ilES OF THE DEEP SEA. 317 beaks. Unable to maintain this fierce combat againstboth the billows and his voracious enemies, he sank before the eyes of his approach- ing comrades." THE SWrFT- WINGED FRIGATE-BIRD. Nature seems to have created certain birds and animals only to rob others, withholding from them the instinct to procure food by inno- cent means, and thus licensing them to commit piracy through the operation of natural laws. An illustration of this curious fact is found in the Frigate-bird, whose life is devoted entirely to bricrand- age. This creature is little else than wings, having, we might°say the body of a sparrow and the pinions of an eagle. When the storm breaks it lifts itself to the serene heights where calm ever prevails The poetical metaphor, false in relation to every other bird is no mere figure of speech when applied to him. Literally, he sleeps upon the storm. When he wills to fly all distance vanishes ; he may break- fast in China, and dine in America. He is the realization of Puck's boastto «« putagirdie about the world in forty minutes." Thou^rh borne through the air at lightning speed the frigate-bird spends a° lonely nomadic existence, traversing fields which must soon grow monoto- nous, and, leading the life of a robber, he meets the robber's fate satiated to-day, hungry to-morrc-, mobbed by outraged victims the next. Up and down the watery world speeds the frigate-bird, watchincr with piercing eyes the industrious fishing birds, which he attacks and compels to surrender to him their finny prey. He strikes the -nil as It wings Its way toward its nest with throat filled with food for the hungry young, and biting the poor bird's neck compels it to disgorffe the fish, off which the robber then feeds. CHAPTER XX. SUPERSTITIONS AND LEGENDS OF THE SEA. i|| AN we marvel at the strange beliefs, the faith in unseen things, JH f'lnciful creations born of the sailor's brain, connected ^H? with the ocean? Reflect upon the terror and mystprv wifh ^' which the first man gazed upon the sea; the untutored mind that saw a spectre's face in every flash of lightning, and heard a mon- ster i voice in ever^ thup^er peal, There, before his astonished gaze, )- ■ m 318 8EA AND LAND. lay the turbulent waters of an infinite empire over vhich mankind had laid no claim ; a realm that stretched av;'ay to the beetlino- heav^ ens, and mingled with the vault that o'erspread the world. He peo- pled the sky with gods, and fancied that the arch impinged upon the sea to give them pathway to the earth ; he filled the ocean with mon- sters, and forthwith conceived their gateway to the skies ; thus, far away to the horizon, were ascending and descending gods, and mon- sters who guarded their realm against the approach of man by mighty tempests and unfathomable depths, by whirlpools, water-spouts and supernatural hands. " Boundless, endless and sublime, The image of eternity, the throne Of th' invisible." If man took up his primeval abode on the ocean coast, he felt that he was too near the domain of the ^spiritual, and withdrew himself afar from it, going into the interior to establish his kingdoms. But curiosity is a striking trait in human character, and though fear may hold its sovereignty for a time, curiosity will at last combat it. Man- kind gradually spread over the interior and fructified the soil by well- directed labor, became familiar with rivers and lakes, ana, drawn on by his natural love for exploration, continued moving toward the sea. Here there was another pause, to contemplate the wonders which lay within the unknown depths which traversed the illimitable bosom, that haunted the rock-bound shore, and such as dwelt in the boilin" clouds, or moved in the storm upon the seething surface. LEGEND OF THE PILLARS Of HEROALES, OR HERCULES. Though man stood upon the ocean beach and trembled before the mystery which the v.aters contained, his curiosity was stronger than his fears, and, following that natural bent for exploration, he at length builded small boats and ventured to ride upon the waves. From small vvessels larger ones grew, and from oars sails developed, and man began ito measure the littoral, to convey products, and to carry the munitions of war. This field of exploration was confined to the Mediterranean, however, and when the navigators came at last to the gates of Gibraltar, which led out into a boundless space of sea, here they baited again, be- fore the great rocks that rose up on either side of the narrow strait, and said- *' ThflSA fli'fi fh" nillpra nf TTorr«nloa '* Kofi ^rK oliln dared tempt to sail. Beyond these pillars, to the benighted minds of the time^ ther^ was a region .of impeoetjcable dai;k,uesS;, the jhame *f MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 319 fnghtful monsters possessing keen appetites for ships and their crews • worse than this was the hand of Satan, that rose up out of these paters to grasp any venturesome soul that dared to penetrate the domain of horrors. But the Mediterranean had not yet lost its terrors, for there were Charybdis and Scylla, two frightful monsters near the island of bicly, that allowed no vessel to pass near them without drawing it into their voracious maws and destroying both boat and crew. On thecoast of Sicily also lived three dreadful cyclops. who, according toHesoid, were especially fond of human flesh, and to obtain this it was their habit to lie in wait, concealed behind immense cliffs for passing vessels which they destroyed by heaving great stones at them, and then would wade out and secure the crew The Euxine, or Black Sea, also had its terrors for the sailors, thousands of whom, it is said, lost their lives in a vain effort to recover the golden fleece of the ram Chrysomallus, which was repre- sented as being guarded by a sleepless dragon. And thus a hundred other superstitions of the ancients, preserved in the Greek and Ro man mythology, might be given to show why progress in navigation was so slow. ° SINGULAR ORIGIN OF OCEAN NAVIGATION- The development of this now great industry, strange enough, is ue not to adventurous desire, as we might reasonably suppose, but to the enforcement of criminal laws in Egypt, by which several offenders were doomed, as a punishment, to sail beyond the Pillars of Hercules and accomplish the circumnavigation of Africa. Should they succeed in this they were to receive a full pardon for their crimes; but the sentence was supposed to be even worse than im- mediate capital punishment. Those who were thus sent upon the mos perilous of voyages, after an absence of several months returned round Africa, they were at once put to .death . But a great .advance ad been made. A ship had gone out into what .was considered the region of darkness and the domain of Satan, and the crew finding the ocean traiiquil and the sun cheering, besides discovering the Canary Islands, these superstitious fears began to abate, and upon their return -ucx. volunteered to penetrate the ocean-world still further, and thus exploration continued. Ihough .th^i:e .was .thei^ce.fQrth a stronger desire to ^ail .the .wjiste ojt 320 SEA AND LAND. waters, there was only a slight abatement of belief in sea monsters; indeed, I do not know that there was any less faith in the existence of frightful gods and dragons than before ; but these unreal creatures had assumed different shapes in the minds of sailors, and, of course, lost some of their terrors. THE FIRST SHIP AND SAILOR. Sailors' traditions and songs always allude to Noah as the first sailor, and to his ark as the first that was over made to float, thouffb when the plans and dimensions of that vessel are explained, most of them shake their heads in solemn disapproval of the idea of going to sea in such a tub. Many traditions concerning the Biblical Ark are reported. Berosus and Syncellus say fragments of it were preserved in the Georwian Mountains, and bitumen was taken from them, to be used as charms. El Kazwini says a temple constructed 9ut of the planks of the Ark long covered the spot where it rested, enduring until the time of the Abassides. Epiphanius says the same. Josephus says pieces of it were reported as existing in his day, and El Macin tells us that the Emperor Heraclitus visited the remains of the ark on El Djudi. Ben- jamin of Tudela says Caliph Omar carried the Ark away in 640, and placed it in a temple on an island in the Tigris. I, Ben Abbas, com- mentator on the Koran, says Noah was bidden to build the Ark of the wood of a plane-tree which he had brought from India, and whose growth in twenty years furnished abundant material. Various times are stated in Mussulman legend as having been occupied in its con- struction, the term extending from ten to ojio hundred and twenty years. Oriental legends say the Ark made the tour of the world in six months. Jewish rabbis said it was miraculously lighted up by a shining stone. Many of the Christain fathers asserted that the wood of the Ark was to be seen in the Koord country, and Prevoux says a piece of it is shown in the town of Chemna, in Arabia. Rawlinson saw bits of wood brought from Jebel Joodee, the Ararat of the modern Armenians, by pilgrims. Marco Polo says there was a tradition in his time that the Ark still rested on a mountain in Armenia. In 1670, one John Stroan went up Ararat until he said he saw the Ark visible, a speck in the distance above him. our-crts 1 1 1 luns ur- uuuuiviuus' ukcw. When Columbus set sail for India his crew, though experienced sftilors, were subject to great fears, which at one time became so MY8TKII1ES OF THE DEEP 8EA. 321 intense that they threatened mat y if a return was not at once made. How hese anxieties >vere assu.-god and the voyage continued i8 told ,n history. A portion of this history, however, is not -mrally known now, though ,t was freely given in several publications directly after Columbus returned to Spain. T have already referred to the chroni- dps of Padre Philoponus, who accompanied Corumbus. and who told such fnghtful stories of sea-gryphons. sea-dogs, and other marine mousters w.th which he had strange adventures, that it is a wonder Lolumbus could gather a crew to make a second voyage. THE PHANTOM SHIP. Though every wave of the sea has been tracked by some vessel until It IS as familiar as the land, and though the natural history of jhe ocean is a science well understood, yet superstition has not wholly est her grip upon those who, from constant familiarity with the sea have least reason to be under her influence. ' One of the most popular superstitions, shared generally by sailors, IS an implicit belief in the appearance of a Phantom Ship, which is a sure precursor of fatal calamity. There is not wanting abundant evidence in attestation of this spiritual rover of the seas, and to read the affidavits of so many Jack-tars who swear that they have seen the phantom, confuses our belief until we marvel at man's credulity. Sir Walter Scott has embalmed belief in the spectral ship in the following words : " The phantom ship, whose form Shor,ts like a meteor through the storm, "When the dark scud comes driving hard And lowered is my topsail yard, . And canvas wove in earthly looms No more to brave the storm prociimes; Then 'mid the roar of sea and sky Top and top-gallant hoisted high, Full spread and crowded every sail The demon frigate braves the gale, ' And well the doom'd spectators know The harbinger of wreck and woe." During that period in American history when there was earHp^ on an extensive, though infamous, traffic in captured slaves fromAfrica" the phantom ship was reported seen by several different vessels ever; raouth, until Its haunts seemed to be established off the Cape of mi rjYSTEBlES OP THE DEEP SEA. 323 tit < n Tho op,gm of tH» strange illusion is „„ doubt found i^tL f-c that under certain conditions of tho atmosphere, rS on the 3a,f,,ce o the sea loom up, „„ that a vessel so far di, an that a! -asts are hidden by the spheriei.y of the earth, n.ay ye be 1' in , mverted position, apparently in the sky. Such a sfglt, witoes ed v ..iors totally unacquainted with the laws of refra^tionrru d „l7 mlly mpress tljem with a supernatural cause, and henee give Lo t,; tlie belief m a phantom ship. "'■e give ii»o tt WITCHCRAFT ON THE SEA. Tn Ingolsby's Legends, and Scott's Demonology, „e will find . .neat many stories of witcbcs whose powers pre^i ov J the sea Aa ancient chronicle, near the middle of the fifLiith century when :;:r^i:^:St^Si:i:htr;r;^^^ A » ^ o*^"^** wmcn siiould have been nrssenfprJ tn th^ .ew Queen of Scotland, at Her Majesty's coming to Lei h " '«TlZ7t7^::r'rT ■"""""" "^^""" '-Wi-lous" reports air.,ethr„nfeaor;rn'r."" ™^'' ^'"'"*^ •"" *-»-'- ^ ""O U. r. , „ "^ULAR BELIEFS STILL PREVAILINO. J:,.?Z:'J?r^' '" ^"''y t™'^. -hen that city was mistress of royal^eddi;;'" ™;"''r*"^ "" ''' "'"• »" ">« ceremonial of a . was beBbved to encourage the sea's favor into giving ^•^-,=^Timtar-,''-i,'iim!m-:.l 324 SEA AND LAND. Venetian vessels calm water and good winds. In later times the Greek metropolitan, ut Constantinople, annually threw a small gold cross into tlio Bosphorus to secure the good oflSces of the sea. lhoisy tells the tale; - Great noise urnoiig the sailors; soino one suddenly cried, There is the devill We must have him I Soon all is motion ; every one took arm ; naught is seen but spikes, harpoons MY/ll'fiRtfcS OF 1*HK i)EEP SEA. 32^ muskets, t ran myself to see the devil, and I saw a large fish which resembled a ray, except it had two horns, as a bull. It made several bounds, always accompanied by a white fish, which from time to time came to attack it, and then went under it. Between its two horns it carried a little gray fish, which one calls the pilot of the devil be- cause it conducts it, and it sticks it when it sees a fish, and the devil goes like an arrow.' " LAUNOHINQ AND 0HRI8TENINQ A SHIP. The ship is the sailor's home, in the majority of cases all the home he has, and it is not at all remarkable that many sea superstitions should cluster about the ves.>jel. His ship is always personified by the sailor, and he alludes to " her" frequently in terms of endearment, showing that to the marine mind a ship is something more than a mere aggi'<^g"*'on of wood and iron. The safety of the sailors depending upon the staunchness of the vessel, the latter is watched with the most jealous care. The ceremonies at the launching of a ship are of no small consequence to sailors, and it is said to be remarkable how quickly the whole marine community becomes informed of incidents believed to be unlucky. Ceremonies at the laying of the keel, or »t the launch of the new vessel into her destined element, have always been performed. Ancient authors state that the ship was launched with ceremonies, first decking it with flowers and a crown of leaves, and pouring out a libation. Similar practices prevailed during the middle ages. The vessel was decked with flowers, purified by a priest, anointed \vith egg and sulphur, consecrated and named for some saint, and then launched. When a modern ship of any size or importance is launched, it is frequently made a srala occasion, the vessel being gayly decked with flags, and a band of music stationed on board. The principal shores are removed, and but one or two left, to retain the cradle in which the ship is launched upon the ways. When ready, it is usual to break a bottle of wine over the vessel's bow, then the last shore is removed, and the vessel glides into her destined element | amid the cheers of the beholders and the strains of music. It was always regarded as a bad omen should any accident happen or if the ship refused to move, or the wine was not spilled, or especially if any lives were lost. This must have occurred frequently during the mid- dle ages, for we read that slaves or criminals were usually appointed to remove the last shores. In our day, this is done by electricity, the gentle finger of some favored maiden manipulating the key. In 1878 II I ^ 328 SEA AND LAND. ffiPW' I a large excursion steamer was launched at Norfolk, Va., in the pres- ence of many invited guests, The wine was not broken over the bow, and many predicted disaster to the vessel, and regarded the omen us verified when the ship was lost while being towed to New York. Per- haps it will be remembered that when a big yacht was launched late 1885, without the customary waste of a bottle of wine on her bow, the omission was telegraphed all over the world, because it showed a very remarkable temerity on the part of the owners. MYSTERIOUS ISLANDS. • Among the odds and ends of superstitions found on board ships are some that have evidently had a basis of truth. Artificial lioatino- islands are mentioned in several ancient histories, being really rafts covered with earth and vegetation, and the embodiment of these stories in tradition is still found among^ sailors of the present. "In the Speculum Regale we are told of an island that sometimes ap- proached the Danish coast, on which grew herbs that could cure all ills, but no more than one person could land on it at a time, when it would disappear for seven years, and on bringing back its burden, it sank, and another island arose in its place similar to it. Giraldus tells us of an island that appeared and then vanished, but finally be- came fixed on some one landing on it. A French author, Pichot, says there were legends among northern sailors of floating islands, covered with grass, trees, etc., which sank in the sea at intervals. They regard them as the abode of malicious spirits, who cause them to rise and float about, so as to embarrass navigators. Gummers Ore, just in sight of Stockholm, was one of these islands, and it is figured in the charts of Bardeus, a geographer. Baron Grippenheim relates that he long sought it in vain, but finally saw it by chance, as he raised his head when fishing, it appearing as three points of land. The fishermen informed him what it was, and said that its appea»'- ance prognosticated storms and plenty of fish, and added that it was but a reef, inhabited by sea-trolls, or, perhaps, shapes assumed by the trolls. A floating island appears on Lake Derwentwator, in England. Some call it the Devil's Barge, and assert that it only ap- pears in years of calamity, by this premise deducing the fact that England is about to be visited by the cholera. This prophecy is strengthened by the factthat it appeared in the last great oholerayear. It matters riot that it has also appeared since. Others (among them the oldest inhabitants) declare that it presages three months continual MrSfERlES OF The DfifiP SEA. 329 frost. Marco Polo tells us of islands inhabited by men alone, and of others inhabited by women alone. Colonel Yule says many ancient traditions of such islands were told. Mendoza heard of such in Japan, where there is still a legendary woman's island ; and Columbus heard the same legend of Martinique. Near Formosa lies Mauriga Sima, said, in Japanese lore, to hav^ been sunk for the crimes of its inhabi- tants, and yet peopled by their souls. Kempfer says the vessels and urns which the fishermen have brought from it are sold at an enor- mous price in China and Japan." VIRTUES OF A CHILD'S CAUL. One of the most extraordinary superstitions by which sailors are influenced is their belief in the marvelous efficacy of a child's caul. This is a very ancient superstition, frequently mentioned by the old writers. Grose says: "It is deemed lucky to be born with a caul, or membrane, over the face. This caul is esteemed an infallible pre- servative against drowning. * * * According to Crysostom, the midwives frequently sold it for m'>gic use." Ceesar is said to have been brought into the world, .r aturaliy as he was, with a caul over his head, which presaged th' -ness he was to attain. Charles Dickens, referring to this quaint belief, in writing of him- self, says: «'I was born with a caul, which was advertised for sale in the newspapers at the low price of fifteen guineas"— seventy-five dollars. Similar advertisements may be occasionally seen in the English papers even to-Uay, though the caul is not nearly so highly esteemed as formerly. Previous to the discovery of the compass, or rather before it be- came known to the mariners of Europe, there were some curious methods in vogue for guiding ships, not the least singular of which was the use of crows. These birds being considered wise beyond their nature were taken on board of every ship and loosed when the vessel got beyond the sight of land ; the direction which they steered Tvas taken as an infallible indication of the quarter in which the nearest land lay. If, perchance, the crow made a fatal mistake, hi^, misery was pretty certain to meet with company, for the ship fol- lowed with a blind truthfulness. Denis de Montfort, some of whose creations we have described in the chapter devoted to sea-serpents, delighted in putting in print the wild, weird fantasies which ever and anon disturbed his brain, and these phantasms were accepted by the people with a faith and solem- 330 SEA AND LAND. iiity which well illustrates the ignorance of the times. He told of a monster so immense that the largest whale was but a mere pigmy in comparison; this huge creature he represented as sometimes floatincr upon the surface of the sea, where, being covered with marine plants' and barnacles, it was often mistaken for a floating island. Olaus Magnus not only confirmed these wonderful stories, but was particuliir in his description of the animal, wh 3h he pronounced to be a gigantic cetacean, to which ships not infrequently anchored under the false impression that its back v/as firm ground. He even went so far as to represent that sajlors sometimes built fires upon the monster's back to cook their meals, without disturbing its slumbers. MARVELOUS BIRD- BEARING TREES. At first thought it would appear fehat human credulity could hardly compass more wonderful things than Magnus' cetacean, but a little readmg convinces us that the faith of a sailor surpasses the concep- tions even of Montforc and his cola^orators of mysticism. Sebastian Munster is the .author of a treatise on cosmography, which, for extraordinary statements, transcends the Apocrypha. For a long time great mystery was attached to the origin of certain water- birds ; for example, the petrel was supposed to be of tireless wing, and never to rest on shore. For these Munster conceived a theory at once original and wonderful, yet there were not wanting plenty of persons to accept it with implicit confidence. He maintained that all such birds as had not been discovered layii^ their eggs near the sea were the product of certain trees which grow in the marshes or on the coast of the ocean. Those who accepted this theory afiirmed that there was a species of tree growing on the Orkney Islands which bor« fruit resembling in size and shape a wild duck's egg; this fruit, the^ declared, opened at maturity, and from them escaped little ducks. In a description of this interesting product of the animal from the vegetable, Munster says: "We find trees in Scotland which produce a fruit enveloped in leaves, and when it drops into the water at a suitable time, it takes life tnd is turned into a live bird, which they call a tree-bird.'^ Aldrovandus, the most learned ornithologist of the Kenaissance, propagated these ridiculous fables in his great work, and not only so asserted, but even presented engravings, as did also his prototypes, Munster and Magnus, of the bird-bearing trees. ^ J MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. sai A writer mentions si singular ceremony which was performed a short time ago by some Scandinavian tishermen to bring «xood iuck. The fishing chanced to be extremely poor during the season, which was then more than half spent, and, to change this evil condition, seized upon a cooper, whom they stripped of his clothes and then placed on him a heavy woolen shirt, which they stuck full of burrs. Thus scantily attired and presenting a ludicrous appearance, he was con- veyed through the town in a hand-barrow, with all the people of the place at his heels shouting like so many bedlamites. It is not told whether or not this barbaric ceremony brought the fishermen good luck. DEAD BODIES ON SHIP- BOARD. A dead body in a ship is still considered to be a magnet which attracts calamity ; this belief is not only shared by those who go before the mast, but exercises great influence even among captains of our ocean palaces. So prevalent is this base superstition that when a passenger dies at sea it is entirely discretionary with the captain whether the body be kept on board and carried to its destination, or immediately committed to the waves. So recent as the summer of 1885, a case illustrating this dread of dead bodies on ship-board was developed under the following circumstances: A gentleman in the lust stages of consumption engaged passage, with his wife, on one of our finest ocean steamers from Liverpool to New York, this country being his home When in mid-ocean the patient was seized with a hemorrhage which speedily terminated his life, and ministering friends at once prepared the body, at the widow's solicitation, by embalming, for the remainder of the journey. Scarcely had this been done when the captain learned of the man's death, and he imme- diately ordered it cast into the ^a. The widow was shocked at this outrageous order, but her protestations availed nothing; being wealthy, she offered the captain a large sum of money to allov the body to remain, and then, with cries and heart-breaking entreaties, begged that she might keep lior dead and consign it to the precious earth beside some of her children. The captain was inexorable, and even used some force in seizing the dead bodj' and throwing it into the waves. This officer was hardly so brutal as he appeared, for he was really actuated by a superstitious fear that if the body were allowed to remain on board some dreadful calamity would befall the ship. I; 'J 8EA AI^D LAND. As a fitting conclusion to this brief description of some of the super- stitions peculiar to seamen, I may mention a novel theory recently put forth by a man, sage, or lunatic, in New York. This marvelous genius maintains with much display of argument, that the world is a living body whose respiration is proved by the tides ; the trees and vegetation are this creatures' hirsute adornment ; the volcanoes are chronic ulcerations on its body, and the winds indicate the character of its exercise, being calm when the animal is quiet, and violent whtMi it is performing some duty requiring much exercise of vigor. Silly as this theory is, it is not more so than a thousand other absurd super- stitions which millions of credulous beings believe. ANCIENT BELIEF IN THE MERMAID. The verity of mermen and mermaids s^ems to have been thoroughly established in eailier centuries, if we accept the evidence of the most celebrated writers and naturalists of those ages, who, however, looked at nature through spectacles very ' different from those which are adopted to modern eyes. Shakespeare, who gave fancy wings, alludes to these pleasing crea- tures in the following lines : " I heard a mermaid on a dolphin'o back Uttering such dulcet and harmonious breath That the rude sea grew civil at her song." And again: " Who would be a mermaid fair ? Singing alone, combing her hair, Under the sea." In a well known work entitled the *' Speculum Regale," published in the twelfth century, which was regarded at the time as being one of the greatest scientitic issues, occurs the following description of a mermaid, which was evidently given to set at rest all doubts on the subject : '*A monster is seen also near Greenland, like a woman as far down as the waist ; long hands and soft hair, the neck and head in all re- spects like that of a human being. The hands seem to people to be long, and the fingers not to be parted, but united by a web like that on the feet of water-birds. From the waist downward this monster resembles a fish, with scales, tail and fin. This prodigy is supposed to show itself more especially before heavy storms. The Lahit of this creature is to dive frequently, and come up again to the surface I -' 1 I ^ MYSTERIEB OF THE DEEP SEA. 333 ! with fishes in its hands. When sailors see it playing with the fish, or throwing them toward the ship, they fear they are doomed to lose several of the crew; but when it casts the fish, or, turning from the vessel, flings them away from her, the sailors take it as a good omen that they will not suffer loss in an impending storm. The monster has a very horrible face, with broad brow and piercing eyes, a wide mouth and a double chin." More circumspect than this statement, however, appears a description recor'led by the Jesuits of India, and made a part of their ecclesiastical pro- ceedings, wherein t is asserted that seven of these wonderful creatures, both male and female, were captured on the Ceylon coast and thence taken to Goa, where the physician to the viceroy carefully dissected their. . This learned man, it is claimed, found that '♦ their in- ternal structure was in all respects similar to that of the human." In the light of a more ample knowledge of God's creatures, it may be said that a dissection of either the dolphin, dugong, lumantin or manatee will show that their internal parts are almost identical with those of a human. Another claim to the likeness which the dugong bears to a human is found in the fact that the animal gives expression to its grief in tears. The common people of Sumatra, where the dugong abounds, ascribe great virtue to the tears thus shed, and bottle them in the belief that they act as a charm to secure affection. The remains of a species of Stellerus hwe been found which bear a much closer resemblance to a human than any that are at present FABLED MERMAID AND MERMAN. I 334 BEA AND LAND. known to exist. The creature is now supposed to be extinct, as no living specimen has been met with sinpe about the middle of the last century. Shakespeare alludes to the superstition which was atone time very general among sailors, that to see a mermaid swimming away from a vessel foreboded disaster, in the following line put iii^the mouth of Glocester, in " 3d King Eiohard III : " " I'll drown more sailors than the merman shall." But in the '« Comedy of Errors " the great poet pictures the beauty and divine grace of these exquisite creatures as follows: " O, train me not, sweet mermaid, with thy note To drown me in thy sister's flood of tears ; Sing, syren, for thyself, and I will dote. Bpread o'er the silver waves thy golden hairs, And as a bed I'll take thee, and there lie ; And in that glorious supposition think He gains by death, that hath such means to die." In the reign of Queen Elizabeth all England went fairly mad over queer specimens brought up from the sea. There were more than a score of different entertainments going on at one time in London, the conspicuous features of which were sea-monsters, which the mounte- banks were advertising as marine men. So great was this rage that Shakespeare has referred to it in his " Winter's Tale," where^Auto- lycus, the ballad singer, is made to say : " Here's another ballad of a fish that appeared upon the coast on Wednesday, the four-score of April, forty thou8 id fathoms above water, and sung this ballad against the hard hearts of maids. It is thought she was a woman, and was turned into a cold fish, for she would not exchange flesh with one that loved her. The ballad is very pitiful and as true." PEOPLE OF THE SEA. Lieutenant Bassett has collected together, in a book called "Le- gends and Superstitions of the Sea," the quaint stories, beliefs and customs of sailors and coast-dwelling people, that were current hun- dreds of years ago, as well as those now common, in which there is much to amuse the reader. Kc shows that the belief in mermaids, cities under the deep, water-cows, horses, sheep, dogs, fairies, trolls — and, in shcrt, every phase of fact and fable on land has its counter- MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 335 part in the sea— is not only implicit even in our day, but, from the very nature of things, is ineradicable. On the subject of sea-humans Bassett says : "The idea of creatures beneath the wave, possessed of a human form with fish-like extremities, is not a modern one. Aside from the many fish-gods of antiquity, we are told that a creature like a woman inhabits the Island of Ceylon, and iElian assures us there are whales formed like satyrs. Tritons and sirens were also figured half fish in ancient representations. Demetrius says the Western islanders who died in hurricanes were mermaids. Pliny says they came on board ships at night and sunk them, and that Malos, making free with a sea- maiden, lost his head." Pliny further says: «« Several distinguished persons of equestrian rank have assured me that they themselves have seen, off the coast of Gades, a merman whose body was of a human form. He was accus- tomed to appear on board ships in the night time, and the part on which he stood gradually subsided, as if sunk do\^n by his weight. "The Nereids, daughters of the Oceanic Doris, and of Nereus, and mothers of many heroes, were at first imagined beautiful maidens. A mural painting in Pompeii shows such a one. Later they were given the fish-tail, thus becoming mermaids. "Achelous, brother of Nereus, and Calliope, were parents of the sirens, and as we have seen, they, too, were gradually transformed from human-faced birds to fish-tailed maidens. So also with the Tritons, offspring of Neptune and Amphitrite, who, at first regarded as men in form, were afterward given the fish-tail and monstrous form usually seen in art. " In the middle ages, stories of mermaids increased, and their char- acteristics were definitely settled. " Arabian writers often speak of them. El-Kazwini says the Arabs believed that certain fish-men lived in the Indian Ocean, and ate drowned men. Abou Muzaine says a Siren named the Old Man of the Sea often spoke an unknown tongue. A similar animal caught a woman and married her, and their son spoke the language of both. Another similar animal, the Old Jew, came to the surface in the Medil terrauean, on Friday night, and played about ships all the Jewish Sabbath. Ibnala Bialsaths says sailors in his time caught on foreign shores marine women, with brown skin and black eyes, speaking a strange tongue. Ibn-Batuta. an old Arab writer, says he saw fish in the Persian Gulf with a human head as large as that of a child. I 3dG SEA AND LAXO. ** Theodore de Gaza saw several Sirens on board ship, in the Pelopon- nessiiin Sea, which were put back in the water, after being Icept on board some time. They were beautiful maidens. George of Trebi- zonde saw one in the open sea. Gyllius says the skin of sen- men taken in Dalmatia is so tough that it is used to make saddle coveia. ♦♦ In the Nibelungeii Lieb, Hagen steals a mermaid's garments, but she foretold him good luck if ho would give them back again. An- other story is that a mermaid told Hagen's fortune, but he, dissatis- fied with it, cut off her head, which mysteriously joined the body again, and a storm thereupon ensued." WONDERFUL STORIES OF MERMAIDS. Wieland, or Waylund, a mythical Vulcan of the middlo ages, is said to have des'^-ended from a mermaid. Sp the French Counts of Lu- sigiian, ancient kings of Cypress and Jerusalem, still claim as their ancestor and founder a water-maiden, Melusina, whom an ancestor saw bathing in a fountain, and whom he wedded. ♦' The romances of the middle age often speak of them. Such are the maidtMis of the Rheingold, celebrated in Wagner's melodious strains. In the romantic legends of William of Orange a mermaid is cauglit by a cavalier, but liberated. In gratitude therefor she saves her captor, when his ship is wrecked. When mermaids appeared ' then began they all to sing so high, so low, so sweet, and so clear, that the birds leave off flying, and fish leave off swimming.' •' The ballads of Chivalry extolled their beauty. Doolin says, of a beautiful woman, ' I thought she was an angel, or a sea-siren.' *' In a Sicilian tale, a maiden treacherously thrown into the sea, is carried off by a merman, and chained to his tail. A similar story is told by Gubernatis, but the mermaid is here liberated, her brother feeding the siren meat, while seven blacksmiths sever the chain. ♦' These mermaids particularly desire a human soul — a thing denied to them by the churchmen. Paracelsus says: ' So it follows that they woo men, to make them industrious and homelike, in the same way as a heathen wants baptism, to save his soul ; and thus they create so great a love for men, that they are with men in the same union.' This of the maidens, bat mermen were not so friendly, often dragging people down, like Nick. in "The Eastern Travels of John of Hesse" (1389), we read; ** We came to a smoky and stony mountain, where we heard sirens singing, proprie met maids, who draw ships into danger by their songs. We saw there many horrible monsters, and were in great fear." MYSTERIES Or THE DEEP SEA. 337 In 1187 a merman is said to have been taken near Suffolk. England " But the .coounta of the early appearances of the mermaid are ,„o,e c,rou,„stant,al ,„ norther,, countries. Here, where Nick drat "ed people down, whe,e E.,u snckcd the breath of the drowned,'':„d where the Stromkarl and the Kelpie flourished, the mermaid was often ,ee,,, s,tt,ng on he rooks, combing her hair, and predicting disaster" to the manner. 6 «'oani/ciH Icelaudie chronicles relate that three sea-monsters we,e seen near Greenland The first, seen by No,.wegian sailors in the water, had the body of a man, w,th broad shouldcs, stumps of arms, and a ,K„n ed head. Heavy storms succeeded ils appeaia. e. The second was hke a woman to the waist, with la,g„ breasts. : Weled hair! »„dla,ge hands o,, the stumpy arms, wel bed lite a duck's foot. I held fish in its hands and ate them. We also read in theCh,oniele of Sto,laform„s, of the Hafstrambr • It rescnbles a mau f,-om the neck, in its head, its nose, and its hroat, except that the head is extraordina.ily high, and elo,^gated in front. It had shoulders like a man, and attached to the. two stu,«p" of arms without hands. The body tape,-s below, but it has nTver been seen how ,t ,s formed below the waist." He also describes the Margnguer. " It ,s formed like a woman, as far as the waist It ha! Uaige bosom, thick hair, large hands, with fingers webbed like tZ foot of a goose, attached to its stumpy arms." This pleasing fiction of creatures half-human, living in the sea is almost universal Not only do we find it amongpeoplf lup;i ahe ~.t, but ,t ,s also common among barbaria„rsuch as the trites „f Central Africa and the North American Indians. Those having never «ea he ocean confine the mermaidsof their belief to streams^o "" ter, spirits which we denominate Nereids and water-nvmphs This niversality of belief, stretching round the world, is suikiigly sin iar, and can possibly be explained by no other theory fan tZt advanced by Donnelly, who accounts for the identitv of sLZ 1 1! "pou iiie Atlantis Uoutment. onnfi n trr-^it i^a — „.-i . whenoe^he race radiated, after its submergence, which was ^;;ur 338 BEX AND LAND. OR088INO THE LINE. A singular ceremony, Iho origin of which has been lost in the great lapse of time since its first practices, takes place on board every sliip that crosses the equatorial lino. That it was originally intended as a propitiation to the god Neptune cannot be doubted, especially since, even at this day, a portion of the ceremony consists in calling upon the great sea-god. It ms degenerated in liiose later days to a kinf! of buffoonery, or, to use a collegiate expression,*' hazing," since the occasion is seized upon to initiate new sailors. Little, in his "Twenty Years on the Ocean," refers to the cere- mony of ** crossing the line " on his first voyage as a sailor, in the following language : «' • * * After this the wind sprang up moderately from south- southeast, when we braced up our yards on the larboard tack, and as we expected to cross the line the next night, preparations were being made for the reception of old Neptune, such as dressing two of the oldest sailors to personate him and his wife, throwing over a tar- barrel on fire, and hailing the sea-god from on board. All this buf- foonery was performed after dark, and so managed as to be kept secret from the green hands. And here I must not omit stating that this foolery was sanctioned by the captain and officers, very much to their mortification afterwards, as the scene of confusion which en- sued had liked to have closed with a mutiny. «' On the next morning the play began; the green hands were con- fined to the forecastle, one at a time being sent up blind-folded, who was then received by his majesty of the sea, and the operation of shaving commenced. The lather consisted of slush mixed with the dii'ty water of the grindstone tub ; the razor was a piece of old hoop- iron ; the face being well besmeared with this lather, the shaving commenced, during which his majesty puts some interrogatories, such as, * Do you intend to become a member of my family, and a faithful subject of my realm?' etc. When the mouth is opened to give an- swer, it is crammed full of odoriferous lather. This done, he is well scraped with the hoop and douched with salt-water, and then let off to enjoy the remainder of the farce. "I recollect, when they were about to cram the delicious lather into uiy moutn, i sirucis, iiiu m:iii wuw uciu iv, Suvt lu r..-.- ,r,,.-i~ ii-- bandage fell from my eyes, and I discovered the whole trick. A scene of confusion here took place; the green hands all sided together, MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 339 •nd determined not to submit to tl,o operation, and tl,e old sailor, attempting to force us to yield, i riot tool< place, which was not wir out much difficulty quelled by the officers." not with- Of all ales told by the sweet singers of the world, none exceed in exqsite beauty, sontunent and rhythm, that of the -. Ancient Marr. ner, wh.ch has made the fame of it, author, Samuel T. Coleridge as perpetual as that of Shakespeare himself. My excuse for ntro dacn,g .t here ,s two-fold, viz.- It describes one of the most gen- or« and tenacous super.,titions connected with life on the .ea, anrin as ,K,culiar relevancy to our subject, the pc-em i so full of sweetness and beauty that it, republication .,; .ys subserves an eKellent purpose because that which contrUutes to'^our hZ „e" and culture cannot bo too often repented '"Ppmess follTr^' '° '''''■S''"''"^ '"'<' i- «"». "oy ^^ briefy described as An old sailor, lately returned from a disastrous voyage the iuci dents of w ch are the burden of his recital, meets th^ef gent emen who are on then- way to a wedding-feast, one of whom he detains and c„n,pds to listen to his tale. The Ancent Mariner proceed to t^ll , and, or how the ship on which he sailed was drawn by a storm toward he South Pole and ,nto a region of ice and fearful sounds, where „„ hfe w», to be seen, untilan albatross appeared, which, being a bird of good omen, followed the shipas it returned northward. ThTs bird wL a^y ed from the hands of the crew until the Ancient Mariner si' .t wth h,s cross-bow, believing that it was the cause of the fo. and m,3t wh,ch continnally surrounded the ship. His shipmates .t sTst md outagan,st this fearful act, but as the fog soon after Ifted % justified the act, and thus became accomplices in the or me ^ fair breeze continued with the ship until the equator was reached when the wind suddenly ceased and the vessel lay becnlmTd! A spirit had followed the ship from the time thealbatross was shot wiuiming in the wake of the luckless craft. •< nine fatho.rdeep!-' 0 bring vengeance upon the crew for their s.acrilegious act. The bpmates now sought to throw all the guilt upon the Ancient Mari! .er,_^as a sign whereof, they hung the dead bird around his neck. a si^ »Z T "^ "^ "'"" '""'' "''"-'" ">« ^'"='^''t Mariner beholds Ldrb„™r„,°?' '/,;' ''PP'''"«='>«« nearer he believes it to be a ship, .•"daburst of joy follows, but it is brief, for the wonder succeeds how 340 SEA AND LAND. a shi** ould move so rapidly without either wind or tide. As it ap- proa, .ds, the Ancient Mariner discovere that it is a phantom ship, on which are seen a spectre woman and her death-mate. The two spirits are seen casting dice for the ship's crew, and the one known asLife-in Death wins the Ancient Mariner. Soon after, the crew begin to die of thirst, one after another falling down, but the Ancient Mariner still survives, to suffer the pangs of a living death. At this point in the old sailor's narrative the wedding-guest thinks it is a spirit that is talking, but he is assured that it is not so, and the Ancient Mariner proceeds to relate the horrors of his penance. By the light of the moon the sailor behoK j God's creatures of the great calm, their beauty and happiness, and he blesses them in his heart, whereat the spell which binds him begins to break. lie tells how the rains came and refreshed him, where upon strange sights are seen in the sky, and portentious soun*ds break the weird stillness of the surrounding calm. These ominous manifestations i)roceed from a troop of angelic spirits which come to the call of the guardian saint. The lonesome spirit from the South Pole propels the ship to the line in obedience to the angelic troop, but still requires vengeance. The Polar spirit's fellow demons, the invisible inhabitants of the ele- ment, take part in his wrong — which is the crime of killing the alba- tross, the sacred bird — and two of them relate that penance long and heavy for the Ancient Mariner has been accorded to the Polar Spirit who returned southward. The Mariner is now cast into a trance, for the troop of angels cause the vessel to drive northward faster than human life can endure. But the supernatural motion is arrested ; the Mariner awakes and his pen- ance begins anew. The curse is finally expiated, and the Ancient Mariner beholds his native country, whereupon the angelic spirits leave the dead bodies and appear in their own beautiful forms. The hermit of the wood approaches the ship, when she suddenly sinks, but the Ancient Mariner is saved in tho Pilot's boat. Ho en- treats the hermit to shrieve him, but ever and anon throughout his future life an agony constrains him to go from land to land to tell his tale, and to teach, by his owl example, love and reverence to all MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP 8BA. 341 By TH7 LONO GREY BEARn AND QutttERING E'E. Now WHEREFORa STOPP'ST THOU ME? U2 SEA AND LAND. THE ANCIENT MARINER. PAET I. I^TffT is an ancient mariner, And he stoppeth one of three, " By thy long grey beard and glittering eye, Now wherefore stopp'st thou me ? " The bridegroom's doors are opened wide, And I am next of kin ; The guests are met, the feast is set : Mayst hear the merry din." He holds him with his skinny hand, " There was a ship," quoth he. Hold off I unhand me, grey-beard loon I '* Eftsoons his hand dropt he. fie holds him with his glittering eye — The wedding-guest stood still. And listens like a three-years' child : The Mariner hath his will. The wedding.guest sat on a stone; He cannot choose but hear; An^ thus spake on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner. The ship was cheered, the harbour cleared, Merrily did we drop Below the kirk, below the hill, Below the light-house top. The sun came up upon the left, Out of the sea came he ; And he shone bright, and on the right Wont down into the sea. Higher and higher every day. Tin over the mast at noon — The wedding-guest here beat his Dreasl^ For he heard the loud bassoon. MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 343 The Wedding GueJ- sat on a stone j He cannot chuse but hear. 844 SEA AND LAND. The bride hath paced into the ha', Eed as a rose is she ; Nodding their heads before her goes The merry minstrelsy. The wedding-guest he beat his breast, Yet he cannot choose but hear ; And thus spako on that ancient man, The bright-eyed Mariner. And now the storm-blast came, and he Was tyrannous and strong : He struck with his o'ertaking wings, And chased us south along. With sloping masts, and dipping prow, As who pursued with yell and blow Still treads the shadow of his foe. And forward bends his head, The ship drove fast, loud roared the blast, And southward aye we fled. And now there came both mist and snow, And it grew wond'rous cold ; And ice, mast high, came floating by, As green as emerald. And through the drifts, the snowy clifts Did send a dismal sheen : Nor shapes of men nor beasts we ken — The ice was all between. The ice was here, the ice was there, The ice was all around ; It cracked and g.'owled, and roared and howled, Like noises in a swound. At length did cross an albati'oss. Through the fog it came ; As if it had been a Christian soul, We hailed it in God's name. It ate the food it ne'er had eat. And round and round it flew The ice did split with a thunder-fit: The helmsman steered us through I MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 345 AND NOW THERE CAME BOTH MIST AND SNOW. AND IT GREW WONDROUS COLD. &46 SEA AND LAND. w * ^ .;:. i And a good sonfc Ind sprung up behind, The albatross di^ Jcllow, And every day, for food or play, Oamo to the mariners' hollo ! In mist or cloud, on mast or shroud, It perched for vespers nine j Whiles all the night, thro' fog-smoke white, Glimmered the white moon-shine. " God save thee, ancient mariner ! From the fiends that plague thee thus. — Why look'st thou so ?" — With my cross-bow I shot the albatross I ^HE sun now rose upon Iht i ijt ht, j^. Out of the sea came he. Still hid in mist, and on tao loft Went down into the sea. And the good s< uth-wind still blew behind, But no sweet bird did follow, ^OY any day, for food or play, Came to the mariners' hollo 1 And I had done a hellish thing, • And it wot'ld work 'em woe ; For all averred, I had killed the bird Thfit made the breeze to blow ; Ah, wretch ! said they, the bird to slay That made the breeze to blow. Nor dim nor red, like God's own head, The glorious sun uprist; Then all averred, I had killed the bird That brought the fog and mist. 'Twas right, said they, such birds to slay That bring the fog and mist. The fair breeze blew, the wh'*e foam flew, The furrow followed free j We were the first that evcx' buibi. Into that silent sea. mrstERtfiS OF THE DEEP SEA. 347 m The ice was here, the ice was there, The ICa WAS ALI. AROUND, 348 8£A AND LAND. ;.' '11 Dovni dropt the breeze, the sails dropt down, Twas sad as sad could be ; And we did speak only to break The silence of the sea I All in a hot and copper sky, The bloody sun, at noon, Right up above the mast did stand, No bigger than the moon. Day after day, day after day. We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship Upon a painted ocean. » Water, water, every where. And all the boards did shrink j Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink. The very deep did rot : O Christ I That ever this should bej Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs Upon the slimy sea. About, about, in reel and rout. The death-fires danced at night The water, like a witch's oils. Burnt green, and blue, and white. And some in dreams assured were Of the spirit that plagued so ; Nine fathom deep he had followed us From the land of mist and snow. And every tongue, through utter drought. Was withered at the root ; We could not speak, no more than if We had been choked with soot. Ah ! well-a-day ! what evil looks Had I from old and young I Instead of the cross, the albatross About my neck was hong. HTST£UI£S or THE DEEP SEA, 848 ■^V^ It ate the Fo---- it NE'ER HAD EAT. ■aJ 350 fiEA AND LAND. PART in. -iHERE passed a weary time. Each throat ^ Was parched, and glazed ea* h eye, A weary time 1 a weary time f How glazed each weary er \ When looking wcstwaro, i beheld A something in the sky. At first it seemed a little speck, And then it seemed a mistj It moved and moved, and took at last A certain dhapt^ I wist. A speck, a mist, a shape I wist I And still it noiired and neared ; As if it dodge. I a water-sprite, It plunged, and tacked, and veered. With throavs unslaked, with black lips baked We could nor laugh nor wail ; •Through utter drought all dumb we stood, I bit my arm, I sucked the blood. And cried, A sail; a sail ! With throats unslaked, with black lips baked, Agape they heard me call; Gramercy ! they for joy did grin, And all at once their breath drew in As they were drinking all. See I see I (I cried), she tacks no more I Hither, to work us weal, Without a breeze, without .1 ude, She steadies with upright keel I The western wave was all a-flu'' 'I' , \m ^60 flKA AKD LANO. The helmsman steered, the ship moved on, Yet never a zephjr upblew; The mariners all 'gan work the ropes. Where they were wont to do ; They raised their limbs like lifeless tools — * We were a ghastly crew. The body of my brother's son Stood by me knee to knee : The body and I pulled at one rope. But he said nought to me. I fear thee, ancient Mariner ! Be calm, thou Wedding-Guest, 'Twas not those souls that fled in pain. Which to their corses came again, But a troop of spirits blekt : For when it dawned — they dropped their arms, And clustered round the mast ; Sweet sounds rose slowly through their mouths, And from their bodies passed. Around, around, flew each sweet sound, Then darted to the sun ; Slowly the sounds came back again. Now mixed ; now one by one. And now 'twas like all instruments. Now like a lonely flute, And now it is an angel's song, That makes the heavens be mute. It ceased ; yet still the sails made on A pleasant noise till noon, A noise like that of a hidden brook, In the leafy month of June, That to the sleeping woods all night Singeth a quiet tune. Till noon we quietly sailed on, Yet never a breeze did breathe : Slowly and smoothly went the ship, Moved onward from beneath. MY8TBR1E8 OP THE DEEP SEA. 361 Beyond the shadow of the ship I WATCHED T«ir rxTA.r^'r. - 4 362 SEA AND LAND. Under the keel nine fathom deep, From the land of mist and snow, The spirit slid j and it was he That made the ship to go. The sails at noon left off their tnne. And the ship stood still also. The sun right above the mast, Had fixed her to the ocean : But in a minute she 'gan stir With a short uneasv motion — Backwards and forwards half her length, With a short uneasy motion. Then like a pawing horse let go. She made a sudden bound ; It flung the blood into my head. And I fell down in a swound. How long in that same fit I lay, I have not to declare ; But ere my living life returned, I heard and in my soul discerned Two voices in the air. " Is it he ?" quoth one, " Is this the man ? By him who died on cross, With his cruel bow he laid full low The harmless albatross. " The spirit bideth by himself In the land of mist and snow. He loved the bird that loved tha man, Who shot him with his bow." The other was a softer voice. As soft as honey-dew : Quoth he, " The man hath penance done, And penance more will do." PART VI. FIKST VOICE. 5|^UT tell me, tell me ! speak again, i^u Thy soft response renewing — Whjat makes that ship drive on so fast? What is the Ocean doing ? MYSTEltlES OF THE DEEP 8EA. 363 'iii THEY GROANED, THEY STIRRED, THEY ALL UPROSE Nor spake, nor moved their eyes. ' 3G4 SKA AND LAKD. W i SECOND VOICE. Still a8 a slave before his lord, The Ocean hath no blast; His great bright eye most silently Up to the moon is cast. If he may know which way to go, For she guides him smooth or grim. See, brother, see ! how graciously She looketh down on him. FIRST VOICE. But why drives on that ship so fast, Without or wave or wind ? ) SECOND VOICE. The air is cut away before. And closes from behind. Fly, brother, fly ! more high, more high. Or we shall be belated ; For slow and slow tliul ( lip will go, When the Mariner's frMicQ is abated. I woko, and we wero saJling on. As in a gentle weather ; 'Twas night, calm night, the moon was high The dead men stood together. All stood together on the deck, For a charnel-dungeon fitter j All fixed on me their stony eyes. That in the moon did glitter. The pang, the curse with which they died. Had never passed away ; I could not draw my eyes from theirs, Nor turn them up to pray. And now this spell was snapt j once more i Viewed the ocean gfccn, And looked far forth, yet little saw Of what had else been seen — MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. It ceased, yet still the sails made on A pleasant noise till noon. MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) k& |2j8 KUU 1:25 lilll u |Z2 2.0 1.6 ^ /APPLIED IIVHGE Ir Sr. '653 East Main Street SSjS Rochester, New York 14609 USA — - (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone ^S (716* 7^8-5983 -Fax 3B6 81SA AND LAND. Like one that on a lobesomo road Doth walk in fear and dread, And having once turned round, walks on, And turns no more hia head ; Because he knows a frightful fiend Doth close behind him tread. But soon there breathed a wind on me, Nor sound nor motion made ; Its path was not upon the sea In ripple or in shade. It raised my hair, it fanned my cheek Like a meadow-gale of spring — It mingled strangely with my fears. Yet it felt like a welcoming. Swiftly, swiftly flew the ship, Yet she sailed softly too ; Sweetly, sweetly blew the breeze — On me alone it blew. Oh ! dream of joy ! is this, indeed. The light-house top I see ? Is this the hill ? is this the kirk j Is this mine own eountree '( We drifted o'er the harbour bar. And I with sobs did pray — O let me be awake, my Grod ! Or let me sleep alway. The harbour-bay was clear as glass, So smoothly it was strewn ; And on the bay the moonlight lay. And the shadow of the moon. The rock shone bright, the kirk no less. That stands above the rock : The moonlight steeped in silentness, The steady weathercock. And the bay was white with silent light. Till rising from the same, Pull many shapes, that shadows were. In crimson colours came. MYSTERIEe OF THE DEEP SEA. 367 UNDER THE KEEL NINE FATHOMS DEEP, FROM THE LAND OF MIST AND SNOW The spirit slid. M', •' 368 SEA AND LAND, A little distance from the prew Those crimson shadows were ; I turned my eyes upon the deck — . Oh, Christ ! what saw I there ! Each corse lay flat, lifeless and flat, And, by the holy rood, A man all light, a seraph-man, On every corse there stood. This seraph-baiid each waved his hand It was a heavenly sigl.t; They stood as signals^ to the land, Each one a lovely light. This seraph-baad each wkved his hand, No voice did they impart — No voice ; but oh ! the silence sunk Like music on my heart. But soon I heard the dash of oars, I heard the Pilot's cheer ; My head was turned perforce away, . And I saw a boat appear. The Pilot and the Pilot's boy, I heard them coming fast j Dear Lord in Heaven ! it was a joy The dead men coald not blast. I saw a third — I heard his voice, It is the hermit good ; He singeth loud his godly hymns That he makes in the wood. He'll shrieve my soul, he'll wash away The albatross's blood. PART VII. ^HIS Hermit good lives in that wood *" Which slopes down to the sea. How loudly his sweet voice he rears I He loves to talk with marineres That come from a far countree. MYSTERIES Or THE DEEP SEA, ■yr^ ZS9 But why drives on the ship so va- WITHOUT OR WAVL: OR WIND? M« i I 370 SEA AND LAND. He kneels at morn, and noon and eve — He hath a cushion plump, It is the moss that wholly hides The rotted old oak-stump. The skiff-boat neared : I heard them talk, " Why, this is strange, I trow ! "Where are those lights so many and fair, That signal made but now ? " " Strange, by my faith," the Hermit said — " And they answered not our cheer ; The planks look warped ; and see these sails How thin they are ana sere ! I never saw aught like to them Unless perchance it were " Brown skeletons of leaves that lag My forest-brook along. When the ivy-tod is heavy with snow, And the o^\let whoops to the wolf below. That eats the she-wolf's young." Dear Lord ! it hath a fiendish look — (The Pilot made reply) I am a-feared " — " Push on, push on." Said the Hermit cheerily. The boat came closer to the ship, But I nor spake nor stirred ; The boat came close beneath the ship. And straight a sound was heard. Under the water it rumbled on. Still louder and more dread : It reached the ship, it split the bay j The ship went down like lead. Stunned by that loud and dreadful sound, Which sky and ocean smote, Like one that hath been seven days drowned My body lay afloat j But swift as dreams, myself I found Within the Pilot's boat. ^.- MYSTERIES OF THE DEEP SEA. 871 This seraph band, each waved his hands it was a heavenly sight 372 SEA AND LAND. Upon tho whirl, whoro sank tho ship Tho boat spun round and round ; And all was still, save that tho hill Was telling of the sound. I moved my lips — the Pilot shrieked. And fell down in a fit; Tho Holy Hermit raised his eyes. And prayed where he did sit. I took tho oars : tho Pilot's boy. Who now doth crazy go, Laughed loud and long, and all tho while His eyes went to and fro. " Ha ! ha ! " quoth ho, " full plain I see, Tho Devil knows how to row." And now, all in my own countree, I stood on tho firm land ! Tho hermit stepped forth from the boat, ■ And scarcely he could stand. " O shrieve me, shriove me, holy man ! " The Hermit crossed his brow, " Say quick," quoth ho, *' I bid thoo say What manner of man art thou ? " Forthwith this frame of mine was wrenched With a woful agony. Which forced me to begin my tale j And then it left me free. Since then at an uncertain hour, That agony roturnp : And till my ghastly tale is told This heart within mo bums. . . I pass like night from land to land : I have strange power of speech j That moment that his face I see, I know the man that must hear me : To him my tale I teach. What loud uproar bursts from that door ! ThO' wedding-guests are there : But in the garden bower tho bride And bridomaids singing are : And hark the little vesper boll, T»n,;,.k >M*. Oh Wedding Gnest ! this soul hath been Alone on a wide, wide sea ; So lon»>ly 'twas, that God himself Scarce seemed there to be. O sweeter than the marriage feast. 'Tis sweeter far to me, To walk together to the kirk With a goodly company ; To walk together to the kirk, And all together pray, While each to his great Father bends. Old men and babes, and loving friends. And youths and maiuens gay ; Farewell, farewell ! but this I tell To the^, thou Wedding Guest ! He prayeth well, who loveth well Both man and bird and boast. He prayeth best who loveth best All things both great and small j For the dear God that loveth us, He made and loveth all. The Mariner whose eye is bright. Whose beard with ago is hoar. Is gone ; and now the Wedding Guest Turns from the bridegroom's door. He went like one that hath been stunned, And is of sense forlorn : A sadder and a wiser man, He rose the morrow mom. 'L- THE WORLD ASHORE. CHAPTER XXI. THE UNFOLDING OF CREATrON BV EVOLUTION. Sn the introductory chapter of th» work I have gi,e„ a very brief \ descnpfon „, the theory of earth development, expfain?^ ho» ,t g,e«, up out of chuo, and became bathed wi h the mota- ture that emanated from all the spheres ; of how life first at peared m the movi.^ waters of univeraa. ocean, before land waTa^ where upon the hquid globe, and refeM, casually, to the «r"uZt of evolnfon that theory which is the grandest conceptio"ro7the r: vt:;r^ -- fewton, a„d the poer of any age sinUUdaw: ot civilization. The extraordinary interest of the subject shall be y excuse for introducing to the reader again, not theor es but facU order, through stages, or cycles, cataclysms, convulsions eversion. "HoTJf^^'^T ^'P*"" °"* ^^ ' ^> »°*» »*o^ the plant up-irrows A winged 4»rm take, ilfe one day to quit It. narrow Jl ? " ^ As scientists, in their discussions of the earth's develoDm.nt divided t emselves into Plutouists and Neptunists, one hZv nTthai ."nolnceSl '"' f.?^, '"^'' '» "■« "-k ages, before the clourof «h08ehistorv;on'Pl«. the Chinese, the Critor iiri n ^^'"^'"■'»' "P^sented Pan-kou-che as treator, who was. smaU man, even in their esUmaSon, and withal • 976 HPA Atd) tAND. 1 1 feeble and nervous. Their traditioiifl, however, tell them that tlilg man, with haramer and chisel, hewed the globe out of chaos, broke away the granite spurs and huge inequalities of the crust, and carved highways through the wilderness and tunnels through mountains, until he reduced the earth to a habitable condition by the sheer force of his incomparable industry. PAN kOU-CHE, THE CREATOR.— (FROM A PAINTING IN A CHINESE MANUSCRIPT.) Opposed to the legends of the Chinese, we have the traditions ol the Scandinavians, that race of free-born and war-like people who never slept under tae arm of a conqueror, and whose rugged natures, bred to a rugged climate, made them glory in the power which they attained through struggles, viewed the whole world as a thing not fnr, woRf.n jHhom. 877 OBdersteod and yH not «„ gr„,.t hut that they mi-rht rule it «nd,r ling u a ,ni/ht, ^z:'!^::iz::Zi :™ :;" "«- ou« «tep, breathed like a cyclone, and ^ru bed h„ t T""^""" invention of n.eehanio geniu ; ,d ^;;:; ^ io"! thi," , TT' '^" ""' through tumbled and chaotic .aturele fol °^ ,°Y '''' ""^ i».-ion t,.e.i,hty.,rce.„hich iil^-tLSl^i^tr!:,::::' Thedi«ere:i z:::^:z:;z>^z ,:n7.r:Lti«c >„ ti •' theones respecting the world's origiu, represent the ^ffer rerrrrpictrdt^s^^^^ ...;^^o.so The Neptunists and Plutonists were scientists in their dav both heated, revolved witm v \ '""' ''^'"'^ ^^^"^ '"t^^^^ly asundpr rt ^ . ^ '^P'^'^^ ^^^<^ centrifu-al force rent it octl nd\ ^""^^'"^^^ «P'^^« -^-^ turned w th ^l could only account for f hL S . , ' ^ '''^''''' '' """^ ^^^^h. If we to^etap^XT^te::^^^^^ ^e are in darkness on thf<, ^o J4w" ~ ' i "^'°' ' '' ' venture out no further'oVfh,-! ? ^^"'^'^"°"' '^"^ '""^^^ therefore, reach ^^'' S'^*^ speculative sea than a line will ^•^ 378 8KA AND LAND. As the earth gradually cooled and formed a crust, the gases risinjr from the seething fires, which still raged within the fragile coTerinir'; burst from time to time and produced great convulsions, splitting the earth and upheaving mountains, covering some barren places ''with water, and in others raising islands and large bodies of land from the THOR, THE NEPTUNB AND CREATOR OF THE SCANDINAVIANS, RECONSTRUCTING THE GLOBfc bottom of the sea. No less than sixteen cataclysms have taken place, which have left evidences by which they can each be comprehended, EFFECTS OF MIGHTY CONVULSIONS. But the bursting of mighty iiitfirnal forces has bad other effects than the upheaving of continents, changing of ocean beds, and devel- oping of mountain chains; for, besides remodeling the surface of the THE WOULD ASHORE. 379 5 THE GLOBB. globe, these convulsions have chancjed the species of animals, since observation attests the fact that each telluric phase had its peculiar organic form. Resper^ting this fact Humboldt, the greatest of phil- osophic travelers, says : " Each upheaval of these mountain chains of which we can determine the relative antiquity, has been signalized by the destruction of ancient species and the appearance of new organisms." Pouchet, who has painted in such elegant language the story of the world's development, obi^erves: '« The earth is only an immense cemetery, where each generation acquires life at the expense of the debris of that which has just expired ; the particles of our corpses form new materials for the beings which will follow us But we have now reached an epoch of transition ; the exhausted creative powers are experiencing almost a period of arrest; they are waiting till new telluric perturbations awaken them from their torpor. "The first compact crust wi j enveloped the globe was only formed by the cooling down and solidification of its superficial, once incandescent, layers. Hence the beds which compose it are called primitive, or plutonic, in order to indicate their antiquity or i«rne- ous origin. The strata which overlie the primitive rocks ovve, on^he contrary, their formation to deposits from the waters ; and for this reason are called alluvial, or nepturian, strata." Without attempting to follow the process of development, by which the earth was evolved from a fiery globe, thence a boundless sea, to its present condition of orderly separation of land and water, distribu- tion of zones of climate, and profusion of life, I will merely say that when the cooling process had sufficiently advanced to admit the exist- ence of plants and animals, an extremely low order of animate crea- tionappeared. Amongthese, and most prominent, were the trilobites, so called from the arrangement of their articulated bodies, which consisted of three shells over-lapping and ranged side by side. A study of these crustaceans reveals to the scientist the condition of the seas at the time they existed, though for thousands of years these most ancient Inhabitants of the seas have been stricken from the or- der of creation. They were abundant during the Silurian period, a name given to indicate the first appearance of molluscs, from 8ilurus, the earliest creatures of the sea, whose remains have been f"u"d i- great quantities in Wales, where they have been chiefly studied. THE FORESTS APPEAR. The second age is called the Devonian, or age of fishes ; the third tHe (.arboniferous. or the age of coal ; the fourth is the age of rep- S80 SKA AND lANfl. t.Ie8 , and the fifth the age of Mammalia and „f Man. As the earti, was a one time a seethh,g ball of fire, and at another covered w shoreless waves, so in the third, or carboniferous period the „H that had then been uncovered was fairly hidden by 120 fore tf g.gant,c and dense that we can form no conception of its prZt l was then, for example the great Lycopodia, which reared its m ster stems to a he.ght of one hundred feet ; to^ay it is only a c«e mg, herbaceous plant. There was also the gigantic Lenidode^Z" the body of which resembled a scaly cuirass", T,r the envelope o^ LABYRINTHODON RESTORED. 7flT' 1 K °''' ^'^aPPeared from our forests; so, also, has the g^gant.0 club-moss whose tangled tendrils and immense stems cov- ered the earth in places like an impenetrable pall of darkness. These clusters of rank vegetation had their roots in marshy soil s 11 surcharged w,th heat from the ye. uncooied earth, and were further nourished, by a great amount of carbonic acid, upon which plants feed. As an authority observes ; -At the present time the atmosphere contains onlv a fho..«.ndfh part of carbonic gas, whereas, according to Mons. A. Brongniart, there was at the carboniferous period seven to eight parts in a hun- THE WOBLD ASHOBE. 381 .eat aeve,„;„.e,,t:rtivr;e: :;:rcr:; ::-:'^ ^^'^"'-;''» sufh a quantity of acid ii, thn .,i. .„ ,j , , ^ P""'"'' "°"J ■« animal, of a hi.herde» 1 ^f H . "'^"''^ '"'™ "o™ '*' «<> l.ird,, s„ none a?e It Th at thtrtf "'"'"p ' ^r" "" "■"■""■»" -""O appeared wl,en the plan" and tro s bv'th " 1 ' ""-^ '«'™"'^ ""'y bonicacidasfood.had„ecess,rin;,H« i^A "bsorpt.on of the car- te allow of animal life ^TnlZnl!:';^ "'""'''"""'' ^""^^'^-''^ This impenetrable forest extended fivim r>„l t , , time modification of the temperature tj n^Vv " ",' ^"^ "* ""' parts of the globe were eouanvh. t ! .t *"'""' P'""^' "'"J «» unbroken forest walte in the ill t k ™ "'"' ""'"'^'"'' " ^'i'l^ a Hvin, thing, sa™ ^ri^^'^^^a ™ «: 1^; ITr ' ""' rus, a few vestiges of which have bee,, dkcoveVrd It -^'•^t'^r"- son,e creature was manifestly nnborn in t^e r,;tLr„/ "0"" animal, .hich I have described'in ^ o^Ve '^l'^::^ 7Z But, ah I the marvelous change which timo »,„.., mere astonishing than the secret TftL? J '* '"''"""""»«'"' than genii ever^conceived Tadu .lit thf-"'"''"; "T ""'^™'"»» which nature seemed to have ~ed h """"^ '°™'' ""'"' wrshvloam that sJeuZlT^'T'""""""'^''- ^""^ '■"» «>« appealed into^bl ^'^^^^ ^l''^^^ ^"tl'''- marvelous process, into the on.} fi u u7 changed, by a ^0.0. iudis^ensabl'e uslCesfto trpUnttgr " "''-""•^ "' THE BIRTH OF THE FAUNA- LAND MONSTEBS i»«^i rhi Vc::'r„t^'''^.r '"' ^-' "-^ •-=' "■» «-' li-ds of our t me a^rb'ut th! ^^ I '""""'"• ^" «'«"""« ">at the development of Ufe.n , A '''" '""'""^ ^^ comparison. The foramorg the ea HesUa,^ "'" T "'''"'"'" ''■'"" *>■*" ■" ">e sea! «1 that there are r»e now ir, "«^^™""""''' »°»«te™. ^o colosl them. """ """ " '""»'^"«« '>y "hieh we might compaie The s(>pnnH«r«' —^--1- ous creatures wii„TrbZrrr'''f.'"'' *"" "»'»-<'■"' "■"J ™- for theahsenclof f^la™"!'/" h" ""'• "' *''^ carboniferous was ceot fauna. Among the g,gantic animals of the period 382 8EA AND LAND. Miiiit ! 1 i 'I .If! was the immense Labyrinthodon, so named from the labyrinthine tex- ture of its teeth. This creature, though uniting the form and many THK MEGAL08AURUS AND IGUANODON. characteristics of the frog with the scaly body of the saurian lizard, was in size equal to a large ox. The head was somewhat like that of ::;-!'.i!" THE WORLD ASHORE. 383 a crocodile's, and its powerful jaws, armed with murderous looking teeth, made it a fit companion of the mosasauri, plesiosauri and ich- thyosauri, which roamed the sea. But equally terrible to behold, and more mighty in theirvast propor- tions, were the Megalosauri and Iquanodons, whose reptilian len«-th8 were forty-cght and fifty-two feet. The former is found in a fossil state in the Jurassic beds -named from certain rocks of the Jura Mountains,- where some of the remains are in an excellent state of preservation. This animal uas a monster lizard, as its name implies, which crept about on four legs, so short that they scarcely served to keep Its body from the ground, while its great tail must have dragged upon Its extreme length. Cuvier says the megalosaunis resembled, m structure, both the iguana and monitors of the present day, and that ,t was undoubtedly terrestrial, though it was very similar in ap- pearance to the amphibious saurians with which it was contemporane- ous. Figuier observes that the complicated structure and marvelous arrangement of the teeth prove it to have been essentially carnivor- ous It probably fed on serpents, crocodiles and turtles, all of which are found ,n a fossil state in the same cretaceous (chalky) beds with ■t^ An examination of the lower jaw, an admirable specimen of which IS in the Bnfsh Museum, discloses the fact that its head ter- ."mated in a straight nozzle, like the India crocodile. The teeth seveml of wn.ch adhere to the jaw, betray the destructive powe^ which It possessed, partaking alike of the knife, saber and saw Ver- ..a a their junction with the jaw, they change as the animal ages, unti they assume a backward curve resembling a pruning knife Buc land says : . With teeth constructed so as t: out'^with tie whot made T - ^ ^'".'r ^"^^ «^^^-t the same time that the point sword T, TT' f ''"' ""'^ '^ ''" P°'"^ «^ « double-cutting Zl A r '"'^ ""''"'"'■" *"^^^" ^y ^he teeth at their full SZ^'/" T^' ^' ^'^ P^^^' -^^" ""- --<^' -l--ble. . ,m in In !•' ' f"' arrangements which enable mankind to put in operation many of the instruments which they employ." A MORE TERRIBLE MONSTER YET. Me!al^:!:."'?" }'";;t<' '""■^O) r ''"'' ""'^'' S'^--"" ""•- '"« a ci^nt- u "V^f *''« '"""'' "o'"'™' of all th« saurians of the PoW o! "'""'' '"'r"'' '" P'l-'o'ogy has yet exposed, rrofessor Owen and Dr. Mantell have made a special study „( this 1 ifml' ■' iHi III i!iii i 384 SEA AND LAND. monstrous animal, but while they have succeeded in clearly defining Its nature they are not agreed on the form of its tail; the former be hevmg it to have had a short tail, while the latter stoutly maintains that It was long, proportionate to all others of the lizard species This difference in opinion is important because it divides opinion o.i the length of the animal by fifty or sixty-feet. The largest femur (thigh) bone yet found measures four feet eight inches in len^rth which, when we consider how short are the legs in comparison with the body of all lizards, will give us a small idea of its extraordinary size. The form of the feet, added to the existence of a horn, which grew on the upper part of the muzzle or snout, serve to identify it as a species of the Iguanidae now existing, the only reptile which is THE RAMPHORYNCHUS. known to be pro- ided with such a nasal weapon. But while the largest of the living Tguanidse scarcely exceeds one yard in length, its fossil congener was probably fifty feet long, and large in propor- tion. The bone of the thigh of this animal surpasses that of the elephant, while the feet show that they were designed for terrestrial locomotion, and the formation of its teeth prove it to have been herbivorous. In the period preceding the secondary there was another animal which deserves classification with the megalosaurus, by reason of a striking resemblance in appearance and equality of size; this was the Hyleomurus (meaning lizard of the wood), a monster that was cair- assed like a knight and endowed with a muscular power almost im- measurable. So few of the bones of this animal have been found a horn, which o identify it as jptile wh'.cii is But while the ard in length, rge in propor- 3s that of the for terrestrial to have been THE WORLD ASHORE. 3^5 that, so far as I know, no scientist has undertaken fn A. -u -. characteristics. unaertaken to descnbe its A FIEND TOO OREADFUL TO LOOK UPON. The Itamphorynchm (the meaning of which I Ac n^f b n also contemporaneous with the hvl.L V ^^ ^^""^^ ^«« DRAGON OF ANCIENT BELIEF. Its:,n.JTr'^,°.* a membrane connecting the fingers and bod^^ andTv'n^rkintf :i ^'^ ^"^ T '° ^''"' *"^«' ^ «^»^- elevations,' >vh^tever:^f i ::^;;^- ^--^^^^ <>f its wmgs, dart downward a It chose, The rumphor^nehus was 4 Jjorrible ^f appeaf- 386 SEA AND LAND. inir creature, but it was harmless, since it did not exceed a crow in size, and on the ground, where it spent much of its time, its progress was slow. The most startling feature in the organization of this animal is lh« strange combination of two powerful wings attached to the body of a reptile. The imagination of the poets had long dwelt on such a combination ; the Dragon was a creation of their fancy, and it had long played a great part in Pagan mythoh)gy. The dragon, or flying reptile, breathing fire and poisoning the air with its fiery breath, had, according to fable, disputed with man the possession of the earth. Gods and demi-gods claimed, among their most famous exploits, the f'lory of having vanquished this powerful and redoubtable monster. From pagan fictions the dragon passed into the poetry of the Greeks and Latins, and later still into that,of the Kenaissance,and to modern times. What a part did not the dragon play in the verses of Tasso and Ariosto ! Consecrated by the superstitions of the earlier peoples, transferred from pagan mythology to Greek and Roman poesy, and finally into the poetic fictions of the middle ages, the dragon always has and always will belong to the supernatural. Indeed, does not the ramphorynchus and pterodactylus present a living embodiment of this poetic conception of the dragon? While the former was no larger than a crow, and the latter did not exceed a swan in size, yet the figure once impressed upon the inind may easily enlarge when out of sight. Thus several scientists have undertaken to prove by this analogy of reasoning that man lived contemporaneous with these two winged reptiles, a remembrance of which has been transmitted through successive generations until the one who first conceived a dragon borrowed the idea from the transmitted image. BIRTH OF THE MAMMALIA. The tertiary period, at which we have now arrived in the earth's development, shows as great changes as during any other age, and is remarkable for the appearance of that higher order of creation, the mammifera, which at once assumed a m-istership over all animate things. We have seen how, in the transition or Devonian period, the animal kingdom was confined to crustaceans and fishes; that in the secondary age the rulership was transferred to the reptiles, whose de- cline, by some of the largest species becoming extinct, was succeeded by mammals, a great numl>er of distinct types apparently api)earing .at .the suipie tiine. JN.ot only did the higher order of anijtnal life appew THE WORLD ASHORE. 887 jd a crow in dnringthe tertian epoch, but it is also a distinguished period from the fact that It was now that the earth's crust had become so thfek THE PALiEOTHERIUM AND ANOPLOTHKRIA. ™ to !h^'T'-*''"'/"'''''''°S *'•'''• ^«^'^«i the solar rays be- gaatoshow the,r mfluence on our planet i the poles were growing SEA AND LAND. cold ; lacustrine deposits of fresh water were formed in great nuni- bers, and rivers, by their alluvial deposits, began to form new Jiind. It is at the end of this period that continents and seas took their respective places as we now see them, and the surface of the ejuth received its actual form. Creation's hand had at last fushioncd a habitation for animal life which showed the extraordinary develop- ment of species. Not only did monkeys, bats, mermots and pachy- derms now appear on land, but the sea gave up its monsters, too, jukI cetaceans were born, which, though no less in size, were of harmless disposition and necessary in the preparation all nature was now makiii;,^ to receive the Muster, the crowning work of creation, Man. HUGE BEASTS OF THE TERTIARY PERIOD. Most prominent among the animals of the tertiary epoch were the Paleeotheriura, Anoplotherium and the Xiphodon, all of which were herbivorous and gregarious in their habits Cuvier represents them as being intermediate between the rhinoceros, tapir and horse, since they possessed characteristic^ peculiar to all these. But more singular than this is the fact that in size they varied from that of a rabbit to an ox, indicating a wonderful variety of species. The Faloeotherium (implying ancient beast) had heavy bodies, small, pre- hensile trunk, and generally resembled our tapirs. They congregated in vast herds along the river courses and lake coasts, where their bones may still be found in immense quantities, and particu'arly^in the ancient basin of Paris. It is from this beast that our modern horse is supposed to have descended. The Anoplotheria (meaning defenceless animal) has posterior mo- lars analogous to those of the rhinoceros, and with hoofs divided like the ox. The most singular feature it possessed was a tail about three feet long and very thick at the junction with the body ; this tail, it is supposed, served the animal as a rudder and propeller when swim- ming in lakes and rivers which it frequented. Judging from its habits of swimming and diving," says Cuvier, "the anoplotherium would have the hair smooth, like the otter; perhaps its skin was half naked. It is not likely either that it had long ears, which would be inconvenient in its aquatic kind of life; and I am inclined to think that, in this respect, it resembled the hip- popotamus and other quadrupeds which frequent the water much." In our own country the remains of equally wonderful animals are found; the cretaceous beds of J^ew Jersey being particularly prolifip THK WORLD ASHORE. 38fJ 3 now making aosterior mo- 3 divided like 1 about three this tail, it is when swim- with remains of extinct creatures much greater in size than any now existent. Among these mighty reptiles, that seemed to be confined S > 3 0 > a > 2 0 O 0 > < > z -n ..mencau bayous, was the Great OimoUasaur (chalk-lizard) and Elasmosaur, which presented forms like our conception of the mod- ern sea-serpent. Their bodies equaled that of an ox, and they were ;■ »' m SKA AKt> LAm>. ;i 1 prwi -^ o th flippers, larjge as the whale's, to propel their forty feet «# aerpentiii length through the water ; so weio there monster .snaiK ping-turtlos, having heads a foot loiti? and shells six feet in length. THE FRIGHTFUL ALLIOATOR BIRD. But the most remarkable animal that flourished on American soil 0Ofi perhaps the most wonderful in all creation, was the Lceloptt, or eagle4>e#«t, a carnivorouH, kan^ Too-like quadruped, twenty-three feet in length. Winchell describes it as a rude attempt of nature to realize the notion of a bird in the fiamework of an alligator. Its toes were long and slender, and very like those of a bird of prey. They were armed with flattened, hooked claws, which measured nearly a foot in length, and, like those of the eagle — from whence it takes its Latin name, L. Aquilunguia — were adapted for grabbin"- and tearing prey. The teeth were knife-shaped and serrate on the mar- gin, so that when the upper and lower were brought together they cut like a pair of scissors. Such a creature could hardly be destroyed by modern sporting arms, and it might well terrify an army. The claws of the grizzly bear are scarcely three inches in lengtii, and yet a lion can hardly stand before it; what, then, must have been the dread- ful strength and fighting power of the Icelops, with its claws a foot in length, and a body, no doubt, possessing the strong vitality of the alligator? Another gigantic reptile, whose remains were found in Pennsyl- vania, was the Badrosaur, which attained a length of thirty feet, but it was not furnished with such murderous claws as the IsBJops pos- sessed. Its fore-limbs were less than half the length of the hind ones, thus proving it to be also of a kangaroo species. Its attitude when resting was upon its posterior extremities, and when feeding it reacued upward and drew the branches down within reach of its grinding jaws, for it was an herbivorous animal. V '^ probable that this monstrous creature sometimes v/alked half erect i\V^' ' it> immense hind feet, in which attitude it must have presented n t-lv^ht tLit would have frozen the blood of a courageous man, for it was more frightful than a nightmare. In Oi'\i there has been exhumed the remains of an animal that was the very ;. '-"VTif'tion of horror. It is called the Dinotheria — memin^ «* terrible ;>* -fc " — ; nd in shape was analogus to the elephant, though very musdn I- ,'er and alt-r:^ other of more forbidding aspect, yet its nature wua ^ou^^aa&tively iiarmless, since it fed chiefly upon berba* TMfi WORLD ASHORE. 891 eet in length. J 1 .t- immense frht til -it would more frightful ria — meaning ceous vegetables growing in flooded plains. It was provided with two tu8k«.Av.nch grow downward, like iu the walrus, which it uu THE MONSTEK DINOTHERIA. dm.bt used to (^^ up feculent roots from the beds of rivers whilp branches of trees and feast upon their foliage. Several bones of this Ip^-J*'* 392 SEA AUty LAND. creature have been dug up in Ohio, but in 1836 a head, nearly entire, waG found in the already celebrated beds at Eppelsheim, Germany! Bones of the same animal have also been exhumed in Louisiana, so that its range seems to have been greater than that of any other ani- mal of the tertiary age. The Mastodon (meaning teat-like tooth) was next in size to the Dinotheria, which it somewhat resembled, but was more nearly analo- gous to the elephant. In fa^t, about the only distinction was in its heavy coat of coarse, bristly hair and the size of its tusks, which, in the mammoth, grew to a, length of ten feet, and almost withont any curve, while it was also provided with two shorter tusks, growing out of the lower jaw. The remains of this ponderous creature are qnite numerous throughout the United States and Siberia, where they iiave been exhumed entire, and standing upright, as if suddenly over- whelmed and buried. Indeed, so, perfect are some of these remains, that we still find in their stomachs the food they had just swallowed, and not yet digested. The Megatherium (great beast) was larger then any elephant of the present period, standing more than twenty feet when in ai. erect po- sition. It was allied to the sloths and ant-eaters, no representations of which now living exceed a common dog in size. Its remains seem to be confined to South America. The Sivatherhim (beast of Siva), found in India, is represented by Owen as having been one of the most gigantic and extraordinary of extinct quadrupeds. It was a stag as large as an elephant, and its head was armed with monstrous horns. The Irish deer, the largest of extinct animals found in Ireland, could not be compared with it, either in size or formidable appearance. But besides gigantic saurians and other mastodonic beasts, which dis- tinguished the tertiary period, there were other monsters, such us the Olyptodons, huge armadillos, that might have borne a house on tiieir backs, so large and powerful were they. This also was the age of the great Salamander, which the dictum of a theological naturalist caused to be long considered as an incontestable relic from the hecatonil) of the biblical deluge. There were also rhinoceros and hippopotami, though the fossil remains found of these animals do not show them to have been larger at that period than at present. Birds were also numerous, but not of extraordinary size, nor were there any mon- strosities among the feathered cieatures. d, nearly entire, heim, Germany, in Louisiana, so ' any other jiui- t in size to the >re nearly analo- ction was in its ;usks, which, in :)st without any ks, growiiio' out mture are quite v'here they iiave suddenly over- these remains, just swallowed, elephant of the in ar. erect po- representatioiia s remains seem is represented I extraordinary ephant, and its ;er, the largest ipared with it, asts, which dis- srs, such as the house on their the ago of the .turalist caused e heciitonib of hippopotami, lot show them irds were also jere any moii- fun WOltLl) ASttOkft. m What I have written of the tertiary epoch has reference to that e as a whole, notwithstanding that it was divided into three sepa. *■ -SiP •"leviatu,,,, ,« lo have described these periods separately would have 394 SEA AND LAND. greatly enlarged this chapter, and extended it beyond the scope in- tended. THE AGE OF M/^N AND TELLURIC DI8TURBAN0E8. The quaternary period follows the tertiary, njerging one into the other, not by any distinct or marked act of nature, but like the cri-nd- ual blending of light and shadow. During the tertiary age tho earth was split and rent by mighty convulsions, but at its conclusion our planet assumed the shape which it still retains, save in some minor particulars, hardly of suflScient importance to describe. We now approach a period most remarkable for three important events, traii- scending all others in the earth's development, save alone its evolu- tion out of original chaos ; these three wonderful occurences were: The deluges, glacial invasions and the creation of man. Those who have studied geology or paleontology, while readin» of the animals which I have attempted briefly to describe in the forego- ing, will be tempted to enquire how it is possible to restore a creature from only a bone that may be found, or a few bones, so that its ap- pearance and habits while living may be known. To this I will make answer in the language of Prof. Winchell, who has anticipated me; " * * * 8uch is the unity and persistence of plan which runs through the different classes of the animal kingdom, that a single tooth, whether of a living or extinct species, will often suffice to en- able an expert to disclose all the zoological relationships of the animal to which it belonged, to delineate its form, size and habits of life. Not less sublime than the work of the astronomer, who sits in his observatory and, by the use of a few figures, determines the exist- ence and position in space of some far-off, unknown orb, is that of the paleontologist who, from the tooth of a reptile, or the long scale of a fish found thirty feet deep in the solid rock, declares the exist- ence, ages ago, of an animal form which human eyes never heheld- a form passed totally out of being uncounted centuries before the first intelligent creature was placed upon our planet — and by laws as unerring and uniform as those of the mathematics, proceeds to give us the length and breadth of the extinct form ; to tell us whether it lived upon dryland, or marshes, or in the sea; whether a breather of air or water, and whether subsisting upon vegetable or animal food." The same laws by which animal creation is governed apply with equal naturalness to geologic formation ; hence, as from the tooth of THE WORLD ASHORE, 395 >nd the scope in- NOES. ing one into the )ut like tlie giad- ary age the earth ts conclusion our i in some minor icribe. We now ant events, tran- alone its evolu- Dccurences were: an. while reading of be in the forego- estore a creature s, so that its ap- this I will make anticipated nie; plan which runs :)m, that a single ten suffice to en- ips of the aninml d habits of life. , who sits in his rmines the exist- n orb, is that of or the long scale iclares the exist- i never heheld— iiries before the ■—and by laws as proceeds to give 3II us whether it lether a breather (table or animal 'ned apply with •om the tooth of an extinct creature the paleontologist discovers it was a living thing brought to existence again ; so the geologist, from the stones and shells which he may gather, pictures the whole panorama of chan LAND. CHAPTER XXn. MONSTERS OF THE QUATERNARY PERIOD. ?EFORE describing the cataclysms which overwhelmed and destroyed the greatest works of creation, applied to aiiimai life, let us consider some of the wonderful creatures which i^jj^^T roamed the earth during the quaternary period, which is re- markable for the abundance of extraordinary monsters that were then distributed over the nov%rn hemisphere. Europe and America were both the grazing grounds of enormous animals, now long extinct, but if we could penetrate the veil which hides from us the scenes of five thousand years ago, we might see upon the hillsides, river banks and coast bayous, creatures of such gigantic stature and terrible ap- pearance as would fairly appal us. There were then elephants vastly larger than any now existent, and apes of proportions that render man insignificant by comparison. In England, which was at that time a part of the European conti- nent, there were serpents greater in size than any python that now renders the jungles of Africa terrible, while the turtles that sunned themselves upon the banks of her streams were almost equal to the elephants of our day. There also lived in the British forests tigers that exceeded any such as are now found in India, but even these ferocious and powerful beasts were unable to contend with another English native called the Machairodus (meaning dagger tooth), which, being carnivorous, sought its prey from among the formidable animals that lorded it over all others. Over all Europe and Northern Asia there were countless hordes of ponderous creatures, whose bones now alone remain to remind us how wonderful are the changes which time has wrought. In the post-tertiary period, a division of the quaternary age, the rivers of Southern France and Italy were infested with hippopotami of gigan- tic size, while in the forest of all Europe there roamed by thousands the great hairy two-horned rhinoceros, bands of monster hyenas and herds of enormous bears, whose jaws were mighty enough to crusii the bones of any contemporary animal. But the largest of creatures of that period was the huge Mammoth, which stood eighteen and twenty feet in height, with proportions like the elephant. It had THE WORLD ASHORE. 3J>7 '^erwhelmed and ipplied to aiiiniul creatures which 'iod, which is i-f- isters that were ope and America low long extinct, us the scenes of ides, river banks and terrible ap- elephants vastly ions that render European contl- lython that now ties that sunned ost equal to the sh forests tigers . but even these nd with another sr tooth), which, midable animals t sks that measured fifteen feet in length, but these did not proieet .tr.,ght outward l,ke the tusks of an elephant, but deseribed a half crcle u>stead, so that their use does not so clearlv aonea, If -ed othen»nn.s of differenee fron. the ^e^!^'^Z; ^^^ ^vas covered with a loni?. .^h«.-- shorter ! »it»de of Is b^fd;^""' '"?'"' "" ""'^ ^"^ -»" «'» Pf the mag- 398 SEA AND LAND. RESURRECTION OF THE BONES OF GIANTS. Bones of gigantic quadrupeds underlie the surface of nearly all Europe, and the finding of them by the ancients gave rise to many curious speculations and superstitions. Theophrastus, who preceded Christ more than three hundred years, spoke of the fossil ivory in the soil of Greece, in which he gravely tells us that they «' were both black and white, and born of the earth." It is a singular fact that some of the mammoth's bones bear a striking resemblance to those of man, and hence they were frequently mistaken for the bones of heroes and demi-gods. The Greeks for a long time sacredly pre- served the patula of an elephant for the knee-bone of Ajax. Pliny was likewise deceived by some bones revealed by an earthquake which he pronounced those of a giant man. To a similar origin we may assign the pretended body of Orestes, which was thirteen feet in length ; those of Asterius, the son of Ajax, of eighteen feet, accord- ing to Pausanius, and also of the great bones found in the h\e of Rhodes, so elaborately described in Phlegon's " Subterranean World." " In 1577," says Figuier, " a storm having uprooted an oak near the cloisters of Reyden, in the canton of Lucerne, some large hones were exposed to view. Seven years later a physician and professor of Basel, Felix Plater, being at Lucerne, examined these bones, and declared they could only proceed from a giant. The Council of Lu- cerne consented to send the bones to Basel for more minute examina- tion, and Plater thought himself justified in attributing to the giant a hight of niuetee.f feet. In 1706 there only remained of these bones a portion of the scapula, and a fragment of the wrist-bone; the anat- omist Blumenbach, who saw them at the beginning of the century, easily recognized them for the bones of an elephant. Let us not omit to add, as a complement to this bit of history, that the inhabi- tants adopted the image of this pretended giant as the supporter of the city arms. Spanish history preserves many stories of giants. The tooth of St. Christopher, shown at Valence, in the church dedicated to the saint, was certainly the molar tooth of a fossil elephant, and in 1789 the canons of St. Vincent carried through the streets in public pro- cession, to procure rain, the pretended arm of a saint, which was nothing more than the femur of an elephant. Jn J663, Otto Guericke, the illustrious inventor of the pneumatic THE WORLD ASHORE. 399 of nearly all rise to many who preceded 'ossil ivoiy in !y *' were both jular fact that lance to those ' the bones of sacredly pre- Ajax. Pliny n earthquake, ilar origin we thirteen feet ti feet, accord- d in the Isle Subterranean I an oak near e large bones and professor se bones, and juncil of Lu- nute examina- to the giant a F these bones )ne ; the anat- the century, Let us not xt the inhabi- supporter of The tooth of licated to the , and in 1789 n public pro- t, which was he pneumatic machine, was witness to the discovery of the bones of an elephant buned m shelly hmestone. Along with it were found if« J.^1": were found its enormous THE MAMMOTH i;UkIi\G T ttK AGE OF MAN. ^'^:-t:t^:::::s;::cii';z^-^ 400 8EA AND LAND posed out of the romains a strange animal, carryings a hoin in the middle of the forehead, and in each jaw a dozen molar teeth a foot u. z 0 < t Id X H b 0 loiior. Having fabricated this fantastic creature, he gave to it a name ftlso^ the J'os&il unicorn. During more than thirty years the unicorii THE WORLD ASHORE. 401 the bones of Leibjiitz's iii,.Vn.„ ti, . '""'•"'° concerning ■ J • ^7""'""^^ ujueoiii, they were just 113 read v to ho ^o ce,ved .gan, ; therefore, when some fossil bonei of boars we™ Ihl,; m Germany only a short time after their enliehtenm-^t Th T ^ virtue, and the P<>o,ui7::z:zix::z^j:zzt''' tones of this cafe-bear to comb . f^ 1 °u ^"'^''"^'^S used the *. that he was j;::^^:^^^:^^:^^'''^ If • „™'.""H.MOLE, LAROE AS AN ELEPHANT. It was m Prussia that the fossil elephant received the name of mmmoth and its tusks mammoth horns. Pallas alerts Zt tb« name is derived from mamma, which is the T,„.t„. t Tl .p;^et. «W., which they apply to the elepZt wZ ^^'.^^ enormous animals .hatLerunrrru^rt,-k\r T'^ ''^'"""' "'"■ .nch .a affinity for darkness tW b '!!, J"''! "" """°' "'"* "'*'«'' l-'d tothe light. Singul r To^h ttr;:! b^^^^^^^ beingexposed among the Chinese as tbofniP- * '''■"'' '""="nent »ork°o„ n.t„™ history i^^^ZXTpF '""" "" "'' """ ^*''»'""<' teenth centuiy, will seZ' th::":. The rtarS:''1 " fV^ m have already snohen !,. tl,„ ■ /"", ""'""«' I'en-achu, of which 'ly-K' a work rf the Sfth T T°? "P"" ««""•"'"««. «»ti«ed .l»^y».cA„,"r ;lct th.it is t"o7 .f "■ •""" ^''"^'' '^ ™"^'' It constantly conCitsLfoLur "°""' "'''°'' '"'''''' "'*"• mouse, but is of the size of '^ ' « eo"' ™™"« ' it resembles a MarkMtisve V tr::,;„t?.°°''°" "•""' "»*«"= "soolor •ndcoveredwith'foVeste^'" I "t 'r™''" '" P'""^' '"" °'™'"» H.« exprasse h reif 4™'J«^™'-'1'«'«"gthe same passage. p Himself. "The /^fn^chu haunts obspme pbcea, ft 402 SEA AND LAND. dios as soon as it is exposed to the luya of the sun or moon ; its fee t are short in proportion to its size. Its tail is as long as that of n THE GREAT WOOLLY RHINOCBROS. Chinese. Its eyes are small ; its neck short. It is very stupid an'i sluggish, When the inundAtjpns of the river Tam-schuami-m y too^ ,c THE WORLD ASHORE. 403 place, ill 1571, it often showed itself in th^ ..i • ... the root« of the plant fu-kia " ^'""' ' '' '^ "°""«»'^^ b>' tbcro ia i,„t tl,e least applicatio,, tn , ' '""""*'"g- ' "' "'» reason that buffalo, as „ne may choo e to ,. M I I ""^ ""''"• """'»« ""■ A,„eric,.. to .hJliZlLlf '/"'' ''\'"''g»""'"""> of South i.W in both the t''ti,"v a^fi noT " !" """'' ""'""'""y «'-» ''' "- «rycroatnve,ashasbeen /h K "V*""''^- ™' "^'^"""J'- theithsandant'a etl'al tor ?T' '^ """"^•' *"^'-™ a-a,.eu to on„.bi„gtre;sr;i;r^rrr rrf "sr"-"""'/ i™::r;r:,othrortf: "-'-f "-' " °"""^' -- "^-- .inco „„ t ee could hi bo J ^'T"' f^"' '"" "™ '^ P"'« '^""Y' ...o.™„„swei.lt B t tlntth? '.T '"=« ''"""g'' »<> »-'ain it ih. bones of this V£olZlJrT/ '"'^^"'"^ ""derground. If China we could at on e „ t-'- « ^ T? '"""' '"""'' '" «'''«™ "r ferredto, but Le its fo s re!, ' ""' ""«'" "* ""> '<^g«"'' - iti«di«tto„„::;::r^rarersr:att:uf;h^ could have originated in Siberia. Paraguayans T. . THE MAMMOTH. nl::,:;: „dt;::t"i,Xd'"" "'b/'^. '"^ ■•"-»'■--' " •"™- of «^e Lena EiJ'TL- "ti^Vrd bet d adi.'nh*"" 7"'^ y^rs, and yet when foun i it. fl ., ■ thousands of l'™«™ti,m that wolv^I and Lr^r T '""'•" ^''''"' ^""» »' »o-d Con, it as it ™ Id frouTrh " f""'/" "' """ "■« """«' It is known that flesh Z nU^llf T ""^'^ " '•""'''^'■'' ''""<■• »f «■". and it is to sal e™..? ' "^'^"^ '° " temperature "».' due. The rema „ Zh . T'^^^"""" «' tWs mammoth Pete,sbur<. and pronriv """'''; "J "/^d ^y wolves, were taken to St. wMI„„,„.!,L„r_''P''''^J°"'""''^ ^--the national museum. I,, iml "Weton.an-t;;;";^^''.^^^-™. I had the pleasure of exami„i„V this *rv.d and placed prLhibkl .. 7 "f ''""' ''^'"^ '""^ '««» P--^ P 1CM pft wbibit,,,,, besKie thf. skeleton a„d the restored 404 8EA AND LAND. 1 'vi lae 11 , fs voniiilns of nn elephant, that a comparison of the size of the two Hpecies might appear conspicuous. ANCIENT ANIMALS OF THE THAMES. Mammoths existed throughout Siberia in such vast numbers thnt Jtheir bones, washed down by the^hciuX drift, have accumulated iij THR WontO ASttORt:. 50 of the two 40/} ,Inc«.s about tho Arctic const in ..d. quantity as to form islands. A valuablocomnuTco lui.s been carried on for years l.y the Tuui^uese and CHF.IROTHFRIIIM, OR HAND-ANIMAL. iiumbors th;it iccuniulaled iu Yakonl,. who are engaged recovering the ivory from tiiese island if l-c-J 406 «»EA AND LAND. It was during the quaternary period that the horse appeared, both in North America and in Europe, though, curious enough, the species in Europe were- very much smaller than those of our day, while the fossil remains of those found in North America show them to luvo been very much larger than our domestic horse. MONSTER BRUTES AND GREAT BIROS. Among the strange reptiles of this period iione exceeded in form- idable aspect the Glyptodon (carved tooth), a species of urmadiilo found in South America. It was larger than an ox, and was covoml with tessellated scales, including the head, giving it a cuirassed ap- pearance invulnerable to any fowling-piece of to-day. The VheirotheHum (hand-animal) flourished at this time-, aitd has ;eft its impressions in hand-like tracks found plentifully in ancient morasses, since turned into pesjit-beds. This animal borq a..stiikint in Madagascar; there, but an e^o- museum at Paris. nd its shell more lies of this feath- , from its egg, to )n of its form. THE WORLD ASHORE. ^q^ come extinct during the present century, but this is hardly a justifi- able supposition, smce there is nothing in the tradition of Ihe native New Zealanders that concerns this strange creature. This factleadl to the more reasonable belief that the apteryx perished o/ he fLe THI AITERVX, OR WIHOLKS BIRD Of KRW Z.ALAND, Of earth many centuries ago, perhaps at th« ti„,. „f .u. ...... 410 SEA AND LAND. CHAPTER XXIII. THE BIRTH OF MAN. |HE most important event in the world's history took plaoo in the quaternary period, one which has proved to be tlie most wonderful climacteric unfolding of nature's scroll, pronomio- ing the completion of her greatest work. This woiulerfu! mile-stone in the progress of evolution was the birth of man. Wli:it an ocean of mist rises before our vision when we attempt to look back through the vale of years to man in his infancy. Revelation does not satisfy the enquiry : " How came mankind upon the earth?" The Mosaic records, the oldest of our written history, whether of fable or fact, represent Western Asia as swarming with a population already somewhat advanced in the ai'ts. Even the account of Gene- sis, in describing the creation of our first parents and their children, becomes confused by asserting that Cain, after killing Al)el, wcntinto the Land of Nod, where he took a wife and founded a great city; thereby implying that Adam and Eve were not, personally, the first man and woman. It is more probable, as their names imply, that they were only figuratively the first. EVIDENCES OF OUR FIRST PARENTS. The chief sources of our information respecting the earliest periods of human existence are : 1st. The remains of man himself, which have been found in caves, or buried in deposits of gravel or peat; 2d Human works, of which we have the so-called Druidical monuments of unhewn stone, called cromlechs, which have been found in England and Ireland, and, I believe, also, in this country; 3rd. Implements, moundi^and bones, the latter having evidently been crushed and even rudely carved by the unpracticed hand of primeval man . But from the first evidences we have of man's presence on the earth, we are bound to c nclude that, though he was unclothed and unarmed by nature, yet he was at once the greatest power, the mind masterful of creation. Though he made his advent amid surroundings which would appear to be least favorable to his existence, beset by the most ferocious of animals, vastly larger than' those of to-day an'^ without means of escape or defense, yet nature had provided him with a reasoning power and thereby established him as king of all creation. But ■■■;•■■ i ■ til ( |4 li ' y took place in to be the most I'oll, pronounc- Chis wonderful f man. What ;tempt to look Revelation on the earth?" ry, whether of h a population 3ount of Gene- their children, f^ltel, went into d a great city; nally, the first es imply, that larliest periods iimself , which el or i)eat| 2(1 ;jil monuments nd in England . Implements, ished and even But from the we are bound by nature, yet il of creation. :)uld ai)i)ear to t ferocious of lOUt moans of L a reasoning reation. But 411 412 SEA AND LAND. picture our rude forefathers living in tlie rugged wastes of fairly unorganized nature, hunting caves for shelter and subsisting upoi roots, or, perchance, the flesh of some animal which accident threw in their way. Then, again, behold them when some genius from amoiKr their ranks devised their first weapon, the stone-hammer, and the ponderous club ; with these they felt equipped to contend apiinst beasts of prey, to attack the cave-bear, cave-lion, the hyena and other savage creatures with which the earth swarmed. In the geological history of man we find him mounting from lower to higher manifestations in the progress of ages. The lower animals progressed, also, but it was a structural advance, while with nian it was education: A contention, not only with animals, upon which he was largely dependent for food, but the evolution of genius, })y which his condition was being constantly improved, until we behold this king of creation still crowned, and with none to dispute his swav. WHERE WAS THE GARDEN OF EDEN? Geology, archaeology, or metaphysical speculation, do not properly belong within the scope of this work, but I am sure my readers will pardon me, for the sake of the great interest which is attached to the subject, if I pursue the matter touched upon in the last few pages a little farther. For a long period of years men have been engaged in a search for the origina) site of Eden, and, like Troy, it has never been conclu- sively located. In 1882 there appeared a work entitled, "Atlantis; or, the Antediluvian World," by Mr. Donnelly, which, in my estima- tion, has shed more light upon this question than all the philosophers who have preceded him. Briefly, Mr. Donnelly adopts the unfinished story of Plato, who relates, through Critias, talking to Socrates, the history of Atlantis. This country of Atlantis once occupied a greater portion of what is now the Atlantic Ocean, from whence the name is derived, and it is here, Plato tells us, the old sages affirmed was the Garden of Eden. The proofs which Mr. Donnelly introduces to sus- tain the legend are numerous, and at times startling. He shows that there is more than mere coincidence in the similarity of civilization which prevailed coincident in Europe, Egypt and Western Asia, and North America, Mexico and Peru. This similarity consists in that the people of all these countries had the same traditions respectitig their origin, the deluge and disappearance of Atlantis; a unity in their religious superstitions, worship of idols and of the sun, and, in THE WORLD ASHORE. 413 ting from lower le lower animals lile with niiin it , upon which he genius, l)3Mvliicli we behold this ite his swav. do not properly my readers will i attached to the st few paeing. «Earth, said they, and the earth existed. Like a fog like a joud was Its formation ; as huge fishes rise in the waters, so rose the mountuu.s; and in a moment the high mountains existed. should he formed. At that time spake he who gives life, and he who gives form, the Maker and Moulder, named Te.fau, GueumaT^: .Thl niibirT "•"'i^ '"' """'^ '' ^*"'"* ^^^ supporter, the servant is^enl d; he is the son of light, the child of whiteness; man is hon- ored . the race of man is on the ea.th ;' so they spoke. • • • 422. THE WORLD ASHOBB. 423 jr.- Immediately Ihey began to speak of making our first mother and our father. Only of yellow corn and of white corn were their flesh, and the substance of the arms and legs of man. They were called simply beings, formed and fashioned; they had neither father nor mother; we call them simply men. Woman did not bring them forth, nor were they born of the Moulder or Builder, of Him who fecundates and of Him who gives being. But it was a miracle, an enchantment worked by the Maker and Moulder, by Him who fecundates and Him who gives being. "Thought was in them; they saw; they looked around; their vision took in all things; they perceived the world ; they cast their eyes from the sky to the earth. • * • Then they were asked by the Builder and Moulder, 'What think ye of your being? See ye not? Understand ye not? Your language, your limbs, are they not good? Look around beneath the heavens; see ye not the mountains and the plains?* "Then they looked, and saw all that there was beneath the heavens and th«v '"*-- wherever U^iA,^: neaded. The Central and Northern parts of Europe and of North- 426 MBA AND tAND. ern Asia, tvhich had possessed a mild, if not warm climate, were suddenly enveloped with intense cold. Like the blizzard that visits the warm State of Texas, in a moment and without warning, so swept the frigid wave over the northern portions of the Eastern hemis- phere, and, as many geologists maintain, it inundated a large portion of North America also, extending as far south as New York. It was during this awful visitation of nature's wrath, as it appeared, that the mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, cave-bear, and other gigantic ani- mals, were crushed out of existence, to be known no more forever; man, too, suffered a like loss, though not extinction, for it is a pe- culiarity of human nature to exist in every section of the earth, whether hot or cold, moist or dry, so that his race endures and sur- vives the catastrophes of sections. But what caused this intense cold? Ab, there science even pauses, unable to make reply, though' theories are not wanting, the most sat- isfactory of which is one advanced by the great French mathemati- cian, M. Adhemar, whose reasonings are so specious that I am sure my readers will be interested in reading them, especially since it is not impossible that another glacial castrophe may visit us. CAUSE OF THE GREAT C'.ACIAL CATASTROPHE. Not a few scientists have urged that the f jdden development of iritense cold was due to the concussion of comets, wherfby the sun lost for a time its calorific powers, or the earth was drive i from its natural orbit and fell under influences which prevented the sun's heat from reaching it. But M. Adhemar dismisses these theories as untenable, and boldly advances a new one, which has had the support of very competent writers. His theory, in brief, is this: We know that our planet is animated by two essential movements; ore of rotation on its axis, which it accomplishes in twenty-four hours ; the other of translation, which is performed in three hundred and sixty-five days. But besides these two prominent and generally observed motions, there is a third, and even a fourth, but with one of which, called nutation, we do not need to concern ourselves. The other motion is the one on which M. Adhemar bases his theory. Of this theory Mangin says : *« We know that the curve described by the earth in its annual rev- olution round the sun is not a circle, but an ellipse; that is, a circle slightly elongated, sometimes called a circle of two centers, one of which is occupied by the sun. This curve is called the ecliptic. We THE WORLD ASHORE. 427 knor, also that in its movement of translution the earth presei-ves the plane of the eehpfc. But in place of being perpendieular. or at nght angles w,th this plane, it erosses it obliquely in sueh a male « to form on one side an angle of o„e-f onrth, and on the other an A GLACIAL DELUGE. .nglo of three-fonrths of a .jght angle. This inclination is only Itered m an mMgn.flcant degree by the movement of n,.t..i„„ \ ^■w seai^ieiy add that the earth, in its annual revolution "o'ecunies ^ Ota ly four principal posit.ons on the ecliptic, Jl'Z7Z Uonta of the four se^aous. When its center is at the extremity most 428 ftSA Ain> LAKt>. remote from the sun, or aphelia, it is the summer solstice for tlio northern hemisphe'e. When its center is at the other ordreniit^, or perihelia, the same hemisphere is -it the winter solstice. 1'lie two intermediate points mark the equinoxes of spring and autumn. The great circle of separation of light and shade passes, then, piecisely through the poles, the day and night are equal, and the line <^f intoi- section of the plane of the equator and that of the ecliptic make part of the vector (radius vector, an ideal straight lino joining the center of an attracting body with that of a body describing an orbit round it) ray from the center of the sun to the center of the earth— what we call the equinoctial line. Thus placed, it is evident that i*" the terrestrial axis remained al- ways parallel to itself, the equinoctial line would always pass tiuouirh the point on the surface of ty forming at the coldest pole, a sort of crust or cap vo um-nous. th.ck and heavy enough to modify the spheroidal form of" the earth. This modiHcation. as a neeessary consequence, pr^^^^^^^ notable disphicement of the center of gravitv or fn. il ^'^"''"f®^ » the same thino- r.f *k x . g'^**^"y» or— for it amounts to tne same thmg—of the center of attn-ction, round which all th« toward wh,ch the watery mas.es all tended until hey covered nealv th whole 0 the southern hemisphere. But »ince that dute our " It w,D ter has beeu n. progress. Our pole, iu its turn, goes on IttTn ' cooler contmually ; the ice is being heaped upon the snow 7J ^ unon ifp nnfl in 7^«a ., 41 "f"" ine snow, and snow upon ice, anu in 7d88 years t ' 0 center of gruvitv of tho «....*», « -n turn to its normal position "^^ch J. fhf ^ f. , "^'^ ''^' .Dhfirnid V«iu • * '^'"" ^^ ^'^ the geometrical center of the spheroid, iollov ,ng the immutable laws of central attraction th! southern watcus accruing from the melted ice and snow of thT "ou^^^ pole w, 1 return to invade and overwhelm onc-e more theclinentsoi he northern hemisphere, giving birth to new continents in .1 nrohl bihty, in the southern hemisphere." ^^®*'*" SHALL THE EARTH BE AGAIN DESTROYED? heavals follow a prog^-essively aseerd ;: a 'we^arrte edT expect new outbursts and moreterrible convulsi. nl Manhas indin ' srr ^^'^r^^^^ .tti::ri:Lrg,rra' ^zx erutd,°:dt srL^ry t"" f ^'^ undulated nlf ;;,, ■.l''..?^"' ".'"'"<'""• O""-? "-is time the earth ™«« «.d fell a"»ain "^^^i^u '" "."""1""" ' ti-^sands of small hills are, led-hot stones and ashes were violently discharged to I 48t ABA AKD LAND. prodigious heights. Six mountainii surged up from the gaping gulf ; among whieli the volcano of Joiullo, which rises two thousand one hundred and fifty feet above the unuient plain, is the most pioui- nent. At the moment when the earthquake commenced, the two riv<'rs of Cuitimho und San Pedro flowed backward, inundating all the plain now occupied by Jorullo ; but in the upheaving region, while it con- tinued to rise, a gulf opened and swallowed the rivers. They reap- peared to the west, but at a point very distant from their ancient bod. This inundation remind'* us of the phenomena — though on a small scale — which attended the Mosaic deluge. In contemplating these mighty convulsions we realize how insig- nificant man is ; he who wins eternal fame for the rearing of such structures as the pyramids, while the hand of God passes over the sea and dries it up ; or, with a breath bursts the cinctures of earth, and as a child throws a ball into the air, so d.)es the great hand of nature toss up mountains, break down the crags, and plough up rav- ines for river beds. SHALL MAN BE 8U00EEDED BY A HIOHER ORDER OF OREATION? To think of man compared with the elements by which he is sur- rounded, remembering at the time how species have developed, the curiously inclined cannot help inquiring, shall man be succeeded by a greater? Is the query not reasonable? M. Louis Figuier has written a beautiful passage on this subject which is worthy of repeated quo- tation: "Is it not possible," he says, "that. man may bo a step in the ascending and progressive scale of animated beings? The divine power which strewed on earth life, sensation and thought; which gave to the plant organization ; to the animal movement, sensation and intelHgence ; to man, besides these manifold gifts, the faculty of rea- son, doubled by the power of aiming at the ideal, perhaps proposes to itself to create one day, along with man, or after him, a still superior being. This new creature, which modern religion and poetry appear to have foreseen in the etherial and radiant type of the Christian angel, would be provided with moral faculties, the nature and essence of which elude our understanding. «» We ought to satisfy ourselves with laying down this redoubtable nrnhlem without attemptinff to resolve it. This great mystery, to use the beautiful expression of Pliny, is concealed in the majesty of nature, or, beMvr, \m tbe Mioug^ und omnipotVnciB of the Greatot of werlds." TBr, WORLD ASROni!. 4.<)3 Bremwr treata this innnii-v «;*i, _ •■ It m»v 8iill 1,„ ,.; ?^ more seriousness, hy sayine' u may still ho iresuiiied, supijosiiiir ihere sIk.mI,! kJ -•J' 'g- change, that beings more perfect l,„fhl i "^'"' ''"'"™' clhrg ones will bo coatof In n ,". ""'' '''"""^''<' ^""" P'-«- . J.erasfi,tyt:«: ;'i;,X :dir„ ::it:,r T''-""'"" time, mind and ,omo,in,os nmtlr prJdonn ,7e" i^'""'""''- creation, snpposing that in which „„ n Z ZZ no, ","", ''',•""" there would probably bo or^nizrfio,,^ ^° '""^f ""» '" l'" the last, more freely, and where it Ifud! ' """ ""'"' """'<' "^^ twenty-five It rosuUs fZ 1 'V '""';""'»■>-'' -venty-tive to .™e^at the ntost pali^^i^'x^: :r'::;' ^ M:r :rn::,:!C:r::^":;r;t"':^'\"-^ tacy such is ,r„t the e" e M w l',! r"!"; """'?'' l''"'<"<'Pl>-» .11 that exists, and ea^ « ,„^1 to ., 'i " "'" '*'•''' '»""'» <" tie. he would Lot have 1^ ■ i . "„ l^ „ ,' J^.tT". "''"r'""' '•"""■ which, on the other hand, vouid bT," i ^ : h;::,'':;" ""'"• dowcd with a more extended mind " ° "''■" '"" ae negative, but he discourses too profoundiv, tho„.rl, in .|clnt l.»gaage. In the evolution of all anin.ate thine, we perceive , o ^ .dvancement a.nong other animals as i, observed im^" ""d his T gressive state is so wonderful that tl.n,.„i P'"" .Kluded from the broth^ho.^^^'tt'c:,:!,.:;';' ^'■"' ""•" "" '""'" ' CHAPTER XXV. WONDERS OF NATURE. ffi have brieSv „„,ieod some of the most important event, ™'"«l' have transpired in the world's hisiorv 7 .i. ^ peculiar phases the earth has assum:!,' i ^'^^^.^ J^, ""' » """'"I""' »»d chaotic mass to th. I J." " '" " ^, "eo'es, aeteats and tnumphs, which, 434 8GA AND LASTD. however, are but the prototypes of the conflicts in every one's life. If there were mysteries in the handiwork of nature, so are there niys- teries on every side of us now, for we are still walking in the valley of shadows, but jocund day stands tip-toe on the misty mountain top of civilization's hope, and the blessings of a propitious Providenco lie in our way. The beauties of nature are like the variable scenes in a kaleidoscope, ever unfolding new objects for our admiration and pleasure. Witli these it shall now be my pleasant duty to deal ; to describe some of the innumerable wonderful things in creation ; for, though niaiiv species of animal and plant life have been crushed into extiiution h\ the display of destructive agencies in nature, yet others remain in abundance to remind us how marvelous are the designs, and how oim- fl ning is the handiwork of na- ture, for as she pulls down one noble structure she builds again upon the foundation .i grander one, and thus do we perceive the way which leads from nature to nature's God. In the olden days it was not only believed that the Phanix bird renewed its youth through the ordeal of tire, but the salamander was consider- ed ft fire reptile by universal belief. These fables havcliad their day, and none are now so ignorant as to give them credence. But is the element of fire destitute of life? A great majority of ocientists make answer in the affirmative, but there are not wantiiiir many wise philosophers who assert the probability of existence even in the flames. In the early part of the year 1885, a subterranean body of water was discovered by some miners in Colorado ; by the aid of torches it was also discovered that the lake — for such it was — was fairly swarming with fish, although the temperature of tlic water was nearly 200°, quite high enough to have cooked tliciji. The fish, several of which were iakeu by means of dip-neis, were covered with dull scales, and with the exception of being slimmer, bore a close resemblance to our common carp. Upon being put into ANIMALS BELIEVED TO BE INDESTRUCTIBLE BY FIRE: A. TArtDIQRAOI. ROTIFCRA. O. ANOUILLULA. Hi!;- 1 THE WORLD ASHORE. 435 till- wonderful thing as a fact of my own knowledge, but it was re- ported shortly after the discoveiy in many seientifi"c onrnalsTnd I have never seen it disputed. "'""is, ana l A iiuniber of years ago (1841) the question of universality of life was debated with sueh warmth in Paris, that a distinguished zolli't «, indueed to make an experiment with some infiliia whi.h hid been considered by a few as being practically indestructible by heat He accordingly chose some microscopic tardigrades, rotifcra, and at: guilluto and attaching them to a bulb of his thermometer thrust heat of 312 Fab for a few moments, when, upon withdrawing them hey were found to l,e alive. It is only proper to state, h^weve"' at quite a number of scientists have also shown that de icatron o^ the tardigmdes occurs at a temperature of 17r Fab. M. PoLlet w lie discrediting the theory of existence in fire and of revivifica o" ' which many formerly maintained, says • wivincation, "Itistrue weare in our day, obliged to erase the charmin.. ro- mance of palingenesis (regeneration), with which our foShe™ ..nused themselves. Still, we must say that, although the rot ^t™ «,,ot be resuscitated when they are once dead, their°tenacfty o nf! IS one of the most extraordinary phenomena. Their resistancJ .^ <» d IS something marvelous, and we don'tknow ev™ vh t top it:::rir::re;!::::;„rthr^ Je^ cold Which woL kiU^ra^rndre^ttroTerKo-tilr placed 11, an apparatus where the temperature was 40" below zero' M., issue from it full of vitality. The natural history of the Zti seeatoiJvrtL'ir'atmarnrdTunTbr ilTlUi^T T t>vo.fold test and formidable transition from coW t " l^ th'e m" tionof thetiss„«««7th!^ • f ""/"^ ™P'a couiraction and di lata- not rupture W ^'"'"' *" "'^^^ *'^^ '^'''^ ^"^^i-^^'d' did 436 SEA AND LAND. LANTERN INSECTS. Whether there are animals so organized as to be indestructible by heat may remain a disputed question, but we do know that there are insects capable of producing light at will, and these are scarcely less wonderful than the rrtiferee. Every one is acquainted with the Lampyris, our common glow- worm, or fire-fly, which make the summer nights so beautiful with their flashing lanterns. But there are other insects that produce a light far superior to our fire-fly. The great lantern-fly of India can supply a light which is quite strong enough to read by. In this in- stance the light emanates from the head, instead of fiom the lower body, as in the fire-fly. In the Antilles the Coloeptera^ the fire-I)u<^ of that region, is of great use, being employed in place of lamps by the poorer people. In Cuba it is the custom of women to enclose ^|f| THE GREAT LANTERN -FL\. these insects in glass cages, where they emit light enough to work by. Travelers there, also, when j^assing through the wood bv night, affix a fite-beetle to each of their feet, by which their way is uirly lighted. The Creoles are given to the practice of deftly arranging these lumin- ous insects in their liair, where they produce a dazzling effect superior to jewels. The legresses, at their nocturnal dances, scatter lliem over their niry garments, where, in their lascivious movements, their bodies assume the appearance of being robed in flames. How this natural light is provided, science is unable to tell us. MARVELS OF IN8E0T LIFE -THE BOMBARDIER. In considering the wonders of creation, we cannot overlook the little world of insects, for here we shall find the most remarkable THE WORLD ASHOHE. , ^3, things that nature l,a, designed, nealure, not alon, „f marvelou, .W«,ance and o,g„ni.a,i„„s, but of degrees of intelli "n la "d ad.|,tafon qu.te as phenomenal. The handrwork of nature Um,wl.jf ™,.ecun.„,g,ha„ in the in.ect division of life, and w L^^ ve oT side, the ransfo,,„ations which many of the little v,i„.edc Matures" audergo, the Innit of extraordinary wo,,der seems "o hJl k reached. The mosquito, hut.erfly , eairpiliata: Zr' nsect! wh!:h .re co„.mou to us, pass through stages of existence, sometimes erne t ■ag fmm one element to enter immediately another directly oppositf e gammg >v,ngs only to lose them again, and thus travelinAl^rorh l,fe as though endowed byson.e j,enewith the magical power"of meS, morphosis at will. - " l^"*>«f oi meta- A CALOBOM. PURSCNG A BOMBARO.HR. WHO ,S KIRING IN RHTREAT. But while these radical changes fairly bewilder „. wJfi, thinc^thm fho V,hu ; . , '"^"'*' " ™0'"e wonderful "-""io man tne little insect nronerlv cillcfl fJio »^«.7 i- dipi- win, k:„ 1 ' • " ''"^ 'tiombardier,a real sol- aei, with his arms alwavs to hand and well lo-irlnH? t^i cid..,,,,'; n.:..^"^."" ■'^""^<' "l-'y ""P-' ft"- tlK'ir intestines an a true „,,;,.;":: ■::;t:.r.'!!:=l"':'''''<': «■'«'■ " ^"."1.^ detonation, lilce gun loaded with a grain of powder. It always well stored, so that it is al le to fire as s magazine is many as thirty-six dis- 438 SEA AND LAND. charges in quick succession, before having to renew its supply. Sev- eral of these curious iusects, when collected together, will sometimes fire their guns together, and again in regular succession, like a tile of soldiers firing from the left or right. ASTOUNDING INTELLIGENCE OF BEES-EMBALMING. So much has been written of the instinctive intelligence of bees that I shall not devote much space to describing their novel habits here, assuming that my readers are already familiar with most of the things I could write concerning them ; nevertheless, I will present a few of the queer practices of bees that are not so generally known. Every hive of bees, in addition to the workers, drones, neuters and queen, has several sentinels, whose duties are to apprise the hive of threatened dangers and to keep off intruders, for bees, like hnmant*, are subjected to many annoyances, not the least of which are burg- lars. In Oftse a bug, worrti, snail, or other insect wanders into the hive, the sentinels first set upon it with their stings, and, after killing, eject it from their habitation without allowing the incident to inter- fere with the labors of the other bees. But where an insect too large for the sentinels to master invades the hive, all the bees are quickly notified and a general attack is made. Suppose the invader is a large slug, too weighty for removal ; in this case the bees fall upon it with such fury that even retreat, if sought, is impossible, and it soon suc- cumbs to the 'poisoned daggers thrust into its body. But so larsfe a creature must not be suffered to remain in the hive, where, decaying, it would exhale a noxious odor which might develop a malady among the colony. The republic take counsel and speedily conclude, most sensibly, to embalm the body, which they proceed to do in the most expeditious manner possible. The laborers cease their gathering of honey and repair to the woods to collect a resinous substance called propoUsj which is present in most trees, with which they envelope the body in a solid layer, more dexterously than the Egyptians ever ap- plied their aloes and essences. By this means the slug is so perfectly embalmed thai decay is arrested, and the body, if undisturbed, might remain fresh for endless years. Sometimes it happens that snails find their way *nt hives, which, being protected by a cuirass of shell imperviOi?s tv ting», are pro- ceeded against in a no less intelligent and eflecti ^i aianner. The bees are not long in finding out the futility of an open attack by means of their natural weapons, so, flying away, they quickly gather I THE WOBLP ASHOBH. . 1 439 THE WONDERFUL PROCESS OF gUEEN MAKINO I have read a great deal about queen bees, but nowhere have I seen so »xoene„t a description of the process of queen niakiugri, /^ :dl^^.o^-t<^?:;;:ti^;. ^■""■-' '--^ "-• - 'b;:„;v:: By a singular anomaly in insects, it is the females which thonah more delicate, take chm-crfi nf fi,„ i .^ ^'"'«^«» wnicii, tnough nothing; they ;re he ZesB^^^^ '° "'^^'"^^^^ attributes of their sex thlv 1 ^^^^^. ^^™«'^« ^^ve none of the tui.li sex, tbey are genume neuters, in which th« un.es have contrived .oientifically to make ever; irciple !f fecundity abortive ; in short, thev are unseved Th. '"'""'P'^ "' rtc, young, have their bee-Uad .led oTto'th I' '''°''=°' Ser ..antities ; •. vain do they c,; tt:" ^Z^l^^^Z specially tecSveae.- " The.!" ""''''«■••'"'■<''' •".« been prepared tj».. J commorce,::; J^Z 3 ~: Hafi"^ 'r '""" she 8 here estahh-sh.vi ^u u ., , , "'^ palatial, feo soon as fity she not onlv n ..«. .l *''" '*'"' '"•'•"'«« "* matu- soaff ct db "L: *• '®''°'"' ' '"'"'''«<'". but her size is : power; but, great as the faculty of adaptation is in the bee, pre-eminently greater in the ant, as we sha it is of its habits and designs 1 see by cousideriog some 440 &1EA Am> Land. \'K- '^ Neaiiy all aiits are war-like, though they also follow peaceful occu- pations, such as enginfering,dairy-keepin ""d i: 1.- ," n'e i.u\iB. ihe amazon 18 irood foi- iintlii'n« wi« attend then., as ..rg.: tV:tr, ;:;;:^'"''si:;,v;^^^^^^ ..eccssary to abandon the nest on account'of o'verfl„v or 0 t de .tractive agonccs, the aniaznn-ant is to,, helnle.s to , ,v„ 1 t' b«t must rely upo,. the slaves to ,„ove hiril^l theT • k"" '' derful faithfuh.e88, always do bv canvill tL . ?' '"' """' maadibles. '^ ^ '^'"« ""^ """""^ '"""een their Huber, anxious to discover boiv deiiendenl n,„ ™ . . tbeir slaves, ench,se^'-- -• oithe-r-orif;--! came out early and re„.„."!t -«!.'- !!'^'""""■"« "'<>™i"g they io'that (hov - „ — -'■ '"^ "itxd^-. oo intent were they in fl»ht- .»ong tht. "" '"' *° ''"'"''• »'"»"«'' "« "t^'PO-d his foot it 444 SfiA AND LAND. HOUSE EATERS AND AR0HITE0T8. One of the most wonderful, and at the same time most destructivp, of iiisecta is the Termite, or white ant, of South Africa. These eioai tures live in republics and mo composed of aoidiers, queens, work. men, males and fcnuilp'i Tlie former are devoted entirely to defond. \\v* the colony a - < U^)';ii.g the laws ; they alone have win;n.- solidity. At times wh(»le villages in South Afriri are tms attacked i.nddesi roved. Even *n I? ranee, where the termite seems to have appeared in 1780, agreat many houi es have fallen from the effects of their depredations, h THE V ORLD ASHORE. 445 Th CARPENTERS AND JOINERS of a maa-, grout *^'" '""^'"""''"''-'"»^'^' "'•^bi,,. lUe ^z, finger, mid even longer. It is veiy much like our com- mon wood - vvoi-ni, which, while work- ing, produces a noise that siipei'stitious persons cull the "death tick." This worm lives by ejiting TOod, ai)d in obtain- ing 11. livelihood it "iits tortuous galler- -: in the trunks of trees mefimes numeru enough to killthera. Thoniet- •imoipho.sis of this •M«n.n«„l„.i„,fcJ, ' '""'-^'■••^ "•:' "•' f-'«"e,ally understood 'ilKbc,„„f„r rafte.r„f!V ?'"■•>' "''^ """«'■'. «"ch a. the «"-eiyad,nit i-sbouv^'Hrvr::.!/:;.!?!',.''"'' -f. ".-<■"' •"" now CARPENTER -HEB AND ,TS LITTLE THAMBER..' Offspring. Into the end an ^S8 's Ittid and beside it 10 446 8EA AXD LAND. deposited a quantity of bee-bread just sufficient lo nourish tho larva until it \s able to eat its way out. Having tlius provided for tho off. spring from tho first ogg, tho bee constructs a partition, coniijoscd of pulverized wood agglutinated with saliva, and hermetically hc ijs the co-tr UP in a small cell lo itself. She next lays another egg uiitl re- peats the sumo process of separating them until her coniplcniciit i^ complete, when ^he leaves and gives no more concern to her off. spring. The Mud-Mason is even more remarkable than the carpenter l)oe, for while it displays a like skill in the construction of the cells for its larva, it provides nourishment altogether different. My rcadcMs have doubtless broken down mud-masons' nests tinu> and again, and been surprised to find in the cells green spiders and bugs. Instead of leaving bee-bread with its egg, the mud-mason catches spiders and other insects, which it stings, not so as to produce death, but to so paralyze them that they continue in a state of coma indctiuitclv: having thus paralyzed a spider, it deposits it in the cell with its ogg, and when the larva is developed it finds its natural food at liand as fresh as if just killed, and in precisely sufficient quantity for its subsistence, until it is ready to burst its prison and come forth tiie perfect insect. Insects not only bore through wood, but some of them even attack metals, and seem to find nourishment in them. The Giant Sirexh&i been known to gnaw lead and deposit its larva in the excavations. M, Pouchet mentions the fact that, during the Crimean w.xf, the halls in the soldiers' cartridges were sometimes so badly perforated by these insects as to be useless for shooting. HOW THE DIVING-BELL CAME TO BE INVENTED. It was from a little hydraulic engineer, commonly called the wator- spider, that the idea of the diving-bell was obtained. This admirable work-fellow of the animal world is a genius so perfect in his way that even man cannot exactly imitate the completeness of his watery abode. His charming little house is made of silk, for he is a dainty creature, not above displaying a pride which borders on vanity. It is a veritable diving-bell in which he lives, and though extremely' small, it is a work of marvelous perfection. This miniature bell is suspended by threads from a spear of grass, by which it is so iirmly held that wind or wave is not likely to disturb it. They are expert swimmers, but cannot breath wate as fishes do, so that they must THE WORLD ASHORE. 447 keep thoir houses well supplied with fresh air. To do this the spider (omcs to the Hurface, and there gathers a l,ul)ble of air under his abdomen, with ^^^*^— ^'^^■^^■— ■ which he do- scends to his re- treat, and by repeating this process soon fills his little home with respirahle ^'as. Here he passes his win- ters in peifect ease, using l)are- ly enough exer- tion io seize the prey that strays near his retreat. Walcken8er,who has made a spe- cial study of the water-spider, has given them the name of iVa- «Weo3 (Naiads), and declares they are the most interestinjr and intellioent — . , , , ^ THE DIVING-BELL SPIDER. • insects he has met with, an opini<.n in which scientists generally concur. THE PLAQUE OF LOOU8T8. ™! ?r ""^u"""'' '° ^ '"''' "^ *''" i°t«"ige"«e exhibited by Zo. » te but aDytli.„g eonceraing them possesses interest from the fact they ™vage our field, .„d at times beeome the greatest plagues uave suiierfin mimonoa 1^-,^ *..-— xt • , ., . „„ , , '■" ^"='= ^^"'" '-"use insects their ravages in our country do not compare with that which they work in Asia and Africa SS2r'r/r^l"^ through these countries, they resemb; black clouds and darken the sun for hours at a time. Their track is 448 SEA A.m) LAND. marked b}' a trnste as complete as if it had been swept by fire. Moses reoordn the plague of locusts with which Egypt was afflicted, l)ut !iis description of their destructiveness does not exceed that given hy Plinv who states that several districts of Africa have been entirely depopu- lated by these insects. St. Jerome, in his alarm, once exclainud: «* What is there stronger and more terrible than locusts? All Iuihimh industry cannot withstand tliRm. God alone regulates their niuicli." The army of Charles XII., when crossing Bessarabia, was arreshd by a swarm of locusts; not only entirely obscuring the sun, but liffln. ing upon the soldiers in such vast numbers as to blind them and threaten them with suffocation. In the Island of Lemnos a law was enforced by which each person was compelled to bring to the magistrate a measure of locusts as an- nual tribute. In Cyrenaica, according to Pliny, every subject of tlio realm was required to ihake war on the locusts three days of |Ik< year. Those neglecting to obey this edict were i)unished as deserters. Several times in Syria Ronian soldiers were employed to desdoy locuvsts to prevent famine in the country. Soldiers have been simi- larly engaged in Transylvania, reinforced by the -entire i^opulalion, yet, despite their combined exertions, many fertile districts wereuttcriv ruined. Ibrahim Pasha, in Egypt, only a few years ago, summoned all the soldiery of the nation to his aid in staying the ravaj:o.s of locusts, and to stimulate them in the work bared his head to tlie sun and fought with his men against the pest. Although the migrating locust is one of the worst scourges with which agriculturists have to contend, it is not entirely destitute of value. A:, an article of food, we have the best of evidence to sliow that it possesses great merit. The Bible teaches us that the Jews ate it, and that four species were recommended by Moses as good to he eaten. John the Baptist, when he was in the wilderness of Judea, subsisted on locusts and honey, a diet not to bo despised by even the most favored sons of God Not only was it esteemed in ancient drys, but there are still countries where the ))eople appreciate it highly. Ill Bagdad the locust is exposed for sale alongside of the best meats, with which it has equal rank. In all Arabia these insects are dried and ground to a fine flour, when it is baked into wholesome and palatable bread. In Ifin.^, German v was so nearlv desolated l)v reason of an invasion of locusts that, for the want of other food, the peasantry began eating them, when they acquired so much favor (bat THE WORLD A8HORB. ' ^.. Kiev. thodi«,i„g„i,|,ea entom,,log t in eh! " „, ll"; . "^ ''• '*'• United States, euts locusts «ith avdtvaf n ''"""' "'» only palatable and nutrition, ..."""''J^' '""^ P">nounccs them n<,t •ieliciousness. ""'""O"*. •">' » «orcea„ of almost unc«mpled THE VORACIOUS ANT-LION. A curious specimen of the vor.eiou« in insect life is the A.t T ' very appropriately named, because it is a carniv n', nf f f '^'-^T" actor that lays its trap with wn.uln,.// carnivora of fearless char- ™-.«.go a,„„i„ „„., .u,:!: e'e tmo:Th';:i;,T'f„''T''^' " ''^-'""'■' pit which the ant-lion consti-urt. i. i " "" '"'"'''•• The level. Inaceomplishbgthi:,™;"' '"' ""'" "™^''''' "«= -^'-« It uses only the head, with which, I'V a dipping motion, it managed : to throw the sand out so rapidly ' as to shower it in* a continuous " jet. When a depth of a foot or more is reached, the insect bur- rows itself at the bottom of the pit until nothing but its mandibles are uncovered. Here it lies quiescent awaiting the prey which will not be long in coming, for :he place is a>-«tcer,a1„t,;7ofx,r'TK"', '7 ""''•"""'■ ""^ ?'' '^^y -« Peaved since thei'l, : ,! ' 1 1 ';:";";• "•""^^ '"'^ -O"^™'^ ».- I»«s over the ed»e „f ' "f •/, " ''"""• ^'" •!'» '"<»»ont it "J ...events itt:',:'::„ 'ai' ; 'r/:rtr '""■■^•"•"""" seiTes to drive the unffrt.,,. . . - '""■'' <"«:''in" onlv j»>v,in waiting """"""""'» -•»""« '"ore s,,e..dily to the hungry ^zi:::^^ r-- -^ f - •••^--.-.y, f«n mto th„ , !.^^"^" '" "t® struggles to surmonnf. thp .i: • . - '"uou Huna wiii fall rlnnrr. ...v " iu ,. ~ "il'-'j Kiues I«ingfromhisrereal hi . '""' ""'* '» ''"'"""'"g ""> ""d. S .et,e»t, be l»unch.s ,., ,wift s„cws»i„„ ;ot, of 8«„d 450 8£A AND LAND. ■^;>tf l^ii'lV^:' upon the victim, and causes it to fall quickly to the bottom. Here no mercy is shown, no delay in the fell i)uri)ose of the destroyer, for, always thirsting for fresh blood, the ant-lion fulls vigorouf^ly on the helpless bug, and in a trice has sucked the juices from its body. But the ant-lion shows wisdom beyond its cunning for catching prey in so singular a trap. Since it lives entirely off the blood of iiispcts its pit would soon become a charnel house of noxious vapors if the bodies were permitted to remain accumulating in the hollow ; further- more, pass*ing insects might discover the fatal trap set for them when looking ovei the edge upon the skeletons of their compatriots, and beinw thus warned in time escape a like fate. The ant»lion is cunning enough to reason out all these probabilities, and, to guard against them, after destroying an insect he carefully balances its body on his head, then, with a spasmodic jerk, he throws it not only out of his* den, but several inches beyond the border. After he bus nnide a Gol"-otha of his surrounding, like a sensible fellow, he moves hit* hab- itation and renews the slaughter until new suspicions are created. WONDERS OF THE SPIDER. Of all artists and workers in animal creation the spider is the greatest, for he combines the acquirements of tailor, miner, carpenter, engineer, surveyor, and any number of other trades, in each of which he is an expert. We do not have to travel in foreign countries to find spideis that execute the most wonderful works, for every web is a study, being the product of an in- genuity which man can never approach. In a night he rears his gos- samer structure, as airy as a sunbeam, and yet of cable cords of remarkable strength. Across paths in the wood we find his tensile threads, reaching from branch to branch like a suspension bridge, over which he travels ; his ropes are always at hand and are made to serve him in the most wonderful ways. Should he desire to cross a stream, he has only to sit upon some tree or other elevated position, and there pay out his cable until the loose end floats on the breeze and catches to some object on the opposite shore. This constitutes his bridge, aiiJ on it he crosses «^afely over. The spider's web is a mystery in construction, sinct it proceeds ready spun by nature from its body. This marvelous loom is situ- ..A_j :.. ii.„ »u,i...^:..n1 «^v4 ,.«.»> liv q.n'' '"^ /•r»mr»nafi(i of RfiVfii'iil tents. The thread issues, wcmderful to state, from as many sieves, in each of which are more than a thousand holes, and out of each hole iasuess Kuaid ajrainst THE WORLD ASHOBB. tinv thread. As tho ' h,.,>„ ^ inti one thread, ZkltjlIITV '''' '^^'"«"'"<' *»«»«■« Scientists who have slndied the ZL^^ JTu '"" """"^""-J ««"»«»- «..]«, affirm that it require, „„,,', u f '"^ """'^ "*"»' "i'™- r"" ^"■'•-^ "' *"" '-Of a hlr. '"l^trt" 1 """"'^ '° den spiders, for some species snfn f! , , ^^ Product of ear- b. used in the mannfarr: "t 'J rfalf"' 7 T"' '"""'^' '» had a suit of clothes made for hVm e,f til I" '""*• ^°"'^ ^^ »me of the ladies of his court Ztth' '^P"''^'--»«'>s, ao did also lated, however, that Al. d' Orw'.nv I, ,w ^ ''"' f ' ^'"^''^'- ^^ '« "- this filmy prodact which enduVeS a '',„'•''"" "/ ''''"^''' ""«''= »"' «' No less curious than his web i t , , '"™'°"' "'"'• spider constructs, i„ which to hide wl,il„ hi "'"''''' ""■■ """""'on escape in case of danger. It i,7c!l """"?' "'■ '» "^^'^ h"" for which it is put. Here" well enl" ed ; I'lf """"?""'' '"' "'" "^« '» "giddy fly, or other i.Lsect, d hes i.f,^ H,"""' ^t" ''''^'" -'^' ""«' set outside his den; then inatrie. h '""^'hes he has ski||fui,„ h."icti.,„« whi;h C':zi::t::;^!::^^'^'^''^^^^yu.i i. carries his cunning still further I ^ • "« "" J"''--^''- But .eversuffersthebloodof hisolvL' ""T"'""' ''" ^'>°'' that he the remain's to lie h.ng expo ef if ht? , ^ T'' ""' ""'^ '"> »"ow .«ht,hedragsthemb^ack'thr.„Ih:de,'''7 """ """"'''""' f"- ower opening, especially provided t, hi "^'"'" ""^ ""'""gh - his house in a cleanly and l.-vi;! ^t jit., "fTf" ^"" '"' "^''P^ pemnces, while below him are found tl \ "^ ^^^Picious ap.. are found the evidences of his vomcitv MostnffI •. ™^ '"'"■"""■ TARANTULA "'"Oiacity. Mo t of the spiders found in the United St .,t„- . Ihcre ,s „„e whose bite is scarcely le„ K 7 °, "'''' harmless, but «tle8„al''''"Phobia, and ,he ''"edyof music to effect a cl '° '7''"" /»'"' '- 'he sovereign «sc, in which he ^ravelv d"L J-'t^™'-! «'-g'-' -- w-'ea ■---h^.so-;^:-::;-:^-^^^^^^^^^^ 452 SEA AND LAND. The Tarantula, like the mason-spider, has its habitation in ti iiontly lined cylindrical hole in the ground, the entrance to which is covt-nd by ii lid that fits as snugly as the cork of a bottle. This lid is a mas- ter-piece of ingenuity, being composed of about forty alternate layor.^ of earth and silk, and connected to the edge of the dwelling by iiu-ans of a hinge so perfect that it may be opened and shut a thousand times without injury. . The poison ap[)ariitus of spiders is precisely analogous to that of serpents, only that it is extremely small. Poisonous spiders possess mobile teeth and hollow fangs which distil the noxious Uuid into any THE TARANTULA. wound they mn.ke ; this fluid is secreted by a small gland sitated in the interior of the palpi (feelers), attached to the under juwiwhk'> effect the bite. It has been a subject of much dispute whether or not the taran- tula's bite is ever attended by fatal results in a grown person; the best authorities say it is not, and cite many instances in proof. The tarantulas of Nassau grow to an enormous size, five inches loni' by four broad, and a gentleman whom I know, amrms t'l wintering at that famous resort, he killed one that was Jarge as the crowu of a man's hat, .„k;i,> THE WORLD A8HOMS. 453 THE OHIOKEN SPIDER. Equalling, if not surpassing the tai-r;ntula in size is the Chiclcen^ Spider, an inhabitant of South America. It is very poisonous and is said to employ its lethal fluid to destroy small birds and animals. Its favorite prey is humming-birds, which it manages to catch in a manner which scientists have not yet attempted to explain. The sup- position, however, is that it surprises the bird when on her nest, and' leaping upon her, like a lion does upon a deer, drives its mandi- bles into the feathered beauty, killing it almost upon the instant. But the chicken-spider does not limit its attacks to humming-birds; it is a barn-yard pest, also, committing, at times, great ravages amont^ the poultry of Colombia. Its attack is usually made by si)rinirin^ upon the chicken and fastening upon its throat, where it speedily finds the jugular vein and sucks the blood until its victim expires. Pigeons are also objects of its voiacity, as many as a dozen of these birds having been found dead in a single cote, all killed by one of these blood-thirsty creatures. THE SCORPION -SOMETHING TRULY WONDERFUL. The scorpion and spider belong to the same class of insect creation, called Arachnida, a Greek word used to denote a s, -cies wherein there is no distinction of head and thorax. The scorpion is to land creatures what the octopus -is to those living in the water, a frightful iippeaiing hybrid, whose pniper sphere, it seems, ought to be fn the dominions of Satan. It is devilish, or impish, not only in looks but character as well. They inhabit most warm countries, and are every- where held in the greatest dread. All kinds of precautions must be taken to guard against them, for, loving darkness, they crawl into beds, cioop under pillows, or into shoes, so that in countries where they abound they menace everybody. They are l)oth active and sav- age, and perfectly aware of the terrible weapons with which they are aimed. When alarmed the scorpion curls its tail over its body, flourishes the venomed weapon in a most threatening style, and, if {"ts retreat be cut off, it boldly assumes the offensive and rushes to the attack. However repulsive and venomous, the scorpion excites admiration xor its wonderf.., .>U;xhment to its young. While yet young and feeble, thev c(-n.?rt; LAND. A traveler has recently contributed an interesting paper on the scorpion, wbiicli was publisiied in «' Land and Water," in 1885, which •1 mfm CHICKEN SPIDER OF SOUTH AMERICA. has attracted much attention. From this account of the habits of the creature, I take the liberty of quoting as follows: SOME ASTONISHING FACTS RESPECTINO THE SCORPION. *• A few years ago, while in the Island of Jamaica, it was my for- tunate chance to have an opportunity of observing some very curious TIIE WORLD A8B0RE. 455 facts in connection with the ge.,u« of the arachnida class commonly Kuown as (ho scorpion, and the curious traits of character in these insects. Turning over .onie old paper in my office one day, I sud- denly came upon ,i large black scorpion, which promptly tried to beat a precipitate retreat. Having read or heard somewhere that if you blow on a scorpion he will not move, I tried the experiment, and was greatly astoni-shed to find that it had the desired effect. The scor- pion stopped instantly, flattened himself close to the paper on which he had been running, and had all the appearance of ' holdin ' MICROCOPY RESOIUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 12.8 ■ M I2£ asA Ui lis Mmm 2.5 1.8 ^ APPLIED INA^GE Ir 1653 East Main Street Rochester. New York 14609 USA (716) 482 -0300 -Phone (716) 288-5989 -Fox 460 SfiA ANt) LAKt). 111! to a size somewhat larger than a cocoanut, and weighs from two c five pounds, being solid like the pineapple. In preparing it for food the natives have only to cut the fruit in slices and cook them on a gridiron, when it becomes an excellent quality of bread, and would be so pronounced by an epicure. But there are several other bread-yielding trees, or plants, fion^ which a pith is obtained which may well answer the purpose of broad. Strabo tells us that the army of Alexander, while crossing a portion of Macedonia, being utterly destitute of provisions, sustained thtMu- selvei, for several weeks by eating the pith of a species of palm. If we are to believe Xonophon, the same thing happened during the famous retreat of the ten thousand Greeks. In tropical countries the natives not only rely almost entirely upon the fruit of trees for food, but largely for clothing, also. Beneath the bark of certain trees there are thin layers called lihers, so called from their resemblance to the leaves of a book. These may be .-sep- arated without difficulty, and, since they are both pliable and strong, are easily wrought into valuable textile fabrics. The inhabitants of New Zealand convert the liher of some of their trees into most serv- iceable drapery, having first impressed it with ornamental patterns. In Cuba the negresses are much given to dressing in the soft liher of ' certain trees, on the score not only of cheapness, but also becanse clothes tht.s made are handsomer than if made from the cloths they are able to buy. On the Logetto, which is celebrated on this account, liher is found, the intertwined fabrics of which are as fine as our best mu.slins, on which account it is used very generally by ladies, who have given to it the name of lace-wood. The inner layers of bark are sometimes found sufficiently flexible, smooth and compact to make a fairly good quality of writing mate- rial. The ancient Egyptians used this kind of paper, which is now- called papyrus, in their records long before the civilization of Europe was begun. In fact, it was used anterior to history. Pliny relates that the Roman consul, Mucins, discovered a letter in the Temple of Lycia written on this material by Sarpedon, and dated from Troy. The existence of the sacred writings, the works of Homer and Hcsiod. and the finding of the books of Numa in the tomb of that great legis- lator, all being recorded on papyrus, show how ancient was its use and how wonderful its durability. lis from two o ring it for fnod cook them od a read, and would or plants, iron' Lirpose of bioad. iissing a portion sustained thoni- ;es of palm. If ened during Uie st entirely upon , also. Beneath libers, so ealled lese may be sell- able and strong, le inhabitants of 3 into most serv- mental patterns, the soft liber of but also because the cloths they J on this account, s fine as our best / by ladies, who fficiently flexible, of writing niatc- ?r, which is now ization of Europe y. Pliny relates in the Temple of ated from Troy. omer and Hesiod, P that great legis- cient was ita use !K' n 462 SEA AND LAND. ».L„ ii., THE WEEPING TREE As previously stated, there is a surprising analogy b'^twoen animal and vegetable life in several particulars. Plants breathe with the reg. ularity oi an animal, so have they circulation, sensibility, periods of waking and sleeping, and possibly a nervous system, which has heon proven by the most delicate experiments. It has been shown that a man loses, on an average, two pounds and nearly a quarter everv twenty-four hours, by the exhalation of watery vapor througl, the pores of his skin. A series of experiments, conducted by Hales showed that through respiration the sunflower lost five-thirtee.-ith< as much as an average man. But the sunfl^ower distils less water than most plants, some of which seem to pump water incessantly. An arum kept in the botanical garden at An.sterdam was observed by Ruysch to distil water drop by drop from its leave,, in the proporti.)n that it was watered. Musset disc^overed a plant of the same family which distilled water so rapidly that little sprays might be seen, by very close observation, issuing from the pores of its leaves. But the greatest maivel of plant respiration is seen in the Weeping Tree, which is indigenous to the Canary Islands, from whose tufted foliage there is a never ceasing and copious rainfall. At the foot of this wonderful tree is a pond, from which the natives obtain water, but should the pond become dry the tree would immediately show signs of languishing, since water is at once its breath and blood. The leaves of other plants, more tenacious of the perspiration they distil, collect it in little cups, which are found at their ends, some- times considerably open, sometimes closing and opening by means of a movable lid. Of these plants the Nepenthes distiUatoria, more commonly known as the pitcher-plant, is most famous. Its Ie!>v«is display a strorg mid-rib, which extends beyond the blade and ends in an elegant cylindrical cup, provided with a hinged ^id, which sponta- neously opens and closes according to the state of the atmosphere. During the night this lid sinks down and hermetically close?, the little vase, which then tills with limpid water exhaled by its walls. Durin,< > T b'^twoen animal the with the reg- )ility, periods of , which has heen }eii shown that a a quarter every por through the ucted bv Hales, ve-thirteer>th.'< as i less water than ncessantly. An i^as observed by 11 the proportion ;he same family, ight be seen, by leaves. in the Weeping m whose tufted At the foot of es obtain water, mediately show and blood, erspiration they eir ends, sorae- ng by means of Hllatoria, more •us. Its let'vps ade and ends in , which sponta- he atmosphere, closep, the little walls. During e or less. The es the thirst of AX- PALM. iiore r'onderful juality of winf THE WINE. TREE, OZ W,NE- BEARING SAGO-PAL^. 464 SBA AND LAND. instead of water, corresponding to old Concord. The natives are extremely fond of this natural intoxicant, and abuse its use like wine- bil)bers throughout the world; but it is said that its effects are not so pernicious on the sj'stem as fermented wine. We are told by Moses that manna fell from heaven to nourish the famishing Jews, but what is now called manna is the exudation of the flowcring-asli, which is cultivated in Sicily. This waxy sugar runs and hardens qn the tree-trunk in the shape of stal- actites, which tire scraped off by means of wooden knives, and are so pure that they nniy be used for all the purposes to which sugar is put with- out going through any process of refining. In the western portion of South America, generally along the Andes, grows another wonderful tree, from which a wax is obtained that is strikingly similar to the product of the bee and may be used for the identical purposes, but it is chiefly employed for illuminating. This substance exudes from the trunk ai)4 cpU^ctn ip large balls, \v|iic)i ar^ scraped o# b^ tk9 milvM. MANNA, OR SUGAR-TREE OF SICILY. THE WORLD ASHORE. ^g^ THE MARVELOUS M.LK AND BUTTER TREES. otiil more remarkablo thun on,. « ^l BuUer-TVee. which abounds™ 1^1,1^7 •'"' r"''""""' '' ">» West Africa. Karl Muller l-it 7! '• °'°' ""^ ^'-er River, i„ slave merchantrcl^di'tvev'" ''',''"' "•'''''"''■'"' ''''' '"y^ "'« restrictive measures sought to h^ "'"ch n.ore formidahle than the "As the natives c^ le" f, , ^^ . Hill,''''''" ''"■'" "^ '"" '="'"'"• the coast are uneasy as to wint ,! n 1 I "T""' "'" ^""''"'^ <>■> an article of con-^'el lid ii-drr^.f^''^''"' •>""-• •'-°- iulmbitantsfromslave-huntinn. h,„r ""« may divert the to ordor the destruction "fa|f 'the h r" ! '"^ *''' """^ "f Dahon.y is really declared agai s the ,le ^ t;"" ,'" '* '"""'"'-• ^'•'• ap, ...d yet it reappears eh year' s if If « """: "' " '^""S' reaionstrating with man f, de^ih ',: !, ,'"'"="""*'y ""d "nergetically This butter fs a sec:: ,^„'t"V;:'7'»»" » «■" "^ -tnre.'^ muchasahu„dredpoundsraayll„!th ' ^, ° P"''"'" '" '' """ ^ »e,ved again in a ew .nonZ ]S^ '"""■T '"" "' °''"»> '" *"> ter, but u^on exposure to cd it hall 7 u '""'"-^ ''<""" '<> •>»«- oextt„i,npossiblefor„pers „ todi • ::; r,;';:^™ -'' - "O"^" i' is The butter-tree is „„e of nature', ™ "f"™ fresh, pure butter. Mor Co..Tree, of Sou h' Z ,"71^ '"V' '" '""l"*""'^ "'" Hamboldt's request, analysed the s mof tf^ ^""'"'"S"""' '^'■°. »» its physical properties are exactiv sin^l * .,°"''""''' '"'"''"•''^ ""at cept that it is a little more v.scous "T "' ""''' '"''''• «- an enormous quantity "f wTv " V J """'"•l'"We fo'' eontaining entire weight. %helttr,e'..detrr''"'" '""^ ""'^-'""^ "^ lacteal by cutting the bark of the tJr™' "*"'" "■'" "»>"*hing tte auid issues out in TsLl ^ T I'"' "" "'"'' "he" immediately .»- would fresh! ool'd tilk' ""^^ "•"""" "' " ""? "'"^ "^k itis with astr„iz»\";rarr.:a;:rr'r °r. among the ancient races of Amli . ^"P^^'Mwbs prevalent -p.oducts, ^«c I, dtr :r°"xr "! '";' ■""^' "="""»- °' liginoas to American soil, else we sll Ju ''u'"" " ""*.ul,tedly in- -'ritings of some of the 1 0^^, ^"""^ "' '' ""•""S'' "■« ColumollaorTheopSte bn'n ■'''''.••'""''''■'^''"^'^'"''"''idos, tte-e. white, on the o h r ;nd afZw" "' " " """"^ "^ ""^ <" tot voyagers succeeding Sinbus »- i TT "" '^""'™'' "-^ ">« ferred to. * i^mmbus, aawe has been constantly re- VH^-VAIM OF THE ANDfCS. THE WOBLD ASHOM!. 467 "Joseph d'Acosta affirms that maize was one nf fh. „ • • . cles of food among the savages of .hi .. t""' Pnn^Palaili- w«, conquered. At the Um^Tu. P . " °"'""""' '™8 ''«'<'« it w.saaJed,bei„g,.U.Lda t^:,:r Mot' *'"''=° "™ ^'•'"' i. .teeped i,, h„m„„"h>ood. to thl^eti: i-ateT l;^:" Ar: "' a.nong .he people, s^Zh^'evtTone St hat TT' '"'^ '"'■" fed food. When Pi.ar™ mad^e hi f It™:, tru '" f ""''"■ tices St existed. The Tnr«. „«. j *' " s"!"!"'- piac- tl>i» cereal, which the virZ. Tr"""""^ loaves made Lm hardened -ith h„ blood oT^rrT':' "V""' ""'•^'"P »' ">e s„„, in order to prepa e thS^-^ '"t' """^ '"««« 'key '"cerated gardens theU.ns made titatioloT h! "°"''/""' ''""''' '" '"^'^ which they offered as sacrifice ^""" ^''"" 8°'" «'"' 'il''-- ..M. « ™= «"""« PLANT -ITS HISTORY food and si.: .;; r mlterr """ "'"f"'"' "and she lavishes .hough in the labo,:™:' oVm dea ^1" ""'^ "'^'"^ P"''"-- iike a miilcy dew from the head tf ourt^e: ^JZT '""'''">" dispensable to the art of medicine that S h ''*«'«""? so in- of modern times, said he wo^Fd Tnoun e L:';.rT' ' """■™""^' prived of this powerful anodvne T? ff^ssion was he de- belladonna, datura and hrnbane' hv?''' "* Y'"'^ 'tepoisons of Mtree prepares in its LYsbleTa'bofar" """ "'•<> d^^dty. But iieCinchoL; natuiToZriiirh J'' ^"«l' P'-e<=i<»'» crystals as It is the b^Hef of T.J^ >" """""'"^ '''''^'' '« ^^ Potent." q-.ineis h tly pos tive s:edfio''" '!.™"J """^ «^"™"y' '"-t same sovereign character flrT °.f V\ ' ^'''' °"' '""'^ *" tl>e rtioh it is use? a!,trwhfr„ n • "'" •""' "'""^^ '""'""'e the virus . iaaniiiteresurje a,tatdT7", ''r'""'™'""'-°-*«''>g<»'t. I ..;^e Pl-.ureCe:;,'::Un^:S''wsr'''''""'''^' '^"■" -"—funt, In 1638, Count Cinchon bfiFntrvine-re'T''..^-'--^ - , Spain, his fliimicf o., ° ■ '-'^-^^o'^'"' "i -reru lor the-eourt of ' »Pe™r. sent him w<«d. th.t'.he...lJir oMhTtiJhbthZtr; 468 8EA AND LAND. of :i bark whif^h cured their fevers, and might possibly have the same effoit u|)()n a [xmsou of so exalted a condition, and hejrged of liim, should his rt'souices fail, at all events to try this medicine of the sav- ages. The vice-queen, getting worse and worse, the corregidoi was called to Lima, in order himself to regulate the dose and mode of preparation of his medicine. But it nniy be easily imagined that no one was imprudent enough to administer so extraoidinary a powdtr to the noble patient without some prei-autions ; they theiefore decided to tiy it on ^ome of the common peo|)le, and it was only after thoy had cured with the corregidor's bark some poor Spani^h beggars, shattered with fever, that the vice-queen took it and was cured. "The inhabitants of the towu of Lima, being astonished at this, sent a deputation to the c«»nvalescent, begging her to send to Loxa for a stock of the bark, a request which was complied with. Thi- countess herself distributed the remedy to all who required it, and from this time it began to be known by the name of the Countess' Powder. Some months afterward she gave up the task, handing over what remained to the Jesuit fathers, who, to their praise he it said, continued to give it gratuitously, and hence it acquired the name of Jesuit Powder, which it long bore both in America and Europe." This is a very pretty story, and may be true in part, but Humboldt has written some things concerning the cinchona-plant which cause us to doubt that the people accepted it as a gracious remedy, as La Condamine tells us. The great German scientist, who traveled in all parts of South Anierif^a, assures us that the natives, so far from hav- ing any faith in the virtues of the plant, vigorously contemn it as l^oisonous and capable of i)roducing gangrene. THE SOAP AND CAMPHOR - TREE. There are trees in China belonging to the geims Di/allum, from which a substance is gathered analogous to soap. The seeds of aii- , other, tree in China serve the same purpose as soap, for which they are largely used. The seeds are .first ,dried and pjascerated, after which they are poured into hot water, where they (Quickly produce ii strong suds, that will remove greese like magic. The iSoapivort, says Sowerby, was formerly used by mendicant friars for washing their clothes, for which purpose the leaves of \k plant were admirably adapted, as a few of them steeped in water niade a |)owcrfu! suponinc. Jhe Oamphor-J^aurel is a native of .India jand Java, where '}i\i^y issibly have the same ind l)eh beggars, ind was cured, astonished at this, ler to send to Loxu implied with. Tin- i^ho required it, and le of the Countess' > the task, handing to their praise he it it acquired the name lerica and Europe." part, but Humholdt a-plant which cause ious remedy, as La , who traveled in all Bs, so far from hav- )usly contemn it as 'nus Dydllum, from The seeds of aii- 3ap, for which they 1 .^lascerated, after ■ .quickly produce a used by mendicant ie the leaves of the ni steeped in water ^uva, where jt is ,ej' 469 TnE WORLD ASHORK tenslvely cultlvafcd fm- ii.o i.-.^ r^^-^mm^l^Z^^^ ^ '" '""'"''' '""'"">■ The .Xf''' EXTRACTING MILK FROM THE COW- TREE." "ee, Which grows to a a».vi! • .u^' ^'=»<=''«nault says i»g« for . whole wefk "'^ °" ""^ "'"^' "'*«"«<' »"««- Another species peculiar to Timnn- „., • i j »l.ich the natives call tClZiV zZf !. ""''"' "^ '^'■"™'''''' «.e touch, that life U f^^ 'tZTt"'''^ '"''' ^"""'^ ""^ '''' »fflicledpart. ^ Prese.ved by an amputation of the ANCENT eoPERSTITIONe ABOUT PLAMTB. .% ii Llthit^'b^^zt^r^^^^^^^^^ " '"' "■■ •'-'• "■ -^- lief« .espectino. plants S.°„,. 1 i ''" """"^ ""g"'""- •>«- all plants had souls „,'.d f^U 1?° V""" . "■»" '"'""y nmiut.ined that like\hen.eLs 'f'Lo'tier the^rf M*''"™ '""' »"" -" ' beat u„„„ gmtif vi,,° t ;llr '^T, r'S't^ble souls were continually others 0 levifttrthe'l '°T' "'■"'' '^ ""'"? «""" ""^ 'l.i""tonerfmr N I *'"',"'^«y ''«■•« "I™?' seeking some new evil ^4th rsup^^ttTon'trj''^ sod himself. But «he Jt";! fl ' ?/■""' """• '"^ "'P'-'' "■ •>«' » Sre»tum and carried it . ? ' '^""' "''"PP'"' ''^ «"> s"ge "f A..ri- ^f vegetl^e cr^ o \l'strd™d":;r''"?'!:'''^ "■"""'» '"'''<"'' The ««<;r„fc was Tp ant ll " "^ '"'''' '"ystification. for they not only at rfbutd ZTf^ ""^'/ "' """'""' ^'''-""•"■- ["telligence, though it soul „t under. he"- J'™' '"^ f ° " """"" believed that wl..n „„ . ,"'""'" '"^ '"lueiice of Satan. Thev "Wiged to practiee"Vprf«;« '• ° '" "\' -"""^^ ^"•> gathered it were •g«i"rt it, dSh influent. """"'•"'"»• « "» »» -ie then, pr«,f i THB roiSON-TREB, OR UPAS, OF JAVA, WITH FLOWER OF THE RAFFLESIA IN THE FORE-GROWft 473 THK WORLD ASBORB. 473 The Solanea a species of night „h,.de, was also in meat repute phrastas, gravely describes ,vi,l, all faith in their eiBcacy. T e ce'r ""f """-'^d 'n tracing three circles around the pLt wirthe pent of a sword, the exorcist all the while keeping his eyes s eldilv toward the east, while an assistant danced three "tin.es'^ou.d the plant repeating an obscene objurgation in the meantime. Roots of -he mandraKe plant were used in enchantments bein.. first ca,.ed ,nt„ semblance of men and women. Th^ w^re 2 groand n,to powder and used as a philter by sorcerers. ^Spec ^ vir tues were attr.buted t„ this plant, from the belief that it grew mwhe™ except on a spot over which a gibbet had once h„ng,a„d tImUtXm d nourishment only in the remains of murdered men MoV philters were, therefore, „s powerful as th.,se ,h .'ch,^ "d Chr a,,d to add to this belief philosophers like D.oscorid " c ed^ I' There is a little plant called the Diclamnus, which »rows on the themselves had first nlanfpfl if .,.,^1 41, . ^ attended one of their feast I'tl, T " '"'"''"Sev, who morhls When ^ . '""'" '*'" ■"'"•ve'""8 virtues to ZlT'f ., r " '"^ """"'"y ''"""Jed, Venus gathered the leavs of ,h,sp|„nt and binding his hurts immediately rfsto.Ji him r:':h:tr:r:^:::r;:;^^^^^^^^ do r I " rf "' ^ "r "^"'S""'*"' "-^ '^'= "^.'-rend an^d hung o'ver » powerful wisof r '''' ""-'■""''"■""bali.^tic plant, from ^hich their Vic ?m„ ad „.d 'T""'' "''"*• ""^''^^ "'«<' '<> i-'^i^"" ^r VIC uns and produce the spectacle of the S.ibbath. ■"" 'Cr^'th':;"''.";'!' "'"""•"''"''""« ''^''''- ^«' -Jo- "»' .sprove the beaut, ful poetic legend to which he gives a place 'f be therefore tells us of the rose from which rude wind. attempt 1 m 474 SEA AND LAND. have torn its leaves until, in agony, it sheds tears; and when mur- dered by frosts, he says the poor, sweet body is carried away by sor rowing gnomes to paradise. OARNIVOROU8 PLANTS We are surprised to find in the vegetable kingdom plants which must have a solid food, such as animals alone are popularly supposed to thrive upon. In this, again, we find an apparent evidence of tlie animal life in plants, since the general classification of natur- alists is based as much upon food as upon organization. The Venus Fly -Trap, com- mon in most large gardens, is an excellent example of carni- vorous plants. Its leaves are so many insidious snares for entrapping insects, as will be seen by examination. Their expanded ends each present two small palettes armed with teeth set on the edges and all united by a longitudinal \i\\\»%. Each palette is also provided with three sharp spines about the middle, while at their base there is an exudation of a sweet fluid, which attracts flies and other insects. Now mark how astounding is the seeming intel- ligence displayed by the plant in catching its prey: When a small, winged creature is at- tracted to the sugary store and lights upon the leaf, it suddenly brings its teeth-armed lobes together, like the clo ing of a book, and pierces, the prey with a gripe which its struggles to escape only increases. The palettes remain closed on the insect until all the juices are sucked from its body, nor can they be opened during the plant's feast wif-lmnf rnntn»>;n'» ♦K«»r« A s^t---! •? \ - ^ > - _ ^ 'i-s-!....!^ iijviii. xviiiiTiai luwCi '.3 so necessary 10 this kind of plant that if it be enclosed within a wire screen so that VENUS FLY-TRAP. THE ^r-yHLl> ashobe. ^^. insects are excluded, it speedii .anc^uishes • on tl.. ,u , . of meat are laid on the Iphvoo . "«"'r^^' o» t^e other hand, if bits grasp that is never relaxed until the flv 2 f ^ , °'"*=^'"' ^"^ " case it appears that the ,,|..„t ,' „ k ^ '^'<^«/'''"' eJcbaustio,,. I„ thi, and does „„t suek I el dv T ,! !? / "'" '"'"'' "' "'" "^'^ >'«"!, ai.o,but it is hardly so Iu„^t:r.t T''^'""-"-'»«^-»'«'=- since it secretes a glutilriiLnit ? ^'"'"'"''^ .nentioned, afly oooe lights upl, it rre^r.o"; ^Vo^^ er,'e''''f -t"':' ''''" glued fast. "^ ' escape, for its feet are * MAN-EATINO PLANT. Travelers have told us of a plant whi<.l, .l,,. tral Africa and also in South Ame nv! .Y" ^^'y »»«»'* g"""™ in Cen- n..™ad of large insects wMch iH Se '^ ^ c" """""",!'' "'"■ *"» acity extends to makin.. even 1,„„, •! ^''-''-mes, but its vor- etable Minolaur is represent d.Tr, """^^ ^''" """''''"'' ''"S- the top of which radirt~ sJne, ^'^ " *"''' "■'''' '""'^' '"'"> traordn,„ry tenacousness: ^ eres'ofX;"' ''""'"'l'' ""' "' «" crdagger-like teeth. Instead of'^rl ° ''™"' '"""'••'■■''^. angle from the trunk the! „n„! 7 !,"'?""'"• "' °' »" "''"""•"d ground, and so gJe,„I,y:;t tT v di,t"V ;',"" ?'" ""'' "?"» «"e "« » easy co„!h with ^grt:. '47:::^ f ' '^^^ '-"'^ -">- - traveler, ignorant of the monstrous c,eat"o„ , hiehT ""l".-^"""'' and curious to examine the strange nialt or f ''^'f''" '" >"» ™y. ■nvitingstalkapproacheswithoualusSuTf '"""'?'' "'^'''■'' moment his feet are set within thr o e „f re l "'"• ^'"' "se up, ike Ki»antic se.-n.nf. j I . "" '""''"' "Pi'ies, they teisdrawntpC eI:^:f T'""'''^"^'''^^^"''""''='-'»""til ■-Ms body :nd tts crp^Lt: re mir:''"^,:?:7 r ^ ^-t^ torrid t%p set Zlt '"'" "" "'•^ ^"^""'^ " 'hrown out and the THE WOELD ASHORli. 477 briefly described, except that instead of th«' fil resliiigonthegroundlosav,.!,. , B'^ments or spines, air, like so ma^ l°„„ seZn h, 17 "'r'"^ '"""'"""^ '" "'« dartingfrom side toside ,, if stril" /"'.""^ "--sion, ooc-a^ionally prey c:,„es wi.l.in re „ ," ,e sn ' ° '","" T^"""'' '""■ "'''-">eir 0< I "..y l.„ allowed to a I^the^x Z s"" ;""" """""''"' -S-''^ a»d grasp it i„ an nnyi f„! ,X 1 ;; "r^'^''''''^"™''"-'')- when an the substance of its W^ i li.^":," T™ -f " '"'"" "'"^ erting p.essure up„„ it, „..„. ,,,i^^! fl ,,"''• '" "» "'"o" of cx- nent nsed in the dar^aC fo „fl''! ' """"^"""'"'='""' ■"»'■- made of two long iron c^l, dor „, t '" • 'T*"'""" """"'• " -'« i..-oje„ting pikes. The vie „ ' ,' . •'""."''' ""^ "'"'•'' '™^'-' "harp, the., brought forcibly t2:,;i'T ""'*.' ""^ """ '"" "'"""'^ pointed pikes i„,„ al ,» t, of I , ,"'*^ " '"""''■''' '"• "'""= "* the death. Genemlly thi i' q Li^ri rint '' '"" '"■'"''""''' " "«"«"' ™deiy,t„ represent a wlan b ,';;? ""-^ ""'<"=• ^""'-'hat "TheMaiden,"by whid,iti;:;iuZ„,','r '"""" "'"""' '" " ""^ wonderful plant to the author affi "„ ., 'l"'"™'""' "' describing this agitates its long, teutade^t sirf "t'L l! oT 7T " ^"">"'"^ each other, produce a hissing uoiTe ; h c t; , J I'l™'""? ,"''°° pre3s,„„^„^e..eo, the literal translatio,^ o7w i!r i ./"r"' '" The plant IS therefore kiiown in .So„tl. A., • I . " I Ke you." He farther asserts that so n d ',, „ " "'""' ^^ "'" "™'" ^"'^"^o- .oy animal be punctured bvthlK "'^ '''V'™'^ '''»' 'f "'e flesh of hnmediately forn" f" whthl^h ^''"''^ ''",'■'•»• » ■"PWIv-eating ulcer ^eedily ensues. ""''" '" "" '""'""' •"■"<»<"». --d death It is a singular thing, and much to be denlo,-.^ if i. plant exists, that we «,n And no dcscriBtion f > ' . * ™''''°'""' works on botanv • ,„i,l „„f .,,'"'"'"'"'" «he most elaborate they have f qnentlTso^: it / . "' .'"'"'"■"''"^ ♦■•''™'^™ "-'«'•» maf conditio,? but onH' " , ""'^ "'"''^'^ " "hen in a nor- the destructto ; „ a native T" ""' °''"; ^'"'^''^ ""^ °"<=-' ""nessed has also been asser ed thaTin T J,'""''""""-^ ™"ght by one. It :«nd those convicted, f,,,aJ^^; "-f"" """""-^ •"^''■'"'- ""■""-'^ to this m»„..j;i.:„ . vP'^^fl'^'r-'^-heraft, are sometimes fed alive Oenht, not' that 'theris no f "\ "'"■'=''■ '"""e'er, I am inclined to el- sometimes mak aCt Ztt" .';^. -«■■ ^""™-t--trav- I 478 THE WORLD ASHORE. 479 GIANTS OF THE FORESTS. We have seen ho» curious are the l.abit, of some plants, of which however, I have only mentioned a few, while the who^ wor ,1 abounds wuh then, ; but the peculiarity of habit is no „ore curiousVban he .u,p n.es wh,ch are occasionally ,„et with in the extraordinary si.e „f vegetable growth not alone in trees, either, but in flowers as velT For example, we have i„ the ricloria Segina a water-plant whise leaves are sometnnes s.x feet in diameter, and capable of supporth ' a hdd, whde the flower of the Hajlesia of Java and Sumatra a colossus almos surpassing belief, being quite ten feet in circumfe,! ence and we.ghmg as much as fifteen pounds. lu appearance it re- sen,b es a puff-ball, while it exhales an extremely fJm odor, so that ,t w,ll hardly bec.me popular as a lapel ornament. Still, he . av aaese prostrates himself before this gigantic fiower, clothes it wkh supernatural power, and makes a divinity of it. 1.1 Afiicatheregrowsastillmoreextraordinaryflowerincnlant called the wonderful WelnUocMa, which, estonishhig to relatf,' 1 v y counterpart m shape of a Pol^^pu,, the most hideous creature in the eoeaii worfd. It has two leaves ten feet long, of a pale grecu color which spbt up, under the influence of heat, into ribbons luUie center a woody mass, having a cork-like surface rising a foot above ground and bearing round its edges, just within the insertion of the leaves an assemblage of small stems, about six inches long, dividing too smaller branches, each of which bears from three to five conef of I crnnson c„.,;r, with scalp, like those of a fir-cone. The leaves are so traight gi-amed that they can be torn from top to bottom witho t deviatuig a single hue from the straight course. Eain i-arely or never fuls where this plant exists. The plant sometimes attdns eve. g,eater size than mentioned above, some travelers asserting that they have seen the leaves eighteen feet in length, and the flower which tt Ze'etir ;" "'"' "■" "P'^-S % '- --nense clam-shells. some eighteen inches across. ^^ Giant trees are not confined to Cdifornia, though little is written abou g,ga„t,o growths in the forests of other countries, and a II- ]onty of persons are therefore in ignorance of many of the most wonderful uroducts of vegetable creation. rT'"^'j!^^ ■^''^'" naturalist and author, whom I have so froquentlv referred to on account of his being the most intelligent observer of bis tirse, sap there w,. in L^cia a stout thriving plane-tree, in the 480 SUA AND LAND. trunk of which was seen a vast grotto, eighty-one feet in circumfer. ence, the whole extent of which had been tapestried by nature with a GIGANTIC BAOBAB OF THE VIRGIN FORESTS OF AFRICA. green and velvety hanging moss. Mutianus, who was governor of tJj§ province, made « merr^ femt upon a special o^oition wittiD ^ THE WORLD ASHORE. trunk, to which eighteen o-,.«ofa .pent in boisterous „ I" ^u^ """ ,"""""'• ^'"' *'"' "'gl" ™» n,er,y-mako..s went to'be■• without uuy remon- HlSTORrOAL THEM OF THE WORLD is one hundred and fifty feeUn c^^,' V™"'"'"'' "'^ *""'>' <>' "hieh low is nearly thirty tJt iTaZZT "'^' """^ ""» "'-"•"• •""- J: h:rar;etr,sr ■•"^^ -"" -' -" '■^-^^. ^^»ee Ices. It is ca..ed the •■'c.;::, "^I^jZZI^^f ^I'"^-'"^ -- eriy named, too, because it contains «„ „ !•' ^ " ""■'' P™P- where, on certain days, mass Ts ITd 1 t""""^ '" "'^ ^i'S'-. bailding, chapel-likefu exterior wlh f """" *''' '"•'"'"y "-o^e 's L a pious anchorite, who thus I™! ' , • ,7 "" ^ ^'^opinj-room for of a sinful world The trnut of • T "'""'' "'» »"'*<) ««>e3 fere„ce, and is heid in l^^^'ttZ ''C^ t'h";? '?' '" "'""""- In the vicinity of Smyrna an^ ,l , P*"'''"' phorus.theroareWte'TsoanlTh t''.h " """"' "' ""« »- in antiquity. I„ size they are verZl. ^ "'"''" ""^ «<"<'>'™"^1 pierced with enormous caW^ ', b " .!l^'r • ', ',""■ '"'™ ""''' ''""'" resenting three converging ctm.f.c^ ^1 " "' ""' '"'^''' "<> ■^P" i"g.ki„d„faporch,ben!th„rrj''°' ""'■''''"<''' »'''«^f^ Of all trees however?the:reatr:A""'"r'^P"'^""''°'-"'-''. takes precedence o„ aLconnf :, if t^elid " '"''^ "' '^'' ''''"-• though it is not famed for gracefuneslrrh u"'^""' "' S'-"""-' and wide-spreading to be in 1,„1" •:,°' ° '"•'"'«hes are too thick fatitute ot leaves! bearlnl ttm Jr", ' •"' ''f'^'"- ^'■"-' "'"-s it» grayish, conical truTk hlrd v7 ^ f "T^ "'° ""'"■' '''"■">' ^<'««« '. one hundred feet in cLl mftnc"^ Thfs T l" ':'^'"' '^ """" """ necessary to sustain its incrrdlblv'l», ^ ' ""^ ''"''"*' ^W't i3 "bieh is sometimes so C thaf ^'V"'"" "' ''"'^' *''« '»'"' »' '""ta rather like a smaUfTrUrhL",'" " *"'""««.">« baobab «irty feet long. ' *'° '' '"'S'» '■•'^«. i** branches bein^ i-nth7ti irrJ::^ °""r ^"™ -"™-'' ^^^ '-- -rve, the purpose of miJ^.n^ !, th ""T "'"""""• """'^ »■"'"'" tt' people of 'a town i" Germany """■'°'' "' "" "'"' °™» ^^"^ 31§ ''^' of THE WORLD A8HOBE. lo>™,. ,lo,,o, „f ^t,,.,. a" "™et t^ ' "'°° "'™'' """^I'O- "» the Count Itoruh »,„„„ v^r, „,r .1 "'™.1""""="' »' 'l'i« tree, mado by e«ce of „,.„ uu.ajz ,s; :r "l;::' ^ "" "{ " "--"■'-- tho bodies of all groat troo, a l,l„: ! ?^ """S '«'"'»^. "x "le l.e.d and hi. flooklind .spL did ™ ^''''^t' 'h ""' "'""" " ^''«"- "M»i..» l.i. wood fro,,, its l„aacho7 a„d i.^fT""' " "'"""• """"O" '"> a., abundanoo of fruit. ' ""' •""""""■ '' "ffoi'ds him TI.O" Chestnut of a Hu„d,.od Ho.'scs " nw., •, tie vast oxtout of it, |,ra„ehes but ,1 . """'" "<" ""1^ *» the painter Houol to the effoc 'tba, """"' '»" ""■"'"•''tanoo told to ingfron, Spain to Naples^tol d t « T' ^'■"^""' "'""' *™«"- ""Mlityof Catania, p'aid'a W^ „' 1' , Xl'' "81°""""'^" "^"■'' bacic, as wero also her suite and a s,l,., ®''° ™'' "" l""'*'- underthis tree, the extonsi; foli:^'T;,r:'s!Z' f." """ ^"^"'^ luecnand her oavaliors from the r„;„ ™'"'"*'-'"' '" Pratect the travel with a bundled ho,-sos the <■!,•,! 1' . "•''"'"'" '* "^P'Med to We in the name of fho tree """""^'"""^ " thus made memora- would regard as ordinary trls^ I, 1^ ■»,."" «»»-«e with the titanic products of plbf *•>« "<"■'<), none will com- «< that State measured oZZa^^f ""T ^"' "' ""> §■■<"'» cedars ■ «'«i reared its hoary head to fb H? fT^^^' '" "i'-'-n-ference, ta- Unfortunately, this mlhtv,! "V?\'"""'-'' "-« ninety ™^t down by some unk Iw" tus nT't ° ''ir'"'^ *°^'^=' *- «»ns and transported to v^r ,!: '''"■■»■''' ^as been cut into WW of the trmfk was s" ZTtCT"' " ""™^"''=^- ^he W mauosuvre in it. Upon afj . company of foot soldiers "ted themselves in dslo"! le li ", '""'""' " P""^ "' *-^"ty UMcing, leaving plenty of room besides for a ..I MtBl-fai ill' 484 SEA Aim LAI7D. piuii'v <»'u\ t 0 i8lcian8. TJh* age of these Californiu mammoths, compuiw,^ by the u. ,uiil rings in u tnin^yorse section of the btunips, nl^ow them to be between thine thousand »i..) four thousand years old qr contfcinporaneous wilb biblical creation. OON TEMPORARIES )F THE DELUQE STILL LIVING. The grmf ry^e ui-f-oided the giant tie«'H <,f California suggests a very interesting bub)W!t, -somewhat elaborattu by Pouchet, to whom I am indebted for many of the facts here used. What are the oldest t liin/js on earth? Possibly the granitic hills, but even these do not sho\ve\i dences of greater antiquity than some trees, the souls of which many philosophers assert are sentient and immortal. The olive tree, so revered in ancient Greece, and which inspired such beautiful verses in the tragedy of "^dipus" by .Sophocles, ac- cording to a hoary n^yth, reached an immense age. Pliny declares that in his tinrie the celebrated olive which Minerva caused to spring from the ground, ul the epoch of the foundation of the city of Cecrops, was still to be seen in the citadel of Athens. The races of early history, struck with the noble and royal aspect if the oak, have in all ages invested it with curious legends, in nearly all of which the tree appears as a sentient thing. The ^rreat holm-oak, which in the days of Pliny ,st-.od near Rome, bore on its trunk an Etruscan inscription in letters of brass, stating that before the founding of the Eternal City it was already the object of popular veneration. The same Roman naturalist tells us that in the environs of Heraclea, in the kingdom of Pontus, there was a tradition that two oaks, which overshadowed the altar of Jupiter Stragius, Ijad been planted by Hercules. The imposing terror of the Hercynian forest has deeply impressed all those who have described Germany, and particularly Tacitus and Pliny. The aged oaks of its somber vales, where wander.,, tb oik and aurochs, especially aroused the admiration of historian;?, .n.' 'o which Tacitus refers as follows; *• The majestic grandeur of the oak in this forest surpasses all im- aginable belief ; this tree has never been touched with the axe; it is contempoiary ith the creation of the world, and appears to be the symbol of imrav. ^•'ii^^- '^ lf^A-;ORTALITY IN TREES. T..e idea of yrn"; - .aiity in ti-v /^ is often met with in the works of the ancients. Taua tjosephus, in Ms history of the Jewish Far, re- seen at and is ce Cortez b posed of small pie( botanists, yond our feet in ci growth is not less tl to the timi to be astoi beings, th amid the d vigor." neDra St (Mug ev Itnow that ' tants of T( mass was c( is the growl taken of its not percepti tie peak ol the ground, I THE WORLD A. -oRg. mSmn I»t«s that in his tim« ( ,„,„ „^^ . tree which m„ a, old „, ih. .lays „f Adam ^'"'"' " '""-Kentine- " It « now a hundred year. •' ,' 'v P , . iiiKeaious calculations, showed th., I, , ,' " ''"™ Adaneon, i,y ex.raordiu.ry. are yet facts „,,?„;, ™'' "f «-" "eas. though outuralist, by a l,„,,.,y chauee f """l'' lous exactitude. This Baoia,, i„ L of' life t ,0 V d "i ;" "" ■"""•'"■• "' "- '-'k of „ '«" """''d O" it by the Bullish u,o,"r I, m" '""'"''"""' "W-l" had oasly. Ptartu,. f ,v„n this ; i,,t „d !„t ^r"""' ^""^ I--- sloms ..f n, ,„y Of these,l,u^; t, "^ "'P"'"'^ "'» ''"""^■'«» of the prov,n„ th„( the most vi,rorous ofihl ■ """"^ «"ccec led in Atricn forests .night he"n least ^1° """",""' '"'"''''°'"' <" ">-> • A bare-headed cvores, , bousand years old. kinsdom.has possibly traveLdTs'; M "■"""■''"■^■'' "' ""> '"S^'-'-'o «„ at the present day on t ,e ,> ,d f ""^ v "'"""' »«-• " - ."d is celebrated for bavin! s elte ed ,1 7"'" ^"" '" «"!">■ Cortez beneath its .nighty's ade'm '""™ '"-"'^ "' l''"-"»"<'o posed of six hundred Spanish footso Idlrs 7'f ", '^'"'"^ "* ™'»- sarnll pieces of a.tillery). The birth nf ,1'- ? ^ horsemen, and nine lK>t.aists, seens to date from an eoocl, ' "•:<'• "^'-'ling to some yondour ken. As its t. JkX//s ''T;'' '^ '''"''"'''' '" 'eet in circumference, s„,.pas el hit of tl k"'!' "'"' '"'''"''- growth is slower than theirs, De G.,ln ''" ''""'""»'> ""^ "« Hs »ot less than six thousand « .rs o d hT"'"' ""'' *''='= ""'J' be lo the time anterior to the M^r "''';."''"='> ""■•'•ie^ back its origin to be astonished at seei"e bo , ^i ri' ,"''""'">''« "« -S"' ■>" Wngs, the life „f whicl is u,dt t d J' """" "'"'^ "» Romany «».i4e peak of Teneriffe, h,"l797r.'' "'"",""''"' "-hen he ascended *« ground. ...d found it UylTeeTrL" T """'"'» '"«'™ ny ave feet m circnmforence, or the same ^^■^\ THB OtrXTA-FERCHA TREE. 486 tHE WORLD ASttORfi. ^gy CHAPTER XXVII. CONFLICT BETWEEN MAN AND BRUTE. fATUEE i, ingenious, in all her works, but she is no les, eeo^n I no, vewod from the position which man occujes wZ l>oro ,s a „,arvclo„s adaptation invariabl/^U ,ayed Tere the least Ze^ir^^:,' '"'rz::^""'"'"^' '"'^^ ^''^'^ -- necessary to the develolent „! ""'"S"'™"' of "nimals a wise law, biyitisL.hutttt ■ ;;^:x^^^^^^ P«-i- i«stiee of that inexorable mnndatn wl ■ ^^ '^'^oni-g out the »l.»ilbeaprey for th tr^^:^"'" Tylll rt'" "f ''" """'"'^ the fittest finds ready olueidutfo, in th! '^ "' " '""■''™' »* transpire about us, b„r the f f ""="'' "'"'^'' constantly iustifieation as defined by the n!l T'^'f "' "'"' ""'' ""» ^^''^ "^ iionwill eat the I nb be' n ! 7 f '''? 1'' ''"'• """'"'""''■ "">» tare, therefore, just fies it 1^ ► '■"' ^'"' " '° "» ^"' "»" "»- at the cruel nature ofthov'nrr. '"r"' ^"' ™° "'»tinctively shudder illustration of I^il™ o Z'T^e'r 'oV ri ' V" f"" " ''"^'"^ we subsist largely on the flesh" f^ 1 ^ L ,1 'el"* ^ ^=""'' «se, and by patroniziug the butcl.er o iusH^ 1/ ^ *"'"'"' "'P"""' » hard heart that can l™,k „„„ i ' '^ """"'" ^et it is *er. The nmrdern ^^ ^'jn'rathy, at the killing of a victin, as it rXit " at : " S".-c-steeped knife, or the weUering "nplnnts within us the disposit"^™ 'ti llll „d Z T "''l^ ""'"" ■ conscience to r..|>i,t„ *!,„ . ! ' ' "' "'" *""« '"nc. the paradoxic! the act, thus rendering our lives twofold and It is hardly fair to argue that but for this dence the world must soon be wise provision overrun with redunda of Pi ovi- l)opuIjitions, 488 SEA AND LAND. for ,t were just as reasonable to maintain tliat plagues serve the same purpose, and ,0 attempt to arrest thorn is, aecordi^gly, the oontravea g of a just law of nature. Without charging nature with the cri„°e of n,c,t,„gto murder among all animal creation, let us accept the anomalous fact and feel within ourselves that the reason th«- fl, C."eafor ""'''""''"' '" "'' »«'«rtheless rests in the bosom of the HOW THE LfON WINS HIS BRIDE. Since we live in a world filled with struggles, where killino- is an jmplanted propensity in both man and beast, whether as pastime o the means of securing food, let us examine the habits of the more de 8truct,ve brutes that terrorize the forests, and the expedients adopted by man m contending with them. In pursuing this subject I shall first consider the Lion, that fierce Sultan of Atlas, who roams i African wilds a ventable^king, so powerful that man alone has cour- age to dispute his sway. Although m.de common by his exhibition m numerous menageries, and also by the stories which recite the perilous adventures encountered by bold spirits who hunt him i„ his native jungles, still, the lion is a creature whose habits few under' stand. To see him shorn of his freedom is to behold the lion under disadvantages which have robbed him of his royal mien and made a very cur out of the grandest beast nature ever desi-ned The l,o„ is peculiar to Africa, though it is also lound in Asia, hut not the ferocious beast that infests the dark continent. Formerlv they were numerous in Algeria, but the march of civilization has driven hem into the far interior, where they are now found in con- siderable numbers. Their habits are more like those of the cat than any others of the feline species, save in the particular of sexual asso- ciation In the February mating-time of birds, the lion seeks his consort, not by parading his beauty, but by exhibiting his prowess. It IS a singular fact that there are more male than female lions, when the opposite seems to apply to all other animals. This preponder- ance of males leads to the most terriffic combats that imagination can conceive, for, while polygamy is common to many animals, polyan- dry seems to be impossible with the lion. Since all cannot, therefore, be provided with a spouse, the right of choosing mu.t be determined by a resort to battle. Occasionally, at the mating season, a lioness will nave three or font' vnpni' o'if'^r" 4'-^" L-,- ^ - * = . , J "''"o ---"ii^ro roi liui iuvors, and these may strive to win her affection by good natured purring and courtly fawning, with- ?ues serre the same igly, the contraven- ture with the crime , let us accept the he reason therefor, the bosom of the vhere killing is an ther us pastime, or its of the more de- sxpedients adopted this subject I shall las, who roams in an alone has cour- by his exhibition which recite the lo hunt him in his labits few under- M the lion under mien and made a ned. ound in Asia, hut inent. Foimerly f civilization has [)w found in con- ic of the cat than ir of sexual asso- tie lion seeks his ting his prowess. imale lions, Avhen This pieponder- t imagination can animals, polyan- mnot, therefore, 3e determined by >n, a lioness will Bse may strive to V fawning, with- 480 THE INTERRUPTED FEAST. >' ' / ' -A*- 490 SfiA AlfD LAND. out fighting. In such cases, the coquette most generally leads her lovers distractedly about the forest, until they meet an old monarch, who chooses to wed the lioness himself. Hot-headed, as youths usually are, the pretendants will at once give battle to their new rival, pilintr on him in a concert of charges, reckless of consequences, until per- haps one has a jaw broken, another a leg crushed and the third an eye torn out, all happy at length for the good fortune which enabled them to escape without fatal injuries. The contest being concluded, the royal gladiator shakes the tangles from his bloody mane, and with a long, resonant, reverberating roar, he approaches the listless female and lays down at her feet, the very ixmpersonation of obsequi- ous devotion, which she probably notices by condescending to lick the blood from the wounds received as the price of her favors. A TERRIBLE BATTLE BETWEEN TWO LIONS. The incident of youths battling with an elder for the possession of a lioness is only occasional, but it is a common circumstance for two mighty monarchs to lay the wager of their hearts in terriffic combat for the espousal of a valor-loving dame. Such a fight is described by Gerard, the great lion-hunter, to whom the facts were related by a native, who, in company with his son, watched the battle from the branches of a tree. The account is as follows: "It was in the stag's rutting season, and Mohammed, a great hunter of every kind of wild animal, perched himself at sunset in the boughs of an oak tree, to watch for a doe that had been seen wandering in the vicinity, accompanied by several stags. The tree which he had climbed was situated in the middle of a large clearing, and near a path that led into the neighboring forest. Toward midnight he saw a lioness enter the clearing, followed by a red lion with a full-grown mane, bearing the carcass of an ox, and soon after followed by an- other lion, lioness and three cubs. The lioness strolled from the path and came and laid herself down at the foot of the oak, while the lion remained in the path, and seemed to be listening to some noise, as yet inaudible to the hunter. "Mohammed then heard a distant roaring in the forest, and im- mediately the lioness answered it. Then the lion commenced to roar with a voice so loud that the frightened hunter let fall his gun and held onto the branches with both hands, lest he might tumble from the tree. " As the voice of the animal just heard in the distance gradually ap- ■■%m.j *mm n CO gradually ap- THE WORLD ASHORE. ^g, preached, the lioness welcomed him wifh ,.«« ^ .hec,eari„g. Xhe Hone. ^i^ZT^t^^^tlTv''' divmed her intent, rushpfl hof«,.« u i ^ ' "^ *^6 "on wit"n a dozen paces of each othe, tLrrtarai^-ff. J^ THE BATTLE OF THE MONARCHS. ctS Zrt! '""" *'* ^"" """ S™'' "^--J «■-• They Th th „ ^t Zivl^rT'' P— ""O "-en bounded with a " Thf h?,fi ■ °" *''° i^'"""' ''"='^«<' 'n tk^ir last embrace midXht d»^ "tL b° "'/T*' *" *'"' -voluntary witness of 3 Towe fnl ,-» »^ . ?™' "^ "'" '"•' «°">batants cracked under their loud. tXlttrl?::!^"''^^' ■">" «""-»'. -w sharp and ----3 , "gr^ijj, hop t luff r'"^ °* *''° '"'"'°'' "'° "o"'™ "rouohed herself on i« belly. Wth her eye, fi»d npou the gladiators, and all the wbH" ii 492 SBA ANt> LAND* the battle raged manifested, by the slow, catlike motion of her tail, the pleasure she felt at the spectacle. When the scene closed, and all was silent and quiet in the moonlight glade, she cautiously approached the battle-ground, and, snuflSng the dead bodies of her two lovers, walked leisurely away, without deigning to answer the gross, but ap- propriate, epithet Mohammed hurled at her instead of a bullet, as she went off." COQUETRY OF THE LIONESS. This example of conjugal coquetry and infidelity of the lioness is applicable to all her species. What she desires is a lover full grown and brave, who will drive away the young lions, whose beardless chins and constant quarrels offend her delicacy and disturb her repose. Such a lover she is sure to find, although she may not keep him, for the moment that a braver lion appears she gives him always a ready welcome. The lion, however, does not appear fickle in his matrimo- nial adventures, for having once won a spouse he remains not only monogamic, but so true to her that he never forsakes her for another, and all the while bestows the most lavish affection upon her, unworthy as she is. When the royal couple leave their lair, both in going and coming, the lioness invariably leads the way, and when she pauses the lion stops until she is ready to proceed again. Upon arriving at a spot where they intend foraging for a meal, the lion now precedes his spouse, who lies down to await his adventure. He boldly dashes through the thicket or attacks the native kraal, and with deer or ox, or whatever his capture, he goes directly to the lioness and lays it down before her. Singularly enoiigh, instead of regaling himself at once upon his prey, he patiently waits beside his consort until she has completed her repast, apparently taking great pleasure in witnessing her gratification. The lioness usually becomes heavy with young in January, when she seeks a dense thicket and there prepares her lair in which to de- posit them. The number of young produced at a birth is from one to three, but most commonly two, a male and female; but if only one is born, it is almost certain to be a male; so, in a litter of three, two of them are equally sure to be males, so that the preponderance ,of one sex over the other is due to the inequality in reproduction, and not to disproportionate fatality among the young, as we sometimes find it in other animals. The period of teething is the crisis in the THE WOBLD iSHOBE. ,a« lives of young lions, when nearly one-half rfl^ h... sex than of the other The ofH li "".,'• ''°' »» """■« of one fcthe sustenance of the lelZhrr" "" "■«"'-'■>-«"■ though he sleep., in a senaJ !tir ''"'""]'*'■ ">"'*''"'l »"lchf„lness, his a:sistanco L/be ^ZT^ZZlT. "' '"™^'' "''""''" ""' ""' When the rounglhr^^Tbort T""" ""I '"'""'■ leaves the™ i se°a oh for food " j .' '""'"" "" "" '"""'«■• «™' the cubs are someti Jes "■ kfrt th, ''"^ ^er temporary absence to undertake the dZ ft e Llard IT; l'",''™ '"—'•'g'' then,. To accomplish this most Wdo^s ,te™ L" '"T "r"^ very great, as the' X"!! i:,2„T:i,: IZi"'''- '"» ^-"--"" ess'llr:etrto^:;it:''."''-''r''','' "^^^^ ^--red a .ion- taking then, whe'n theyl ful t Tn i"tth"""'':'l''; "■'" "^ and more than a mouth elapl the "h^ ea fed Th '"'^''•""'"^ boring sheik, and with sixty meLfrU he twoti Z ""' " '""«'- to surprise the youn^ lions in thT I . ' ""^ contrived bear then, a,vay This wondell '""'"T,.'" "'^ '"•'"'''■• »»d venturers and after »!•• '"'"''*' delighted the native ad- uiurers. and, after gaming a considerable distance from th« i • they retired carelessly within their rude tent, .hTl- .u ' nothing more to fear Th„ „i.- t thinking there was ' weapon he Zt^h'; ef tfrl f' ^h ." ^T Th^^ing aside his useless ory rom the Jdn of cl ? u '"t"" "' *''" *•""«• ^-^ "i'^out . J II tnepjin of crunching bones, he dronrki.n:.*-'-!"- M • i, "and and lodged tw^ h..iu* ~ i. . ' " ' p^^vui nuu the right the lioness Sed her WH '" 1 *"*"''• '^'"'"S'' b^dly wounded Mother natke butt ,h °" "■? . "^Ph""'* arm only to spring at * *"" ^ "'•« "-"^ '•'"biug towards him with wide dis- 494 SEA AND LAND. ri '■S-'. iij'-' tended jaws he fired a ball into her throat, which, however, did not stop her. He was seized by the shoulder and thrown down, his right hand ground to pieces, and he was sadly torn in other places, but his life was spared by reason of the lioness dying on his body. Though he was not killed he was rendered a sad cripple for life, while the nephew was so badly bitten that he died the following day." Young lions begin foraging for food when about eight weeks old, but it is not until they are two years of age that they can strano^le a horse, ox or camel, or leap hedges seven feet high. But havinc attained this period they become wantonly destructive, killing as much for the mere gratification of the deed as to procure food, and their ravages among cattle are sometimes terrible. They do not reach tiieir full growth until the eighth year and run their natural course of life in from thirty to forty years, this being the limit. The lion is essentially a nocturnal animal, procuring all his food during the night, and wliiling away in sleepy indulgence the day. A PECULIARLY 8HOOKINQ INCIDENT— EATEN BY A LION. I have frequently heard it said, and also seen it written, that the lion never attacks man except as a measure of defense or else when driven to it by excessive hunger. This impression obtains from the fact that, met with during the day, the lion is comparatively harmless, because he is drowsy and satiated, being indisposed at this time to even attack his favorite prey. But at night he is a terror to man, just as he is to cattle, for he would not hesitate to attack one as quickly as the other. This is proved by the large number of persons who are destroyed by lions ; the number is not so great now, on account of the scarcity of the animals, but forty years ago it is estimated that ten thousand persons were killed every year by this terrible brute. The figures are no doubt the merest guess-work, and proba- bly exaggerated, but the loss was certainly appalling enough. As an illustration of the ferocity and daring of the lion before men, I will quote the following particulars of a shocking tragedy which occurred in the southern part of Algiers some years ago, in- deed before the occupation of the country by French troops : Two brothers, notorious bandits, whose renown had spread through- out all Algiers, were taken by a party of soldiers and thrown into prison. The Bey at once resolved upon their death, and to render their escape less probable, for they possessed extraordinary address and hardihood, he ordered that they be bound together by means of an however, did not thrown down, his •n in other phices, ying on his body, jple for life, wliilo lowing day." t eight weeks old, ley can strangle a gh. But having k^e, killing as much e food, and their do not reach their iral course of life iring all his food ;ence the day. A LION. written, that the ense or else when obtains from the ratively harmless, 3d at this time to a terror to man, to attack one as umber of persons tnovv, on account 0 it is estimated ' by this teri-ible wrork, and proba- ; enough. ' the lion before shocking tragedy le years ago, iu- li troops : 1 spread through- and thrown into li, and to render ordinary address sr hy ujeaus of an m -fl. 496 SEA AND LAin). iron band welded around their legs, passing around the right ankle of one and the left of the other, the two bands being connected by a chain. This was accordingly done; nevertujloss, when on the nionow the executioner came to their cell to behead them, he was astounded to find them mis.sing, nor could anyone explain their extraordinary disappearance. The two brothers, as soon as they were free from tlio prison enclosure, made unavailing efforts to pry off their cumbersome shackles, but finding this impossible, fled across the country, uvoidiiifr as much as possible the frequented paths. When daylight came they hid themselves in the rocks, and only resumed their flight with the evening, being lighted on their way by the faint rays o'f a crescent moon and the bright hope of freedom. Thus they had traveled u lon^ distance when, in the middle of the second night, one of the brothers'^ who chanced to be awake, discovered an approaching lion. His only weapon of defense was a spear, which he had picked up upon coiiiin■-• ...d took himself off to the wood! "'■"""""""J »"» """"ded vietim. The trembling fugitive thua ,. li • i .. iU hiding-place" anisumeu hi. fli;;,^ T: T'^"' "■''"•'^'' "»' <" prehended by some horsemen se ,t 1« ' I 'l" "'" ""'" ""<"• "P" bn„ back to ConstantincrhUhe t; tlX"'" ^'- '""'' """^ The Bey, astounded at the tale his so ^r !. 1 ™ '"'° P"'™- dercdtheculprit to bebroughUnto his nl '""!,' """"^ '"*"'"'• •'^- himsclf of its truthfulness The „ ' "'"'' """ •"> "'■gh' ^'ti^fy after him the leg of his u f^^l^.T^t;:: TT""'' ^"" ""-"'"^ ulars of the tragedy in such a «t alhtw'd f,'"'''''''''' ""^ ^""^ ™ -- ^y «;^-o.. d ordere^Zt- l,t hTritr;: ^^ The Arabs of AttcrthZb "" "'"■""' '"' "»"• "-.a of the b,acke;t::ibtt : otrrr ;:r4' "" r « ^^'-^ the destruction of a lion save in snm. T • """^ ■•"••ely attempt •void all danger to themselvCTbe?*' "■""""■ ^-^ «'"<='■ '4 fore, is to dig a large. .iZj'bli", t- IT"" '"'"°"'' ">e.e- close, their village. The lio,rh„v^, f " '1'"'' hedge-row which en- «pon the flock, t"he Ara^s ^n^ZltuUT "^'^"' '^™-"- deer, the lion always jumps in tre »»!„ t^ P" ''"'^' "k» 'te that the animal canao dlcover the "rh" "^ ^'"' '"^'^S"- '^ ^^ "'ick nearby, he leaps i„ expec ation f a Ir ^° "'' ''^'"™g ""e cattle -If imprisoned, and a'howW lb ofT """J' """ '" "■"• '''"'- thirsting for his life. Unableforbfl ^f "'"' "''"''» "^'h^ad "e»» and stands defiant, recevin. Si. ^f ""' P"'"^'"'' h'' helpless- "i5!.«utagr„ananddy'inTnrf^ „ : tt*'" ''' ''^^ '"'" "^ The method which is next t^ ti.. -^ • 'He Ambs, is that of Z"Ztill Itf '" foP-'^^'y. ""d practiced by "P i» the trees. ^Z^Zll l^T/t'V'''"': '" '"' ^"""^^ » greuod they first diff a hole abi^,t //''"'« "■« ''""' '""■the »hich they cover wfth tht trunks :ft 1 ^T """' "' «""»' -J^P"- l»°Phole at each .„d ..„.,_"..? '""^ "'"1 ^'ones, leavimr onlv^ y thatcloses with a 'i;:^^""' T^:^ T' ^""- "'"^ " '''""- ' «i>Se that the ir„„ ...t„ ^'!" ''''"'' '« »nly constructed ••*. 32g takes «verynight,«ud in order to bring him 498 SEA AMD LAND. to the spot and arrest his attention so that deadly aim may bo taken a hog is killed and laid in the path, within convenient range of the men in the blind. Though several balls may be fired into a lion's body, approached in this way, it is not often that the animal is killed outright, but conies charging at his foes, directed only by the .sound of the guns, and unconscious of the fact that his enemies are benoath him. Stung with rage and pain he finally quits the 8i)ot and goes off into the woods either to die or recover from his wounds, for the Arabs are too regardful of their precious lives to follow him. LION HUNTINQ ON FOOT, FACE TO FACE. In Northwestern Nigrit, or what is now known as the Soudan, there is a mountain called Zerager, which is scantily wooded, but whose sides and peaks are covered with enormous rocks, piled up by 8ome mighty convulsion, so that crevices and caves abound — the very best shelter for lions, whiph in former years were quite numerous. At the foot of this mountain is a rich and extensive plain occupied by a race called the Cessi and their vast herds of cattle. On these flocks it was the custom of the mountain lions to lay nightly tribute, so that the poor people were in constant harassment from these bold depre- dators, though they hunted the despoilers with great bravery and pertinacity. When a lion first gave indication of his presence, either by a rob- bery of the cattle pens or by his deep roaring on the mountain at night, the news im.nediately spread from mouth to mouth, and prep- arations were made throughout the camp — for the Cessi lived in lai^e kraals-— to give the brute battle. The hunters congregated at an agreed spot, bringing with them such weapons as they could procure, but which were indifferent at best. ■ The moment of the arrival of the men, who have previously exam- ined the woods for signs, is one of breathless interest, for they are not conspiring to make war upon a harmless game in which mere sport is the incentive, but the brute whose life they seek has the strength of fifty men, and the grinding grip of whose powerful jaws some one of the hunters is almost certain to feel, and a dozen may pay the extreme penalty for confronting the most dangerous of all animals. The hunters, having arrived within gun-shot of the lion's lair, creep with ereat caution to a snot, whioh nvor-lrirttu ti^^ n«,rni..fiio utmost quiet must be observed, for the lion has a wonderfully quick ear, and the cracking of a twig or rolling of a stone 'm (Jei-taio to aim may be taken, Biiient range of the J fired into u lion's the animal i» killed only by the sound nomies are benoiith 10 8[)ot and goes off is wounds, for the ollow him. lOE. s the Soudan, there Yooded.but whoso , piled up by some jnd — the very best ite numerous. At )laln occupied by a . On these flocks itly tribute, so that these bold dcpre- »reat bravery and !, either by a rol)- 11 the mountain at mouth, and prep- IJessi lived in large !ongregated at an tiey could procure, e previously exam- rest, for they are 1 which mere sport las the strength of L'l jaws some one ►zen may pay the s of all animals. )f the lion's lair, rca 4'r\£i rifwran* ■ flio *»_' VJt.'",' \\^r\.-i J '-■•••' vonderfully quick tope U pei-taio tQ 500 SEA AND LAin>. arouse him, when, unlike most game, instead of taking alarm he boldly advances toward the place from whence the noise proceeded. By a well understood code of signals the advance, or skirmish hunt- ers, communicate to those in the rear by moving their burnous — & kind of cloak — indicating by the various motions, when they see the animal, which direction he is taking, or whether motionless; but when the brute conies toward them they cry out, in Arabic, ''Aou likoum'' (Look out)! At this signal the hunters form in line of battle, if possible before some large rocks, so as to avoid beiiif attacked from behind. Woe to the luckless wight who fails to hear the warning cry, and remains at a distance from his comrades. The moment the lion perceives him, whether he is fleeing or standing his ground boldly, the vicious brute charges with a bound, and, unless killed dead by a single shot, he is sure to tear the man as a cat does a bird. , DARING OF THE LION. When the hunters have had the opportunity to unite their forces, with their backs to a rock, the lion will march majestically l)efore them, with a menacing air, hoping by this means to throw their ranks into confusion, for he is a strategic warrior as well as brave. If he succeeds in thus inspiring the men with terror, so that they scatter in disorder like frightened sheep, as they sometimes do, he charo'es upon them right and left, and sometimes kills a dozen or more. But if the men are brave and remain steadfast in solid rank, the lion passes slowly and with a triumphant air directly before the leveled guns, uttering a low growl indicative of angry menace, and lashing his tail from side to side. This is the decisive moment ! The word of command is given, by a chosen officer, to fire. Each one dis- charges his gun with such aim as can be taken, and then, dropping the discharged weapon, immediately draws his pistol and yatagan- sword. It appears strange that thirty balls fired into the body of a lion at as many paces, do not instantly kill him, but it is a fact that this result does not occur more than twice out of five tim? s. The ani- mal is so tenacious of life, that he does not die at once under any number of balls, unless they should pierce his heart or brain. If, however, he falls under this leaden hail, the hunters spring upon him and a desperate fight ensueSj until the last spark of life is Hed from the royal beast. But the nearer the lion draws to death, the more TBE WOEtD ASHORE. jq, dangerous he becomes. If, during an action of thi, kind l.nt l„f lie IS wounded, he overlakfi^ ., m.,, i,„ , ^"" Knia, hut before obstacle in th; way 1 ,d divert! '. '"^^^^ overthrows him as an character; but if 2' ll™ 1, d be l^tT"" " ""''''''' "' "" '""""^ kill or tear to pieces wCintcve'.. ^ Tu" """' ^""'^' >>' ""' Ithe body in hi^ mo^th „ Uhe ov Ir Z^^:""'f""'l "'''^'"^ icatches and drops his first prey ' *'""" '"' ^ "■™ the u„fortunate.whi; hisbnrZ^ If '''"" T'"^ *'" ''''»'' »' -the fallen hunte,', who underT°; «'""' .''■™' "'•''' ««<> »" 'hose of ,uite unable to iltler il s . Ites ::'"''r "V"""'- -?-«-. is lick the face of the miser-.l I. m -m' , *'"'*' '" ^""^ ""^ ""' - then wrinkihf: ^:^"zn:X':£:vTt:::'^" occasionaiiy by the Ca"! .'r " " """""'"^ "^ "'^ "«-' ■""■ THE OOOLNE88 THAT ,8 REQUIRED TO KILL A LION Gerard devotes a chapter in his interesting work on iZ b„„,- . advising amateur hunters how to att.,nt .t.^;" "" I on-hunting to chances of success. Amonrcler thHninM *T ""J' "'" «™"'^' the following : ° thuUingly exciting admonitions are " When you hear the roarino's Cof th» lm„^ „„ raying his enormous head from sWe to sidi T^ , '«'""'"'■'>. J»u on his path he will not fa" to st™ If" !„ "• " '""""'°' will softly approach st„nnl„„ f T'^' ''" "■'"""" ^"='"«" the '«ly deaf, somJ ime! h? ;n.'!;r'';"r i'°"? """"S" '" "''^^^y- -ight of him for a moml 7'" ^'^^"''""^ '«''«■ »» "<>« 'o^e l.r„». .u. ., ' * """lent, and keep your eve fixed on h:. if i.„ ^'^^Z:TZ^'''Z claws- on a t,;e:-be r;L; will he fatal. HneervoTr'"'^^."'''''''' ''"'''■''''''-' haste ™*' y"" »'■■»'• «»d none of your movements i I: ■ ,4 iFl Riii I'^i 'isH l||a ! 1 m Ml 1 1 002 THE WORLD ASBOBE. 803 «oape h,m, thoogh he will not ultack ^ou u„lil tbo first sl,ot i» fi.ed When you a,n. he w,ll crouch lilce a cat. In this position he vili show nothing but the top of his head, and, on n,/wo,d. however near you may be, I would udvise you not to lire. With yo^r Z t^ your shoulder and your eyes on those of the lion's, walk a fcf "tens from the path either to the right or left. accordi,^g to the s de he ™on throws the best light over your enemy. If y,fn turn too nu h he w,ll hmk you are going to fire on his body, and will wheel Zd on h,s stomach, always keeping his face toward you. Take but two or three steps, and as soon as the side of his hMd seems to be oppo- site you, a,m well between the ear and eye and pull the trigger. Of two things ether one or the other happens ; either the lion is instantVy killed, or before be.ngablo to judge of the effect of your shot, you are stretched on your back under the wounded animal, whose heaS and fore-paws are on you, crushing you in the earth. But you Ire not dead for aJl that. ^ "If your ball has been well directed and not met .any obstacle to turn .t as,de you w.ll escape with a dozen or more scratches from his claws wh,ch you can cure, providing his teeth have not touched you or If h,s agon.es do not last longer than a few seconds, you may rtil get out of he scrape with your head on your shoulder In „„y d e member tha you have a dagger, and if you have not lost it^n th 1 str,ke qu-ckly firmly and in the right place. If the lion is killed on the spot, thank your God, and recommence the battle with the next one you meet. " One word of advice. Whenever you find yourself opposite a full- tTmncrb : ""' "' ""' '""^ "' ""'•'•^■■'S ™' y-- ---"vres. If 00 much haste may cost you your life, too great slowness in the attack njay be equally fatal. The lion, becoming impatient, has only to bound on you while you are aiming, and ;ou will bedis- armed and torn to pieces without having fir^d a single shot." A "-ION MESMERIZES A LOVER The Arabs veyily believe that the lion can mesmerize a man and in this condition compel him to follow it like a slave to its lair, and in- StaVflr ''"n"'"-^ ^''^ ^^^^""^^- 1^--- -told o^e of which 18 as follows : Once upon a time, as all good stories are pre- faced, a young man, of the Amemera tribe, loved most nassioZl v 17'- Tu^ ^""^ ""^"'^ ^*^^''^^"° ^^« ^^"^"3^ ardent, but who was restrained by a cruel father from wedding the amorous youthle! '4Sm:-(!*ms»* 504 SEA AND LAND. cause, alas, he was poor. Though her liberty was curtailed, she con- trived to communicate with her lover and to arrange a plan which re- quired only the assistance of the young man to make successful and effect her liberty. Ventursome and brave, the youth sought the goal of his betrothed and had the happiness of bearing her away; but as the twain fled over the hillq by night, and neared the friendly camp of his own peo- pie, they were suddenly confronted by a lion which rose up directly in their path and roared so fiercely that they were both beside tiiein selves with fear. The girl, however, shrieked so loud that the men in camp were aroused and rushed out to discover the cause. As they approached they were astounded by the sight which met their gaze. The burning youth was following the lion towards a dense growth despite the appeals and frantic efforts of the girl to draw him back. His reason apparently gone, he was saying to her: « Come, dearest, our seignor calls us,'^ and to the lion, "Don't listen to her, my seignor, she does not speak the truth ; I have no arms, and will follow you wherever you will." The ten men who had been attracted by the girl's screams attacked the lion with their guns, but a the first fire the animal, which was but slightly wounded, charged upon the mesmerized young man, and in a trice crushed his head between its powerful jaws ; having niur- dered the man, the furious beast caught the trembling girl and bore her off to the woods like a cat carries its kittens, where no trace of her vms afterward seen. A LION'S FEAST. It is a singular fact that when once a lion tastes human flesh he always thereafter i)refers it to any other food, and will take the most desperate chances to procure this favorite meat, in which respect the Hon resembles the tiger of India, as we shall hereafter see. A story is told by Madame Lakdar, which proves the propensity of the African lion as here charged. On the road from Constantine to Batua, in Algeria, there was in former days a large Mosque called Jema-el-Bechiva, the ruins of which now only remain. The priests of this holy place had procured a young lion, which they raised with great attenti >n, until its full growth was attained, little reckoning how it, would repay their kindness. One day the lion was missing, ^ — — .,,.., ,..j,v/ -rt.cr r.-,^-st^i\Avi.-a\j. rjuij tuo cAuiiatiwu VI. u iiuiui'u »v;;;v;u God has given to all wild beasts, so that no effort was made toward THE WORLD ASHORE. 505 if its recapture. Two days later, however o„„ „f .h • . ing, nor did he present himself a^Z on Z . ""7™';" ™' ■»!«'- other hand, instead of thrfirst !h . '"""'^'"S ^V : on the wa, found Absent This ^t 'ssi t" f ''""T""^' '""'"'«' P"est as the faet that each day for a pe i fd ofTr' ^"' ""' '" "''"'"'""i e|.Bech.vawas lost, and^o my,tXslv th ?^ tf.' ".P"''' °"™"- oause could be sur.iised. ThCc ^^,1 LT, ? '""' -'^ *" *''" these, fearful lest the devil hadfl.7 . r?'"'™'"'"'"?' """ hood, departed, not befuj v^^^ , twit t : .th'" T ""'t""'- de„,„n who had vanquishe'd so ma^y of the r bT^hers" str"*'"' became deserted. oiotners, so the mosque Finding that his daily allowance of a nvJ^of u ._ , n,ore succulent by reason of tl" go d wh stirh :,'• H .^ "" ""^ soned, had suddenly been discontinued,;^:: ft; t;ls7h?:"" voarer, began lo make his levies upon the l.itv IniT.l , "' into his capacious n.aw with a^to'Ih ,^ f^^^e, cy nt"7 !" 'f' ... .h,ch he had taken up his watches becan.e^; dcsertea AN EXCITING INCIDENT. oae:;ts':;rf:j;f7SnTan":afrt^^^ r^-'- ^"--"^ following words • » * ^i^^°«f "*« ^a^ almost sla.n by a lion, in the -™ac™ssthe;oad,asthought;:rr::^^^^^^^ at about thirty rmoca fvnm u;^ i . » • a lexi xtofetain ™.:tfrcitUtror:;Xh:rt sr r^-- ™"^^'''' me or not. vHether he should spring upon ^-^ZT^^^T:"'"' "1". <"'°S"- -tinuing these the wlile over Lrir.„i,/° T't "."''' "«'""■' "■» ■'"™''' «" shoulder. ZL'^l'jf. '!'"'■" ''\''"'' "■>"' '» *h«^l I fired at his •boulder presented h^ TJu'^^r '':•'''"'« *°''"''^- * '•■'''k™ t» regain L flet I X' ht tt^h: btt ' "^ "''' ''™«^"»« THE WORLD ASHORE. 507 '*Rostain,8eein£r theanimil hnri * n Iwa, standing. Ct at e ™:":l'rtLf;''''' '"'""■^r"- raised himself on his left fore l„„ , "■"' ""o """e "P. the lion its fierceness. Uy In, Ztfj:'' Tt" ' '^ '""* ^'"^'^'^ ■»» ^y Eostain-s hand, and ^Xilt f'T^fj ^t' 'm"' *'" """^ S"" f'"" hind the shoulder, hopingV^h t rh^ """T^'^'i^ '"fl/"'' i'^" fore, but was imn>ediately „„ his feet ao-dn ' w ' "' '"^ out any means of defensef save mv ponied [ f n' "'*''' ""^ "'"- an anijua, that had not been -illed'hrth^^'hllfr '^ "'"""" ''=°"™' ..ight/i i;oJd'a:otft r:::'U:r^':tt,!;::""r'' ■"^''""' jujuhe-tree. or thicket, growing a litt^rHi.? Tu- J '" " '"S^^ ».y comrade run, and wo we 0%^ „le enl"" f "''•'"' '" ' ''■"^<' tion. The iuiube in question tro^tZ^:'". '""" ''' <""""^- very close fiPt nnr^ tK-. K , '^""'^ ^^" reet 111 diameter, and didVot atlV 1„ f^roHtr" t""'-"' "■"> ">or.s that the' lion with following uVa"ouTt|lT7' u'',''""'^''' ^ut contented himself wounded an ll after 1 .k„;'' "''.''° '^^ ''""''^'' ^ "<= '»"• The like a drunken man laid hit^ Sf", """"'' '"'^^'"■'"S "" ">« -hile ..towards .3"r:;it,^rsuX"irer''=" "^ -"^ "'^ '-- at the same time charging the gun ofref ull thl't"';: "' ""'f''' ""^ dangerof a miss-fire f„ s°o des^e'tTrn :;;': Lt "w '" H '^ "° cap was placed on the cones T f.lf .. r '""f«l"'^- **hen the last We then moved back a Irt d s 0^™ t,,f ,• ''■'' rT"'"' '"'*'• surprise, and walked slowly towardsth; T u"^ !' '" "™'"^ ""? down, hut he had left 7 and I '^ '* "''*''*' ""^ "'"' """l '"i" Hadtheani^na, no lit '::;:;; ""'''"^ •" l" -»ofhim. i'pmdent not to wait 'o%esolveThr;u;fZ irheT^ and move out of sight in spite of our ^hree ball, ft „ . ?'' u"" mease we 8uddenlvo».,«„„ u . , ""^ """s, it was cortarn that pay dear for our f™, g! ""'"'. '",'" "" '^' "'''"""'y • ■- would make us a'terdawu ofTlIetllo ' .rmZt'X'luhr'" '"if """"'' """' .-I was renewed by th^ addiZr/oftraVZt IroXTrty"" «Okn by a lion. Presently the trail led into a thicket of wild olive trees, that ap- u,t.hle cover for him to have taken refuge in.and th^ peared :if-4 ■fit III 508 SEA AND LAND. Arabs stayed behind until I satisfied myself, by walking around the jungle, that the trail led no further, and that, dead or alive, the lion must be there. I then posted the Arabs in different groups around the thicket, and took ray position where I judged he would most likely come out, relying upon his habit of charging a single individual rather than a number together. At a given signal the Arabs gave a loud hurrah, and, waving their burnous (cloaks), threw stones into the thicket, and urged on their dogs, that immediately disappeared in the underbrush. •'In a moment after I saw the lion coming cautiously out of the thicket, and taking the very path where Rostain was posted. I called to him, but before I could make* him hear the animal was within ten steps of him, and losing his reason at the fierce bearing of his foe, he dropped hU gun and fled, only instead of running up the hill, as the Arabs had done, he conceived the fatal idea of turning down the declivity to hide in the scattered woods at its base. The moment the lion caught sight of the fugitive he gave chase, with his mane ruffled and his tail in the air, while with every jump he roared with the full blast of his lungs. At each leap he staggered, but regaining his feet in an instant, he pursued his course with frightful earnestness. *♦ At the first glance at this chase I knew that it was all over with Rostain, though I ran with all my speed to his aid. As the animal crossed an opening in the woods, at forty paces from me, I fired a shot that struck him in the side and brought him to a halt. Had Rostain availed himself of this pause he would have been saved, but he must needs stop to see the effect of my shot. Seeing the lion recover himself and charging anew, he again endeavored to flee. His foot caught a root and he fell ; before he could regain his feet the lion was upon him, and seizing him in its jaws the man and beast rolled down the hill together. In spite of the close woods that grew at the foot of the hill, I was at Rostain's side in a moment after he had been seized. He was lying motionless in a pool of blood, while the lion had disappeared, leaving him for dead. Nevertheless, he still breathed, and a hurried examination of the breast and shoulders showed that he was not hurt there. The four incisors of the angry lion bad pierced his thigh like so many bullets, and sixteen deep long clashes from the animal's claws furrowed hia back," Continuing the narrative at some length, which I will not quote, Gerard states that Rostain was sent back to camp on a litter while the THE WORLD iSBOBE. SOS pursuit was oonhnued. Soon after the li„„ was oeat up again by the Arabs ,nto wh..„ ,he animal fiercely charged and stretchedCo othl™ upon the grouuc: by strokes of hi, ciaws. so that three men were now despcate y hurt, while the lion got a.. - finally altogether To die3 h,s wounds without further molestation. Rostai recovered, but ™ly after a loss of one leg and eight months of suffering in a hospital he other wounded men also wore restored, but wor^ the mark oJ their frightful wounds throughout their lives. aoventuhe with a fieboe lioness. Gordon Cummmgs one of the most noted hunters that ever pene- tratcd the jungle, of Africa, met with a thrilling adventure .!otT„„ .ter_his« introduction to the dark continenrwrhrdl'S "Suddenly I observed a number of vultures seated on the plain about a quarter of a mile ahead of us, and close beside them lod ^ huge lioness, consuming a blesbok which she had killed ,21' «s,sted in her repast by a dozen jackals, which weio feas ingaC witnherin the most friendly and confidential manner. Direotta! my followers- a ention to the spot, I remarked, < I see the «Z' tS -vhich hey replied, .Whar? AVhar? Yah! Almagtigl datTshel" and instantly reining in their steeds and wheeling ab^ouf, they pressed eir heels to their horses' side,, and were preparing to tTke the'r flight. I asked them what they were eoiiiff to H„ i u-l !t answered, -We have not yet p Jed Z f: ^'ou'irHfiel^^-This wt^ ^«e, but while this short conversation was passingthe lioness observed u. _ Raising her full, round face, she overhauled ns for a few sec ends, and then set off at a smart canter towards a range of moulin; or, :;»,Ve: t "T'zt '• ''^ "■•'"•' '"-"p »* ^^^^^^ « "» ~ an Thlfi 1 "' *''™ ™«- "■•'^fore, no time to think of be lost C '"°™ ™' *" 'r^ *""■ '° '"'y- ""-^ "•" « ^^"-i ™» to be lost Spurring my good and lively steed, and shoutin.- to mv Le Th?" . "' ?* "^ '""^' ^ ^^'"'^ "P"" !'«'• at every Iti-therlr/murdir'"' """'"''' """ ' '""<'' •"> "^-""^ .iZb.:":r: !r^f ..l"/." •""'%^""' <" -■ « went over a con- .. .^, gi^uuu wufore 1 came up with her. She was « added to her imposing appearance. Finding that I gained on he" 510 SEA AND L4ND. she reduced her pace from a canter to a trot, carrying her tail ftuck out behind, and slewed a little to one side. I shouted loudly to her to halt, as I wished to speak with her, upon which she suddenly pulled up, and sat on her haunches, like a dog, with her back toward me, not even deigning to look around. She then appeared to say to her- self, ♦ Does this fellow know who he is after?' Having thus sat for half a minute, as if involved in thought, she sprang to her feet and, facing about, stood looking at me for a few seconds, moving her tail slowly from side to side, showing her teeth and growling fiercely. She next made a short run forward, making a loud, rumbling noise like thunder. This she did to intimidate me ; but finding that I did not flinch an inch nor seem to heed her hostile demonstrations, she quietly stretched out her massive arms, and lay down on the grass. My Hottentots now coming up, we all three dismounted and, drawing our rifles from the holsters, we looked to see if the powder was ia the nipples, and put bn our caps. While this was doing the lioness sat up, and showed evident symptoms of uneoainess. She looked first at us, and then behind her, as if to see if the coast was clear, after which she made a short run towards us, uttering her deep-drawu, murderous growls. *' Having secured the three horses by their reins, we led them on as if we intended to pass her, in the hope of obtaining a broad- side. But this she carefully avoided to expose, presenting only her full front. I had given Stofolus my Moore rifle, with orders to shoot her if she should spring upon me, but on no accou t to fire before me. Kleinboy was to stand ready to hand me my Purdy rifle in case the two-grooved Dixon should not prove sufficient. My men had as yet been steady, bat they were in a precious stew, their faces having as- sumed a ghastly paleness, and I had a painful feeling that I could place no reliance on them. *♦ Now, then, for it, neck or nothing 1 She is within sixty yards of us, and she keeps advancing. We turned the horses tails to her. I knelt on one side, and taking a steady aim at her breast, let fly. The ball cracked loudly on her tawny hide, and crippled her in the shoulder, upon which she charged with an appalling roar, and in the twinkling of an eye she was in the midst of us. At this moment Stofulus's rifle exploded in his hand, and Kleinboy, whom I had or- dered to stand ready by me, danced about like a duck in a gale of win^T The lioness sprang upon Colesburg and fearfullj^ lacerated hjs THB WOBLD ASUOKJi. 011 .„„ twelve i„„J.e ■ ,..,. aflX;: ^^Zir Vr vcy cool and «tc„Jy, .„J did not fed in ti.e le„»t di,ee nervous havmg, fortunately, groat conlidenoo in n.y xhootin,. hi I .' confess, when the whole affair was over I felt "f,^ " .wfal situation, and attended with extren e ,,e' as I hadTo f ""'J irith uie on whom 1 could rely. '"*'"' " When the lioness sprang on Colesburg, I stood out from th. horses, ready with ,„y second barrel for thf first chle heX"W give me for a clear shot. This she did uuieklv fn,. . f i.»ed with the revenge she had now'ta^: 'ii; : [.^''-^fC;'- a„dslewn,g her tad to one side, trotted sulkily pu.t within a few ,«>ces of n,e ak,ng one step to the left. I pifohed my rifle to Z shoulder, and in another second the lioness was stretched on tlplZ a lifeless corpse. piam "Having skinned the lioness and cut off her head, we placed her troph,es on Beauty -a horse -and held for ca„,p. ieftjewe h.d proceeded a hundred yards from the carcass, upward of slxlv vul ea,efully s^tehed them toge:^ r:;reX:rwtr™r Lt :ver:i-iyrr:r::'"""^'"^""''' -----'"^ ^-^ ^d h\^ A 8HOOKINQ INCIDENT The same distinguished sportsman and traveler tells tho nnvf.Vnl of a g ustl, tragedy which befell one of his most tr t d s^ ^ i-lie following language: ^« o«ivani8, in "The Hottentots, without any reason, made their fire about fiftv n; f'"": "'- 'r -'-^ - ■■■-Xz.?h:ri: nTilz « the forest across the river, and once or twice I strode fway i, .to ™ rmtirr th:r"''"T '■>»«-""«-"' standa:dZ,: „" aera. 1 little, at that moment, dreamed of tho imminent naril t„ :t:?,i"!.^™p''^'",«. '"y "f'. "or thought that a uoZZLri^. iZ:Zir^C°ZT T' ""^ ""'^ "»"''''"« l"" oPPortu'nityto 'i' 512 SEA AND LAND. few we was one come and take their coffee and supper, which was ready for them at my fire ; and after supper thioo of them returned before their com. rades to their own firesides and liiy down; these were John Stofoliis, Hendric and Ruytcr. In a few minutes an ox came out by the gjue of the kraal and walked round the back of it. Hendric and Ruytcr lay on one side of the fire under one blanket, and Stofolus lay on the other. At this moment I waa sitting taking some barley broth ; our fire was very small, and the night was pitch dark and windy. ** Suddenly the appalling and murderous voice of an angry, blood- thirsty lion burst on my ear within a few yards of us, followed by tiie shrieking of the Hottentots. Again and again the murderous roar of attack was ropoatcd. We heard John and Ruytcr shriek, 'The lion I the lion!' ; Still, for a moments, j thought he 'but chasing i of the dogs around I the kraal; but the jnext instant I Stofolus rushed jinto the midst of |us,almostspeech- (less with fear and terror, his eyes bursting from the sockets, and shrieked out: ' The lion 1 the lion I He has got Hendric; he dragged him away from the fire beside me. I st' uck him with th burning brands upon the head, but he would no: let go his hohl Hendric is dead I Oh, God ! Hendric is dead! Let us take fire and seek him.' The rest of my people rushed about, yelling as if they were mad. 1 was at once angry with them for their folly, and told them that if they did not stand still and be quiet the lion would have another of us, and that very likely there was a troop of them. I ordered the dogs, which were nearly all fast, to be made loose, and the fire to be increased as far as could be. I then shouted Hendric's name, but all was still. I told my men that Hendric was dead, and THE LION CARRYING OFF POOR HENDRIC. TflE WORLD ASirORR. 513 of iroinjr ttt tho lion rusL.l « ','''*' '''"^" '"ost required, instead at l,i,n, di«.|„s,,,d t„ u, W, n,,,U , , ,lv 7 f "'"J-"."'!. R"ing un.il .In, d.„.„..„, th. ,io„ r:: ' :, 'Tp i:!:^:^,;; ?,"" , ".'".".'"^ ll.cm in upon ll,„ k™,;. TIr. l,„nil K. ? " " '"' "'"' '•''""« fortv j.,rd of us, eon, ,„i,,r,l " , """"'^ '"^ "" "''-''>' "i'^" n,ai,,cdtilHl,„d,,vd..,w„.,d,o,u,,|e,s„, on, ^o'i'.'i :" """ ''"" ■■"- ».'ho lay, grapple, hi, Mh i.^'n i:,?''"'" T'T' ""''• ™"--? h«i„. got hold of wi,,;,;" i":- : e '■;:':: tii:"" '"■• '■'v'-''- ro.,nd , he bush into tho dense »hado ^° "" """^ ''"<''''""■'' moM,:,'':: 'i"" 'oh'Sf " ""■';","'""^' ■"»° "' '"'""-^ "-'J. 'Help '7 ..1 :m onlti', ::;:,";,;:„":;:,•;: .^i?:L:;,tr Td"'"-' »d.hoa.,.ho bone. Of h,» ..oek e,,. eking be,;::!',::-';:! ^trj n . , ; '-''- '"'■"♦ "'"'C" ^vus soon brouofht to bay bv fliP rlnt^a s 33 1 lashin": tail. as 1 f defying 514 SEA AND LAND. the whole world ; he thus presented an excellent target to Cummings, who, with two well-directed balls, brought him to the earth a fallen gladiator. Cutting off the lion's head, Cummings returned with it to the krual, having been absent scarcely more than fifteen minutes. A SOLDIER CARRIED OFF BY A LION. Schweinfurth, in his work entitled " The Heart o^ Africa," men- lions a sad accident which occurred in the immediate vicinity of his camp, on the river Tudyee. He says: "As we were prepariiig to continue our march, some people came to meer. us with dismal intolli- gence from the neighboring village of Geegyee. They said that on the previous night a Nubian soldier, who had lain himself down at the door of his hut, about five paces from a thorn hedge, had been seized by a lion and, before he could raise an alarm, had been di'agged off, no one knew whither." This incident is given by Schweinfurth merely as he would report an every-day occurrence in a diary, not deeming it sufficiently interesting to merit a circumstantial account, But further on he says: " I learned that this district had for some years bee:i infested with lions, and that lately the casualties had been so frequent that tlie greater part of the inhabitants of Geegyee had migrated in conse- quence. The entire village would have been transplanted long ago, hut the lions had been always found to follow any change of position." A MIRAOULOU8 ESCAPE FROM A LION. Among the many daring lion-hunters of South Africa C. J. An- dersson is prominent ; a man who to reckless bravery combined the quality of a keen sportsman, besides being a graceful writer, who has left behind him the most interesting descriptions of his thrilling ex- periences and adventures among wild tribes and fierce aniinals. Among the many stirring incidents of his eventful life Mr. Aiulerssoii records the following, which he considers the narrowest escape from death that ever befell him : While encamped at the forks of two small streams, some natives capie to him and begged that his services be given them in destroying a large lion that was terrorizing the country and destroying great numbers of goats and oxen. Having already had some experience in lion-hunting, Andersson was glad of the opportunity thus offered to measure arms with the king of beasts, and he therefore lost no time in beginning the pursuit. The natives, armed with spears and jissegais, and a few guns, gwi^ed him to a thick brake^ wheve fresh THE WORLD ASHOBB. .«t up the ga^e, s„ that Ande..s:::raa eAl''^,': ^'^^ """ where any moment he miaht be D„„„e„i '™''=" *"«»""»« g>o«tl,, he hud proceeded aome dhtance wi2 Heeil li^ " "'"'""' ''«'"'• denly, a shout sent up on the or^. T,Ti "^"""'^ "'""• »"''- shown himself to the native a w d I'l ^"" """ "'" "°» ''"^ did no further damage than To .^il' 1 7 f''^ ""> ''™"'. but Thi,perfor„,anee was twice rlttJd ,"u ."' "^'"'' '" '"^ ■■'^"•«"- .m, came out of the b, L aXl! d T u '■''""^' ^° """ Anders- take his place as he,t .n 1, ^fm" h""" °' "'" """^^ '" wlion it should again show it,el7 !„ '""" '" ^'«"" "■« "«" I will give the ooncludtJr t:^; '•' """rr '5" '""' '"» """'- "As the day, howeve, IZuZfl T"^ '" '''^ """ '""g-^go: ™i„ed to make one othe 'effortrd f ";""' '" " *""'"• ' <>«"«■- I- unsuceessfni. to give^rc ^i I i-^ ^'■"""' "- l-y only a single native, I a^ain entered h„ h."t ° ^' "'"'""•J'"-''''! I exa,ni„ed for some time ^itho.:' ^eing "a^t,," Zt"' ""•'"" at that part of the cover we had fi,.«f » '/^^»"g , but on arriving comparatively free from bles u^s dd!;.?'"'' "^' "''^" '" « ^P^^ a few pace, of „,e It was .. f I ? ^ '^''""^ *^^ ^«"«t within .tIeterrememb:Vt"Ze^rrri:^^^^^^^^^^^ ::i;:r dT ;:v'r .""L^r ?i r ^~ -- • '"•II he wheeled short abou , l.d "^i f r'l'J':; «" --"''" "■■> »«idme. When within uf..w„. J u ''^'"®<' "»'• bounded to- i.. - Wad ^'^:^: »obn,ef„r„m,m,e d^ed ;Zrr"r- "V"'"" "«'" "- fet coolness and absnl ,t. t.f , ' . " "* ''"' ""^ """^' P""- 'Pii!i < a Q CO means of escape ; but even with these excellent aids the danger Is not entirely avoided, as the following incident will show: the danger is not THE WORLD ASHORE. ggl In the month of September, about the year 1862 though fh« h . .8 not given in his account of the adventm-e MrB-.M--^^^ ^^^^^ ing in the Buchuana country whioh nH f /• * '" '''''^ *'""^- •lu 1 «"-"uniiy wnicn, at that tmie, was fairlv inf«c««^ with lavge game, suoh «« !;««» i u . , Jairiy mtested were brought witli him from En«"<»' 'ij u, n.)aj snot,*that in no wise d sabled him tk„ i- qu.ckly perceived from whence came this new attack -d h J-"" tlirouij- 1 tiie doers whir-h ,^«,.^ ^ i attack, and breakmg B win ran fo his ht ; fa.r «,-""'"f"'" " ""^''"""^ ^»°g»'"'««- fin»llv, he n,ined the Ldl .h . '"""''"'^ Counting. When, .1-l.ed off, 1 e entrd h, ; '""' ""^ ^^ '"'»■■ "■"*• »« «■» horse -king on; of ts" :i '„ 'L^TI, 'h^^'t """" '"' "™P' tearin.' Baldwin's bttckwi.. J , i , ^' ''°'' "' *■"> ™""« «">« to »e t. F, ^atetf th .t, Jl'.""''"'"''"''^' pMl.g U,n from „,.h, i, ,, " ' ''°''' ''™'"'' 'hough not without cutting dr»,...f„l -«. .0 the vinage^Lrr:::!';::! r „:•:": r mS^t " ■" ?■{ '■i~t\ I' h 622 THE WORLD ASHORE. iff 023 .be dog, H,..,u,,,t HI,,, to ,„„ ,„. theiru'to " .ptZL t: wh,ch wa, a ledge „f ,,,ek,, I,,.ai„d „,» ,.„eky covcMt B'aldw", 1 .favorable po. ,o„, fro,,, whence he ,uoe„eded in kiUi,"" tlTe ion at the uext fire, patt,„g a bullet squarely th,ough hi, heart The thr ll,„g experience which Baldwin met with i„ hi, attack upon he flerce brute that had so nearly brought hi, sport to a tragic ebi taught h,m u very useful lesson, to wit: the hunting of 1 oS by 4 ' a,dof ahor,e totally untrained to the purpose, is s^at-cely "ess dan gerous than the pu.suit on foot. He aocordinolv r. „,„ if the eventful sport un,nounted until s,,:: ti'-'Ife'lsTe" ^-^d';:: ,r: Englishman, „a„,ed Mur,.ay, can.e ^Z:.^:^:::^;^^^ .0. the back „f .leh hfhuLr::; ^r™^ ^a^ft^d :;z'; ,.u„^pass,ng .h,.o„gh so critical a„ experience as befell hl^^M: For ,,ea,ly two weeks Baldwin, Oswall and Munay hunted together • „d,nctw,h great success, killing „„ ,ess than te"^, lio, „n^th ee tea a tenacity of life positively wondeiful. "Mr. Baldwin relates hat wlnle he was failing the fresh spoor of two or three it, • laige l,o„ess was jumped which made through the .rasa oVbl ;..e their^aim ^:-J:^::::r^aX,'z::t^'j: OiThe tr'^' T^ !' ""' '""' """''"^ ^'"> '>'=™ t-adly wounded 0 ol t !^ r'T^ d^jy Baldwin took two native gun-bearers and started ininoceros that they were very eager to b.ing down. lie TK,.''r.7r ..?!"' '>?.«'"<'-" in '^ -e>e- search for the the T'owir;! r r °' '"•' »"«'■"<"'« ^^e wa, discovered by fcg,owU that she emitted as she lay well concealed in some high c«. The gun-bearers gathered several stones which they flun. It 624 THE WORLD ASHORE. 525 her until she issued f so rapidly that the sheik saw one or more (,f his party must fall v-.tims i > the marauder, ho bravely he determined to meet the lion's at a. k, tru. - ii.g that by thus acting he could make escape for his folh.vvn.s p(v sjblo. On rushed the growling brute, and heroically stood t, theik until he had hurled his weapon deeply into the lion, though the hurt it gave the creaturfe did not even for a moment stay its attack. The lion leaj.ed upon the poor fellow, and, bearing him swiftly to the earth, in a trice tore him limb from limb. The three companions succeeded in gaining the hi^h branches of a tree, from which they were co.npelled to witness the horrible feast that followed. The lion dragged his victim a few feet away from where the attack was made, and then lay down beside the body and leisurely made his meal. The lioness, less bold than her consort, d.d not approach nearer, no doubt being afraid to participate m the feast on account of the men in the tree, but she patiently waied for her lord until he had finished his repast, when they both "''^!|?- V"^ *^'"« "^^» ^^h« ^'''^ «ff<^^«ted their escape through the sacrnraiof their brave sheik, quitted their perch when the li.ns dis- appeared, and running to the village gave the alarm. A big huntin.r party was quickly made up and went in search of the lions, but the game was not found. FACTS AND ARAB SUPERSTmONS CONCERNING THE LION The lion, as previously remarked, is chieflv confii^ed to Af--- *he tiger exclusively to India. Why this is so.'no work on naturarhis- tory, so far as my reading extends, undertakes to explain, and the n 1^' m ' 'J . I, V P'i'iiJI 528 IW' SEA AND LAND. fact is rendered more si„gul»r when wo consider timt the lion or (wer finds n«ti..ng ,„ „li„,ate, p,-ovided it be torrid, injurious to its feahh rMt"!^;l"!'r.;"''' "■»'■• -P'-oOuotion. In captivity thcv will THE WORLD A8H0RB. .^^g but during periods of hun'o^L k T^ ''" '" '""'^ '«»"'>1«. beasts J not only „m he Xkn 7'' «'"«' ""d d«..gerou8 o^ short of devouring even b'Lk^r'' ''"' '"' ^oes rot stop .ports the fouo„i!;g i:,;';:;:' rt;.n„i". '"-" -' ''- ^""-'V"" Wo thought, at first, that the „, 1„ ' " L .7""'"'-' " ''™»- ' was perfectly t.ue, and only he. kuTthoT",^"" '"" '"^ '""7 «,e left. 0„ examinin.. Ih.Z^tnl'l F', '"""-"* ""'' "" «''!'' of a young springbok wel- alt "II" '""'"t^' '^^ fosh re„,ah,s lured that the lion „„d li„„e,. ' rJI. " u ' " "'"'■'■''"™ '^""i'"'- ""' P'--ingaau-' after killing his wife, had eaten Lr" '' '"'"""'"' = ""^ '"- ™u:°oiii„t::kt/;:rrt''"7''"'-''''""''''-«-''''-»sthenons, Abd-el-Merr, a,; as ft^llo,"". P^P"'"'' ""*« "' '- great writer, othlr":;:!:, ;:te t'dt;"'" '"^ '"'■°''^"' -' " "™ -»■ -- every " To cure a person of ,° r ! l! T 7 °' *"""■' '" "'" ""''■ , "A piece „f',i„„.: ski ;:t;"„i r:;r.i ''™'^ "'"■• from vermin. f ' m a che.t ot clothnig will preserve it *' Rubbinof the fppf vwifK i: > "Lie cure fo° chliwlr. *'™"°" ™«»"'"ended as an infal- " He who carries about him the t,.!i t ,• . wiles and deceits of the world wM ! . " " " P'""' "?""'»* *!>« those ,nade fro™ the hair Jlu/ii: llf V.t."""^' "'"'""" """'^'^ »™ "-'rirrirsiLr,^^^^^^ --^ -" "'-■™- i^^u.. " Though the lion is bravest „f^„,T * ''f '""'"^ '" '«' "'"""■"d- 'rowing of a eock or the nCin ! „J "T, ' ^°' '"' "'" «™ "' *!>« »°t even tcn.pt hin> t dr k"?™:' "^ " ' !""' ""-ving thirst will l»pped." ""^ """^ » poo' in which a dog has first '■^^■^^^Z:^:^: "''"-\''- "■»'""- ^-0 loaves ■» »te goes, that „„ one c ufind hlr v""' 'Jr^' "'" ''"' '""■<<^ ^^ e oou ind her young. When the old lion takes 530 8EA AND LAND. his offspring out to hunt, if he notices that one of them trembles at the sound of any voice or cry, he puts his mouth to its ear and gives a roar that renders the cub thereafter insensible to lesser sounds. The Arabs believe that when Noah was taking two of every kind of animal into his ark, some objection was made to receiving the lion on account of its vengeful disposition, whereupon God afflicted the leonine pair with a fever, which rendered them powerless; from this fever they never fully recovered, for the lion's body is yet very hot while his breath is foetid as if his blood were still ill-conditioned. For every dream in which a lion figuies the Arabs have an augury, and even the most intelligent classes impose great confidence in the predictions thus indicated. Thus is the king of beasts hedged about with the marvelous ro- mances which ever cling to royalty and the mighty. The lion of Asia, though fierce as his congener of Africa, is still a poor beast by comparison, being almost destitute of mane, that seal of supreme sovereignty, and much smaller than the African species, which he but indifferently imitates. It is a singular fact that thougii the lion is supposed to be a strictly carnivorous beast, he is nevertheless both insectivorous and frucrjvor- ous at times. In periods of scarcity, or when old age prevents it from capturing larger game, the lion will subsist on locusts and small lizards, nor does it even disdain to satisfy its hunger on beetles and a variety of other bugs. The water-melon of South Africa, which grows like a tuber, some feet under ground, is a favorite dish with the lion, especially during droughts, when he finds water difficult to obtain. These melons he finds by tracing the creeping vi|ies and scratching them up like a dog. Ill CHAPTER XXVIII. THE ROYAL TIGER. ^N Africa there is no animal that disputes the lion's sovereignty; he is there king, not by courtesy, but by might, and the strik- ing dignity of his wonderful frame and ways. In Asia, how. T ever, there is one, if not a greater, still a peer, for in the Tiger we find all the attributes of a beastly monarch, with the natural THE WORLD ASHORE. 531 5:^ =}.r-rr.i-— -tr "• — ^; rxi— IS ,!£;--:■. ;: is - .piouoas, and thus operate to it» d«advanto..e J, h,,. . l ° """" J»d .-enderi.. it „„,. like.y „, dote^X' ' '^^tf '^^f ''^ Wood declares, «* the vertical stiino-.* *i u 1 , """^ers, but, as with the dry, dusky jungle 'as« ^ I' u"^^ ^"rmonize so well dwell, that ^Lgra^s'anf^^^^^^^ 'b. creature loves to other except byr;\::'lfe^:ri ^^^^^^^^^^ '^ '''' coucealed so closely that even JZlT 1^ ^^' '""^ *'^"^' "« ve^.a«. it ™a, au: reUdt r ::?ss :::;^^^^ Bides the severity which lieV n « ,t„ l ■ ^"^ ''"^'"•'- B^" ne™„, effect pfodu td tl t exc ed •" t' •" "'j'""''' ""'" '^ * bla.or.ace,atiLge„eltl:rsrn3 C.,'," """^ ', " '"^'"'•^ "'»' " ce,. of twenty yeafs' expefieZ rB;nt :ir;hrT'.r " "''■ number of persons he has known to br f nited l!v , * «''""' them died from wounds iiifli^J . f ^ "'"■'• ""' """ of fro- ,„ok,aw p^virti'dtr/is r dsTtThir ^"''T-f appe...d the least alarn.in, were the .nosttide.d'y crHeToT "' ^ VORAOIOU8 MAN-EATESV8 .o°l/h;rtr:sntoft:.rHr;r^'"•'-"''»"»'"•" -buffalo, ox or deer but wl.Zn ,«« d^'-gl'ts n, striking down leaves th^ wild haul' of abni' '""""•''' ■■""""• «"=»'> '"« »te.l man, womaHr I Id „r t'""' *'"""' "'"^ '"'•''' ■""'"' ^"'"S^^ «» u^aii, woman 01 child, as chance mav offer Whv, «««k • ^- h. becomes bolder, until at last the ti..er win eveu nT.k, T !" .« daytime, and take his human preylrom the vtv t ." *""*""' o«s. Usually, however, he wSes Z r^ dX I,! ^Xrh™ discovers a person unattended, he stalks his vtt'm i^. uch » m^ner, creeping swiftly but softly, from buirt, bush th.t l'^ not seen or suspected, until his fatafprin. is nade Th!; h v u " known to lean nnf/i o K 4. . " niaue. ihey have been .ubep„„;r:2:,ttir::ersur:d:^:;:r^ '™:ro:rdTirr''™''r;,"^ 532 SEA AND LAND. Pi m The measures adopted by the Ind»a Government, by which considera- ble rewards are paid for tiger scalps, has been of comparatively little benefit, as the scarcity of fire arms among the natives has prevenfed them from systematically hunting the dangerous beasts. In later years, however, English sportsmen have directed their attention to the tiger, particularly since the Prince of Wales made his famous A STALKING TIGER KILLED BY A TOURIST. hunt in India, and hundreds of these ferocious pests now fall every year before improved repeating l-ifles in the hands of thes" f( 'gu hunters. In traveling the highways of that country, hou .,it is --mi ixixpi/iiauL It; uc rrcu ctimt;u, iui" iigui's uiu yui quite t'\nilltf' Hu their ravages very great. A story comes to us of a tou.i witli bie wife, in 1886, having |jee^ stalfe?d by a tiger on oue of the lich considera- iratively little has prevented sts. In later I* attention to le his famous &w^" kIht*? ai, ovv fall every ■ thes" fc 'iga ■ lou > -.,it is ^p tnvmntf- nd E li-i ■ with hie H of tixe most 1 THE WORLD ASHORE. 533 beroafte,- be Ue.onbed wmrve ti:.:r '"""""' '''"■'='' "'" When about to bnZZvtrC " "'J'""' jangle, taking ape™ 1 it ^ t! n T"' ?" *'^""^' ••^'""^ '" " <'™^e who. .should L k,d tj vMp, Ti r'' ;:'■"" '""' '"'» "•« """'. he exhibits over the :.!« 'f I' ,^, ''"tI'"' "■-"-iousne. tiger to destroy his owu progeny h„T tl e J '"7™«'^ "f the population of these tie,™ „? "^^ '" '''''P <'»™ the estimated that f „y t h. ""f tT "7 "T'""'- '"- " « glattouous oannibaiifn, onh^'lje ;,':: ■""•" ^"" ""«- '» »"« ~!!h :: bu;^:";';:!:!'/:!''' frf '"^^ --->■« -thing «, the fi^t two wee\ o7 ir fverbu?at'; '" '1 '7"' "'"«"« "''"S ferocious instincts ar. sow , d ;elld n' f'f "' '"" "■■"""'' '""^ f'.ra man to atte„,pt to Z1^7oTd^ ,?"" '^ "="■="•>"» hood they arevery sportive „i!h,r' n " "■" P"""'' "' "help- away th/ entire da?!:";^^ !?„: ^d' r,?",""" •'"'°"''^' ""■"-« soimals of the feline snects Ti.' ,u "'"''P'"?. »» do most e-. P.oviding for «"rer.ar„:ir r: /ratou'Th """ ^r ".e tigress fo»pels her yor^ , Xt be",' ""'™.? k' ""'"^ " ■>«-■"'' Wag apparently more .Ca df ? f " '"'■ "'« «'«t attack, o«h Which sheL. s^elrr ttreZ^t^ "■^" '^^' "' "" t^e!:f etrw.^rt::dr^:t";:r''- ™-^ -^^-^ ">ark™en:b„twoebenLaI;, i * "" '""""""^ ""^^t for i» the belief that it is n^erles^ t 7 .° "™''' "P"''"''"' '' '» « •'"at c«n8,r;t„„„._,M .'P""'!"'*'^ *» "J" harm while swimmin.. f„, :. ™ i.md: Tnd::d:t:t:;i'i:"ri';vr'""' '*^'"^''"- '•'"-'p'"y *!., beiog pressed by l^Ll td sLr" ^"°'' """«>"'?. "^ « tiger y nunger, and seeing a schooner anchored not a.r.J|?t'J 534 SEA AND LAND. fur from shore, boldly swam out tM it and, despite a vigorous defense by the crew, contrived to board the vessel. The men, in affright, all jumped overboa-v r;ither trusting themselves to the water than to stand before a (i re animal that was evidently bent on mischief. The tiger roamed about on board until he scented the larder, whii:li he immediately tore open, and, after feasting to his content, leaped (ver- board again and returned to shore. FIERCE OOMBATR BETWtl;N TIGERS AND LIONS. In the early days of Rome, as every reader of -mcieni uu-Uvq knows, the populace were frequently entei-tained by giadiatori;' com- COMBAT OF THE JUNGLE MONARCHS. bats and fights between wild animals, the favorite amusement being contests between lions and tigers. If the question be asked, which is the more powerful of these creatures, repeated battles between them show that the tiger is decidedly superior to the king of beasts. A celebrated tiger, owned by the king of Oude, was brought to England some years ago, having been purchased for the sum of *2 000. It was trailed Juncla, and was kept for several y by the bestial potentate to furnish him with amusement in the < torial ring. Time and again was et upoa the strongest. lat could THE WORLD ASHORE. 535 be obtained, but in eveiy contest it was victorious, having slain altogether nearly thirty lions. Shortly after its arrival in EiTgland, the keepers became spectators to a fierce battle between the new arrival and a favorite lion, resulting in the death of the latter inside of ten minutes. The two creatures had been placed in a large iron cage, divided by !{ iseayy partition in the center so as to separate the animals, but see- ing his now common foe, the tiger was not long in tearing out the Uitrs, and forcing his Avay into the lion's compartment. A desperate fight was at once begun, which no amount of beating and thrusting on the part of the attendants could stop, and they were thus forced t») stand by and witness the fearful encounter. The lion wore a Diane so heavy that his throat was well protected, and thus pos- sessed an advantage very considerable, as the tiger had to confine its attack to its antagonist's legs and hindquarters. But a few minutes served to show the immense superiority of the tiger which, though lacerated somewhat about the neck, wounded the lion in such a horrid manner that in ten minutes the king of beasts was rendered helpless, while the tiger's injuries healed within two weeks. In the combats referred to it was evidently the Asiatic lion that was engaged, for I am quite convinced that the African lion is superior to the tiger, as he is very much the superior of his Asiatic congener, as much so, indeed, as the African elephant is superior to the Asiatic species. Though tigers, like lions, may be taken when young and so far tamed that they perform many amusing tricks and show considerable attachment for their keepers, yet they never entirely lose their fierce temper, and are very dangerous pets. The tragic death of a woman known as the i^ Lion Queen," which occurred some years ago, is an example of the untamable nature of the tiger. She was accustomed to perform twice every day with a tiger, going into his cajre and mak- ing him leap over a whip, crouch, lift his paw, and run round her, until she regarded her employment as involving no more risks than were her great charge an affectionate dog, instead of a tiger who could deal death with one stroke of its paw, or a grasp of its mur- derous jaws. On one occasion the tiger seemed sullen and refused to obey its fair mistress, when she struck him alight blow with her whip, as was her custom ; in a moment he sprang upon her, like the fiercest man-eater of India, forced her against the side of the cage and seized 586 oEA AND LAin>. berMiroat. The horrified spectators rushed to her rescue and she was almost instantly extricated from the monster, but, alas, too late; that one grip of the tiger's jaws was enough; the woman was taken out of the cage dead. V HOW THE TIGER TAKES ITS PREY. When seeking its prey the tiger never relies upon its strength or swiftness, both of which natural powers it possesses, but employs stealth, creeping cautiously toward its victim, availing itself of every cov.er, like the Indians who used to steal upon the settlers in the lonely West. More nearly like the Indian is the man-eating tiffer that stalks his human prey, preferring defenseless women and chil- dren, and avoiding men, who, its cunning tells it, are usually armed. It is fond of lying in wait beside frequented roads, choosing some spot where there is the deepest shade and where water is near at hand, for, after eating, the l^iger feels a great thirst that it must satisfy.' From this dark covert he springs upon his victim with great precis^ ion, but it is a strange fact that should he miss his prey at the first leap, the tiger appears confused, and very rarely, if ever, returns to the attack, but makes off at great speed. It is said that the man- eating tigers are readily distinguishable from others by a darker hue of the skin and the redness of the eyes, this peculiarity of color bein*^ due, it is alleged, to the eating of human flesh. I very much doubt the assertion. The places where there is the greatest probability of encountering a tiger are the crossing of nullahs— deep ravines— where water is found. Here he finds his two essentials, cover and water, without which he is a cowardly and helpless creature, neither given to at'ack nor standing to defend himself. But give him cover, and water near by, and the tiger will infest a locality so long as bullocks and people come his way. Wood describes the following introduction which a deer-hunter ,had to a tiger in the rhur grasses of India: "He (the hunter) had crept up to a convenient spot, from whence he could command a clear view of the deer, which were lying asleep in the tall grass; he had taken aim at a fine buck which was only at twelve yards distance, and was just going to pull the trigger, when his attention was aroused by a strange object which was waving above the grass, a few feet from the other sJue of the deer. It was the tail of a tiger, which had ap- proached the deer from an opposite direction, and had singled out THE WORLD ASHOllE. ' 537 the very animal which was threatene.i by his rifle. Not exactly knol e adjusted h.s piece, and was «.:.4i .l i . °~' ' "-^ ""'' "'^> J'^'^' " ^"6 wound prims 121^^ ■""f ""/'■"" "'■"" »'"' '"''" ■••^'™^'«'> »"d ""e foot- E^'n 7 ..'■''" °' "'* *"'"■'«' •"" «'"">'« injury be one rtich will shottly cause death, the tiger flings out its limbs with Z 542 SEA AND ]L,ANI>. paws spread to their utmost, and at every leap tears up the ground with the protruding talons. WONDERFUL BRAVERY OF THE OHOORKA TIQER HUNTERS. The power and audacity of the lifijer, which renders him the most dangerous of animals, is met with equal boldness by many native hunters who seek him in his fastnesses and make bold to attack him with the simplest of weapons. The best tiger hunters in India are the Ghoorka tribe, who occnpy a considerable section in the mid-in- terior, where they keep a few domestic animals but rarely cultivate GHOORKA HIKNTER KILUNG A TIGER. the soil. They make the best of soldiers, and are famous for their daring and cuni:ing. As there is a good reward paid by the govern- ment for tiger-scalps, and as the skins of the beautiful animals bring a fair price, tlio Ghoovkas spend much of their time in hunting, which is, indeed, their chief occupation. Previous to the general introduc- tion of fire-arms into the country the natives hunted with no other weapons than the spear and sword, which could, of course, only be used in close quarters. The Ghoorka, however, relying upon his keen weapon and great dexterity, did not hesitate to enter the jungle, :8 up the ground THE WORLD ASHORE. *ch. if t,.„e. p;,ve, uXl^!ll::';::f - "-7 charged h™. The tiger hasm„„y weTr, • r ! "°""'- ™ « ^'«''- grcae rapidity. ThX: 'td^Z H I I ^ \ 'T "'" ''' '™'* -•"> «..dtho l„„g. c„„,„ „e„, tl,o„.h a ,-2 '.T'""'^""""'' *l>"'-'. n.iscl,ief with it. Img^torXXZt uT^'"''' ''"'"« ""n'*"™ .truck in tl>e liver, the ti.-er mav "3 T' " " '""" «'«=«"ml«. If %ht f„rio,„„ a.„.„. upCtr:„ir::?ir,r • "" '^ "•"» '- I'^ihaps of all a„,„,„| „ ' ««''»l'. «.cstto kill, although thewoufd I'ttta''"' T ""' "' ""^ would say, direct) cause of de-ith ij-L • " '""'antaueous (I h»l„t,, or diet of the c™ ,tut ''..o! '"'" "l" "'"^^ ""'> "« " 'to «u„d inflicted „„ a tiger ve,-v soon n"'"' "■™ " »■»''»' " l«.uu™ tainted, and affordl^r." „ „r"'7 °" ,°"»''^ "''P""™"™- «e., which take such a hold L ^71*^ ," '"' "'" ""^^'"o"' "-low- «oundcd tiger has been known to die P""'','""''^' , """ "vcn a slightly »f the injury, but from the d^vourh 1'^ T "" '"""°'"'"» ««-'» "bout the wound." How douWy !„ TEt t'^r'T' '" ''>" small wound inflicted by a ti.re, ,.„ . .V. "'"'^''f'"''. 'hut u very """ .1 al,„ dies f«™ t feff ,„r"' ™"' P''"""- '^-">. "hile Hunling the ti..er from ZZi / "^"""^ ""'''■g "'i"'7- cou.«ge or too effeminut: to beafthe f !. T "'""" •*""""'« »' "- wc:„,t of a gun. Boy„, ^lot ^"^ '" " ™»7" »» f"->t and g»'g»u»ly bedecked howdah, h,Ct of g"ytmsel, perched i„ « »»n disdains such advanta.^e f „ „ f' "• ''"' ""^ "■"■= »l'»>-'8- erson. tlu.„c.h t ^„ .. . "''"i'^^'t'"" '» attributed to tho t.Vov b,r p..„^ »'"«« i.. ",h; l;,;;™ ':r:™;- ^;™g -- a..y eonflrmatio,-; <:;'the- "■"" ™ halism. Sandersol ites h fX"-- '" '^'""'^''"^ "^ ">' '""* '"" '""owing incident in proof: 544 SEA AND LAND. *«One of the strangest things I ever heard in connection with tigers, is an instance of three tigers devouring a fourth. This \v;is also told me by Bom may Gouda and two Sholagas (his beaters, wiio were with him at the time of the occurrence). For my own part I be- lieve the story. It was that a male tiger killed a buffalo late one evening j the carcass was found partially eaten next day ; and the following, or second morning, when some low caste men, under Boni- A tiger's daring attack on an INDIA OFFICER. may Gouda's guidance, went to take whatever might be left, they found the head and shoulders of a large tiger, and some bones of the buffalo The ground around bore traces of a savajre fifflit, niul it was fo'if-u that a party of three tigers had disturbed the original slayer of t.ie buffalo at sui>i)er, and the struggle which ensued for possession ended in his death." Another occurrence somewhat similar is related by Walter Elliot, ■■^'■■\'%s>iW'.'^.jff^ THE WORLD ASHORE. se„tapud-eleph„„t (o brl,,,. ittl f t," " '■""■'^""■" '» Ws tent, porting that on his anivul he° f„,„„ h •" """"""S"^- relumed, re- "."r„i„g to the spot, „„d di:„ .:d ,tt: 17 J""^ ""'" <"" "-' -,ne hv a.,tho. tig., „„<, ,,.,f .^.t l^^^j^ J:-^,„^- f-'^B^^ i-to a hger when roused to action hy itjnlt """"I "f"-"' "' >« ".an-eating •eeras to „,al« hi„, utterly iusensMe to d ' ■" *'" ''""""' "^h cident will servo to show f ^""S"-'"'' "» the following i„. During the English conquest of r„di , was conducting a .e.^onnoissance i, ho\!! '"7""! "' """'"' »">'-r l";ng through n jungle rarel^fr , t ,,ed I '' "' '^f'""'" "'■*«. '» '"ediate vicinity of „ ,T„5|i„ h^w 'v " f ''f I""."' "'""»'' '■" ""e in- curred. The chief of the conimnv w'„ T ''""■"'''"l^ "'■cident oc- yr. «l.et hy a dozen balls, and ki led Tin «" "' ^""^"^ """"k until '" '"^ '"■'"^^ "'^'t he died the following nfe^'' '"" " """'^'^ '''"«" DESPERATE RAVAGES r..r . ° ^ " 1" 1873, about Septen.ber ,. q "•''■""''° ^""•"»- ;»-"f Money "ud'su,™, ii t: h';:;;;;'; """i-- -'^'-. tbe ;™« ^-"'="-"t from the horrfble °v ™^^^ "'" '" " ^""« "^ "- Ttoan,„,ars fits of mau-eatin., a,l' eff , •" """"■'•"""g tigress, k'il-g three or four persons J,e ' " d t ""f "■ittent. for after "".I'.unan flesh for a month olZ^TZ''''^'''^''"''' ^""^ting '■"™l »l.e had just killed two bov „,, " '"""' "' S»"derso»>: f"".g their bodies to th.t of eh7 "'"' ">-™ attending goats, pre. »«»■» "as brought in to effl-rif ""* ""'P'" '>"<' "-■--d, furriofl ,.«• . L _ . "'"ts rioin JMorlev^ with p,.«fi i 3 , • -n tiic cveniijff beforo tt'..' ' ' ^"ttiu, had been « '"i»l.^.p had occur^d S nder , "" """""' "' ""^ 1''"™ "here ''» tig'-ss after the la^ ' of "'ren h """ ''' "i" "''"'"^^ '" '"-"^ f" 85s ' ^"''"'''"'"■^!''»* would have retired f/f -Jr fi 54B SEA AND LAND. to the dense jungle, and her tracks be lost. He therefore urged the people to bring news of further losses at the earliest possible moment. On the 19th of December another man was carried off close to the village of lyenpoor, five miles from Morley, but Sanderson was not notified until two days afterward. On Christmas day Sanderson took an elephant and some trackers with the intention of making a search in tho jungles about lyenpoor for tracks of the dreadful beast. Upon entering the village the widow of the tigress" last victim, followed by her three children, approached him with singular apathy and relatod what she knew concerning her husband's death. He gave her some money, as she would have to expend a small sum, in accordance with caste usage, to rid her of the devil by which she was supposed to be attended on account of her husband having been killed by a tiger, before she would be admitted into her caste's villages ; and then, accompanied by the headman and others, went to the scene of the last disaster. A solitary tamarind tree grew on some rocks close to the village ; there were no jungles within three hundred yards, only a few bushes in the crevices of the rocks ; close by was the broad cattle-track into the village. The unfortunate man had been follow- ing the cattle home in the evening, and must have stopped to knock down some tamarinds with his stick, which, with his black blanket and a skin skull-cap, still lay where he was seized. The tigress had been hidden in the rocks, and in oner bound seized him, dragged him to the edge of a small plateau of rocks, from which she jumped down into a field below, and there killed him. The place was still marked by a pool of dried blood. She had then dragged her victim half a mile, to a spot where were still found his leg bones. Sanderson contmued his search in the vicinity of lyenpoor for about ten days without being able to get on to the track of the tigress, or to hear any word from the natives concerning her. At the expira- tion of this time, however, he was startled while eating his dinner by the cry of natives, who had come in from another village near by with the report that one of their people, while participating in a festi- val, had been seized and borne away by the man-eater. On the fol- owing day Sanderson again went in pursuit with his trackers, and was not long in coming upon the tigress' tracks. While examining these e/vrriA r^t^nxva off i-o/.fo/l liia dffonH/^n oa fl»- ^ about a spot only a few hundred yards distant. Repairing to this place he found the remains of the man last taken, consisting only of THE WOBLD ASHORE. 547 on the tracks of tl.e beast, onW o f nH Tt.T" "'" ^""""""^ *«»' the river and made good l.er"C,e t 1, 'if-, '"r"'™"' '""> ""»-d usoJcss to pursue her. ' ""* '""'' '"'J"""', where it was It. » * '"leST EATEN BV A TIOBb About one week after this, th, driest of , „ . due west of Morley, and in « co,„n? !■ , °" '^P'" '«» "•"« Uger had not been hl-ardo 'fooler';: 'Jf^ "'"■'' r"""'^' ""-'- « bullock one morning, to sweep out .n l' T"!"^ "'"'« °" his riding in which he "fficiatd,a„dTop;ftr;t "?'"'' ''""S'^-'-'P'^ Koorabappah •• the offerings of he Lnl M,^'"" " Y«""".v Hollay placed in that deity. Sudden,/ i^Ztilhr" ",'"" '"'"- "»^ he path. The terrified bullock kiS "ff t ■ T * ''"P"*^ ''"'' hack to the village, while the ti»'" he had be^n unable to re e,^rh,: !,/''?<'• ^" «» "-gled fc«"ging almost head downwards alrTb' ""' """'"'"= """J »ou after he was taken down ^ "'""P"^' "'"' ^^ ^M ■Sr iSo:t?,:r i,!;;^::' ^r ">» — »^- was so "■« its forage and .oi: 'b:rc;^rr;t:\t ''''T'l'"""'"'" ' ^^^o® ^»"«, wbiijli Avere sp 548 SEA AND LAND. densely covered with jungle that there was no possibility of a man penetrating them. After the death of the Ramasamoodrum villager, nothing further was heard of the man-eater until the 14th of January, 1874, when the death-cry was raised at another village called Bussavanpoor, only two miles from Morley. This town was a small settlement, situated in the middle of open riee-tields, then bare. There was no jungle to cover the man-eater's advance, and a tiger had never hitherto been heard of near the village. This attack was therefore the more uii- looked for and terrifying to the villagers. The attack hud been most darinr. At one end of the single street of the village stood a shady tree, round the base of which a raised terrace of stones and earth had been built as a public seat; within ten yards of this tree the houses began. From the manks that were left plain to be seen, the tifriess had crouched upon this raised terrace, from which she commanded a view of the street. The nearest house on one side was occupied by an old woman ; the one opposite by her married daughter, who, it ap- peared, sometimes slept in her own house, sometimes at her mother's. The night before she had been going to her mother's, and as she crossed the street, only a few feet wide, the tigress with one silent bound seized and carried her off. No one heard any noise, and the poor creature was not missed until morning. HOW THE GREAT MAN-EATER WAS FINALLY SLAIN. Sanderson, having come into the country for the purpose of de- stroying this most terrible of beasts, felt vexed beyond measure at his persistent yet futile efforts to come up wjth the tigress, which ap- peared, as the natives declared, to be in league with the devil, and therefore able to disappear at will. After the last fatal occurrence he resolved upon another mode of hunting this dreadful quarry, to which end he procured an elephant for his own use, and then divided his trackers into parties, each to pursue a different way and thus cover a large district of country. These parties were instructed to report to him, immediately, any news of the animal, so that he might be able to concentrate his men at points to cut off the beast's retreat. Sanderson had started out his detachments early on the afternoon of the 15th day of January, and was rejoiced to learn in an hour after- wards t.bHt ffsur (if his trackers had discovered the creature in !i small hill hardly two miles distant. Fortunately this hill rose up abouttwo tmn4re4 feet out of a level, cultivated plain, and its sides were so bare of a man ing further 4, when the ipoor, only nt, situated o jungle to ;herto been 3 more un- J been most )od a shady and earth the houses the tigress nmandcd a ipi«d by nn who, it ap. r mother's. and as she one silent ise, and the pose of de- measure at , which ap- ) devil, and occurrence quai-ry, to len divided |r and thus structed to lit he might 5t' 8 retreat. i afternoon hourafter- e in a small ) about two ^ere so bafe 550 SBA AND LAND. that a more favorable spot could not have been selected by the hunt- era to make their success more certain. There was no jungle in less than five hundred yards of this hill, so that, so long as the tigress le. mained here, she was perfectly isolated. Sanderson, fit first, believed the tigress was still on the hill, so excited were the trackers in ni.ik- ing their report, but he soon learned that it was on the hillside she had been discovered while dragging a bullock up its sides, and hcin<' frightened off she had sullenly retired to the jungle near by. Ho now arranged to receive her when she should return to her repast. On account of the barrenness of the country he had to cut branches and pile them upon a small shrub which stood in the plain, at least sevciitv- five yards from where the bullock lay, but, having completed his blind, he sent all the trackers away save one, and then settled down to watch for the tigress' coming. Sanderson and his faithful companion sat through several woaiy hours and until twilight shadows began to steal over the landscape in a kind of mist, and they feared that their quarry would postpone her visit until it was too dark to shoot with any hope of precision. I .will finish this description in Mr. Sanderson's language: ♦« We had been whispering quietly, as we were out of ear-shot of the cover, and Bommay Gouda had just said, after a glance at the setting sun, that it was the timet par excellence, for a tigei's return to its prey, when a pea-hen, which had been hidden among the boul- ders on the hillside to our right, rose with a startling clamor. This signal, well known as unmistakable, made us glance throuo-h the leafy screen, and there we saw the man-eater, a handsome but small tigress, her color doubly rich in the light of the sinking sun, walk from behind a rock across the side of the hill, here a barren sheet of blue granite, and come downwards towards the carcass. She halted now and again to look far out in the plain towards us. Was the beast dreaded by thousands, hunted by us so long, and which we had never even seen before, the guilty murderess, really before us? Could nothing but some untoward failure now avert her fate? ♦♦ I followed her so eagerly with my rifle that Bommay Gouda whispered to me to let her get to the carcass before I fired. When she reached the bullock she stopped, and at the same moment I fired at her shoulder, broadside on, with my express rifle. Bommay Ijouda could contain himself no longer, and jumped up before I could Stop hicDi I did ^o aUo, but could see no ttgress. It was extraurdi* THE WORLD ASHORE. 551 then up went a tall on the far side of the h„l ^ • ^* to man killing. H ; euUv:, he',';.7 n"''™"'" '""''"^ ''"'"» '"■«"• nig:.t. about !.e„po„,r.:utTe »' ScdlnTit: f T^™' pos» b e tliat the littlo thin,r Hi . ..'"'"' '" '"""'S 't, «nd .t is ' Sir Samuel BuWjif his" T":T,i::f*J'°^"- . a very interesting st ,rv of „ ^Z h^n f 'j.^'^.^'""''™-." ™'«te8 ture, fron, .hieh^I absL!t.he°f„no:'it "'!'"".'":' ":".'.''^ ;:f-'- but without sound, a mao-nilieent l.h„.l, ^. • i , , »"adenly, • behind the tl>ickl,,shrto he b, !'■''? "' """"'*'""' ''■""' of an immense male tCer t.v«f ""-If'*' """ "'"wly the form the head appeared. Ev^-Cd tr^ntlTlr" 1 r-I-.r', ^ (ler, and waited for a few seconds n.-fn fi, . ^' ^''""'- 0., he took the sl^t.L:r^:Z^\Za:J::7 ^^T' ^'^^^^ the center of the fo^-ehead. • * » h1 H, ed » ^^' '" ^""'^ '* "The tiger sprang upon its hind le-s, rearln- to iu f..ll u • u. and with tremendous roars which r-.n/;., f V *'^'»^^' forest, it fell backwards n e vet con v' ^ "T '^'"^"^'^ ^^« dark green hush, where, afte rser Is of dV 'T't- '^'""^'^ ''^^ reh,psed into deep, low Vroan. itT "V ", f ' ''''^'^ g'^dually beneath the shade'of rhe':::::;.!''" '^'^°'^' "'^^ ''' "^-^ ^-d " There was a thrill <,f satisfaction throuc^h Evcr.rd's fr-.r. .u f.™ the l^'::^^:'::^:i,:^r-^-- -<■ He.. t..r.s, thought Everard, > Seiwyn 'is ee*:; I, .„t 1"::' "". '": eclair '""'^ '"'"" "^ ^"^ '"■"^<" '<--* '^e ^".tion „f his '" Take care !• shouted Selwvn.«.l,.„i„„...,.^,!. ™diy hit, and has rolled into those thiek bushr "" "T"'?' ^ ■""'' hut come up here until tb. h«.t • D.>n'tgo too near, t" drive her out'- '"' ''™™' "" ■""'' ''"« * ''« ^'«Ph«nts 55S 8BA AND LAND. *♦ Nine accidents out of ten occur when an'mals liave bee ' wounded. It is impossible to bo too careful in approachijig a wounded beast; the tiger, lion, leopard, bear or buffalv) that, would have retreated when fresh, will assuredly attack if followed up when wounded. *«Ina very short time anxious faces could be seen appr-ncling, and it was quickly explained that one tiller was dead, while the other was severely wounded and concealed within the thick brush. A great number of men were quickly assembled and orders given that a mes- senger should bo dispatched to summon the two elephants. ♦♦ In the meantime one of the shikarries ascended a tree within the thick jungle, and shouted to the otiier that he could see the tigress lying dead. A village shikarrie, who wished to exhibit his superior courage, collected several large stones and, advancing to the edge of the dense bush, threw one in the direction suggested by the muii within the tree, who actually saw, or thought he saw, the tigress. No response was made to the first stone. Another was thrown wihtlie same passive result. The tigress was declared to be dead, asid the man forced his way into the jungle. "Almost at the same moment a terrific roar was heard, and the tigress, with one bound, was upon him 1 Seizing the unfortunate man by the tliroat, she dragged him into the impervious thicket, where a succession of cruel ro him to pieces, This h nd growls showeU that she was tearing ;i>pened so instantaneously and une.vpoct- edly that it had been iiBpo?;! ible to render the slightest assistance. It was an agonizing moment, but hardly had the reality of the terrible event been impressed upon the bystanders when Everard, without a moment's hesitation, rushed to the spot, and throwing himself upon all fours, crept into the thorny jungle upon the track where the tigress had disappeared with her victim. With his rifle cocked and ready he lay flat beneath the bushes, and crept forward with caution but cool determination. He was not aware that the courageous shikarrie, armed only with his short spear, had followed close behind him, and was creeping on his hands and knees literally at his heels. A smoth- ered cry from the native, mingled with the growls of the tigress, hurried the advance of Everard, who in a few seconds had crawled within view of the disastrous scene. Lying down upon the ground he distinctly saw the tigress holding the man by the back of his neck as she crouched upon the ground by his side ; she was about four or five yards distant, and appeared to have given her whole attention to the THE WORLD ASHORE. I g.'a utfstructlon of her viotim Fi,«» .1 • , he k„..|t he could ,ut'thf,T™ 7," '" ',"''1'™''"*' P'»i""n. If w„u,.l he „ difficult, i„ uj^ 'a th ClT hi""'^'""" "'"" gc..„uslj, exposed t,> his hullel ' ° """' "°' ''"»- rip of the n4cl i!:^eTi:";s:;i:'?""\-'-'"« "- .(tack. At that instant wi^h „!"i i ^ '"'^"' ""> """"g h.-h.« to -each the hS :;^t:ik r :s t:";;.-',T' "-"• wi.h l.,.r chin, as she couched upo^ the "r "d HU f ,,'';" ''"'' ::-:-:=rt:,t;etrK:ry'^^^ round, heing read, with hi^ .^1. . "^ "" ""'""' l"* ">™<«I his wea;,n as he kr^'-upr h '^ ^d "tVc' """''"'" ''"' ^'"'" "^ Everurd-s bullet had passed th^t^^h^rheat-'brr' '''"■''' t"''- 8|nins had . anied her bevond hi, ^"j ""^ f ■"'• b"' her convulsive and »he had been fa an^^ied upt Th eV"^ tT *" """""^'■• trusty sh,ka,.,.ie, who ull bro^ft hi we' ,,''31 ""r "' '"" same instant that he had observed Fv T , i-eady on the oo.pl-.ely i„,p„,ed hertel^ra'd tlfo Zr'h'X: 'h" !,"• ""' '•" >» LANb. which grew there. At the head of the herd gamboled a baby elephatit. Uncouseious of the presenqe of the tiger, the little creature wiis al- most upon it, when the great cat, as if unable to resist the temi)t'> tion, darted toward it. Like magic the whole herd responded to tho shrill cry of the mother, and the leader of the herd charged to llie rescue. The ti'^er seemed willing to retreat, but that the leader would not permit, and then began a fierce combat in which the tiger, with all its agility, strove to take the elephant anywhere but in froxit. To avoid this, the elephant moved about with astonishing celerity, and finally, with a quick plunge, caught the tiger under its ponderous foot, and with one terrible thrust pierced it with its tusks." CHAPTER XXIX. THE ELEPHANT. jEW animals are more familiar, in a general way, to all people than the elephant, and of zoological curiosities he is the most common, yet familiarity in his case does not breed contempt, for eye will never tire viewing his colos^^al pro- portions and singular ways, nor will ear grow weary listeninjr to stories of his sagacity and the stirring adventures in which he RS. One of the strangest things, because utterly unaccountable, .0 tbc fact that, although elephants have been used as beasts of burden ii\ Indin from time immemorial, no mention of them is made in Bible history, nor is there any evidence of them prior to the comparatively recent period of the Roman occupation . We know that it was the custom of Egyptians to portray the animals with which th'jy were acquainted upoiTthe walls of their temples and public buildings, and even upon the bricks of which their houses were constructed. But the most critical research fails to show any illustration of the elephant prior to the Christian era, though it is beyond doubt that vast herds of them existed in Africa and India. Mention made in the Bible of " behemoth," if the term applies to the hippopotamus, clearly indicates a very signiticent fact, viz.: That the interior of Africa was not an utterly unknown region, even when Moses took his flight into Egypt, and since the elephant was found id Irid a baby elephant, tie creature wns al- 1 res?ist the temptu- d responded to tlio erd charged to tlie c leader would not he tiger, with all its in froat. To avoid selerity, and finally, jonderous foot, and al way, to all people uriosities he is the ;ase does not breed ng his colossal pro- weary listeninir to in which he fis. naccountable, lo the beasts of bui'den in !m is made in Bible to the comparatively ihat it was the custom h'jy were acquainted lings, and even upon ;ed. But the most he elephant prior to t vast herds of them : the term applies to cent fact, viz.: That ^n region, even when lephant was found in m A HERD OF ELEPHANTS AT THE BATI^, 558 SEA AND LAND. Egypt since the date of its first discovery, a mention of the one great beast and not of the other greater one, is irreconcilable with any hypothesis that any naturalist has yet advanced, and is only equalled by the fact that of all domestic animals the camel is the only species that is not known to have at one time existed in a wild state. There are two species of elephants, designated according to tlie countries to which they are peculiar, as the African and Asiatic. There are marked differences between the two, not, i)erhaps, in hiiliit or disposition, but in physical features, chief of which may be mentioned, that the African species attains a much greater size, his ears and eyes are larger and his color darker than the Asiatic species; another disparity is found in the African possessing gigantic tusks, both male and female, while the Asiatic male elephant has small tusks and the female none whatever. The Ceylon elephant, though not regarded as being a distinct species, is different from both the African and Asiatic, in that it is much smaller and is of a gray color. I believe all native Ceylon elephants are destitute of tu!d bestow upon them unusual attention. The same may be said of Mussian custom of estimating black horses, for the atteiition which Muscovites pay to their raven horses is akin to veneration. .Mte elpl'"? ^Z ^!"^"«^"« '^"^ Europeans regard the supposititious wane elephant of TiTli-i ok-i th" -'■jlnc ,f n. - ■: itT- 662 8EA AND LAND. ignorance of what a white elephant really is, upon the part of his agent, lost Mr. Burnum not le»s thun one million dollars, and I had the consolation soon after of knowing that his chagrin was* equal to my own because the elephant was not accepted. Overtures wer« again made to the Czar for the animal, but justly enough he refused to consider them, and to atone for the supremely great mistake, Mr. Barnum's partners insisted on bringing a small scrubby specimen of the Ceylon elephant to America and exhibiting it as a white elephiint. This proved a mosit.unprofitable venture, for the imposition was only too apparent. The animal thus exhibited bore no comparison either in size or color to Chin Chang, the former being dark, while Chin Chang was a beautiful and extremely light elephant, and besides being very large was the most docile and best trained animal that perhaps ever performed in public. But more than this. Chin Chang was a genuine, so-called, white elephant, and had been for years the prop- erty of the Emir of India, who had kept it in a stable filled with bar- baric splendors, until he presented it with much ceremony, as a white elephant, to Alexander II., while the animal exhibited as a white ole- phant in this country could hardly be called a fair specimen of the species, and certainly could not rank above the commonest kind. HUNTING THE ELEPHANT. Although there is scarcely a peceptible difference in the adaptabil- ity and temperament of the African and Asiatic species, each being easily trained and made domestic, yet there is a wide variance in the uses to which they are put, which has given rise to the belief that the Asiatic is more tractable than the African elephant, or that it is quicker to learn, if not more sagacious, a belief that is without foun- dation in fact. In India and Ceylon, where elephants are more commonly employed as work animals, the natives regard them exactly as we do horses. Men are employed to catch elephants and train them, a service which is almost as common as the roundmg up of cattle for branding, and these animals constitute almost the sole reliance of certain classes who build houses, clear forests, and haul great loads, a service to which the elephant is quick to adapt himself. This makes him a domestic ani- mal, and he takes the place of the horse with wonderful resignation and faithfulness. In Africa we never see the elephant in service, not because he is less reliable than his Asiatic brother, but entirely because the Afri- THE WORLD ASHORE. 563 «ns are never a laboring people, and chiefly because they are natural hunter., „ubs«t,ng f,„n, day to day by the chase. Ma^ of t^e .r,l,™ have large herds of cattle, which they are How to i."'hter even ■„ t,„>cs„f food distress, because cattle constitute the aS measure of wealth ; and even though they may vc.alth. Every tribe in Africa regar.ls the cl. n,t as law ul nrey^ he flesh wherc,,f they cat, while the ivory is gathered to tvlZub Ihe A abs for eahcoes, beads, gew-gaws, etc. ; c^nscjuently ,hey nl r make the least atten.pt to domesticate this useful animal Hunting the elephant may be classed very properly amon^ the roval .p,.r,s, because, though the largest of beasts, it is ,dso the most cul nmg, and a dangerous quarry at all times. A mals flee before . a„, and he therefore possesses an advantage which gives him a ruler! sup, so to speak, over all. But the n,an who reUes entirely upon th,.p,.mt of superiority, and nndces his attacks on the elephant "rth .mputnty, w,ll most likely be killed before he wins any great rep 1- t.on as an elephant hunter. So naturally docile is thij animal tha a person may approach within a few yards without exciting itT elrs or •luger; but when he once attacks he finds that a very fi°end of ve" £":;: :s t;r. ''""' '-''"' " -^ -^ " '"-- ^— CAPTURING THE ELEPHANT. There are two modes of capturing the Asiatic elephant, each of a fanly gentle character, since rough tneans would either result in the una s probable death or injuty. or the embitterment of its ,atire 0 tl at ,t would always be dangerous. One of these modes is very imt ;', ''."^f % •■>'•' " previously prepared pound, made of heavy ^rainla':'efe';.''!rr''"''"'^ '■■""''• ""«"'"">■" "■- i-'"--^ ^ aided L^f®- "'^^""'''■'- "f ™l>ich there are usually several, "^ h enter into the spirit of their duties with animation and ennnip.. Zyt^T:^'"' ^:r"' " ""■» """« e'»P'>'"'t they advance car^: Wy toward him, ridden by their drivers, called mahouls, to whom tko m ammals are perfectly i„di«er,nt so long as they are oL the b,cfc 561 ■,*«W«y,wi!4«t.X; THE vrosi.t) ASHOUIS, iet ot one of the,,, k.nd. Tl,„ malo i,, 8„„„ „ttr„ctc,l t„ the female, whieh, ,m sooner do thoy ,.p,„.„„ch tlm„ they heRi,, ,„ h.vish on l,i„. , ,„ „,!' .ffccMonnto carcseH, twining their trunk., about hW lo^.s and rub" n. I. ™ eh,,ely , at l,„ feels ee.tatie under their feunnine inttue, cl° Kcn,g,„ haiMuly engaged, the male take» no noliee of the mahout' -vho now leave. h,s perch on the fen.ale', neck and, „li,Iin. down ovc. hor runip, he »oo„ alta..l,e,, ropen to the e„ornK,„, elephant, and ...akes then, al,o f„,t to neighboring trees. Should this akctiom e .m.etn,g occur ,n a plain, the sagacious koon.kies urge their victim tewa d ho nearest tree, that are .,tr„„g enough for the ,,urp„,„ now »o„„ to be employed. When the binding is t .us completed the female! move away,,, a cruelly indifferent n.anner. and leave their inveigled wiKl mute to his own resources. "^ioicu Finding himself deserted and bound, he becomes fairly frenzied v.th rage and struggles with desperate cneriry to break his bonds n these furious efforts the elephant di.splayf a flexulLy of Idy t at IS qu.te astonishing, and at utter variance with his clumsy aspect He rolls on the ground, p.tches, turns somersaults, and rends the ai^ with p.ercmg screams of rage. Again, he will rise and butt the trees 0 which he ,s bound with all his energy, trying to break them down .hng HI this he again tumbles, sits on his haunches, then turns over c sometmies s andson his head, with hind-legs elevated, straining 111 desperate might to jvirt the thon«rs. ^ Formerly animals captured in tliis way were allowed to remain nd until they were reduced by hunger and exhaustion to sub"! ton, but the growing scarcity of elephants has caused the hunter to t. at them more carefully. Frequently, when long confined, the ani- m Is would injure their legs beyond recovery, and occasionllly they died from exhaustion. Now the treatment is more humane. After captive passes through his first paroxysms he is released and taken Wpea specially prepared; in doing this the koomkies are indis- pensable, for It IS they that lead the captive away from the scene of his struggles and guide him into the pen. So thoroughly do the trained female elephants enter into the sport of aptunng males, that it is related by several naturalists, who claim we tTnt^frr ? 'T]V '^'' ' '"■'*•"" '^""'"^>^' «" «"« °««^'-i«n» went into the forest, wholly unattended, and fb^ie nr^-re-^ - fr- male which she tied to a tree by means of some ropes which she car- ned for the purpose. If this story is true it is a striking demonstra- r , ^ 566 SEA AND LAND. tion of elephantine reason, and is only paralledby another equally in- telligent action of a working elephant, which Wood relates: «'The circumstances were these: Several elephants were engaged in the construction of a large log house, their duties being to carry the hewn logs and adjust them in place, which act alone requires a wonderful exhibition of instinct Occasionally the logs would be improperly placed, in which cases the elephant so offending, was made to do his work over. At length, when the building was about half raised one of the animals was observed to be shirking, and as he stood up close against the logs he had laid, no amount of ordering to resiiine his labors had any effect, for he continued to stand immovuhle. Finally, by a vigorous use of pikes, he was driven away, when the cause of his obstinacy was immediately apparent. The ehphaiit had performed his work improperly, and, knowing that he would have to do it over when the defects were discovered, he adopted this ex- pedient of hiding the imperfect work by covering it with his body. In further proof of this I have only to add that the moment he was forced to expose the misplaced logs, without further orders he turned at once to relay them right." HUNTING THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT. Since the elephant is never used as a beast of burden in Africa, no efforts are ever made to take it alive, the natives being temi)tcd to hunt it purely for its flesh and ivory, the latter being an article of great value and applied to a great variety of purp^aes. Formerly elephants were comparatively plentiful throughout that extensive range of country lying between the Soudan and Cape Colony. Its iruthless destruction by adventurers and Arabs, armed with repeating rifles and other modern enginery, has so far diminished the munber that comparatively few are now seen save in the vicinity of the lakes of Central Africa. Although abundant in these localities it is not often seen by casual travelers, owing to its great vigilance, and the wonderful power it possesses of moving through the entangled forests with a tread as noiseless as that of the feline species. In spite of its enormous dimensions, it is one of the most diflScult animnls to dis- cover that roams the forests. A herd of elephants eight and ten fict in height, may stand within a few yards of a hunter without being detected by him, even though he should be aware of their presence^ The only sure means of ascertaining the proximity of elephants is by listening for one S(^und which they are continually giving forth, and THE WORLD ASHORE. 567 Which they are unable to control. This peculiar noise is caused by the rnovement of the large amount of water which is always kept stored m their stomachs, and which sloshes with every respiration, producing a gurgling sound somewhat resembling that of water escaping from a bottle, and is audible at some distance There are several different ways of hunting the African elephant some o which I will briefly describe: The wlite hunters" who v"u Afnca for sport usually take to the open country on h(,rse-back, and rush on to the colossal game by sheer speed, trusting to their horses for escape ,n case the wounded elephant charges. This was Cum- mnigs favorite mode, and he was one of the most successful hunters that h^vs ever penetrated African jungles. Baker, Andersson ...d sev- eral other prominent travelers, who have been great elephant hunters, gave their preference to night shooting from smal. excavations in the earth, in which they would lie concealed beside some favorite drink- ing place and choot the elephants as they approached for water. This mode IS somewhat hazardous and many n ow escapes from wounded elephantsservetomakemorethrillingthein«.restingnarrativesofthese great travelers, some of which I will relate in subsequent pages. THE BRAVE HUNTES8 OF AFRICA. The ^an tribes Of Africa, and ih^ Ka^vs oi South Africa, take even more uesperato chances than white hunters, for they pursue ele- phants with no other weapon than the assegais and spear, and on foot. To approach the animal, which is so fierce and terrible when wounded, and drive a spear into its side, requires a degree of courage whjch very few civilized persons possess, yet the unlettered barbarians so httle regard the danger thus incurred that they seem to find de- light in tempting fate, for they not only attack the lordly elephant by hurhng assagais at him, but rush upon him in the most reckless manner, trusting to their nimble limbs to escape the mad thrashes of the animal's trunk. The death of a large elephant is an event for intense concrratula- tion among the Kaffirs, who are thus provided with a liberal supply of food. Almost every portion of the animal is used by them, whose strong jaws are equal to any emergency of tough meat, while their stomachs do not become offended at the offer of the vilest portions. xiiUoea, It seems to be a rule among savages, that every part of an animal that is most repulsive to civilized tastes, is considered by them « luxury, in many cases too delicious to be spoiled by cook- 568 SEA AND LAND. lii ing The flesh of the elephant is sometimes dried into what the Kaf- firs call biltongue, which is only another name for jerked meat, while the fat is rendered out and the oil used for greasing the bodies of the natives, who do not consider themselves dressed unless they are copi- ously anointed with grease. To such an extent is this greasing of the body carried for ornamentation of person that butter, of which the KaflSrs and other tribes make vast quantities, is never used for any other purpose ; eating it having never occurred to them. KAFFIR HUNTERS. Beneath the hard epidermis of the elephant is a thin skin, easily separable from the outer cuticle, which the mitives make into most serviceable vessels for holding water and plantain wine. CRUEL RiiiANS OF DE8TR0YINQ THE ELEPHANT. The killing of elephants, which seem to possess a human intelli- gence, and a docility incompatible with their strength and wild hab- its, misrht be called cruel under anv circumstances, but there are some methods of destroying the noble brute, compared with which the shooting of them appears humane. THE WORLD ASHORE. 569 The Somali hunters, whoare tempted solely by the ivory which may be obtained, kill the eiephr i„ a shockingly atrocious manner though it involves no little ' k of person. Having discovered the elephant reposing, the Somalian contrives to crawl upon his sleeping victim, and with a sharp sword severs the principle tendon in \U hind leg. The animal, not realizing at first the character of its wound, and maddened with pain, rises and throws itself about, but is unable to move from the spot. Here the poor beast is allowed to remain until hunger and thirst completes the work which was begun by the hunter; after several days putrefaction sets in upon the ''carcass, so that the tusks may be easily drawn from the skull. Another cruel mode of destroying the elephant is by means of pit- falls, in the center of which is placed a strong stake for the animal to impale itself on. These pitfalls are about twelve feet deep, and are dug tapering downward, so that if there is no stake in the center, as is sometimes the case, or if it prove defective, the fallen animal has its feet so forced together that it is helpless even to struggle, but must remain in agonizing pain until its tormentors see fit to destroy it. In case the elephant falls upon the sharp-pointed upright stake, his sufferings are still more terrible, as we may imagine, and thus im- paled he sometimes spends two or more days before death comes to his relief. On account of the extraordinary sagaciousness of the old elephants these pitfalls do not cause so great a number of deaths as might be expected, for, taught to be cautious by the many ad ventures "which have befallen him, the old leader precedes the herd on their way to drink, along which path the pitfalls are dug and carefully concealed by a covenng of dried sticks and leaves. As he moves along ahead, he keeps his trunk close to the ground and feels his way step by step, so that he is very certain to detect the snare laid for his species! Having discovered the pitfall, he stops until the others have come up, when he communicates his find to each member of his herd and then falls to and uncovers it completely. The Abyssinians pursue the elephant with lon LAin>* of Roon catching him. While the elephant is thus in hot pursuit of the first hunter, the second one puts spurs to his horse and gallops up behind until he approaches near enough to deliver his thrust; he now drii^es his broad, steel-bladed spear into the animal at a point a few inches below the root of the tail, and pushes it so far in that the elp- phant's lungs are pierced. He now gallops away as the animal turns, leaving his spear sticking in the wound, which is sometimes eight or ten feet deep. The elephant has received his death- wound, and seems to understand that he can do no more, for, instead of charging on, he stops and stands still until his strength has departed from internal bleeding, and falls, at length, dead. So great is his vitality, how- ever, that he will survive even such desperate wounds for several hours, but his rage is given over to a settled melancholy, and to see the poor beast standikig so still, quivering with agony, while great tears roll down continually from his pity-inspiring eyes, is to look upon a picture that will melt the most callous heart. Another method, rather commonly employed in Africa, to destroy elephants, is by driving large herds of such animals from the open country into jungles, where the larger forest trees have already l)een manned by several natives concealed in the branches, and armed with enormous lance-heads several feet in length, with a short handle, weighted with a heavy lump of hardened clay mixed with chopped straw. "When the elephants are disturbed by the beaters, they gen- erally retire to the jungle, and will congregate beneath the shade of the largest trees, from the branches of which the deadly spears are dropped perpendicularly by the concealed hunters. A spear-head of three feet in length thus dropped between the shoulders will inflict a fatal wound, as the short, weighted handle is struck by the dense and tangled branches as the animal rushes forward, and the blade is, therefore, in constant motion, cutting terrible gashes in the vitals of the elephant AN ELEPHANT HUNT. Thomas Bains, in his ♦* Explorations in Southwest Africa," thus describes his first elephant hunt: • • • «« "We halted about eight and one-third miles of travel north by west, and Chapman, going down to the olei (water basin or gully) a quarter of a mile farther, fo"nd himself face to face with an elei^hant- with nothing" but a charsfe of Bhiall shot in his gun. He returned at once for his rifle, and put- ting away my sketch half-dry, I took up mine. • • • Chapman, iu8 in hot pursuit of tiorse and gallops up r his thrust; he now mal at a point a few 0 far in that the elf- as the animal turns, i sometimes eight or h- wound, and seems jad of charging on, parted from internal is his vitality, how- wounds for several lancholy, and to see agony, while great ng eyes, is to look irt. 1 Africa, to destroy mals from the open 8 have already heen ties, and armed with nth a short handle, lixed with chopped »e beaters, they gen- eneath the shade of e deadly spears are i. A spear-head of oulders will inflict a ick by the dense and d, and the blade is, tshes in the vitals of hwest Africa," thus ''e halted about eight nd Chapman, going er of a mile farther, Qothing but a charge )r his rifle, and put- • • • Chapman, THE WORLD ASaoBfi. 571 R ting advance, and as he descended intr the next valley I oaying of the dogs. I came forward double^uick, 572 SEA AND LAND. hoping that the elephant might come out my way, and give mo a chance as well, but as I cleared the bush, I saw before me an open hollow, a very gem of the wilderness, with a broad olei in the center, and beyond it the huge broadside of the beast making off among the crackling bushes, while Chapman was trying to reload his rifle, and the rest of the people were gathering themselves up after their dis- persion by the charge. «« * • * The elephant, I learned, on entering the hollow, was met by another coming, all unconscious of the chase, to refresh him- self at the water, and Chapman, keeping back the people as much us possible, was obliged to fire at the second across the olei at between one and two hundred yards distance, although the ivory of the first, notwithstanding a broken tuskJ^ seemed to be forty pounds heavier than that o* the intruder. At\he second gun, the people had run past him and exposed themselves to a furious charge, Bill, after fir- ino- his shot, escaping with marvelous activity, but proving in the subsequent chase that he could run as fast after an elephant as he could away from him — following (so says report) almost between the legs of the beast, and firing with a boldness which, when assisted by skill in the use of his weapon, will make him a successful hunter. «« Returning towards the olei, the bushman pointed suddenly to some object, and handed Chapman's gun to him to shoot it ; but an- other glance showed it to be the carcass of the elephant, lying within a few hundred yards of the spot where he had been first fired at. " Traversing a length of hill and dale, which now seemed weari- some enough, we passed the olei, scarcely disturbing the wild fowl on its placid surface, and a few hundred yards beyond came in sight of the gigantic carcass looming like a boulder above the bush. Of course I have seen elephants, but it has always been at my home, and notintheirs, and neither picture nor well-groomed, black-skinned show specimen from India I had ever seen had quite prepared me to stand, for the first time, without a sensation of awe and wonder beside the mighty African, fallen in all his native grandeur in his domain." This animal was 10 feet 9 inches in height, an uncommonly large one, though Bains claims to have killed one afterwards that measured 11 feet S 1-2 inches, which is considerably taller than Jumbo was. Of his many hair-breadth escapes from wild animals in the game regions of Africa, Andersson relates the following : THE WORLD ASHORE. 573 ♦« On another occasion, when the night was dark, I crept to wit'ain a short distance of seven bull-elephants, and was endeavoring to pick out the largest, when I was startled by a peculiar rumbling noise close behind me. Springing to my feet I perceived, to my surprise and alarm, a semi-circle of female elephants with their calves, bearing down upon me. My position was critical, being between two fires, so to say, and I had no other choice than either to plunge into the pool which could only be crossed by swimming, in the face of the male elephants, or to break through the ranks of the females. I adopted the latter alternative, but first fired at the nearest of the seven bulls • and then, without a moment's delay, I rushed on the more open ranks of the female phalanx, uttering at the same time k.ud shouts My cries caused a momentary panic an.ongst the animals, of wh'ch I took advantage, and slipped out between them, dischaigin.r my sec- ond barrel into the shoulder of the nearest as I passed^er No sooner, however, had I effected my escape, than the whole herd made a simultaneous rush at me, and trumpeted so shrilly as to cause ^very man at camp, as I learned afterwards, to start out of his sleep For- tunately, the darkness prevented the beasts from followin«- me • "ind the jungle being close, I was soon in safety. In my precipitate fli<.bt however I severely lacerated my feet; for, when stalking the ele- " When, after awhile, I ventured out of my place of concealment, 1 found everthing quiet ; only one solitary elephant remained. Hav- ing approached within a short distance, I could distinctly see him avmg water onto his sides with his trunk. I immediately suspected hat he belonged to the herd of seven bulls, and was the one that I bad hied at. Seating myself right across his path, I quietly watched his proceedings. After a time I saw him, I thought, move off in an opposite direction. But I was mistaken ; for in an instant his tower- ing form loomed above me. It was too late to get out of his way • so, quickly raising myself on one knee, I took a steady aim at his foreleg. On receiving the ball he uttered the most plaintive cry, and rushing past me, disappeared in .he neighboring forest. The next aftern jon he was discovered dead within rifle-shot of the wHter, I nad been a successful night, for a fine female elephant had also fallen to my other shot." 574 THE WORLD ASHORE. S75 A THRILLINO ADVENTURE. TCRMINATmo IN A MIRAOLE. The »am<, author tells another stil; more w„nderf„l story than the one JUS related of how he escaped death f,.„,„ a woundo/ " ,l„t by the ,„,erpos,tK,„ of an event httio short of ,. nnracle. He w . ^ "Notw-thstanding „y „„.ious desire to reach the Ngami lake del le mmed before finally leaving Kobis, to devote one „.ore d,ty or rather, ,„ght, to the destruetio,, of the denizens of the forlt 8^; he adventure nearly terminated fatally, an.l the night of the 1.5th of Julywll everbe re.neu.bered by me as one of the n.ost eventful epochs of my life for, in the course of it, I was three severalt me ,n the very jaws ef death, and only escaped destruction by a m rS "From the constant persecution to which the larger gL,e had „i late been subjec ed at Kobis, it had become not only s^arc:, but wary and hearmg that elephants and rhinoceri still c.nthmed to resit to Abeghan I forthwith proceeded there on the night in question Somewhat .ncautiously I took up my posi.ion-alo.re, as u'ual- .m a ».„w neck of laud dividing two small pools ; the place on eith™ s.de„f my skarm-asmall hiding-place madeot stones- being only .ufficent foralarge animal to stand between me and the wat!r I .m provided w,th a blanket and two or three spare gun, "It was one of those magnificent tropical moonlight nights when a .,,descr.bably soft and enchanting light is shed ovel- the slumbr'n: lands ape, the moon was s. bright and cleanhat I could discern even a small animal at a considerable distance. liu,? 'f rl ""■"P''""' ">y "'■■•angeraents when a noise that I can ke ly to the passage of a train of artillery, broke the stillness of e a,r , it evidently came from the direction of one of the numerous r"ld'b'' ™"" "•"'^' '"''"'' '" •'"> -"-•• ""•! I ™«X '• ZiT v' ^r''T,TT'" """"'S"" ''"™ «"--d the kalakari. 2^Z7tl P""'"";'; "•»"■ '»y reeumbent posture, I fixed my eye. « adily on the part of the bush whence the strange sounds proceeded • ut for some time I was unable to make out the cause. All at „„ce' owever, the mystery was explained b • the appearance of m imnl'e' sight to behold so many huge creatures approaching with . fr-c SLr"r""° "'". ^'^'"'^ ^'^P- ''"' --what elevated' rlofS J ^ ' mirty night-air, gave an increased appelr- «»W Of bulk «nd mightiness to their naturally giant structuiee. 576 8EA AND LAND. «* Crouching down as low us possible in the skarm, I waited with beating heart and reu'^y ritle the approach of the loading mule who, unconscious of peril, was nuiking straight for my hiding-plucc. The position of his body, however, was unfavorable for a shot; uiid, knowing from experience that I had little more than u chanto of obtaining more than a single good one, I waited for an opportunity to fire at his shoulder, which, as before said, is i)referable to any other part when shooting at night. But this ;:hauce, unfortunately, was not offered till his enormous bulk towered above my head. The couse- MIRACOLOOS ESCAPE FROM A MAD ELEPHANT. quence was that, while in the act of raising my gun over the skaim, my body caught his eye, and before I could place the piece to my shoulder, he swung himself round and, with trunk elevated and oars spread, desperately charged me. It was now too late too think of flight, much less slaying the savage beast. My own life was in im- minent jeopardy ; and seeing that, if I remained partially erect, he would inevitably seize me with bis proboscis, T threw myself on my back with some violence ; in which position, and without shouldering the rifle, I tired upwards at random towards his che?t, uttering at the THE WORLD A8HORK. 577 yame time the mot-t piercing shoutji iintl cries. Tlie chanjre of posi- ti')ii, in all huniiui proi^ahility, naved my life; for, at the Hame in- stant, tlie trunl< of tlio enraged animal descended precisely on the spot where I had been previously crouched, sweeping away the stones (niiiny of a large size) that formed the fore part of my skarm, like HO many pehblcs. In another moment his broad fore-feet passed di- ft'ctly over my face. "I now expected nothing short of lieing crushed to death. But imagine my relief when, instead of renewing tin; charge, he swerved to the left, and moved off with considerable rapidity, while I, most Iifipi)ily, received no other injuries than a few bruises, occasioned by the falling of the stones. Under Providence I attributed my extraordinary escape to the confusion of the animal caused by the wound I had inflicted on him, and to the cries elicited from me when in my utmost need." 8INQULAR ATTACHMENT OF A BABY ELEPHANT. W. C. Harris, in a work describing his adventures, under the title of '« Wild Sports in Southern Africa," gives several interesting ac- counts of battles with wild animals in which he was a participant. After killing several from out a herd of fully three hundred, as he declares, Mr. Harris tells the following story of the queer antics of a baby elephant, whose mother he had slain: •' Not an elephant was to be seen on the ground tiiat was yesterday teeming with them ; but on reaching the glen which had been the scene of our exploits during the early part of the action, a calf, about three and one-half feet high, walked forth from a bush, and saluted us with mournful, piping notes. We had observed the unhappy little wretch hovering about its mother after she fell, and having probably been unable to overtake the herd, it had passed a dreary night in the • woods. Entwining its little proboscis almut our legs, thesagacious creature, after demonstrating its delight at our arrival by a thousand ungainly antics, accompanied the party to the body of its dam, which, swollen to an enormous size, was surrounded by an inquest of vul- tures. Seated in gaunt array, with their shouldeis shrugged, these loathsome fowls were awaiting its decomposition with forced resigna- tion, the tough hide having detied all the efforts of their beaks, with Vrhicli the eyes and softer parts had been vigorously assailed. The conduct of the calf novv became quite affectionate and elicited the sympathy of every one. It ran round its mot' er's corpse, with 378 I gjsawfs'---'-*- 578 eEA AND LAND. touching dei •**»■ ttons of grief, piping sorrowfully, aud vainly atteinf»^lr»g \i} ise »er with its tiny trunk. I confess tlmt I had felt compun. uoDs in colli, ittiug the murder the day before, aud now half ruwylvtH^ never to ansist in another." LANQUAOE AND PEOULiARITIES OF ELEPHANTS. Of the- many huudreds of . okn published ou the largo game of In- dia aud A fi'i'-n there was one issued in I ^78 that immediately recuvcd the greatest atui Uou, from the fact thai ' s author, G. P. Sanderson, though an Euglisbman, had boon for twenty years an officer iu climgo of the " Goveruraeut elephant catching establishment in Mysore." The title of this standard work is, " Thirteen Years Among the Wild Beasts of India," which clearly iudicatcs its character. Mr. Siinder- Bon gives to the elephaut the greatest atteutiou, and his observations are particulary interesting, because often original. In treating of the habits of the elephant, he adds the following : ♦' In a herd of elephants the females with their calves form tlie ad- vanced guard, whiM the tuskers follow leisurely behind ; though, if terrified and put to flight, the order is reversed, the mothors and calves falling behind, as the unencumbered tuskers have no oiio to ie to but themselves. I have never known of a tusker undertaking to «over the retreat of a herd. A herd is invariably led by a foniale, never a male, and the females with young ones are at all times dun- o-erous if intruded upon. The necessity for the convenience of the mothers of the herd regulating its movements is evident, as they must accommodate the length and time of their marches, aud the localities in which they rest and feed at different hours, to the requirements of their young ones. ♦'Elephants make use of a great variety of sounds in communicat- ing with each other, and in expressing their wants and feelings. Some are uttered by the trunk, some by the throat. The conjectures iu which either means of expression is employed cannot be strvtly clas- sified, as fear, pleasure, want, and other emotions are suui«ume" indicated by the trunk, sometimes by the throat. An elev* . x>u ing upon an assailant trumpets shrilly with fury, but if enraged by wounds or other causes, and brooding by itself, it expresses its anger by a continual hoarse grumbling from the throat. Fear is siniiluily ex'iressed in a i^= '"., br.'issy trumpet, or by a roar from the lungs. Pleasure by a r ,i* m.>d -v. .v squeaking through the trunk, or an al- most inaudible pi^r-r g tiound fn r the throat. A peculiar sound is TUE WOULD ASUOBE. S7« nuMle U80 of by c o,>h«nt, to exprcs, ,1 ,ike or appr.-,hc. :.. . and .t ..heady „,cert,d,.cd, ,„.d tl.o „„i,„„|, „ ,.,, ,„ jeter .„™ ruder " l.roducod by rapping tl.o end of tl„- tru.ik mn,>W „n ,h„ j eurrent of air, hitherto retained, be,,,,'!:;; ., e ' hCrb\: trunk, m from a valve, at the moment of impact The Z I / re-e,n^.les that of a la,se sheet of tin being dl.ul.led "' """" " When a e„lf i, born the he,d remain, with the mother two dav,- .he calf ,» the,, capable of walking. Even at thi« tende I\tb ! re „„ ene,.„„,ra„ee to the herd', „,oven,e„t„ the ym, 2 e i ,t h,ll» «.,J c>-o» rner,, a»,i,ted by their dan,,. I„ ,wim ,d"! '„?" young calva, are .upported by their m„the,-,> trunk, ,,7 -.111 -^ .™.t of them When they are a few month, old they ,'e,b.l': A, „ mother,- shoulder,, helping themselves by holding o,° wih their legs, or they swim alone. "oiuing on with "Twiee round an elephant', leg is hi, height, within one or two nche,, more frequently it is exactly so. The . -e to whiri th ,ve IS, as must ever be the ease with dLi^en, of thf j^.^t nt;! .". The ge„e,„l opinion of experienced native, i, that it attain, UOyear, in exceptional case,, but more generally to about 80y a, lh„v,ew however ,s bused on observations of elephant, in eanti' ' ;, " ;;if : ■« ^"™™';l«' """-i'i"- of a i,atu,...,nife th e eptmt" nni^t attain u greater ime than when fonfin«H m yyimm that it reaches at least ^50 years '' ^ "^'" "^""'"" '^ 8TRAN0E DISAPPEARANCE OF ELEPHANTS AFTER DEATH One Of the n,o-st remarkable fact, in connection wXelephants h extre,ne rar.ty of any remains of dead ones being fou. dTn tl e u gles. This circumstance is so marked as to have gfven rise to the "ot.on among the Sholagas of the Billic.,unaan hills fhnfi I . -r" iTonrhar r^'" '"-^'"" •'■™^^' <> "-"by ~ . t oi" thei„„„,. ,„,^„" '! ' ?'''^ ''"tl''»™ -ever met any one among '".isr'B^'.er^oMl.rr.'r'''''''/'''''''''"' """"t^''^- ^l-o had ,eena »euM survive for some T ! '' '"""' ^'""''' """^ "="*'' ""O '"^ks ^uivive fo, some t.u,e, yet not a single pair of ivories has ever, 58<) THE WOBLD ASHOKE. 581 a. fa a. I know, been found in the Mysore jungles during the tin.e 1 have known them. A European gentlenmn, who, for thirty-six year, nithout internnssion, had been living in the jungle, aseending to thJ siumniis of inounta.ns in the pn.seeution of the triose of hem fetdl, one would think that some carcasses, at least, would be found, whereas they never are; and though it is certain the animals (lie, I know of no reasonable explanation of what becomes of them." w 1. !_ " ^"^ ELEPHANT A SAGACIOUS ANIMAL? We have been led to believe, by the wonderful stories told of its cunning intuition, that the elephant is the most sagacious of beasts, but Mr. Sanderson takes issue with this idea, and declares that there .8 no real reason for entertaining such a belief. Referring to this popular supposition, he says; " in 'J^w'lT TfT "'T""-"' ."'" "'•"*'"" •""'""•''■•' "'°'« "'temgc,„.e n t, w,ld state th.„ other ,„,n„als. Tl.ougl, ,,o,,c».sed of „ p,.„bo»ci, h^ ., cap,... e o, g..„.d,„g it ug„i„»t »ud. dange... it readily falls leaver. Is fellows ...ake „o effort to assist the fallen one, as they ...'ht easily do by kieking in the earth a.ound the pit, I,„t flee in e,To,- It common y happens that a young elephant fails into a pit, ear which he mother will ren.ain nntil the hnnters con.e, witho. 'Mil he,, Th.s ,s, I have no doubt, more difficult of hclijf to most people han ,f they were told that the .nother supplied it with ,nass .ought water in her trunk, or filled up the pit will, fagots a J Zl end usurcs wh.ch ..o other wild a..in.als eould he got to enter a,.d -.ngle ones a.-e caught l,y their hind-legs l.„in„ tied toother W .""„ uiKJtn cover o^' " ' i- - -c . , . ^. .:: ^ ^ i -^. ..itn to effect th couple of tame elephants. Elephants which ha eir escape ar<^ caught again without troubl once does not bring tl jihaiit when I say it e ; even e Pl)en xperi- lou) wisdom. I do not think I traduce the ele- .y It IS, in many things, a stupid animal, 582 ^aSMtel THE WORLD ASHORE. 583 " T have seen the cream of trained elephants at work in the catch- ing establishments in Mysore and Bengal ; I have managed them my- self, under all circumstances, and I can say that I have never seen one show any aptitude in dealing, undirected, with an unforseen emer- gency. I have a young riding-elephant at present, which is often my onlyhuntmg companion, that kneels, trumpets, hands up any thin- from the ground, raises her trunk to break a branch, or passes under one n. sdence, stops, backs and does other things at understooc^ hints as I sit on her pad; but no uninitiated looker-on would perceive that any uitimation of what is required passes between us. THE MUST, OR MAD ELEPHANTS. " So much for the intelligence of the elephant. Let us now con- sider Its temperament in captivity. I think all who have had to deal with elephants will agree in saying that their good qualities cannot be exaggerated, and that their vices are few, and only occur in excep- tional animals. The not uncommon idea that elephants are treacher- ous and retentive of an injury is a groundless one. Male elephants air subject to periodical fits of must (mad) supposed to be of a sexual nature, of the approach of which, however, due warning is given, and during the continuance of which care is necessary in dealii^r with them, as they are quite irresponsible for their actions. But\t all other times the male elephant is generally perfectly safe, rarely sud- denly changeable in temper. Female elephants are, at all times, the most perfect tempered creatures in the world. -Much misapprehension prevails regarding the uses and power of ^.e elephant s trunk This organ is chiefly used by the animal to piocure Its food, and to convey it, and water, to its mouth; also, to wain It of danger by the sense of smell and touch. It is a delicate and sensitive organ, never used for rough work. The idea that he can use ,t for any purpose, from picking up a needle to dragging a p.ece of ordnance from a bog is, like many others, founded entirely on iinagination An elephant might manage the former feat, though I doubt It, the atter he would not attempt, Elephants engaged In uc^h work as dragging timber invariably take the rope between their ' teeth ; they never attempt to pull a heavy weight with the trunk. In earning a light log they hold it in the mouth, as a dog does a stick, receiving some little assistance in balancing it from thetrunk. Tu.k- vllhl!?.'''^ T '\" 'f "' '"■ ''"' ''^"^^ ^™'^^"' 1^"^'P«-^' ^"^ -re more valuable than females for work. An elephant is powerful enough to 584 SEA AND LAND. I extriciite a cannon from a difficult situation, but he does it by push- ing with his head or feet, or in harness — never by lifting or drawing with his trunk. •' An elephant rarely uses his trunk for striking other elephants or man. Newly-caught ones seldom attempt even to seize any one com- ing within reach of their trunks ; they curl them up and rush at tlio intruder. Should any accident happen to an elephant's trunk to pre- vent in conveying water to its mouth, it drinks by wading into deep water and immersing the mouth in the manner common to most quad- rupeds." THE PERILS OF ELEPHANT 8HOOTINQ. On the authority of the greatest of ancient or modern Nimrods, Sir Samuel Baker, elephant shooting may be pronounced to be the most dangerous of all sports if fairly followed for a length of lime. Many elephants may be killed without the sportsman being in aiiy peril; but if an infuriated beast does attack, his charge is ono of supreme danger. This danger, however, has this charm, that though so great unless steadily and skillfully met, it is within the sportsman's j)ower, by coolness and good shooting, to end it and the assaihuit's career instantly by one well-planted ball. "The wild elephant's attack," says Sanderson,*' is one of the noblest sights of the chase. A grander animated object than a wild elepliaiit in full charge can hardly be imagined. The cocked ears and hroatl forehead present an immense frontage ; the head is held high, with the trunk curled betwee'n the tusks, to be uncoiled in the moment of attack ; the massive fore-legs come down with the force ai)d regularity of ponderous machinery ; and the whole figure is rapidly foreshort- ened and appears to double in size with each advancing stride. The trunk being curled and unable to emit any sound, the attack is made in silence, after the usual premonitory shriek, which adds to its im- pressiveness. A tiger's charge is an undignified display of arms, legs and spluttering; the bison rushes blunderingly upon his foe; the bear's attack is despicable; but the wild elephant's onslaught is as dignified as it seems overwhelming — and a large tusker's charge, where he has had sufficient distance to get into full swing, can only be compared to a steady and rapid advance of an engine on a line of rail. With ail this the sportsman, who understands his game, know? that there is a natural timidity in the elephant which often plays liim tricks at the last moment. It is not difficult to turn or stop him with THE WOKID ASHORE. 585 aZk. "'"'"■ """ " '"'"'"""' '"*" ^' ™''^ ""•'^^' if '",-.re„e»s the , ^?/"h'''?l'°l' "' "'""" "* '•"""'• ''"'"""g i" i-decision, no one ,hou d .h„ut „ the„. A charge l,y one or more of them i almost s.,re to be made ,f they are .suddenly startled m thi« particular Z ;. I have seen •• says Sanderson, '■ and n,y»elf experienced, seve™ n,,tance» of the danger of this. I„ Chittagong, whilst driv „. ^d amma s mto a stockadeon one occasion, they approached the g„°idW- in.« of beaters too closely, ,vhen a man, who was behind a smlll bth shouted at them w.tl„n thirty yards. A female at once charged hto he n.an fe I and ,v,th the pressure of her foot on his chest Ihe sp^ h,m open k.lln.g h,ra on the spot. Th,s elephant had a very young calf, and in her solicitude for it she became a perfect fury." ^ THE VENOEFUL ROGUE ELEPHANT Rogue elephants are occasionally met with which are di, tn,guishcd by,their fierce temper, and their affecting solitude. These animals a™ mvarmbly dangerous, and not infrequeT.tly they wayty ™ad, for the pnipose of killing any pei-son who lay chance to pa« The cause of this singular propensity, which is quite unnatu a toT phants ,n general, has never been satisfactorily accounted for Z from wide reading, having no personal experieL I II „e to tte opnuon that m eveiy case the animal that manifest this u<^y dispo! ».t.o„ ,s ,he victim of some painful disorder, either affectinThU bran, or racking his body with agony, and he becomes irritble''and the kdiing of a r,.gue elephant which had destroyed several persons and neredtrave through the jungle roads sodangerousthat^,o"edared to iT """IT' T"""' '° '"'■«" P="'^' ""'• "'«■ servants rng.."d to heut syn-bols and gongs to frighten the beast. ^ " After describing t;., manner of approach Sanderson says: "When ergne trumpeted my men were greatly excited, flfre we were tZ ^ T "'"' *" '»«"-'''^«''- Old Poojarse, who was alway' ready for dangerous work, now took the lead We pushed thmZh dangerously thick stuff, where I expected to hearTlIe'e^ „ '"wt " IT T^ "'°"'*"*' "'""«" '""'« t™ b^rst out on us ■ hut fortu nate y. we had the wind, und the unconscious monster sLd.'nlj! I "X thu lacc ihat enemies were at hand " and hTthnV""" ""' ^I"^' "' him before we could make him out, and he then only appeared as a dark mass in the young bamboo ani 586 SEA AND LAND grass in which he was standing. There was, fortunately, a good breeze blowing, wiiich made sufficient noise amongst the branches to tjs^'^:m^mss:^ cover our approacli ; but it was impossible to get near enough, even with this advantage, for the head-shot in such thick stuff. I there* THE WOULD ASHORK. r' TA-^T^a^gHSE^ 587 foe deCKlwl to pv, „ i|,„ f„,„-l„„c l,el,i„,| the should,.,-, if I c„„|,l ..nly «.ako out how he w,„ standing, but .here w„.s a ditH, , t/r 4 Ihis, as even his feet were hidden in tlu- undergrowth vo tl . .1 we .pooped and h,oUed along the ground, we e-.u^ge:, e le l!'^: p..s,t,on As luek would have it, however, at this ,m,n,ent I e , le ns runk to reaeh a bough overhead. I saw his temple and so Led n tw Ive-bore ,ntend,ng to reserve the four-ounee in case the fl " shot did not k,ll hu,, , but before I eould draw a si.ht o„ him, h 1^ was again hidden. Fearing that if I delavedany longer ah, nto w..,d might discover us, I took the fou.-ounee and fli^d at h le now k„ew his shoulder to be. The report and smoke from Z aZl OS fo, a, instant after receiving the shot, when with a wild scream and awful crasll away he went, fortunately not ,u our direct on . ere was nothing thick enough to shelter us, and we might I , ve U" '■'tea atte. him The grass and bushes on both sides of his trick were covered with blood, and my hands, face and gun became sekv wuh It a, we ran on through the grass. We had only goneTbou t,™ 1 mndrcd yar«s when the ICurrabas stopped short. There „' the elephant standing about twenty-five yards from „s in anTpers,, ce :iaiongst some grass up to hi.s shoulders f-iein. „s T, / had taken him about half-way up the Ift s 1™ M I u'"'T'"'™ "■"t ''"- "-• -^ =-^. - b^."/wa,rg:: , g : i;,:! t'h '"z Mist have stopped through being chokel by th^ bleed ig, aTdh :..•". .unmng behind him, had faced round to receive us. Is the S M:..^van,shed, he came a few steps forward with a grunt and „::;„ •tarf- ''^;;'™"y "- "igW to give a novice in elephant-shooting a le-T nd trmdc """^.S-hmg fr„n, his mouth, covering his chest, fore! ie„s and trunk. His twinkling eye showed that he meant mischief- ..head was held high, his trunk curled between his tusks a^done f'let planted boldly in advance re-idv fn,- , r ,'"'"'' """ """ -d n,y g„,i.be.re^s were sXluih f tf oTrnd "ZX^. .! between his eyes, and dropped h,m dead with the four-bore." Tl,„ t 1- ""'"'""''^ ™" "VENTURE WITH RLEPHANTS. Ihe feemgsot a keen sportsman, at his first sight of elephants m their native wilds, can neither be imagined nor dt.sevibed.'f.n !t it ■^\ 588 88 A AND LAND. embodies an intensity that none nuiy ever conceive except by actual experience. Cuniniing was a natural born hunter, and a man of strong nerve, who rarely grew excited, even in the face of the most disturbing circumstances ; he had even killed more than one lion, ami met with many narrow escapes without becoming nervous, yet wiicn he first viewed a herd of elephants, even afar off, fiom a lofty iiut- hill, cold chills ran over him, and a sensation of unutterabla dread, or uneasiness, at least, took complete possession of him. Thoc most uncomfortable feelings did not long distu'b him, however, for as the elephants disappeared from sight the eagerness and impetuosity of the true sportsman overcame every other sensati(m, save that of a consuming desire to engage with the lordly game. So much time had been occupied with retiections of an unpleasant character, not knowing the nature of elephants, that after the animals had stolen out of sight it was not until the following day that the herd was again discoverec^. Of the adventure which now occunod Gumming writes : *♦ We proceeded silently as might be for a few hundred yards, follow- ing the guide, when he suddenly ponited, exclaiming, ' Klow I ' and he- fore us stood the herd of mighty bull elephants, packed together be- neath a shady grove, about one hundred and fifty yards in advance. I rode slowly towards them and, as soon as they observed me, they made a loud rumbling noise and, tossing their trunks, wheeled right about and made off in one direction, crashing through the forest and leav- ing a cloud of dust behind them. " The distance I had come, and the difficulties I had undergone to behold these elephanto, rose fresh before me. D.ishing my si)urs into 'Sunday's' ribs, I was very soon much too close in their rear for safety. The elephants now made an inclination to my left, whereby I obtained a good view of the ivory. The herd consisted of six bulls; four of them were full grown, first-rate elephants; the other two were fine fellows, but had not yet arrived at perfect stature. Of the four old fellows, two had much finer tusks than the rest, and for ii few seconds I was undecided which of these two I would follow, when, suddenly, the one which I fancied had the stoutest tusks broke from his comrades, and I at once felt convinced that he was the patri- arch of the herd, and I followed him accordingly. OHAROED BY THE BULL ELEPHANT. "Cantering alongside, I was about to fire, when he instantly turned and, uttering a trumpet so strong and shrill that the earth seemed to ■'^im:i^ ■*^Aii&i, THE WORLD ASHORE. idred yards, follow- 589 vibrate be,.eath my feet, charged furiously after me for several hun- dred yards m a direct line, not altering his course in the slightest de- gree ^"•- the trees of the forest, which he snapped and overthrew like reeds in his headlong career. -When he pulled up in his charge I likewise halted; and as he slowly turned to retreat I let fly at his shoulders, « Sunday' capering ..nd prancing and giving me much trouble. On receiving the ball the eephant shrugged his shoulder and made off in a free, majestic walk. This shot brought several of the dogs to my assistance which had been following the other elephants, and on their coming up and bark- GUMMING CHARGED BY AN ELEPHANT. ing another headlong charge was the result, accompanied by the never- nhen I saluted him with a second bullet in the shoulder, of which he Id not take the slightest notice. I now determined not to fire again until I could make a steady shot; but, although the elephant tuined ..peatedly, ^Sunday 'invariably disappointed^me, caperi'ng ^o haUt was impossihlft fQ fii-o A*. 1^, — fK . , Ti { ... .u n., . ,,, .^vr^th, uAusperaied, I became reckless of n^ danger and springing from the saddle, approached the elephant undei cover of a tree and gave him a bullet in the side of the head, I , \ 590 8EA AND LAND. when, trumpet! no: so shrilly that the forest trembled, he chainrcd among the dogs, from which he seemed to *ancy that the blow had come ; after which he took up u i)osition in a grove of thorns, with his head towards me. I walked up very near, and as ho was in the act Af charging (being in those days under wrong impressions jis to the impracticability of bringing down an elephant with a shot in tlio forehead), stood cooly in his path until he was within fifteen jjaccsof me, and let drive at the hollow of his forehead, in the vain expecta- tion that by so doing I should end his career. The shot only served to increase his fury — an effect which, I had remarked, a shot in the head invariably produced— and, continuing his charge with inerediljlc quickness and impetuosity, ho all but tenninated my elephant hunt- ino' forever. A large party of Bechunas, who had conio up, yelled out simultaneously. Imagining I was killed, for the elephant was at one moment ahnost on toy of me. I, however, escaped by my uctiyity in doubling on him and running up hill as he came charging down, and by dodging round the bushy trees. As the elephant was chiug. in*', an enormous thorn ran deep into the sole of my foot, which caused me severe i)ain, laming me throughout the rest of thecontiicl." Gumming now mounted his horse, and running alongside the already sorely wounded monarch, fired no less than fifteen ounce balls into his shoulder, each shot stimulating the brute to renewed chnrgcs from which, however, the rider easily escaped. At length, wiih nineteen large bullets in his vital parts, the elephant retreated to a heavy thicket where he stood tossing his huge trunk up and down and wroaning so piteously as to excite compassion in the hunter's breast, for it was now plain to be seen that there were certain evidences of his rapidly approaching death, and that no more shooting was necessary to finish him. The great beast swayed backwards and forwards, trembling like an aspen leaf, while tears chased down his cheeks until, with a mTghty lurch, he toppled over, dead. Thus ended the hunt and thus did Gumming kill his first elephant, while his heart was tilled with exultation never before or since felt. A 8AVAQB SCENE. It was quite late in the evening when the hunt terminated, so that the natives, who accompanied Gumming, did not begin the work of cutting up the elephant until the following morning. The Bechuanan process of butchering is one no less disgusting than it is exciting, pre- senting a scene which baffles all description. The natives, of which THE WOKI.I) A8H0RK. i tl,mo ,.r. nearly a ™«re, divfrt tho„„clvo, „f all covc,.i„s and armed oaly w,th «,,«as.u. they begin slashing .he body. The rough o„ter-»kin ,« hrst reu,„ved ,„ large sheets, from ,he si,.e whiel, lies „p|„.rmost. Bo,u=atl, thus outer-skm is u suhcutiele, „hi,.h the natives use fo „,al<,„g wa er.l,ags, a. it is a very pliable tnembrane, and so tough that ,t » n.>t bable to rupture even fro,,, the ,o„ghest usage. They re- n,ove th,s inner »k„, with eaution, „,i„g great eare nCt to injure it With their assagaiH. •' The flesh is next cut off .n larc^o shootn f,o.„ the ribs, after which, by the use of hatchets, the rib« are taker, out one by one. A CLOSE CHARGE AND LUCKY ESCAPE. »?iinfa^ h, T '^ '"'" ""'" '" ^"""""S "-«-. 'ho ""at dls- Ce7o7t^ t^TTT"'- Sun-o,n,di„g the bowels are great tL? "'.f'f'"^'"' ""' Beehuanans prize above everything else 0 felmt S ' Vr"'"? "'"■■-»-'"■■<"' biUongue-dried st,t 0 etc, h.„,t flesh-aud they also eat it with their vegetables. Befo,-e t » fa ean bo obtained, the bowel, must be .emov^d. To aeeonZ pllsh this. seve»"«il r»ioM r-^^ n • ^u acoomp- withthoi^n r' • in>"'ense cavity, now exposed, and 0 ide a frf:;: "": ^^^^^ ^^ i^^^ ^^^' ^->^-^- i-^tio.. to those us fast as it la cut away. The native.s have a horrid practice 592 «EA AND LAND. on these occftsions of besmeuring their bodies, from the crown of tho heaid to tie sole of the foot, with the bhick and ch)tted gore ; atid in this anointing they usuist one another, each man taking up th(5 till m both hands, and Horeuding it ovev the hack and Bhoulders of his friend. Throughout the entire pioceeding un incessant and dcafi-n. ing chimor of voices is kept up, and violent jostlings and wrest lings are practiced by every man, all slippery with gore, as ho endeavors to force his way to the venison through the dense intervening ranks, while the sharp and ready assagai gleams in every hand. The angry voices and gory appearances of so many naked savages, comhincd with their excited and frantic gestures and glistening arms, proscnt an effect so wild and striking as will produce a thrill of horror in the bravest European who beholds it. PERILOUS SITUATION OF AN ELEPHANT HUNTER. The advantages which trained dogs give in hunting the elf{)liuiit were strikingly illustrated on on « occasion, when, but for their dis- tracting running and barking, Gumming would have undoubtedly fallen a victim to an elephant's rage. The circumstances were peculiarly appalling. A herd of twelve cow elephants and their calves were dis- .'overed feeding on the side of a mountain, five hundred yards from the tirst observer, and the wind being favorable to the animals, they caught the scent of Gumming and his companions, and plunged IlIo a dense jungle of wait-a-bit thorns, from which every effort to dis- lod^e them, l)y shootaig or shouting, was in vain. As a last reeourt' '"•" *»"'™". a short distance when Ar otf .e • ' ,"' "'"^ '"'" l"™""*"'' ""Iv i« ! ■• At this n.™ t^l e h "^ "" "''"""' "'"' "'"' " Here l.; heard by the party outsMe the ''eSr'n '"';;" ^';'"""" ™' face covered with blood loudlv e!m f "■"" ''""'""^ <""' '"« .tacked and borne dowl' ;;"a?eCK Ztrs; X ^ " -- .earch for the unf, t^ „t .ffi e" ''"Z'Tf""' ""'""■™™" ">-• cre,;sed number of his onoon!^,? , ! t'''"""' "'"'"""'' '" '!'« "'- 'f victim on the grlTd: ru "l^ "•^(;;,^^"-«>. '-ving Htretched motionle^q nn Ui. u i "^ '"^"S'^"- V\ hen found he was ki» eyes wererX Z^]^^^:^::^^:'""' """"'""• ""^ «f a violent death, the tr„.edv l„!l ■ expressive horror .*- -.pnng the ^od^i-^r:- L7cr ii^r " ^" n...., ^ . °^*''" '"' "TME FAMOUS HUNTER, oarl KR,-er — r tha't his r ^ar^irr ■ •, - :-- ^^ 596 8EA AND LAND. indefat'igable, fearless and an excellent marksman, three of the e.Nsoii- tial qualifications of a good hunter. Hundreds of lions, rhiuoceii, hippopotami and elephants had fallen by his rifle, and numerous suc- cesses had inspired him with a confidence in his abilities that rendered him imprudent, or rather, foolishly courageous. With all his ex- perience and valor he was, nevertheless, doomed to meet his death from one of the animals he had for years so ruthlessly and success- fully i)ursued. One day, having with his party chased an elephant which he Inul wounded, Krieger ran ahead of his companions with the intention of killing the beast by a close shot. At the moment he was about to fire, the animal turned and received the bullet in its side, which did little injury, but so enraged it, that in a twinkling the elephant seized him with its trunk, and lifting him high in the air, dashed him with dreadful force to the ground. Krieger's companions, struck with horror, fled precipitately from the fatal scene, unable to turn their eyes to witness what might follow. But on the next day they returned to the spot and there collected the bones and fle^h that could be found and buried them. The enraged animal had not only literally trampled the great hunter's body to yneces, but pounded the very flesh into dust. GORED TO DEATH BY AN ELEPHANT The following story is related by Charles Williams as an incident of Boer daring, and at the same time as an illustration of the perils attending the hunting of elephants: " On New Year's day a party of Boers became heated with liquor, when each began boastingly to tell of the feats of hardihood they had performed. One of them, who had been a great hunter of ele- phants, having killed in his day above forty of these gigantic animals, laid wager that he would go into the forest and pluck three hairs out of an elephant's tail. This feat he actually performed, and returned safely with the trophy to his comrades. But not satisfied with this daring act, he laid another bet that he would go back and shoot the the same animal on the instant. He went accordingly; approached the animal too incautiously, when his first shot not proving effective, the enraged animal rushed on him before he could reload, or wake his escape, and having fir^t thrust his tremendous tusks through his body, trampled him to pieces." FRIGHTFUL DEATH OF OFFICER MoOLANE. An equally horrible death befell Captain McClane, an ofiicev in s Cape regiment, who wtw bunting in the vicinity of thQ Qv«i»it Fish three of the esson- of lions, rhiiioccii, and numerous suc- lities that rendered With all his ex- to meet his deiith lessly and suocess- hant which lie Imd th the intention of lit he was about to , its side, which did the elephant seized r, dashed him with anions, struck with lable to turn their it day they returned 1 that could be found ly literally trampled very flesh into dust. IT. liams as an incident tration of the perils ! heated with liquor, 1 of hardihood they sreat hunter of ele- Bse gigantic animals, jluck three hairs out armed, and returned ot satisfied with this I back and shoot the i-dingly; approached lot proving effective, uld reload, or make us tusks through his LANE. ^lane, an officer in a y of thQ (jv*;»kt Fisli • i f\ M •^•■1 ^m TRAGIC DEATH OF OFFICER m'cLANE. 'mmm^^'^ 698 8EA AND LAND. river with Lieutenants Moodie and Chisholm, and two brothers named Kiiigl.t. The party struck a herd of cow-elephants and each, in their eagerness to bag an animal, pursued different elephants and thus soon became separated. Shortly after their first dash Moodie was thrown from his horse and so badly beset by a wounded cow that he loudly called for assist- ance. Lieutenant Chisholm and a Hottentot responded and came up only to see their companion beneath the feet of the enraged beast, which was worrying him with her feet and trunk. The hunters tired at her an^ caused her to retreat down the river bank; reaching their unfortunate comrade, what was their surprise, when expecting to find a crushed mass of flesh, they picked him up very little the worse for his perilous adventure, as he had managed to keep his body out of the way of the animal's great feet. As Moodie, Chisholm and the Hottentot were returning to search for their brother oflicers they saw McClane racing at his topmost speed, on foot, across the plain, pursued by a large bull elephant that was a t. u By the time the elephant had spent his rage on McGane the others came up, and a shot was fired which broke the animal's left fore-leg, thus disabling him. He was now at the mercy of his foes, and speedily succumbed to f 'leir combined attack. KILLING ELEPHANTS WITH THE SWORD. The extreme perils which are encountered by every elephant-hunter, regardless of the weapon he may employ, appears to rather stimulate than discourage courageous hunters to participate in the sport. We THE WORLD ASHOBE. 899 may eas. y understand the inducements which draw the sportsman to the jungle when he is armed with the most powerful weapons de- vsed by geniuses of the nineteenth century, but not more than one- tenth of the elephants slain fall before breech-loading rifles, the other mne-ten hs be.ng killed by courageous natives who attack the giant beast with no other weapon than a spear or sword I have already referred to the manner in which 'certain tribes hunt he elephant with assegais and swords, but T must again call attention to the wonderful acts of bravery displayed by skilled Abyssinians, called aggageers -sword-hunters - since their courage, har,^hood and adrctness in the chase is phenomenal, to say the least. Sir Samuel Baker, the greatest of English sportsmen, travelled extensively in Abyssinia exploring the Nile tributaries, and it was while thus engaged he fell in with a party of aggageers whosecunning in thechase he was very anxious to see tested. Opportunity was finally offered, and he describes the hunt m which he was an observer, rather than participant, as follows: -We had ridden about a mile, and were beginning to despair, when suddenly we urned a sharp angle in the water-course, and Taher Sherrif (the chief hunter), who was leading, immediately reined in hi8 horse, and backed him toward the party. I followed his exam- pie, and we were at once concealed by the sharp bend of the river He now whispered that a bull elephant was drinking from a hole it h.id scooped m the sand, not far round the corner. Without the sl^htes confusion the hunters fell into their respective places, Taher Shemf leading, while 1 followed closely in the rear ; we were a party of seven horses. * ^ "Upon turning the corner, we at once perceived the elephant that was still drinking. It was a fine bull, the enormous ears were thrown forvvard, as the head was lowered in the act of drawin- up the water through the trunk ; these shaded the eyes, and witlfthe wind favorable, we advanced noiselessly upon the sand to within twenty yards before we were perceived. The elephant then threw up Its head, and with ears flapping forward, it raised its trunk for an instant, then slowly, but easily, ascended the steep bank and re- treated. The aggageers now halted for a min.itfi to .'nnfo. t.«„.*u.. and then followed in their original order up the crumbled bankr We were now on most unfavorable ground; the fire that had cleared the country we had hitherto traversed had been stopped by the bed of 600 SEA AND tAND. the torrent. We were thus plunged jit once into withered ovass above our heads, unless we stood in the stirrups; the ground was strewed with fragments of rocks, Mnd altogether it was ill-adapted for riding. However, Taher Sherrif broke into a trot, followed by the entire party, as the elephant was not in sight. We ascended a hill, and when near the summit, we perceived the elephant about eighty yards ahead. It was looking behind during its retreat, by swinging its huge head from side to side, and upon seeing us .ip. proach, it turned suddenly round and halted. 'Be ready, and take care of the rocks I ' said Taher Sherrif, as I rode forward by his side. Hardly had he uttered these words of caution, when the bull gave a ABYSSINIAN SWORD -HUNTERS DISTRACTING THE ELEPHANl's ATTENTION. vicious jerk of the head, and with a shrill scream, it charged down upon us with the greatest fury. Away we all went, helter skelter, through the dry grass, which whistled in my ears, over the hidden rocks at full gallop, with the elephant tearing after us, for about a hundred and eighty yards at a tremendous pace. Tetel was a sure- footed horse, and, being unshod, he never slipped upon the stones. Thus, as we all scattered in different directions, the elephant became confused, and relinquished the chase, it had been very near me at the time, and in such ground I was not sorry when it gave up the hunt. We now quickly united, and again followed the elephant, THE WORLD ASHORE. lni's attention. 601 that had once more retreated. Advaneino: at a canter w. . ., oarae in view. Unon sppmrr fi. . i e- "•- « < -mtei , we shor v . stronghold cZZa'tV^JZr "'° '"'" ''""'-•"'ely ".U.,.,;, »hich grew, tl,i„ly, a few le.fl',;!"""';:*^'?"''' '" "'» """» "f leg. It then turned bold^ ttL^r* d" J ^T''^ "' " '"""'^ bay. ^^varu-s us, and stood dotermipedly at " Now came the tuff of war I T-ilm,. qi -j- . said, 'You had better hoot fhp , '"^ '^"'^ "''"^ ^'» '"^ "'^"d difficulty in this rocly^^ou d ' .JTr^'- V"" ^'^" ^^^^'^ ^^-^ the fight as it had beenC eneer'^^ 1 ' "'^'^' ^" ^'"^' that he should endeavor to driveTh! /n . '''"''^ ' ""^^ ^ ^'^'^l^^'^^d ' Never mind.' replied T.hr' In T . , '""" ''^"""'^'^'^ S''"""^^' ..at us.' He no J advis^e^:!; ^t^"^^'^' '' ^'''^ ^^^ and look sharp fcr a charge. ^"'" ^' P^>««iWe, " The elephant stood facino- ,m i;i,„ „ . . . . n.usolc. beyond u qui,„< „nd -ll j etio "ll.e "'.r °'" " watCing „., ,ide,,. Taher Sherrif and ^ .If^^r;, 'Ji'' T''^ now separated, and each took <,,.,>osito .ide", of ,1,!. 11/ ""' ..ined each other twenty ya.ds bohi d t r ""' "'"' "'^" Taher advised me to keep a .out tt I;'^«""'P"'™d then,, until In front of the elephant weT, ''""°"'''' °" ""> '<■'' «''"k- tiio cic£iiiani; were a£ro^ao*ppr« {\\^a ^<-* ,.,u nowned Rodur Sherrif, with the wUh^ d 1 Iu7"- *'" "," "" action Kodur now rode sinwiv t„„ !i », """" '''"«'.'' '<»■ bull, who wa, ,uieti;:wt;i^ a r^o";:, trtrv: ™'"""? '"^ -neone,whondghtgiv.e,Hnrag„„dTh;r' """'' "'""" "' " Kodur Sherrif rode a bav marp tl,.,f I • l encounters, was perfect at her wo ritr"*,"'!"'"^'''"'''™' towards her wary anf,»oui;t ,,7, -.f ^ "' """'>' "'"' "Jvanced 0^ «.e eiephaut.f hr;r™^;::i: rx::^':^ -* ~„:t:::[;,:,ts,rhrw:^^ mare, who gazed intentlv at Tp f k^ " ''" ''^' '^ ^'""'"^^ ^'•«'" the moment of tuack ' ^ ^^ "'' '' ''^""^'' "«*^'"''^^ ^"^^ «'^e .. DOWN RU8HE8 THE OHAROINQ ELEPHANT -^ ::^^ rrf ' r etpt„r r^ -"■ - r^ r ■ ^•'"' •vhlf -* 'u «^i«pnanc. ±"or an in«ti>nt T ^"w fK- '>{iitc ui Che eye nearest to me : « Look onf Ti.A i exclaimed. With a shrill . .^ . ' '^"'" ' ^'^^ coming I' I auavalanohe. '"'"' ^^« «M^-t admire the most, wliether the coolness and <*oura at an elephant, without waiting to determine the result, and cited not a few occasions in which the wounded beast rushed forward and was standing in the very smoke of the gun when next seen. ^ means of testing the question thus raised was socn offered for, though Green protested against the Professor placing Jiimself in such imminent peril, which was little short of suicide, tb^ naturalist wns none the less eager to prove the correctness of his theory. Two days after the dispute was begun, the party, consisting of Green and brother. Chapman and Wahlberg, came upon a herd in which thoro were four bulls anf six cows, all the latter having calves. As the aninnils were browcaig near the edge of a junglethey were approached without trouble, the men having all dismounted and tied their horses some distance from the brutes. Green still continued to warn Wahl- berg, and insisted on taking the lead himself, in order to prevent, if possible, an experiment which he felt certain must result in his friend's death. As the party approached within firing distance Green shot at the largest bull, but did not succeed in bringing him down. Wahll)erir now rushed towards the bull and fired at his left shoulder, but his shot produced no other effect, apparently, than to further enrage the already unfuriated beast. The other elephants made off through TIIK WOULD ASIIOKE. 005 the Jungle, but the wounded IimII t(w,„.,u •. cm,il«t. All »,,vo VV-.hl'.o,-,r .„ r ' ; <=l'"lli'ngi„:; Ins f,„.« |„ ;-'!■--- "::^;z:; :;;:;-;:':^!— -f:"^'^ for l,„ l,fo. I„ „„„t|,„, „„„„„„j el,.phu„t;.u,„ ■■"" staiidins •' like u rock " „l,„„t i„, "'*'""-"" " Mlmg, „l,o was i„ a u.ic„ ti,e hu;t,»t t: ; /;;;t t;;;k ''::?f •"' '^^^-'"'^^ 8|,c«(,„0o, Groen and Cl,ap„,,u, rclm- ,p,1 r," T .H""-'*-"! <>y tl„, l*»"t right and left, wherTu 1 , I7o 1 ..^T ^- ™'' """ "' "'" <"'- «f«.enat„raii.. wi.en' 1 1: ;:.ir;:::i ^^z L^i;;J:: J'''"-' only a .ekening spectaolo „f er„»hod bono, and leod "Z "•" wind, not a trace of life rcnn.ined. Ho bad settled .h„? f ', '" l....e, but i„ .o doing »oie„e„ b.t one o, It, aM^'tl:!^:'"' '" '"- Africa, or, indeed!. e"evtr'"" "'•"''" °' ^^^"'™' are the olepbant a ,d rb Ito, T ,c Htio ""'' ''-f'"" "' """™''''' i.lity before n,an, but in bi. »u ^ n„I I bde ";,'"; ,"'; •^'■"""- ""'■ i« battle witb the elepbant a.fdmte a, f ,f "'"'"" ""'"S''S'' ImJIy adversary as be L hin,se f he et «» f.-e„„e„tly vanquishes his pencil upon which has the Li epo,,!::;, 7 "''■';"'"'' ''''- p.-..vided in this respect the contest sZ,',. ho t'; tlf b," "!" tunc» the rhinoceros is found almost dest lute o( t1 L Tb . ^' perhaps, to natural causes, usually bis d "ositio I te ""' '''"'■ trees, excited by a parasite that Lquen V ,t s ,is no2|""™i' causes him great pain A^e ..l«n .ff /;^''"'^« ''^^ no^tnls and which beconres woi-n o ^^ ' s J t fah" "T" "' "" """'' The elephant, however, is ha dW less ort ..^ff " "' "r"''""- find him illy provided Ji.l, . i , '"""""'O' f'"' sou,etin,es we bavin, brkeitbemlff J- """ "' ""'"" *""' "" '"■'''^ "' "". opportu,;, ; off s Sho, m7, "i'^K '"■'' ""'"• ""<■ »"■"=« "'--<'' V nity offle.s. Should the elephant succeed in catching his ad- 606 SEA AND LAND. versary in the side ho quickly impulos him with his terrible tusks and U invariiihly victoriouH ; but so great an advantage is uncoiiiuioii. Most generally the rhinoeeros is .struck about the shoulders, and it often hiippcns that his thick hide deflects the thrust, when he rusJUK ou and plunges his horn either into his antagonist's abdomen or rip« COMBAT BETWKEN AN ELEPHANT ANU RHINOCEROS. his legs or breast. If the elephant turns to retreat he is certainly doomed, for then the rhinoceros attacks him in the rear or side and invariiibly tears liUVi Witu uis horn, nor c-r-;;re3 to piy this icari-- weapon until the elephant is torn and gashed into an almost un- recognizable mass. THE WORLD ASHORE. 607 MOCEROS. CHAPTER XXX. THE RHINOCEROS. •^ po»,os»os a wo„dc.rf„l annature i„ the uh„o.st i„vu „„n,ble o„„t >v,th which nature clothe, hi,,,, while his weapon i» so forn id oU ll.at no .east of hi, wild h„„,e ean stand against 'hi,„. Tl Zpt ,s an aeknowledged sn|....n„,. I,v reason of hi. ponderous hnik a,"d majestie uwe-,n«|„r,ng appearanee, as well as for the gieat sa^aeitv 1,0 „,„„,fes,s B„t if the king of ani„,„|s should he ehl, f rTt^ „ost for,„,dable of beasts, ,i,e„ the e,own „„st snroly be worn In ,1,0 rinnooe,™ It „,,t „,frequen,ly happens that the mlgUiy Titans of th forest, the elephant and ,-hinooe,os, beeo.ne engaged in terrib lo .hsputes when the wond,.rful weapons with whieh tlfey^re endowed »,e w,eded wth an effect positively frightful to witness. The lephan thrusts w.th h,» tusks and atten.pts to t,amplc, but the thick ^,do of the r„„oee,.os is fai,ly in,pervious to even thes^ great pikes u„d ben,g ex rcnely active (or his i„,n,enso size, the rhinoceros a tacks' In antago,„st f,o,„ beneath, and disen,bowels him with the dispa ch wMh wh.ch a spo,ts,„a„ splits a fish. Of course, the contestant „ wh,ch I refer ,s the h„ge, blaci .inocoros of A rica or ndi t e .ceo antoc-at of the jungle, and not the small, white spec! si h reams the forests with his gigant ic congeners. D,FFERE«T 8PE0,ES AND WHERE FOUND. The rh,noce,-os is peculiar to m,.ny counfies, including Ben,ral S.am Ceylon, China, Java, Sun,a„-a and Afric,. But there T a br.,ad d,stmct,o„ between those of Asia and of Africa. In the fcmer hcs ,„ fo ds, or creased, so as to somewhat resemble the large folds of the aihgator. They have also only one horn, except the Java and ~ ■' ■'"^' =S-'"=J' "ian, neither are they numerous. mZ^f Tr "';*™°«-' -■« known to exist in South Af„ca, hvo of wh.ch a,e of a dark color, and two of a whitish hue. II u 608 SEA ANI> LAND. Hence, they are usually designated as the •♦black" and "white" rhinf)cei()8. One of the two species of '* black " — the Borle^ as it j.s most commonly called — is the small, one-horned rhinoceros. The other — best known by the name ^ei7/oa — is the large, two-honud animal, not only larger but much fiercer than the former. Both species, however, are extremely fierce and, excepting the buffalo, arc perhaps the most dangerous of all beasts in Southern Africa. Of the white species we have the Kohoaba, or long-hoincd wliiio rhinoceros. It is with regard to their horns that the two species ''.hiedy differ from each other, for whilst the anterior horn of the one, called monoohoo by the Bechuanas, has an average length of two or three feet, curving backwards, that of the koboaba not unfreqiiontiv exceeds four feet, and inclines forward from the snout at an aiiHc of nearly forty-five degrees. The black and the whi^te rhin(»ceros, though nearly allied to each other, differ widely in their mode of living and habits. The iliiof sustenance of the former consists of the roots of certain bushivs, which it plows up with its strong horn, and the shoots and tender boughs of the " wait-a-bit " thorn ; whilst the white rhinoceros feeds solely on grasses. In disposition, also, there is a marked distinction between them ; the blaiik is of a very savage nature, while the while, on the other hand, is of a comparatively mild disposition; and, un- less in defense of its young, or when hotly pursued or. wounded, will rarely attack a man. The horn of the rhinoceros is thq most curious feature, not only in appearance, but structure as well. The substance of which it is composed is not horn, but a mass of fine longitudinal threads re sembling hair, attached not to the skull, but to a bony protuberance above the nostrils. It is believed by many, that when the animal is at re>it, the so-called horns are soft and pliable, but when t)n lliu move they at once becotno hard and solid ; moreover, that it can, at will, turn the posterior horn, the anterior one remaining mean- while firm and erect. But this is merely an asisertion without any re- liable proof , therefore improbable. In former days the horn was sup- posed to bear an antipathy to poison, and to cause effervescence whenever liquid i)oison was poured upon it. Goblets were therefore cut from this ninterin!, aisd when. gorg<>o!!s!y jnounted in gold am! piecious stoiiet!, were employed by Eastern monarchs as a ready means for detecting any attempt to administer a deadly drug. The 5^ WORLD ASHORE. IvufBr-s make knob-keriies. or knoh h a a . the, u,o t„ kil, bi,d,„d ,„ ,f "te :t !""•?' °'*'«' '■»™. Which flict.. Ramrods «.e al,,o made of the ." " '" '"»'"' -f-hand co„. po»e they a,e better tl,a„ wood „r%teel ""'*"''"' '"'' "'""'' P"' In si^e, the African rhinoceros- the whit„ • ""'y """'de-i l-y the elephant A fnU '"""^'' "* '""^t- is Ihe snont to the extremity of the tail/Xr" "."''' '"*''''"'^' ft-"™ tween fourteen and sixteen feet and a I ." "'"'"' '"" ^'^'") "«- feet, while the weight is mobabt r.'°""" "' '<'" '" '"«'>« pounds. '"°''»'''y f™™ four to five thousand The .e„e,,,l * """""="" <=""»" * WAOOH. tne general appearance of tho it,.:,. lilce a shorn hog, f„r it i, ,„;,., d*! 1] f ',"««'™ '" somewhat ircnely small, so that at a con^^att tilt ? ^'J'- ^''"' "''' ■"-' »" perceptible. Altogether. whaTwUh hi ,/ ", f"""" "'^^ ■"■« '■»- "»Sainly legs „„d /eet, t, ulintbe „ "d 7 ;"■ ""'"'"'P''" '■«»<>. the rhinoceros is the very ima°e of '"^ *"'"■"'"" -■g'""'"* vision, to the great longevity of^t "aCfl ,f ' f ■.,'^™''^ '"^•""'""^ l-o'-te i. attains has not be^. My d "mi d"'"V,rf '•«"-«-= '« ""ich tired years, however, is a wdl e'tlwfehed J^ " ""'""'' "™ '""'- wJe::?etn;i:i:i^:;:;Vi:,r?';'V"'^""'' "> *"« •""p'^-.t. .ni»chief. It is on reco"d t Jt ' ''"' '""'^^'' " '"d" 'ar greater p;.tngai,sentt„,he;: ;;„ 1 ;:;:r;rt''"\'="'"""«''^'"«^^^^ »f fury, to which these ani.naU sC 1! , ' ^'=''™^''d-i" a paroxysm ve«cl in winch he w.« heStZZlT' ''"^'''^''''y ^"'-J-W-the ««rc drowned. Mr. Ban,, : t " Xf c' ",?''"' '"^"'■Ij' »'' the crew u.«dc„t to show the extr ; ^*^;rv trv , '''""''■ '""> ""''"^ "» «ml. He says: "'^ '"'■>' "'"^ P°wer of this mighty anj. to l-e allowed to go in s^: '„ " ,f "elT"' TP l'" 'T:" '••""'^"'»<' ""I)- reserving a native to assist M,„Tn T t .'^ ^ "''"'''y Sauted. ""■• "'«..l. While we were tl „ ' ,° T '= "■" "'" "'"' P'-'P'""'? i%'."nd,on looking The 2/ ^^"^1. *"'"'""' "h""""? "nd fi,! di-over,.d,toourhor,.^r arh r "''T "" "™- P™«««led, .«P cf h,s ...peed. O : ;,; 'e : 7; '■""'"*' ""•■■"'"'^' »* - "' ""> "ktchwehurnedly «„„g onrselv" aJT" "T """ ""^'""' '""> Aoald seek refuge, for the , 0x1^.; ,1 ""' '"*^'' ''"'« """ "« ^^ 5 . the „„,t instant the cnraped brul, struck his 610 SEA AND LAND. horn into the bottom boards with such force as to push the wagon several paces forward, although it was standing in very heavy sand. Most providentially, he attacked the vehicle from behind, for, if he had struck it on the side, he could hardly have failed to upset it, ])()n- derous as it was. From the wagon he made a dash at the fire, over- turning the pot we had placed along-side it, :uk1 scattering the burning brands in every direc- tion. Then, with- out doing further damage, lie pro- ceeded on his wild career. Unfor- tunately, the men had taken with them all t lie guiKs, otherwise,! might easily have shot him dead on the spot. The Da- mar a, howevci, threw hid assegai at him, but the soft iron bent like A RHINOCEROS AITACKING A WAGON. a reed against his thick, tough and almost impenetrable bide." Ungainly and heavy as the rhinoceros looks, it is, nevertheless, so exceedirigly swift of foot, particubuly the black species, "that a horse with a rider," to quote the words of Gordon (>.nnming-. "can rarely manage to overtake it." The testimony of Captain Harris is to the like effect; for, when speaking of the chase of tliis uninwl, to push the wagon 1 very heavy sand. 1 behind, for, if ho had struck it on the side, he could hardly have failed to upset it, })()n- derous as it was. From the wagon he made a. dash at the fire, over- turning the pot we had placed along-side it, suul scattering the burning brands in every direc- tion. Then, with- out doing fnrther damage, lie pro- ceeded on his wild career. Unfor- tuniiteiy,thenieii had taken with them all the guns, otherwise,! might easily have shot him dead on the spot. The Da- mar a, howevei, threw his nssegai at him, but the soft iron bent like [npenetrable hide." ; is, nevertheless, so *k species, "that a on (humming, "fan •f Captain Harris is lUse of tliis aninwlj THE WORLD ASHORE. 611 and after telling us that it is most dilBcult to kJli i. breeding habits exceDt th,. » , 1 "*"" '" *•« ^nown of its .fte,. the latt'er hal ^e.n m:^^' :,lt-Z>:iT ^7 .T *"» carcass. irequentJy found beside the position o, his eyes - w.; ottVdeersZlrt !"'" 'Il" "''"''"' boms, he cannot see what is directly bl 1 h '"""'T^"'' '"» '""-ge of Vision extend ™„ch behind Il^^^l^ ti^IdT '"^ "'' """' Seen in z ^^inS::;^::z:T"' "'•■"°°"°'- Hstlessly sauntering about a p son tonldT^'-f /' "' '''"""'• "' nocerosasthe most stupid and !^^/ be apt to regard the rhi- bis ire is aroused, h-- ' "o Is he ef " »/. "features , yet, when and terrible of bl ™™' "'"' '^ ">™ ""e raost agile o.' those whopassedi:r;::at„ s"'''r:;,fr::r"'" r'''^' an attack made by this animal unon „ ">« ""cumstances of were not after such game He s^'s .%:7„Z hT"™"' """ troops cantoned at Dunauore ne fp . ™ belonging to the Mongbyr, to shoot and h'u t." They td 'e?'" T "■f"'"'""^-" Uenzapore, and had heard somf'™™! 7'' ,'"''''' ''"'"'^ <"' .ttackedsometravelerssevera ZlesoT One " """""^ '"'"''« were rising, about dav-break ' """* ™- ^ne mornmg, ust as Ihey Violent upr;ar, and ^n'h^t'i g f:;",^::,;' ;' f --'Kv heard I goring their horses,both of which boh.' f? """' » [bmoeeros was heels with rone- ,v„v. „„ .' ^ fastened by their heads, and «va„ts tXto tl r heera'd^ ^ """",'"'" '*'='"'<' " '•'=™'- ^heir '""■ingjuuHe andtL !, T"'"'*'' """"delves in the neigh- tree n , f r d|st".t bef^ bT """ ''"' '""" '" "''""> '"'« « -»" a y a?he „s„. 7"f,' "'"' '"^ "'' '""'"^ '^«'"Pt f^om dau<.er! Pe Wily «s be assumed a threatening appea.,nce, and seem,d in^n iS! f #5, 612 SEA AND LAND. on their downfall. After keeping them in dreadful suspense for some time, and using many efforts to dislodge them, seeing the sun rise, he retreated to his haunt, not, however, without occasionally casting an eye back, as with regret, at leaving what he wanted the power to destroy." FIOHT BETWEEN FOUR BULL RHINOOERt. The rhinoceros is not alone dangerous to man ; all the beasts of the forest dread him, and i^ ne venture to attack this formidable monster. The lion, if he chances to meet a rhinoceros, slinks out of his way, not daring i^ suffer a near approach. The elephant, too, should they encounter, retreats, if possible, without hazarding an engagement. A BATTLE OF GIANTS. Major Lally described to the author of '* Oriental Sports " a desper- ate battle, which he once witnessed from a neighboring hill, between a large male elephant and a rhinoceros. The combat was fierce beyond description, the huge animals contesting with a power that fairly shook the woods, and tearing up more than an acre of ground like a steam plow. The fight at length terminated in favor of the rhi- noceros, who put his great antagonist to rout covered with frightful gashes vthich must have shortly afterwards proved fatal. The rill noceros hoc oiiiy iin-a»ur-oa BMcugin ttjiq any tuu..-' -- forest, but will even court a combat with his own species, particularly during certain eeftsoos whea ht appears to be in an irritjibje inood, 'rHE WORLD ASHORE. 613 irts" a desper- r ttiilts • —^~ Andersson says: .. 0„e „,ght, when at the sfcarm, I saw four huge beasts engage each other at the same tin.e, and so furious was Z s rife and th.n- gruntings so horrible, that it caused the gr ^test co„ sternat.™ a.nougst my party, who were encamped a little way off i suceeded, after a wh.le, in killing two of them, one of whlh wa actually unfit for food, being literally covered with wounds received " previous occasions, and probably under similar circumstances.' > HUNTING THE RHINOCEROS The rhinoceros is a favorite game with African sportsmen, not- withstanding its ferocious disposition and the difBculty in kill!, .. One of the most generally approved plans is to staik the a-iimll eitner when feeding or reposing. If the hunter keeps well ^nUe tte wind, and there be the least cover, he will havi no difficulty t .ppioachmg the beast within an easy range when, if the ball i, IZ directed, the prey ,s usually killed on the spot. With proper preean- tion this kmd of sport may be conducted without greatly endai gerh". a person's safety. vtaiij^cmi^ But the least dangerous and most convenient way of destroying this n.ma ,s to shoot h.m from the skurm as he comes to the po!,l to quench h,s thirst. -In this manner," says Andersson, -I have ki led many scores of rhinoceri." Occasionally the animal is taken in p t- alls which are coiistructed in pretty much the same n.anner as those for the capture of the elephant and r.ther large game. DESPERATE SITUATION OF MR. OSWALL The rhinoceros is not often hunted on horseback, chiefly because tkhrdf'n "v""" "" '"'' "^""''''^ veryditBculttocomeup V th and follow h.m -to say nothing of the danger attendant on sucL urse Many a hunter, indeed, has thereby endangered his life. In !;:s;Vdt hlmr^^"" ^"^^^^^'^ ^o-owing harrowing incident, as -Once, as I was returning from an elephant chase,' said Mr. Oswall,m conversation with me one day, a observed a huge white lumtei -the best Ui.d fleetest steed that I ever possessed durin<. mv shooting excursions in Africa -at that time; but it was a rule^viti, me^iever to pursue a rhinoceros on horsel.ack, simply because this anh.u. is so much more easily approached and killed on foot. On his occasion, however, it seemed as if fate had interfered. Turnin«. to my after-nder, I called out : « By heaven, that fellow has a fine 1 ' 'm 614 SEA AND LAND. horn 1 I will have a shot at him.' With thnt I clapped spurs to my horse, who soon brought me alongside the huge beast, and the next instant I lodged a ball in his body, but, as it turned out, not witli deadly effect. On receiving my shot, the rhinoceros, to my givat surprise, instead of seeking safety in flight, as is the habit of this jrcn- erally inoffensive animal, suddenly stopped short, then turned sharply round, and, having eyed me most curiously for a second or two, walked slowly towards me. I never dreamt of danger. Nevertheless, I instinctively turned my horse's head away ; but, strange to say, this creature, usually so docile and gentle — which the slightest touch of the reins would be sufficient to guide — now absolutely refused to give me his head. When, at last, he did so it Avas too late ; for, not- withstanding the rhinoceros had only been walking, the distance between us was so inconsiderable, that by this time I clearly saw con- tact was unavoidable. Indeed, in another moment, I observed tho brute bend low his head, ahd, with a thrust upwards, struck his horn into tue ribs of the horse with such force as to penetrate to the very saddle on the opposite side, where I felt its sharp point against my le*'. The violence of the blow was so tremendous as to cause the horse to make a complete somersault in the air, coming heavily down on his back. With regard to myself, I was, as a matter of course, violently precipitated to the ground. Whilst .hus proghatcd, I actually saw the horn of the infuriated brute along-side of nie ; but, seemingly satisfied with his revenge, without attempting to do further mischief, he started off at a canter from the scene of action. My after-rider having by this time come up, I rushed upon him, and, almost pulling him off the horse, leaped into the saddle, and without a hat and my face streaming with blood, was quickly in pursuit of the retreatin«y beast, which I soon had the satisfaction of seeing stretched lifeless at my feet. «« « My friend, Captain Vardon, by whom I was accompanied on this journey, soon after joined me, and seeing my head and face covered with blood, at first imagined me to be mortally Avounded or dying. However, with the exception of a blow on the skull, occasioned by the stirrup-iron, which laid my head open a few inches, I received no further injury. But the horse was killed on the spot.' " 08WALL BADt-Y WOUNDED BY A RHiNOOEROS. The good fortune which attended Mr. Oswall in the adventure just related entirely deserted him upon an occasion somewhat iimilar, clapped spurs to mv e beast, and the mxt turned out, not ^itli noceros, to my jrroiit <^he habit of this ffcMi- •t, then turned sharply for a second or two, hunger. Nevertheless, but, strange to say, eh the slightest touch absolutely refused to ras too late ; for, not- iralking, the distance me I clearly saw con- ment, I observed tht* rards, struck his horn penetrate to the very larp point against my ndous as to cause the coming heavily down a matter of coui'se, t -hus prosh-atod, I ong-side of me ; but, 3mpting to do further (cene of action. My ished upon him, and, e saddle, and without ickly in pursuit of the 3n of seeing stretched 3 accompanied on this lead and face covered ly wounded or dying. skull, occasioned by inches, I received no J spot.' " in the adventure just m somewhat gimilar, 4 ^|. 'f. » 'i- M. ir>\ 616 SE* AND LAND. which occurred soon after. Rehitinij this story, at the same time, to Mr. Andersson, who records it, Oswull says : "•On another occasion, as I wiis bending my steps towards my camp on foot, I espied, at no great distance, two rhinoceri of the species keitloa. They were feeding and slowly approaching me. I immediately crouched and quietly waited their arrival; but,thousrh they soon came within range, from their constantly facing me I was unable to fire, well knowing the uselessncss of a shot at the head. In a short time they had approached so close that, on account of the exposed nature of the ground, I could neither retreat nor advance, and my situation became highly critical. I was afraid to fire, for, had I even succeeded in killing one, the other would, in all likelihood, have run over and trampled me to death. In this dilemma the tht)ught struck me, that on account of theirbad si^ht I might possibly save myself by trying to run pu.st them. No time was to be lost; and accordingly, just as the leading animal almost touched me, I st )od up and dashed past it. The brute was, however, much too quick for me, and before I had made good many paces, I heard a violent snort- ing at my heels ; and had only time to fire my gun at random into his head, when I felt myself impaled on his horn. '♦ * The shock stunned me completely. The fin ': return to conscious- ness was, I recollect, finding myself seated on one of my ponies, and a Caffre leading it. I had an indistinct notion of having been hunt- ing; and, on observing the man, I asked quickly v/hy he was not following the animal, when he mumbled something to the effect that it was gone. «* ■ """"Sh ">e brnte; for, thon'gh I have Ww„ a!L '■•""•"» '•'""'I be netr the a hundred,ard.,'it is .„ l^Z^::'ZZ: I '^^ !.' f "'"«"'='' <" or forty paces one cannot make sure of t^ethot TT ll T".'""'' seances a double charge of nowder i. J '. '''°'- Under all circum- t™-««ras lead and o^JSZ^:^^^^^ " """- »"«'« "f thron^tthetr '„7t;: t:zrz!r """" '-^ ^°*- « •»" instantaneous death. F „m the vet r? T °°''^'" '° ""''" ■""■<"» great thickness of the hide on tU Zr" j^ ''"''T'" ""' '"'"'' *>■« the smallness of the brain a shot i*^^ th . T'""" "' ""^ •">"•"■<" fatal. The same n,ay b::;id of leYrtlst f' "'''^™'- P^'es AndTrTor th\";rt''h:rT """ t ''"°" — "- .Weri during theC eT^; T'tra elTsot^rAf"'"'^ T'^ considering the fact that these were sWn whil. K ""'' "'''''''• otherga,„e, furnishes an idea of tL 1, t if ,7 /.u"' '" '"""''' "' region. It i, not strange therefor! ZH I' "' *'" ""'""«' '» ">«* able adventures jeopardizi 1 hfr^; ''"" !'"'"«'W -eetwith remark- "hair-breadth es^ap'es " L'" ' tt ",■; T'"' ""^ "'"'"^ «""«<• .cords none are J,re thril,t7tha. t Jf^W^^^^^^^^ "''"' '" a..d oX,ar:rt*:' t-pir'^ ^"^'™-^ '- ™^ ^'^-. reverie was interrupted bvJh!'- \ P"""™'J™ «eene before n,e, ray noceroa. He wasT deX n r,^'™"''--/™'-^ of a black rhi' amongst the trees intolr^ope gro„::T„ "'' "?,^ ^"""^^-^ '«>■» ;:«ing a^nd everythin/If re;^:^:^:^!^'^.!'',"^- -ivablefW. Zwastlr^XreZt^Ti:^^^^^^^^^^ 618 SEA AND LAND. owing to tho openness of the ground and the quantity of lime- stone thereabouts, which made objects more distinct, he was not easy to approach. However, after divesting myself of my shoes, and all the more conspicuous parts of my dress, I managed to crawl — push- ing my gun before me — to within a short distance of the snorting beast. As he was advancing in a direct line toward me, I did not like to tire, because one has little chance of killing the rhinoceros when in that position. Having approached within a few feet of nie, his attention was attracted, and suddenly uttering one of those sirange •blowing* noises, so peculiar to the beast when alarmed or enrafrtd, he prepared to treat me in a similar manner to the stones and skulls he had just so mercilessly tossed about. Not a moment was to he lost; and, in self-defense, I fired at his head. I shall never forget the confusion of liie animal on receiving the contents of n)y gun. Springing nearly perpendicularly into the air, and to the height of several feet, he came dowi^ again with a thump that seemed to make the earth tremble — then violently plunging forward (in doing which he all but trampled me), he ran round and round the spot for fully five minutes, enveloping every object in a cloud of dust. At last he dashed into the wood and was hidden from view. Not finding l)loocl on his tracks, I had no reason to suppose that he was much hurt. My notion is, the bullet struck his horn, partially stunning him with its jarring vii)lence. Had my gun missed fire when he charged, it is more than probable I would have been impaled." A dTILL MORE REMARKABLE ESCAPE. «* Having on a certain night," says Andersson, " stalked to within a few pacef of a huge white rhinoceros (a female as it proved), I put a ball in her shoulder ; but it nearly cost me dear, for, guided by the flash of the gun, she rushed upon me with such fury that I had only time to throw myself on my back, in which position I remained mo- tionless. This saved my life, for, not observing me, she came to a sudden halt just as her feet were about to crush my body. She was so near to me that I felt the saliva from her mouth trickle on my face. I was in an agony of suspense, though, happily, only for a moment ; for, having imi)atiently sniffed the air, she wheeled about and made off at her utmost speed. I then saw, for the first time, that her calf was in company, and at once recognized the pair as old acquaintances, and as especially vicious animals." lffr:W:^ ) quantity of llmo- ict, he was not oasy tf my shoes, anJ all ed to crawl — push- ice of the snortiusr •ward luc, I did not ling the rhinoceros n a few feet of iiic, ano of those siraiifre ilarnied or enranfcii, le stones and skulls moment was to be [ shall never forget mtoiits of my gun. id to the hoiirlit of lat seemed to make ird (in doing which i the spot for fully if dust. At last he Not finding blood A^as much hurt. My unninfij him with its n he charged, it is , *♦ stalked to within as it proved), I put , for, guided by the ury that I had only ion I remained nio- ^ me, she came to a ny body. She was outh trickle on my lappily, only for a , she wheeled about for the first time, iognized the pair as THE WORLD ASHORE. 619 It IS related by re iable travelers thnf «» . ,uas shot a .hLcoro/a Tw U „:;ZT",'''' ''™° '^'''"''■ killi,.git on tho spot. I„,„.i„,„™that Z 1 * '"''' "PP'"-''"'IJ' of tho hunters. Z spirit «fC:vado ^utod „"; ori'd '° f ""•."'"' self astrido the huge body, pl„„g„d h s k, o into i Th "'"'"S''""- eve. had only Been stunned. a.Td heing hL^Lt t Z:::::^^ PERILOUS RIDE OF A NAMAQUA. thrust of the steel, jumped up and started off at full speed ThJ« « tion was so nstantaneous th-if fi,^ ^ u j '^''/"'^ speed. Ihisac- t,™.i.r, Zl^'T *'i: P^""^' presenting a scene at once comical and howe";; tosL'.r"''"''*'"" ''''''^^^" P"^'«»'^' -''^^cely hoping, i-^^mlltZlM^rT ^--^^"o^tful death. Good'fo?: not abandon him m this sera extremity, for after running a - J •"I ^ 1 ''it ' : 'ti '' ^^ii_L^!OL 610 SfiA AND LAND. short distance the rhinoceros stopped short, being now well spc^nt l»v reason of the mortal wound he hud received, und tstood still until tho hunters came up nnd fired another bull into liiu body, which ended its career. The ri(hi was so frenzied with fear that he made no atteuipt to leap from the rhinoceros when it came to a halt, but maiutuiiud his seat until the aniina! dropped dead. OHARQED AND LACERATED BY A RHINOCEROS. In the preceding pages I quoted from Mr. Andersson's " Lake Ngami " an .•• count which hega\cof his marvelouH escape fioni a huge bull-elephant that so nearly trampled on him that he hud to scramble from between its legs. On the same night that this adven- ture befell him he passed through a yet more thrilling experience, which he relates as follows: " Whilst pondering over my lato wonderful escape, I observed at a little distance a huge white rhinoceros protrude his ponderous jiikI misshapen head through the bushes, and presently afterwards lu ap- proached to within a dozen paces of my ambuscade. His bn idsidc was then fully exposed to view, and, notwithstanding I still felt a lit- tle nervous from my conflict with the elephant, I lost no time in tir- ing. The beast did not at once fall to the ground, but from a{)peai- ances I had every reason to believe he would not live long. '* Scarcely had I reloaded when a black rhinoceros of the spocios keitloa (a female as it proved), stood drinking at the water; but her position, as with the elephant in the first instance, was unfavoralijo foi a good shot. As, however, she was very near me, I thought 1 was pretty sure of breaking her leg, and thereby disabling her, ami in this I succeeded. My tire seemed to madden her; she rushed wildly forward on three legs, when I gave her a second shot, though apparently with little or no effect. I felt sorry at not being able td end her sufferings at once ; but as 1 was too well acquainted with the habits of the rhinoceros to venture on pursuing her under the circum- stances, I determined to wait patiently for daylight, and to destroy her with the aid of my dogs. But it was not to be. ♦' As no more elephants or other large game appeared, I thought after a time it might be well to go in search for the white rhinocerosi, previously wounded, and I was not long finding her carcass; for my ball, as I supposed, had caused almost immediate death. ♦' In heading back to my skarm I accidentally took a turn in the di- rection pursued by the black rhinoceros, and by ill luck, as the even ing now well Hp(Mit liv id stood .still until tlii? body, which ended its at ho mude no utteuipt halt, but tnaiutuiiu'd <00ERO8. AndersHon's " Luke velouw escape from a 1 him that he hnd to night that this advcii- thrilling exporit'iicc, iscape, I observed at a le his ponderous and itly afterwards In a|)- cade. His bn .dsjdc nding I .still felt a lit- , I lost no time in fir- md, but from aijpeai- »t live long, loceros of the spocies at the water ; hut her nee, was unfavorahle near me, I thought 1 by disabling her, and den her; she rushed I second shot, though ' at not being able to II acquainted with the her under the circum- light, and to destroy I be. J appeared, I thought the white rhinoceros, her carcass ; for my te death. took a turn in the di- ' ill luck, as the even THE WORLD ASHORE. proved, at once encountered hor. Sh en l"-tion, as I.ef<,..e, .as still unfa^^^:''!;;;;,-;: 'f^' ^"^ '^^ uwie. Mopnig, liowever, to %, make her ch id fl »t once, I took ange it for a bett u ei', and thus en.i[)le me to destroy her \i a stone anc} hurled ,t ftt he !• with all m^ force; 622 SEA AND LAND. when, snorting horridly and erecting her tail, keeping her head close to the ground, and raising clouds of dust by her feet, she rushed at mo with fearful fury. I had only just time to load my rifle and fire bo- fore she was upon me, and the next instant, while instinctively turn- ing round for the purpose of retreating, she laid me prostrate. The shock was so violent as to send my I'ifle, powder-flask and ball-pouch, as also my cap, spinning in the air; the gun, indeed, as afterwards ascertained, to a distance of fully ten feet. On the beast charjrin«>- me it crossed my mind that, unless gored by the horn,. her iinpotus would be such (after knocking me down, which I took for granted would be the case) as to carry her beyonc^ me, and I might thus bo afforded a clnuute of escape. So, ii 'cod, it hai)pened ; for, haviii;.« a.a. ,.«.. u' • :: ::„::;: ;r :r: ,;;:* '•'"-" '"^''™ ^ "About sunrise, Kamapvu, mv Jnlf rLJ \ vinccd iiini I was not joliino-. ^ g'l^'ied tliigh soon con- " I afterwards dlvortt.tl in't.. * i. i .cud, of ,ho wo.tc ed i- CO . : "':■: "' "'" """^ """ ""--" in distress. Striivino- niv l.-.n,? . • , "'"'*^'' ^'""' I J'eard a crv of two or three hundml vanls ■, J^,„. '■ i , ^ '""' P'"™eded ^1.^11 vividly ren,e„,l,o; , ;„ ,t ,r ""^'^ "'■^•■:'""«' ''-If "-t I .im.oocms and the you,,.- »,-,vL. „ f * <"1'<"-. «tood tlio tin... I..g,s e„ve,.ed with 1,h di:,'., .m? ::: """"';r''"": '"•'■^■■■" "" f««-iou3 .oanne,-, the hitto,' o.iHK u /"" '"*'' '" "'" n'"»t itwe,c_„.d riveted „ te^r "" '';"-""""■'""""'• "» "f the rhinoee,.,, «pn„,ite •!, T, ' 7'""^' ^'"'■'f"'-o< U, ,he si.le lbi> l)east ehaiwd wihllv ,o 1 ,1 f m ''' "'"' «'«'. "n "Ineh Wl.il»Uhowa.,ku.,„c' id 1 •""'"" ""' '"^"'"■' "''i-»- »li« would never f.,|| T ' T '" "''"' "'"^'•»'"'M".t tliought '^".."..Mva, over, I^v^lke,.„ :•,•''■;■ *'""' "«""'-.»-<} that all "■« .7" of ..ajin, th:",i;':t:"::t :::;■:!: ::.":■■' """ r '- ""/' <(e grace, when, to my h„r,v„- If '" «"'" '""' "'" T»ki..« a harried aim I null 17 h '"""' ''"«' '"' '»'• l"g»- -"■ ««= bea,t i„ full p, ,. i '.Ph! ''™T' "'"' '"*""'^ '■«'™"^<'. f"r, ia»ta, I threw .n^lf i - ■'"r' "™™''' ""■' " ^ '"« "no : '■«t, so uear me," iadee; hat 1 1 T,", ' '"''"'' ""' '"" '''"-^ '" '"y iik of my rifle ' IZit! ' '"""' •"""'"■'' ''^'- "i"' 'l>e n,"^- y "He . Another moment aud I should ,,r„bal,ly have bee,, .♦ "51 f m |u, 624 8EA AND LAND. impaled on her murderous horn, which, though short, was sharp as a razor." A THRILLINQLY EXOITINQ RHINOCEROS HUNT. lu a previous chapter I reproduced Sir Samuel Baker's defscripilon of the manner in which the aggageers (Abyssinian sword-hunters) killed a huge bull-elephant ; I have now to introduce these famously courageous sportsmen again as hunters of the rhinoceros, quoting from Baker the following thrilling description of a chase after two fierce animals : *' We were thus leisurely returning home through alternate plains and low, open forests of mimosa, when Taher Sherrif , who was lead- ing the party, suddenly reined up his horse and pointed to a thick bush, beneath which was a large gray, but shapeless, mass. Hi- whispered, as I drew near, ' Oomgurrin ' (mother of the horn), their name for the rhinoceros. I immediately dismounted, and with the short No. lOTotham rifle, | advanced as near as I could, followed bv Suleiman, as I had sent all my gun-bearers direct home by the river when we had commenced this circalt. As I drew near, I discovered two rhinoceri asleep beneath a thick mass of bushes ; they were lyiiiir like pigs, close together, so that at a distance I had been unable to distinguish any exact form. It was an awkward place, for if I were to take the wind fairly, I should have to fire through the thick bush, which would be useless ; therefore, I was compelled to advance with the wind direct from me to them. The aggageers remained about a hundred yards distant, while I told Suleiman to return and hold my horse in readiness with his own. I then walked quietly to within about thirty yards of the rhinoceri, but so curiously were they lying that it was useless to attempt a shot. In their happy dreams they must have been suddenly disturbed by the scent of an enemy, for, without the least warning, they suddenly sprang to their feet with astonishing quickness, and with a loud and sharp whiff, whiff, whiff! one of them charged straight at me. I fired my right-hand barrel in his throat, as it was useless to aim at the head, protected by two horns at the nose. This turned ^im, but had no other effect, and the two animals thundered off together at a tremendous pace. ♦♦ • Now for a tally-ho I' Our stock of guns was scattered on the ground, and away went the aggageers in full speed after the rhinoceri j_;i.t-_..i. tVIvii wUL :*.:, — i.,. rctOnu. T .:„i.!.. 4. — I ..,,. 1 _ 'r„*„! 1 t|ui^nij' iciiiuuiilcu iiiy inxinc, -icici, Hpd, with ^uleiqian in pompany, I spuri'fsd har4 to pyei'take the living THE WORLD ASHORE. Arabs. Tetel was a good, stron- cob b„f n.f believe he never we^^t so well ^s u.'>o^, . . 7"^ ^''' ' '^''^«^«^-' ^ Abyssinian horse, I hud a r^ • of F ^ ^^^^ f-r, although an .nissionaries, but with a n^^^^^^rT^''''' '''''''''' ''^ ward for riding at full speed us if « ^'''""^ ^^«« ^^^k^ which, although „id„ apkrtt: ■ e rdii:,n: „':■? -' """"--• l"w cro,v„s of spreading Lynches ; th'eso b<^i 1, '^ ' ""'"^ '° "■" thorns, would liave boen serious oTl'r^ "'""'' '""'fl»h-h"ok - view, until in al.out a u"iler , ,- iv d '"'''' ' '"'" ""' ^'"^^ '" applied the spurs, „„d by deZ^e I In, ' " T" ^'"'""'- ' ">'»''' at length, joined the aggage^rs ' "' "'™^' «="""'«• •""" i. Here was a s.ght to drive a hunter wild . The two K- were runrung neck and neck, like a n-iimf i.' i-hmocori bounding along at tre„.endo„s peed ^W W,? *""•'»''" '■■"'■'"'^''' '"" hamran. This was Taher Sl,e,Hf ? i ^'"''''' "^ ""> '""d"'? i.=s iong hair «,,„g wiidl^^ettd'hi': ':;i::;t t:^ ''™:i".' -^ race, amidst a cloud of dust raised bv .h^r . '"''"""''^ <" "«' that tried every sinew of thTlI Z" '"«" *"" "'■■">"' ''*■'««. withered arm, was second „• ,h 1" ^"'"'' ^'""■'■'' """ "«= claw that was all that remained ;thrrH;"' ■"','"" "" ''"■''-'''«= grasped in his right, he kept Ift; t b'rothcr"" !'" ""^"^ "<»■'' blow. Abou Do was third ■ his haiV fl ' '""^^ '" '""""^ his dashing against the flanks of is C^'';:::" ,'«:'"f-'''^ "-'» excitement to urge him to the fr< t wl I'e h' ^' ''"""«'' '" ""'^ long sword, i„ the wild energy , ,Z" I '' ^'"'""'^ "'"' ^'" reach the game against T;^J^J^'"ZX t^'^'T"' '" thcc, vigorously applied, screwed an extrf2dr > f%T''" "'"' "" found myself iu the ruck of „,.„ k , "' "' ^<"«'' I^oon weresev^nof us-a:d I ;:g'^brDo":Lt7" ''"'"''■ '"'''" ™n of agony „t <,,„,,„',„, ,|^ ho se^™ f i n„ Tarn"" ^f P^"" a place between the two broth,.,-, T..I. ■ „^' ^"'"'''•'' "Mi'Med had been a jealousy betlee h t ' ""'" "'"'"'■ ^^''•■"^- There >™» ^trivin^ to oufdo t : h tts TuT ' "-T '■^' "'"^ <=■"" nmdness at the superiority J V," ^" ~» driven almost to wa» the renowned"™ e?, ,1 f •""' ' T' ""'» «"' ''«'<^'-. «''.i *""ld be first to t s™ b,,»d I ; rdT" '""^T"''- ''"" '"-""■■" i.ff . . idsie oioou. 1 tried to pass the i-hinn.,eroo ^., ...._ B' , ;. .5?rBa 626 THE WORLD ASHORE. 627 along with undiminished speed. Wifh ih. men and horses we could onW ... • greatest exertion of or four yard, of the^t Is^tT:'" J ""Tl "■'"'" "'""" "'-' only chance in the race was to hoW tl "' ""' *"'>'•''»• ™e should begin to fla<. Thrh„!l '"""' ""*" ""^ '''■'"''"^■■i we had aiLdy n.^ JXT^ClSZt '" '',r'^ """-'• ""' of giving in. On they flew _ sometTAl ^ " "'""""' "" ^^ns through low brush, which tried Thtr "'"'' °''""' S™""''' "'»' 'hen strips of open fo.-eLt, until a en^': the'Tn..^"'''/'"" '^'■'"'="'' only a select few kept their places W. -^ ^^^ '" *"'' "«• »■«> ridge, from which the ground slled i,^ I"^ "' """ »""'»'* "^ " a mile toward, the rif^ at h^l " fT'" '''"''■''''"''" '^ "''''ut thorny nabbuk Jung "fo'r which t °. V'^ '■'"'"'"' ""' " ">iek, luessed at their u.,n;,^' ed Nevf.'w t" "•'™'' *'"' ''^^ thefluishofarace; the e'J h was ^n yZ t" ''T ^™""""^ winning post in the junglethatmusc termi™ e^h" hunt " ''"TV'" our exertions to close with the unflaggb^'Ll; tv ""''"f'''' gave in — we had been foral,„„t* ''°' '" Same, buleinian's horse Tetel, although not a It h «' waTlTd C'fr ,"' " ■^'"'■'^ ?-• proved his power of endurance fr i ''"""""=• "•«"^''™'' (twenty.igh';pounds)r:vrertLra ;:? li:;^: '-i;- -- rider,, ^ns^springing'to" hi g tV, ^Z Z """"l""' "'"*"' liand, he forsook his tired horse and TJi u ''"""'' '""'■'' '" like an antelope and, for the fci ^und 'S 5'^""^.!' "' "'" really pass us, and win the honor o' & t blow tV f '"' """"^^ pace was too severe and thon<.h rL . *'" "' "" "*<■ ■ ">« to give way to the horl ^ t^;:! oltn "''j*.,'" T "'"''''' Taher Sherrif and his brother Rn^ T *'"' ""' ■''""oeeri - .ogive the second ;ia: to 'R^dur'areTa- ""O"-" ""'g^O weight; but I was a close third tLI./ " "'"' """'key in neared the jungle, and the rh nterf beVan'trr "" """"^ " "» .» the dust puffed up before htfr „!!., »''"«' ^'t-^ of flagging, ithin^wo'^u'rrva'::::;- r/j^^r.Tutt t '-'■' ^"^^ nse ttiorns, aq4 th,j ^-I^inopen broke into a trotj they ^.y .. s, ()28 I SKA ai;d land. were done. ' Now, Tahcr, f or-r-a-a-r-r-d I f or-r-a-a-i-i-d Taher . Away he went - he was close to the vei-y heels of the beasts ; but his horse could do no moio than his present pace; still he gained upon the nearest; he leaneo urward with his sword raised for the- blow _ another moment and the jungle would be reached ! One effort more, und the .word flashed in the sunshine, as the nearest rhmoceros d..- appeared in the thick screen of thorns, with a gash about four f .t Ion- upon his hindquarters. Taher Shen.f shook his bloody sworci ,n triumph above his head; but the rhinovcri were gone ^e were fairly beaten ; regularly outpaced; but I l>elieve another two hund>o'''"-™ -ill floe except oTto . hi , "°"""' "" '""""™' ""■«'' '"' his sport, but mrs,, f ^ " ^^ "" '""'"'' "•"■•« ' "«'«<'d, no other an mal clMige., so furiously nor so frequently as the rhinoceros, and si«e U \m V'ii ^*1 t -i 1 630 8EA A.JD LAND. is the mo8t difficult of all brutes to kill, the hunter who follows rhinoceros shooting must possess most remarkuble nerve, a quick sight and the activity of an acrobat. The hide of the rhinoceros is less than an inch in thickness, but it is so extremely tough that it requires an extraordinary force to penetrate it. The head, though largo, may be perforated by an ordinary bullet, yet, owing to the remarkii- ble smallness of the brain, which is largely protected by the horn, a head shot is perhaps the least likely to prove fatal. When the game is dangerous and a perfect shot is necessary the greatest amount of nerve is required. The rhinoceros presents but one seriously vulnerable place — behind the shoulder — and to strike this spot fatally the hunter must be close to the animal. A wound is nearlj' always followed by a furious charge, and what on earth can be more terrible than a thrust from a horn four feet long and with a point as keen as a saber? Or, sl^ould the animal miss in striking his hor- rible weapon, there is the ponderous body thundering on like a loco- motive on the down grade in front of a heavy freight train, most likely to grind the hunter into a mangled mass. Few, if any men, have exhibited greater courage and coolness un- der desperate situations than Sir Samuel Baker, the greater part of his life being spent among savage people and in pursuit of the noblest game of the iungle. His adventures and hair-breadth escapes, for- tunately published in many books, are an unending source of inter- est, and will be read with a thrill of delight by every one who ad- mires pluck and daring, for centuries to come. For this reason I am continually tempted to quote from his marvelous records the thrilling experiences of his life. As an illustration of the nerve he possessed, the following incident, extracted from his "Nile Tributa- ries of Abyssinia," will serve admirably: ««**** To my astonishment there were the fresh tracks of a rhinoceros within a quarter of a mile of the camp ; this animal must have concealed itself in the bed of the Royan during the fire, and had wandered forth when it had passed. I followed up the tracks with Bacheet and two of my Tokrooris. In less than half a mile from the spot, I found it lying down behind a bush. Creeping under cover of an ant-hill, I shot it through the shoulder with a Reilly No. 10 ; it immediately galloped off, but after running a couple of hundred yards it Jay down on the edge of a thick, thorny jungle that bordered the margin of the Royan. I waited in the expectation who follows , a quick sight jceros is less lat it requires :hou<^h large, the remarkii- by the horu, necessary tho presents but -and to strike A wound is n earth can be d with a point iking his hor- )n like a loco- it train, most 1 coolness un- i-eater part of >f the noblest escapes, for- urce of inter- one who iid- thls reason I 18 I'ecords the the nerve he ■' Nile Tributa- e fresh tracks > ; this animal iring the fire, I lowed up the ss than half a ish. Creeping oulder with a Qning a couple thorny jungle he expectation ,''irt L9£HMHHiHl 681 682 SEA AND LAND. that it would shortly dio, but it suddenly rose and walked slowly Into the thorns. Determined to cut off his retreat, I pir hed through tlio hushes, intending to loiich the dry bed of the Royan and shoot tlio rhinoceros as it crossed from the narrow beltof the jungle, int(» wliicli it had retreated; but I had hardly rovrh^^f^ half way when I heard u sound in the bush upon my righ*- u > • „ ihe wounded beast coaj- ing straight for our position, hut eviuLuliy unconscious of our pres- ence, as we wore to leeward. I immediately crouched down, a« did my men likewise, lest the animal should observe us. Slowly, but surely, it came on exactly to^vards us, until it was at last so near its to be unpleasant. I looked I)ehind me and sif " ' xpression of my men that they weie thinking of retreat. I merely shook my fist and frowned at them to give them confidence, and I waited patiently for my opportunit}! . It was becoming too ridiculous; the rhinoceros was within five or si):, yards, and was slowly but steadily advancing direct upon us ; af: the next step that he made I raised my rifle to my shoulder and wh stled sharply; in an instant it tossed its head up, and seeing nothing ii front, as my clothes matched with the leafless branches, it turned its head to the left, and I immediately pulled the trigger. It fell as though smitten by a sledge hammer and lay struL'- gKng on the ground. Bacheet sprang forwani, and with an Aral) sword cut the hamstring of one leg. To the astonishment of ua ull, the rhinoceros jt niped up, and on three legs it sprang quickly round and charged Bacheet, who skipped into the bushes, while I ran along- side the rhinoceros as it attempted to follow him, and, with the Fletcher No. 24, I fired through the shoulder, by placing the muzzle within a yard of the animal. It fell dead t(> the shot, '^vhich was au- other feather in the cap of the rood little rifle This rhinoceros had no ears, they having been bitteu iff cose to l..o head by another of the same species, while fighting. This mutilation is by no means un- common." AN EXCITINO HUNT, AND TWO PHINOOERI OLf V "RLY BAQOEO. A few days after the occurrence just related, P :ker participated with the Arab hunters in another chase after .uinocefi, in which all the honor fell to him of bagging tw \ov rous brutes. The country in which he w 's hunting being cov id th tall, rank ;.iuss, so thick as to obscure any animal that mi^iit be passing throu;. n, Baker deteruiined to render the surface bare by setting fire to me dry vegetation, which being carried into effect, a wonderful scene |^^-1^:f THB WORLD ASHO^Ij. 633 derful scene »itK the ..„pid,-.,„f ,. .loVt:, ;":,,'' :*■;:;;;;:,;' ;^^ boused or browsing i„ ihe eras, ,ori„^ th . I "'"' '"•■''■ it portended, hro.f ..„,„ tC::::!d'!: e^ rw^'itrr,:^'' .....elope-. bleebok, pulluh,. hyenas, .eop'rd,. I on rhleer ^^ n.»ny other lends of game, so that the scene constitu ed a pum r, a of cxtraordmary .nterest. T,vo days after the fire had sZ .;na the base Of whie^'C-l'dXTd tirZ^^^^ TOEMRINO FOR THE 0HA8E. I had been observing the countrv for so,„e time from my hi..h pos,t,on, when suddenly I perceived two rhinoceri omer" from ! ™y,„e, they walked slowly through a patch of hi.h fjsla *r,ed the base „f the hill upon which we were standh.grpTes'e, tlv they wmded something, and they trotted back and sto^d « , ce d .n the puteh of grass. Although I had a good view of them f om mypre. .,t pos.t on, I knew that I should not be able to 'e" .hem «the,r.-.ert, if on the same level; I therefore determine I to 'd to he ten. .or my other horses, and to ride then, down, i c ,u d to le, d Tet l.om the peak and to secure him to a tree at the foot of »ky luie. This he u, ., and we saw him tie the horse by the bridle to he branch of a tree below us, while he ran quickly toward the can, , ntemeanumel watched the rh„,oceri ; both animals laid dow; the ydlow grass resembling masses of stone. They had n„t 1,,. ongmth.s position before we noticed two pigs wandering throe-,- ^grass directly ,„ windward, toward the sle'p'ing rhinocfri; T' . « ant these animals winded the intruders, and starting up, looked the high grass. H.vmg been thus disturbed, the rhinoceri moved theirquarlers, and walked ,tnwi» f ■> ;- n ." '""'"'° l|. . "v ■■•'■' 'u, j-jcuslonally nalliujr, and ihevwle .1""""^°"'" '■""'''•'''' y'""' '" '"'™ '" »' "><^ other, them directly on the spot where Tetel a .tied to the tree. I observed ^.^i^aiiLj "XM 634 BfiA AND LAND I liatiJHaiMi^,_.j!'::ii this to TahorNoor, as I feared tlioy would kill the lioi*8e. «Oh,no,' he replied ; ' they will lie down and sleep beneath the first tree, as they are seeking for shade — the sun is like fire.' Ilowewr.they si ill continued their advaneo, and, upon renciiing some rising ground, llic leading rhinoceros halted, and 1 felt sure he had a clear view of -Ik' horse, that was now about five hundred yards distant, tied to a Ikc. A ridge descended from the hill, parallel with the course the animals were taking ; upon this I ran as qui<^kly as the stony slope perniittcil, keeping my eye fixed on the leading rhinoceros, who with his lead raised, was advancing directly toward the horse. Tetel did not oi). serve the rhinoceros, but was quietly standing beneath the tree. I ran as fast as I was able, and reached the bottom of the hill just as the willful brute was wi' bin fifty yards of the horse, which now for the first time saw the approaching danger ; the rhinoceros had bocii advancing steadily at a walk, but he now lowered his head, aiul charged at the horse at full speed. "I was about two hundred yards distant, and for the moment I was afraid of shooting the horse, but T fired one of the Reilly No. 10 riHcs; the bullet, missing the rhinoceros, dashed the sand and stones into his face, as it struck the ground exactly before his nose, when he appeared to be just upon the unfortunate Tetel. The horse in the same instant reared and, breaking the bridle, dashed away in the direction of the camp, while the rhinoceros, astonished at the shot, and most likely half-blinded by the sand and splinters of rock, throw- up his head, turned round, and trotted back upon the track by which he had arrived. He passed me at about a Ijundred yards distance, as I had run forward to a bush, by which ho trotted with his head raised, seekinjr for the cause of his discomfiture. Crack! wont a bullet against his side, as I fired my remaining barrel at his shoulder; I e cocked his tail, and for a few yards he charged towards the shot; b it he suddenly changed his course, and ran round several times in a srnall circle ; ho then halted, and reeling to and fro, he retreated very slowly, and laid down about a hundred yards off. Well done, Keilly' I knew that he had his quietus, but I was determined to hag hii companion, who, in alarm, had now joined him, and stood looking ii all quarters for the source of danger ; but we were well concealed behiud the bush. Presently, the wounded rhinoceros stood up, aid walki.ig very slowly, followed by hia comrade, he crossed a porti')D of rising ground at the base of the hill, and both animals disappeared. '«stete.|l, moment I was ^No. 10 rifles; lid stones iuto Qose, when he 16 horse in tiio I away in the 1 at the shot, ;)f rock, threw i-ack by which :Js distance, as with his head Jrack ! went a ; his shoulder; irds the shot; eral times in a retreated very 1 done,lleilly' ed to bag hit )od h)(>kiiigii veil concealed stood u{), aiii ■"., - if ? I r ■>' '(!; riti Al^'-'ji 685 636 SEA AND LAND. I at once stwrted off Hassan, who could run like an antelope, in search of Tetel, while I dispatched another man to the summit of the peak to see if the rhinoceri were in view ; if not, I knew they must l»o among the small trees and bushes at the foot of the hid. I thus waited a long time, until at length the two grays arrived witii my messenger from the camp. I tightened the girths of the Arab saddle upon Aggahr, and had just mounted, cursing all Arab stirrups, tlmt are only made for the naked big toe, when my eyes were giaddoncd by the sight of Hassan cantering towards me on Tetel, but from the exact direction the rhinoceri had taken. 'Quick ! quick !' he dinl, ♦come along 1 one rhinoceros is lying dead close by, and the other is standing beneath a tree not far off.' " I immediately jumped on Tetel, and, taking the little Flctclun' rifle, as lighter and handier than the heavy No. 10, I ordered Talni Noor and Hassan to momit the other horses, and to follow nic wiih spare rifles. I found tlie rhinoceros lying dead about two himdnd yards from the spot where he had received the shot, and 1 im- mediately perceived the companion, that was standing beneath a small tree. The ground was firm and strong, all the grass had hcin burnt off, except in a few small patches; the trees were not so thick together as to form a re^jjiilar jungle. "«♦ The rhinoceros saw us directly, and he valiantly stood and faced me as I rode up witnin fifty yards of him. Tetel was worth his weight in gold, as a shooting horse ; he stands like a rock, and would face the devil. I was unable to take a shot in this position, there- fore, I ordered the men to ride round a half-circle, as 1 knew the rhinoceros would turn towards the gray horses, and thus exi)()sehis flank ; this he did immed? .tely, and firing exactly at his shoulder, I dropped him as though stone dead. Taher Noor shouted, ' Saninie durrupto 1' (well shot) ; the rhinoceros lay kicking upon the ground, and I thought he was nagged. Not a bit of it I the No. 24 bullet had not force to break the massive shoulder-bone, but had merely para- lyzed it foi a moment; up he jumped, and started off in full gallop. Now for a bunt! up the hill he started, obliquely ; he chose a regular rhinoceros path, and scudded away, Tetel answering to Uie spurs and closing with him ; through the trees, now down the hill over tlie loose rocks, where he gained considerably upon the hofsc. * Easy down the hill, gently over the stones, Tetel,' and I took a pull at the reins until I reached the level ground beneath, which .vas firm and THE WORLD ASHORE. 637 M'-'fi first-rate. Isavv the rhinoceros pelting awnv about one hundred and twenty yards when round he came with astonishing quickness, and charged straight at the horse. I was prepared for this, as was mv horso also ; we avoided him by a quick turn, and again renewed the chase, and rcgamed our position within a few yards of the game Thus the hunt continued for about one n.ile and a half, the rhinoceros occasionally charging, but always cleverly avoided by the horse Tetd seemed to enjoy the fun, and hunted like a greyhound. Noverl thcloss I had not been able to puss the rhinoceros, who had thundered along at a tremendous pace wli<,never 1 had attempted to close • how ever, the pace began to tell upoi his v;'ounded shoulder ; he evidontlv went lame, and, as I had observed at some distance before us the commencement of the dark-colored, rotten ground, I felt sure that it would shortly be a case of stand-still. In this I was correct, and. upon reaching the deep and crumbling sod, he turned sharp round made a clumsy charge that I easily avoided, and he stood pantln<. at Lay. laher Noor was riding Gazelle; this was a very timid horse and was utterly useless as a hunter, but, as it reared and plun^red upon seeing the rhinoceros, that animal immediately turned toward^' It, with the intention of charging. Ridin- Tetel closely to his fl-mk' 1 firod both barrels of the little Fletcher into the shoulder. He fell to the shots, and stretching out his legs convulsivelv, he died im- mediately." FURIOUS ONSLAUGHT OF A RHINOOER08. Bains relates the particulars of a charge made by a fierce rhinoc- eros among his dogs, and the desperate extremity to which he was put to save his own life, as follows: "I hid gone out the next morning soon after sunrise to look round the ...mp, when I saw several birds of a grayish color, about the size of a common thrush. Their notes, too, reminded me, as they •sang then- morning song, of a mistletoe thrush. Presently they flew off together some way up the stream, while I and my gunbearersand our pack of dogs followed after, feeling certain that the birds, which arc found to generally attend the rhinoceros, would lead us to some Liggame. Directly after wo saw the birds pitch behind a neio-hhor- Hig hush, and, getting to one side of it there, sure enough, was alarge, black i hmoccros, or. whose back were now perched the birds. These hnds also occasionally follow the hippopotamus, and invariably give warning to their beast friend of approaching dan'-er. i 1 M A-,, 63B SEA AND LAND. "At the moment of discovery the birds began flying up and uttering their familiar cry, when immediately the rhinoceros became startled and moved off without at first perceiving in what direction the danger lay. The dogs, at the same instant, saw the animal and started off with a bound, but their valor was hardly coupled with prudence, for as they closed in on the beast one of them was quickly hurled some yards, and badly wounded by the sharp horn of the rhinoceros, while the others immediately scattered to avoid a like fate. The rhinoceros now exhibited the most furious rage and came plunging at me; the rifle that I carried was unsuited for such large game, nor did the beast present a vantage shot, as he was coming head-on ; nevertheless I fired, without effect, and to avoid a thrust from his cimeter-like horn, A DISASTROUS CHARGE AMONG THE DOGS. I plunged into the stream near the bunks of which I was standing, ard thus avoided him, as instead of pursuing me in the wate.* he kept jn after the dogs. *« As the rhinoceros was making in the direction of oar wagon iiid cattle I had some misgivings that he might charge thfm, as he was evidently bent on glutting a savage revenge for our intrusioi'. I shouted with the hope of attracting the attention o? those left in camp, but they were otherwise apprised of the cKarg ng rhim.ceros soon enough, for the animal never stopped until he ha i attacked the wagon in the rear, and broke it up so badly that two d.-ys' har 1 work were required to repair it; following which, hi mad? a fie ce on- slaught upon the horses, one of which, the ieuler, ie kiii.u by a single thrust; of k\a terrible horn, But th* brute s attick w^s and uttering e startled and THE WORLD ASHORE. 639 promptly met by two of the servants whn fi.o^ *i • THE RHINOCEROS -BIRD. A very singular creature is the lihinoceros Rh^^ ,„i " C/a.^'^....," as the rhinoceros is called J ,,^""f, ^'''''^^ by the Bechuanas, may slumber with the ^' ^■''^'^ ^^--'^^^^ serenity of a general who lies before an enemy with faithful sentinels on watch, f^T^WMWW^f^'^' for at the first intimation of danger the' devoted bird flies up and utters hi? shrill cry of warning, and repeats it until his friend awakens, when, understanding the call, the beast immediately makes'' off. ^.:^-, (i^ ■■w:':'., . -i- y. «i'^:t<.' 'W^ W^\$> ^j=iz %:■ A RHINOCEROS' MAD CHARGE UPON A TEAM. "*f ":T ^°'""'*""<=?.^-' --> -'«■•« »" the dead limb of a tree " uta„„" ."r; '" *'""' ""-'^ *'" "'■»^"''- "-y be certain that uiuRaioo 18 not far away, and is sleeping. wl,w;"led''f„7'; " ?"' """' '■"""=<' " ■■''■""™'™ o" '■"■■-'"'Ok. Wo.o l,e fell, du„„g whieh cin,se several of these birds remained V v the rianoceros to the lfls;t. Th -.„.!-.--.■ i "» ■c.nainea y diTkof«„m„t 1 •,."'" ' "-J "="■'"">=" "le of manners o:i the b ka„d"T^ ™il...g o,-. .he oeean,for they perehed .'.on? his buck .U sides, anda» ,aeb of my bunet, Vol^ om (neshouldm-of .1. h '.'* 'f-'-M 640 SEA AND LAND. the rhinoceros, they ascended about six feet into the air, uttering their harsh crv of alarm, and then resumed their positions. It some- times happened that the lower branches of a tree swept them from their living deck, but they always recovered their former station. They also adhere to the rhinoceros during the night. I have often shot these animals at midnight when drinking at the fountains, and the birds, imagining they were asleep, remained with them till morn- ing, and on my approaching, before taking flight, they exerted themselves to the utmost to awaken chukuroo from his deep sleep." OUMMINO 18 VANQUISHED BY A RHINOCEROS. As great a hunter as Gordon Gumming, whose exploits fully entitle him to the distinguished reputation he bears, had to acknowledge a total defeat by a black rhinoceros, the fury of which was enough to terrify a battalion of huntere. His description of the rout he .suf- fered is as follows : " On the 22nd, ordering my men to move on toward a fountain in the center of the plain, I rode forth with Ruyter, and held cast through a grove of lofty and spreading mimosas, most of which were more or less damaged by the gigantic strength of a troop of elephants which had passed there twelve months before. Having proceeded about twelve miles with large herds of game on every side, I observed a crusty-looking old bull horela, or black rhinoceros, cocking his ears one hundred yards in advance. He had not noticed us; and soon after walked slowly toward our position and stood broadside, eating some wait-a-bit thorns within fifty yards of us. I fired from my saddle, and sent a bulletin behind his shoulder, upon which he rushed forward about one hundred yards i« tremendous consternation, blow- ing like a grampus, and then stood looking about him. .Presently he made off. I followed but found it hard to come up with him. When I finally evertook him, I saw that blood was running freely from his wound. "The chase led through a large herd of blue wildebeests, zebras and springboks, which gazed at us in utter amazement At length I fired my second barrel, but my horse was fidgety and I missed. I continued to ride alongside of him, expecting in my ignonmec that at length he would come to bay, which rhinoceri never do ; when sud- denly lie fell flat on his broadside on the ground, but recovering his feet, resumed his course as if nothing had happened. Beconrn.g ;it lencrth annoyed at the length of the chase, as I wished to keep m^ THE WORLD ASHORE. 641 bed to keep ni^ hor.e, fresh for the eleph,,,,,,, u„d |,,ing hnliffnent whether I „,„ Ihe rh,n„ce,o.s or „„t ( y) „s I „l,s-orved tl,„t hi, h,.,„ ,v„ »„Z ,, ^ w„ age a, UUe violence of, us ,i.poMo„, I do , edrbZ matters to a ci-isi« ; so .sMurrino' mv hoisp I ,u »,« i i ^ ^ .,ht h. M. ...... u, J ,h. the i:.tr J::;t:;;s^::tt U most resolute inan.er, blowing iou.JIy through his nostrils; and al- though I qu>.kly wheeled a*.our to my left, he followod me ut «nch a mn^. l.,ce for several huudn.l yards, with his horrid horny snout thn, a few yards of my horse's tail, that n,y little Bushman, who ivas loolang on in great alurin, thought his master's destruction in- 41 B ,1 , M i « 1 > !' -J- 642 SEA AND LAND. evitable. It waa *jertainly a very near thing ; my horse w&fi extremely afraid, and exerted his utmost energies on the occasion. The rhi- noceros, however, wheeled about and continued his former course ; and I, being perfectly sMtisfied with the interview, had no desire to cultivate his acquaintance any further." CAPTURE OF A RHINOCEROS CALF. W. C. Baldwin, another famous African hunter, whose work en- titled "African Hunting from Natal to the Zambesi," is a popular addition to the adventurous literature descriptive of South Africa, has given us some very entertaining accounts of his exploits, from which I extract the following : "We v.cre plowing our way through long, heavy, wet grass and scrubby thorn trees, when an old rhinoceros cow got up slowly from behind a thorn tree, and, after giving me a good stare, advanced to- wards me. I had only* my small rifle, my gun-carrier being about twenty yards behind with my No. 9. Lbeckoned frantically to him to come on, but he seemed very undecided. At last, however, beiDga plucky little fellow, he came up, threw the gun at me, case and all, and ran up a tree like a monkey. I lost no time in getting the gun out of the cover, and gave the rhinoceros a ball in the cheek. She turned round in double-quick time, p vnting like a porpoise. I fol- lowed, but a Kaffir cur prevented me from getting very near, so she got away. '« Or. climbing the top of the hill I saw two more, and sent my Kaffir below them, thinking they were sure to make down hill. I could not get near them ; but just as they were about to make off, I shot one in the shoulder, but rather too low, and away they went. The dogs turned one and brouarht him back not fifteen vards from me at full trot, his head up and tail curled over his back, steppingout in splendid style, with fine, high action. He looked very much in- clined to charge me; but a bullet behind his shoulders, which dropped him on his knee.<*, made him alter his course. I felt con- vinced that I had killed him, and followed him. At last we saw a brute lying down in so natural a position that I never thought he could be dead, and shot him behind the shoulder ; but he had lain down for the last time sonje hours before. It was the one 1 had shot tirst. After cutting out his horna, aome jamboks — koorbaicim- and his tongue, and hanging them up in a tree, we went off for water, and had not gone far whta I saw unother, about twenty yards ^)Si THE WORLD ASHORE. looking at me, uneasy, and anwarpnfN, * • . beiog seen. I waited ^LZlafl'"'' '"7™"" herself hen behind the shoulder, ,vhe„ she i ed „ L,; " .ft"" "■»"/•"" ""=>• ... the center of her forehead stopped Wn! '"■ '"" ' '"" " •>-" not tc„ yards from „,e ; a luekyX ITlTT',' '"" ""' '"" """d and I had not „„ instant to loTe I Cj If'' ''":' "l"^™ '"fi™, very long horn if I h„d not been forZl T """"''"' "" '""■ had a very yonng ea„. with .Z ^ Z f,:," "'" ''T; «'- sqdeaiing most lustily. I „ot thnm ,.ff ? '"S'""'g. •■"kI he was talie him to the wa<.on and°Ln » ' ,1"^ """'«<■ '""••>' """^■' t" do.en fellows to caTr^'him He "5 "h^""'" '"'"'"'"' '"■■ ^-" - pink.eared,very fine skinned a„"f. tT„d r" """-.''^"'' ^'"""^o Wg. polished with black-lead ibntl^; 1 ,,"""/' '^ ''"'"«' J"»' bee', shoot a hartebeeste, to make somethbr ! ""' '"'""" '""' S""' «» tween two poles, the hyenas kiledh^ . """'^ ••''" '"• ^'""S be- though I had ox^ressl/e^fag It p ■;'"'m'''^''™ "" '''■•"""'l>«'-. ».btfeed.aswewereWdtrrtrc:rfS-,r^^^^ CHAPTER XXXI. DRIVER HORSE. SEA cow. OR HIPPOPOTAMUS. savage iife largely preponJctstle ::"::«; h"""" nantsof species once numerous h„t 1 "^ '''"°- countries. Once the lordly eIenirtTh„ "? '''^'''''"'■'"' '''''''■• 'he gigantic hippopotamus roamed a I Tj7 '"'"•"™' ""-^ l«.s, as indicated by the vast amonn of !k u"'"' '" '""""""» ""■"- imbedded in the clays of I™ ' ZZ ."'^ ^"'^ "'" '" "-e found the coast of bleak ajeria cl,^ "'''' f"""' "^ "«"•''- »'""g climate and the pro-^re so^'th^ h ^""'' ^'""^^ "<"«''' "banges of their long aecusom^cdhaun aN:"'"" r": ''';"™ "'^'* '"■'"■"'^f-™ I"diano? to-day until th.vl- n T ""''' '"'c*. like the receding The march':^^r;i'Jti:r:;,'i'';i''!^''!T'';.- •'<'.-■> - ".o»>' anci southern parts of Afri,.« . II. 'T"" "'"' ""rough the northeast ■^main benighted rices wh . J i ?''", '" """«'•"'»' '=™""T 'here -oe, but which never erbledT' '""'^ ""*'"^" '"^ "-"■ «'"- never euabled them to contend against the wild 644 SEA AND LAND. beasts, by which they are surrounded, with any greater success than our progenitors of the stone-age battled with tlie cave-bear and niani- nioth. Hence, we tind in Africa the prototypes of great monstois that peopled the antediluvian world, and which can now bo found in no other country. Among the wonderful creatures noted for tjioii enormous size and prodigious strength is the Hippopotamus , from two Greek words signifying ''river horse." This leviathan is now found only In Africa, where it haunts tlu- rivers, lakes and pools in large herds, being almost distinctively a water animal, and its place might therefore have been very properly THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. in that part of this book treating of the sea. Although the hippopot- amus is a frequenter of fresh water it is by no means averse to tlie sea, and exi)eriraents even show that it prefers salt water to fresh. But being a pachydermatous animal belonging to the elephant, rlii- noceros, tapir and the like families of quadrupeds, I have prefencd to describe it in this eonnection. The average iiuight of u hippopotamus scarcely exceed^ five foot, and its length twelve feet, but its bulk of body is fairly tremendous. The feet are very short, so that when walking on shore the belly THE WORLD ASHORK. B45 "'"'"»' lUllLllM lllO KlOUilcl, .rivni.r I, ., ,,.,.„ .i|>i.ea.-anco. It, skin i, dovoi.l ,e.' " >."""'"-""^ ""'I ..wkward "iiy liquid. L-.U «.e;i, „:„,;■: It'", "";;'f" ''-^ '"""-'f "" ...w»y of it» s.n:,und ,,';;;; ;: "v"™"- -"th, ti,e Tl,.„oso i» vcy ,„„nt, and ' 1 „: :^a : f,:"',''^ '"■^'" -"■"'• f..l sight was nov„r seen tl,„„ it aff/ h r ' • ' '''''''■° ''■'«''*- l"wer jaw lie almost hon.„„t..llv wi . H ■ ■'■"'"' '"■"' "^ 'l>» and are used as <.,-„w-l r j „ Vn ' '"'""^ ''"'''•""' f"">''"-'I. feeds. The ca„i„es :',.",,, :;;:,; 11',;"-'- -» off ,v,,i.h i^ Icgth and cu,.ved like tl,o L!m::!:^:::Z"T '"" '■"" "" and win u-eiirh as much -is oicrhf ,. . ^ ^''''>' ''"'^ S"l'tl f".' ivory is ;ated at »5 00 .^ , 3'^ ;"': '^ ":' ""■ -'"» '" which the animal ean cut ..roat sw hs of '"■■'" "'HMlerful teeth were „sed. „„.. .;»::: :;;^Ti;::r,:::::[trt''"r^'; - ''•^""' grip. ■' "■'^ "'""■' withstand its cutting DEVASTINO „.B,T8 Or T„. HIPPOPOTAMUS Possessed of an ennrinous ■mnetlfn i • containing five or siv huX f' '"- " '"°"""'^ '■"P"''le of l.owe.-f„n,istnu, e„t, ,h! Mn '":'""-""' """ ''"•'"'*'""l «'"> ™ch owners of cniti t„ Li d t T h': r"; '^ " ""•'■'""' ""-"- '" '"o tl..-nimal h.ls taken n i s „d " n *" ''M'""- ">" '--"■ - -'"ch »*ep in its chosen hidinr,! .1 , . "'"''^ "'<' *'>' " i» comfortably deepen the hippop^t i! ^^ r,', ^JT"" 'V"" f'^'^' '" "'«'' fields, where it begins its ha:: anZg" h Tp ^"tttl^'f '""■'' devour vajit quantities of m-..;,, o i '^ "'\^^"P^- ^ot only does it over the ground tZ "t f^^e L H ''° """'' '"' ^"""^^ "" "'"'"-1? herd of these beast lea',; T," ."'"•'' """■" "'"" '' -"- A ^Rlc night. ' '" "^ ''"^"■"yi"g •". immense erop in a ^l': :ftr Is.;:::? t"' '" "'r-'' -' "'^"» - ■•^" "- digging of lar.e ," Weii;";:! T ™^^-"■™™ P'- » ""e A."'P stake is'fix d upH °The ol f{ "' "" '"""'■'" "' "'■'^'' " ■' l>»ipoon atfehed tl', I destroying the animal is by means of 1 iKd to a heavy weiglit and suspended to the branch of m i- i\ ^ ' m '} ■-1 .^MikM^^l 646 SEA AND LAND. u trc'o that overlmiigs tlio wt'll-troiKh'ii piUli of the blppopol tnus. The har[)<)oii is hold suspended by a tritrgor, which is *iprung by a line that connects V ilh the ground and is strung; across the patliway. When the nninal comes waddling over his usual route, his legs strike against the strini;, the trigger is thus sprung, and the poisoned point of the heavily weighted harpoon descends into his back, when, if the blow is not immediately fatal, death soon ensues from the wound and poison , The hippopotamus is at home in the water for he can swim like a fish and dive like a loon. Before diving he inflates his lungs by a long respiration, and then sinks by a means which natuii has given him,bui which naturalists do not attempt to explain. He cannot remain under water for more than ton minutes at a time, but when anxious to id discovery he raises his nose barely '.* ^"^6 the surface, generally among i ■: ne drift, and there remains secure, '■o-c the keenest eye is hardly able to detect him. The female brings forth a single oalf at a birth and guards it with most zealous care, though sometimes, espe- cially in captivity, the mother becomes unnatural and destroys her young. In the Jardin des Plantes — zoological gar- den— of Paris, a hippopotamus vicious- ly killed her new-born calf by tearing it to pieces, and upon a second birth, two years after, she killed her calf again, though it is supposed, this time, accidentally, while teaching it to swim. The young hippopotamus is a comical appearing littje thing, quite SrEAS'iSAP FOk KILUNu iiiri'ui'OTAMl. THE WOULD ASHORE. 647 us tl)' 'K nS it 18 loilO'' Wo mnir 4k,.. * . . carried about on the moZ,"l 'J ":,,„, •,"'''. """'''° '° ""■" '' '" , , " * ^^y^ "^ Sleeps at the breu.st of ts motlier A« »l,» calf 1-^ unublo to ivrrmiii lon.r under wutpr fh« ri » . ""^'"-'- ^'^ t''<^ the .urfueo ,o give it air, at^wllioL r: .^Z 'Z^^Zt!;' creature «„„eti,„es appears, it, „,„»,„,. „„t ,,elg viliMe her^d, "'° '•""■a "'"ST ADVENTURE WITH HIPPOPOTAMI th Atbara nver, then nearly dry, as it was mid-.sum • ^ harym the morning I procured an Arab guide to search forfh« reported 1> nMopotami. My tents were amongit grove ofTome l,m on the margin of the rivcM- • thn« T k„^ i • aoraepalm Jistance of" half „ , , "o 'J^ ', ^e T "''.r'T '" ''l!^' "" » ab. ,toue-tl,ircl tlio breadth of the river "Indedltr T"'"^ one side, and by a perpendieuiar clij u^™ tt It 'fr uZ TT srew a fringe .,f green bushcsimihir to wilUnvl ' ^" "''"'' h-idlTl r'"'"' "" '*"""• «'"'".vl"'nk in a spot that the Arabs fruit had been entirely robbod by the hJDDonnfnmJ a ' . Swefolitrfr'''"? '"'! """^ ^""'-- ^o' -ntent" renderPfl fK« k; "~ -j ^-^e einircn. mis liltle incident had renaeied the hippopotamus exceedingly danncr and if h..^ n... era! occKiinn^ «k„ j . ^ ^ "^ ^' "" '•' "^" upon sev- occasions charged out of the water, when the people had driven MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 2.5 2.2 ^ u A -APPLIED \hMGB 1653 EosI Moin Street Roctiester, New York 14609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone (716) 288-5989 -Fox Inc 648 SEA AND LAND. their goats to drink ; therefore it would be the more satisfactory to obtain a eliot, and to supply the hungry Arabs with meat at the expense of the enemy. •* At this early hour, G a. m., no one hud descended to the pool, thus all the tracks upon the margin were fresh and undisturbed; theie were the huge murks of crocodiles that had recently returned to the water, while ma-.y of great size were still lying upon the sand in the distance. The Arabs had dug small holes in the sand within a few- yards of the water; these were the artificial drinking places for thoir goats and sheep, that would have been snapped up by the crocodiles had they ventured to drink in the pool or crowded monsters. The HUNTING HIPPOPOTAMI IN THE ATBARA RIVER. number and size of the fish, turtles and crocodiles were extraordi- nary ; many beautiful gazelles approached from all sides for their morning draught; wild geese, generally in pairs, disturbed the wary crocodiles by their cry of alarm. "I had killed several wild geese for breakfast in the absence of the hippopotami, when I suddenly heard the peculiar loud snorting neigh of these animals in my rear ; we had passed them unperceived, as they had been beneath the suyface. After a quick walk of about half a mile, during which time the cry of the hippopotami had been several times repeated, I observed six of these curious animals stand- ing in the water shoulder-deep. There was no cover, therefore I THE WORLD ASHORE. .,. could only advance upon the ^Mi.rl ,.,-fk ^ .hi» c.„..d the,,, to' milrt ::v::,e',''' ,.:;.: "'r?' ^'°"''"»" "-^ ' w,tl„n about eighty ™-ds,thev,-,i J, h f ', ' "'""' "'3' "■'■iv,,! an i,npude„t challe/.e. I l,Td " v „M r 'T"""^" "''' »"" "■"■•'ed -d,t.ti„gasteadyai,nutti,otIp,:"/':^'':', ";"• '»• <"'"'"» -fl", largest, the ball c,„cked loudly u,,o,V it "!hu , M """1"''"^ ""' '"' «'= «uch a commotio,, i„ the poola ,™ t"'^, ^"™'- 1""" "'<"•« been heads sauk a„d disannea,ed like ' . "'7'>'P"rt "f the rifle, five half out of the wa e,. I d allitT', " ^'" ''■^"' '"''P" '-!«' of violent struggles; ,ow u„o tf baef h''^' ">"™^"<-d a selies a" four legs fi^tieally nadd ii".^^ a Tt " """" "'" ^'"^' ""■"■ foam; the,,„alt.i,,g,.ol.,,'d „;Cd; -i't'fr ' "' ^""^ """ ,-a,s„,g giga„tie swells in the hithe,t w. V ^ '" •>""'' ''•'''' "P""' quiek shot with the left-hr,! I , "" ^'"'^'""'^ "' "'» "a'". A "."..s of the am,,,:, :" e ' , ™',f ^.t"-" "" ^-^-t- "^ the ,„ov^ i.-d; Iaeeo,.dingly took LytlZt Mttl pL;' h'""?^ °J'" -" '"" '"- and, running knee-deep into^he Ite to „b , "'" """ ^"' '^' actly between the eyes, nenr the If .° " "'""' '''"*• ' S^d <■"- the iittlo Fletcher 'the* ^i ; '' i ~,' '"^ .Tf ^' 'he repo,^ of the com,notion broke upo, the s.„! I ?,u *^ "">' ''"«'' ™»«d by " This being n,y fi,.,t J ,."■'"'•, ™ 'be game was gone. tain whether I could , .ThTvl': " "T""— • '-s not ce,- However, while I was s„e",li '"■^,' ''" "'"« S""^. but where V ™»h of water, and .fr l';!;:;' "''' !''"• ' '■™'" "'--«'ious 'l"oughapo,.ti„„of tl,e,2l ,.r' 1 'f"""^ "'""« '" '»" fot above the shoulder; ,h C , ' . "' "°*r*t" """"»"'' '" «-«■ th"™ they quickly ..cached del «te",ufr' """"" '""' " »""""'. "» fifty ya,ds distance. disappeared at one hund,-ed and aWed; Iacco,di„gly lost 2 ti^^"^ 17'"^-'"'"' '"''"■ ''"">'"■ dis- I>"1. Ha,-dly haSl X;. tlesU 7'''°',''''' '"™^«''" "' 'be "hen fi,.st one and then ™ther h T, "■" "'"^ '""> <'''»PPea>ed, "-til 0"e, „o,.e ha,dy th-.'r,he e ; """'"' "" ''°'' "='"'" '""'' ^-*. and ,„ bellow a betr 'n™ "'"' '° "P"'"^ "'">■" «% "■rough his head, and a^ain tt „ "'"" *'"' ^'"- '^ '•""bed like the paddli.,g'„f"r, "C, thT r "* ,"'"' '"'""'''"« <=™'"«-'»<' '" its convulsive eff„:,s cZe Vo Zl'Tn T"' "" '""'""^ '''PP» -. ^" -*>v water, by aTrt:; 'r:;iri'';,- ^^i::!!--; 650 SEA AND LAND, concluded from this result that iry first hippo must also be lying dead in deep water. A BLOODY STRUGGLE. " The Arabs, having heard the shots fired, hud begun to gather to- wards the spot, and, upon my men shouting that a hippo was killed, crowds came running to the place with their knives and ropes, while others returned to their encampment to fetch camels and mat bags to convey the flesh. In half an hour at least three hundred Arabs were on the spot ; the hippo had been haul-^d to shore by ropes, and, ^y the united efforts of th^ crowd, the heavy carcass had been rolled to the edge of the water. Here the attack commenced; no pack of hungry hyenas could have been more savage. I gave them permission to take the flesh, and in an instant a hundred knives were at work ; they fought over the spoils li^e wolves. No sooner was the carcass flayed than the struggle commenced for the meat; the people were a mass of blood, as some stood thigh-deep in the reeking intestines wrestling for the fat, while many hacked at each other's hands for coveted portions that were striven for as a bonne bouche. I left the sav- age crowd in their ferocious enjoyment of flesh and blood, and re- turned to camp for breakfast, carrying some hippopotamus steaks. "That morning my wife and I breakfasted upon our first hippo- potamus, an animal that was destined to be our general food through- out our journey among the Abyssinian tributaries of the Nile." The first hippopotamus, as Baker suspect? ' >'as killed by his sec- ond shot, and the body arose two hours afi\ rds, affordiug a sec- ond feast for the hungry Arabs whose joys were now unbounded as meat was thus provided sufficient to ?iist three hundred gourmands for a week. HARPOONINQ A BULL HIPPOPOTAMUa The Arabs of Abyssinia possess few guns, and even those who are supplied with fire-arms can use them only indifferently, consequentiv, since their country is the home of the largest and fiercest kinds of wild beasts, they must make up in daring what they lack in oppor- tunity and the skillful use of the best improved arms. The aggageers, of whom I have already written, are no more cour- ageous in their attacks upon the elephants and rhinoceri than are the professional hippopotami huntc^-s, whose sole weapon against the mighty beheuioth is the harpoon. The following particulars of a hunt participated in by Baker, as related by himself, will serve to illustrate the skill and daring of theso Arabs: t also be lying dead THE WORLD ASHORE. 651 reekins: intestines I, are no more cour- rounded by rock.,, cxceDt unlL m , ° '"^"' "'« ""^ mm-. Lunter) did not condLnTtolJ^U 7 f" "''"""" <"- A™" pomtcd out these auim»I th.v t! ^ ^^''"''' ""^'i"" '^h"" I ".odi,,tety quitted the™ ;.'sbeT IT '"" ,™'--™ko ; but ho i,„. tl- fringe of bushes „p„,o'obl/:''°""' ,'■"'■ •'"■^t'-^'-Wnd examined the water, /bout halfl" , T", "'™'' '™ «i"«f""v clambered over tho intervening rod Ih u'"'" "'" ''"•"• "^ "" a powerful rapid, I observed T„„ 7 u '^. " S'"'"" ""^ f"™.ed Ihe immense Lad of ThulL ' , """' '■"'' '"''"" »"> ™Pfd. that formed a wall UtilT!ZT/7 l" f '"^'■P""'"-'- 'ock pointed out the hippo to oM Ah„7n f' "''"" "'" ''"'"•»'■ I once the gravity of^he oM Arafd .p":;,: ".'^ '"" -"' ='• At hunter was exhibited as he motioned ,^tTl ■ """■">' "' 'I"* bchi.,d the thick screen of bush" f *",""""'"•"''>"«''•<> ™n nimbly yards below the spot wher tf, h ^ "'""" ""^ ■"•"".■ed and fifty with his uglyheada'boveTh T„,te "^r™? ""-"-'"-ly basking: the veteran hunter was carried s„L .^^ ''"'""""'''"■'"<»««. "..-easting the powerful cZthri. ':!;"" '"T" "" '"■'^"'- •»" opposite side, and retiring to Illl'^ir^'fr;'; ^""'^^"P''" «"> advanced towards the sp^t beneath Zbch,hTl ''' ''" ''"'•='''>■ »g. I had a fine -iew of the scene « 1 1^ r !"P"°P'""'""-^ ™ 1^ o|.posite the hippo, who had di!!™', , ^'"^ concealed exactly Do ..ow stealthily „;p".oaehed ,77 I'""""'' "■" '""<'■•• A1h,u bad expected tos'^.eX hi of he »•" l" i':"''^ ''^■.eath which He .^.«d,with tho harpoonCdvt "T ' <>- l™g.»i..ewy arm was At length he reachcS t " eXe „f .h ' '' •■« ""''^'""y advanced, had vanished, but far f on, eilbifi P*r"<"«"'" "'ck ; the hippo *..ding on the sharp wJetZtT'"'.?'' f ^■■'''' ■•™''""^'' bronze could have been more ri" M t"! '" """"•''• N" ^S"'" »f J-tood erect ..pon thrr ckti.h I' !,;', "'/ f "''''-''"^' » ba.l>oon poised in his rcadv r!„M k j ' '"'" advanced, and the M'ho held the loosrcodstf ^'1''':;'';'"™ ■"» '"'«'' "'"'» "' W^ watched eagerly for tht ^ , ^n^ rf'tt':"" ''"'""°'' '"'°^- ^ face of the water was ,till hll I hippopotamus ; the sur- 'tatuc desce,,dod lik , 11^"™';','" T'"^""'' ""^ '«'" "■•'" "' «>« iato the pool with he Leld ot '""'P""" ''"'* P^'l-^ndieularly wuh the speed of an arrow. What river fiend answered '■■ ll 652 SEA Ajm LAND. to the summons? In an instant an enormous pair of open jaws appeared, followed by the ungainly head and form of the fuiious hippopotamus, who, springing half out of the water, lashed the river into foam, and, disdaining the concealment of the deep pool, lie charged straight up the violent rapids. With extraordinary power lie breasted the descending stream ; gaining a footing in the rapids, al)oiit ABOO DO ATTACKS THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. five feet deep, he ploughed his way against the broken waves, sending them in showers of spray upon all sides, and upon gaining broiuler shallows he tore along through the water, with the buoyant float hopping behiud him along the surface, until he landed from the river, started at full gallop along the dry, shingly bed, and at length disap peared in the thorny nabbuk jungle. THE VVORI^ ASHORE. <-ape, and it was fo,,,,„,,„ f,,;;, '■™ :7''' h-e i,„d ,. ohaiice „f "|."" tl.c. I,i.h ledge „t ,.„ek. tZ old „?','"' """ ''° '™^ «^™>-e '■■"^'' ''"" "l'"" Ws dextetitv C It^^ ":'"*• Ie..ng,a,„" pioposcd to cross ,|,e rivo,.; „„d o7, """"' "> '"» "o""- I t.|>pn,.otan,n.,, a, I i,„ ,i„^, , ™ '° '""'"v npon the tracks of the ...the thick inngle.und tlua, s : ,' Id ,7 "'" ''""' '"""" -'^^ ".I the old hnnter quieilv h,id hi I ,, '"""""""gl«l i" ehe hush- "- 'eel of the river, expiainini , u it","™ '"' »'■'"• ""'I l'"inted „, '" "!« "'«•■ "ftcr a short inte,;^, ''''" """'" ""'•■'""y .-etu™ 'A few minutes later -it o v . ;"--„d the hippo c„,e,i.;\:jru,ri '"r"'^ '«"' - •■""=. «» "•"'to the bed of , he rive, m iZ/ ^'"'f'"' "'"' ''•■■»«"«1 »t full "tieh we had „oticed the Hf "'■"' '"'■"'" -■■^' ™-l,>«potan,i, whe^^rr:' r ali™° ""T""'^'' ''"'''• ^» -"' »ater at the shot. The crack o the , if ' "'f I'l>earcd beneath the -^Pla* fro,,, the bullet told ne I't '.'•'"'' '"" "^"""""^ "^ ""X »>:"i'ed perfectly stationa.y ul L ,, f' ' '' r"'" ""'"""'■ «"'" ■'«'- .mautes _ it never „,oved "ev ra 1, ?'"; J ™'''''*'' '' f"'' '"n"- "I vanished in different directions bT^t "« '"PP"P'""-"i "PPeared '"" ^'"" w'-e the g,.„„d old h;;;;t;, 'I*;::;-?, -^" ^ " -i^ed 5- » ^- #1 I .. 654 SEA AND LAND. After some hours of hard work the uiiimal was finally drawn on shore, and being of such extraordinary proportions, Baker took some measurement of its body. He found its length, from the upper lip to the extremity of its tail, to be fourteen feet two inches. The head, measured from the front of the ear to the edge of the lip, was three feet one inch The harpoon was still sticking in the nape of tlie animal's neck, having penetrated two and one-half inches beneath the hide, which Wiis one tind three-quarters inches thick. Baker de- clares it one of the finest specimens he ever saw, while the tusks were very much larger than any others he ever met. The head of this gigantic beast now adorns Bakei's hail in England. FATAL ADVENTURE WITH A SAVAGE HIPPOPOTAMUS. Baker mentions, only ^ncidentiilly, however, a terrible accident by which the father of the Sheik of Sofi lost his life through his dar- Mig. The man was a famous hippopotamus hunter, who attacked the huge game with no other weapon than a harpoon, in the use of which he was marvelously adept. On this fatal occasion he was hunting hippos in company with his son, in the Atbara river. The two rowed out to an island in the stream in a small canoe, where several hippo- potami were seen basking in the sun. So clever was the hunters' ap- proach that the animals did not discover them until the two were landed and ready to hurl their harpoons. Father and son, however, were separated, each selecting his victim at opposite ends of the small island. The old raasi transfixed one very large bull, which appeared to be so badly wounded that it could not move, and to save the car- cass from floating off he ran towards it for the purpose of cutting a strip in its hide, through which to pass a rope and thus anchor the body. The son, in the meantime, had also harpooned a smaller ani- mal, which was engaging all his attention, when, suddenly, he heard a despairing cry, and turned just in time to see the great beast close its horrid jaws o\\ his father. The animal had evidently been para- lyzed for the moment by the harpoon, and recovered its senses, as the old hunter approached, in time to seize the unfortunate man, who was fairly bitten in two in an instant. This dreadful accident did not lessen the Sheik's love for adven- ture, for afterwards he joined Baker and showed himself to be one of the most fearless of men iu hunting the hippopotamus^and all other large game. THE WORLD ASHORE. 855 "f ....e of these o „~ul rti;:'^' " " ™""" '•' '"" ■"'-" fe,ualos „,.o extremely shTaiTd 1 1, v " '"'' l'>-"voeali,.„. The .ho only instance, he'ieveVto ^iZZt T"'"' """"'°'-'' have been m cases where their .1. "'•''"' """"king man utes is the time that he usn.Ilv , ^' . ^''^ *" ^'S^l niin- to the snrface and el- .ir. "^ , 'r" •;.: : Tu' "" "T ""'"^^ refills his lungs almost instantly ■ , d flTf, \^^'""'e- he again In places where they have beclmrhvf,';?' ''"'"' " "'"''■ they seldon, expose the head aZe L " ? '" ''"" "'' the nose to breithe thr,,n'h the^ost I ^^ Tk "' '""'"' P""™''^ them. Their food eonstol of 1/ ' " '"'" ""l'">'»il'l« to shoot .Ms. ^ot only Jt^^t- if.;:: ^rrr^r ,r;r -r great distances from the water by ni.rhr if ,„' , u J ™'"'"' »ge, and, although clumsy and IZth „ ^ ^'""' l"'^'"'•■ to clamber up sleep bauLll, "p f i^it "r^r^ilh'r^t '"7"' celer,ty and ease; when uudisturbed they ent.v ll ,t '''"1"'^"'^ beneath invitinc shades ,.„A tl,„ i ,■ ' " '""'""g '" the sun i* audible for a mile or more ^ '' "''"""« " '''"'"^'' """ tbottCtrterVLrr'''" '" :"'' '"^'^^ "' "'^ hippopotamus, they°,re less rblltL t "T '"'"'"'''' "'"" "''^P'""'' ''■"'7' """^^ otb-Z.7 ■ * "'"' ""'""hange color. False teeth made 4 i: I 'j^fi «5() SKA AND LAND. AN EXOITINQ HOWARTI8 HUNT OF HIPPOPOTAMI. Olio of tho most interesting hunts in which Baker pai'ticipated dur- ing his sojourn in Africa, in which there was an extraordinary display of skill and daring, is thus described in his usual realistic and grai)liic manner: ♦'A little after sunrise I accompanied tho howartis (Arab profcs- sional hipi)()p()tiinius hunters) for a day's sport. There were numbers of hippos in this part of tho river, and wo were not long findinir :i herd. Tho hunters failed in several attempts to harpoon them, how- ever, and wo had to go further up the stream. At length wo arriviMJ at a largo pool in which were several sand-bars covered with rushes. and many rocky islands. Among those rocks was a herd of hippo- potami, consisting of an old bull and several cows ; a young hippo was standing, like an ugly little statue, on a protruding rock, while another infant stood upon its mother's back that listlessly floated on the water. '* This was an admirable place for the hunters. They desired me to lie down, and thoy crept into tho jungle, out of view of the river; I presently observed them stealthily descending the dry bod ahout two hundred paces above the spot where tho hippos were basking he- hind the rocks. They entered the river, and swam down the center of tho stream towards tho rock. This was highly exciting — the hipi)os wore quite unconscious of the approaching danger, as stcadiiv and rapidly the hunters floated down the strong current ; they noared the rock, and both heads disappeared as they purposely sank out of view ; in a few seconds they reappeared at the edge of the rock upcm which the young hippo stood. It would be diflScult to say which started first, the astonished young hippo, into the water, or the harpoons from tho hands of the howartis ! It was the affair of a moment; the hunters dived directly they had hurled their harpoons, and, swimming for some distance under water, they came to the sur- face, and hastened to the shore lest an infuriated hippopotamus should follow them. One harpoon had missed ; the other had fixed the bull of the herd, at which it had been surely aimed. This was grand sport ! The bull was in the greatest fury, and rose to the sur- face, snorting and blowing in his impotent rage ; but as the ambatch float was exceedingly huge, and this naturally accompanied his move- ments, iie tried to escape from his imaginary persecutor, and dived find his pertinacious attendant close to him upou ijtantly, only HIPPOPOTAMI. Baker purticipntod dnr- an oxtruordiimry displny uul realistic and grapliio howartis (Arab profcs- I't. There were nunil)ei's vere not long findinj; u to harpoon them, how- At length we arrived va covered with rushos, ks was a herd of hippo- al cowK ; a young hippo L protruding rock, while that listlessly floated on ters. They desired iiic lut of view of the rivei ; ling tlie dry bed about hippos were basking be- J swam down the center i highly exciting — the hing danger, as steadily ig current ; they neared / purposely sank out of i;he edge of the rock uld be difficult to suy o, into the water, or the It was the affair of a I hurled their harpoons, r, tliey came to the sur- ifuriated hippopotamus id ; the other had fixed irely aimed. This was ry, and rose to the sui- ;e ; but as the ambatch accompanied his move- !■ persecutor, and dived idant close to him upou '*.' i 657 428 658 8EA ANU LAND. roguiiiiii]Lrtlie Huifiicc. This was not to last long; the howartls wore ill eanio.st, aiul they at onro called tlieir party, wlio, with two of tlio u<>-vith his huge mouth open to such an extent that he could have accommodated two inside passengers. Sulcnnuii was wild with delight, and springing forward, lance in hand, ho drove it acrainst the head of the formidable beast, but without effect. At the'sametime Abou Do met the hippo, sword in hand, remindnig oiic of Perseus slaying the sea-monster that would devour Andromeda, but the sword made a harmless gush, and the lance, already blunted aypt mv se™, u! ' made „ profitable little market by selling the ^hipsX' whiTh h v found a ready demand. By a proper Tipplication of oil heat „Z 10 ion, they may be made as flexible as gutta-percha. The fl ,h is ea.s.ly cut cross-wise into long quadrilateral strips, and when h! f drv he edges are trimmed with a knife, and the strips'are ZlZ^el tl rou d whips as hough they were iron hammered on an anvil!" i.ch to punish criminals, and is also a common accessory of the slave-drivei-s. who make no sparing use of it. R 1 HV, i """'°™"«.U8 NEABLV KILLS A MlSSlONARV. mght before reaching home we had rather „ „ar-ow .,c we frr-n ! om-f'/ii/i \\r^ II--. " i- i-ai-ijw ,, escape irom a ^ea toro VV e were ohhged to cross the river, which could only be by pashms over two low i.slands, nearly covered with reeds 'ole. Ihey were a great distance from each other, and it was effi' aDd ■■ i\ u u 662 SEA AND LAND. now nearly dark. We had just reached the first, when a 8ea-cow came furiously up the stream, snoi-ting so loud as to be echoed back from the overhanging precipices. Africaner shouted out to me to escape, and springing from his horse, which appeared petrified, he seized a large stone and hurled it at the monster, for our guns were both out of order. The enraged animal then made for the next ford, through which two of us were forcing our horses, up to the saddle, in a rapid torrent. A moment's delay on our part would have boon fatal to one or both of us. The other three men remained till the in- furiated animal had got again into the rear, when they also escaped to the second island, where, expecting another encounter, we made the best of our way to the mainland, effectually drenched with per- spiration and water. Th,e animals, in their undisturbed lakes and pools, are generally timid, and will flee at the approach of man ; but when they have been hunted and wounded, from year to year, they become very dangerous, as the following fact will prove : A native, with his boy, went to the river to hunt sea-sows. Seeing one at a short distance below the island, the man passed through a narrow stream to get nearer the object of his pursuit. He fired, but missed i and the animal instantly made for the island, and the man, seeing his danger, ran to cross the bank of the river ; but, before reaching it, the lea-cow seized him, and literally severed his body in two with its monstrous jaws." NATIVE MODES OF HUNTING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. Throughout the entire range of the hippopotamus in Africa its flesh is highly esteemed, being very juicy, tender and having the taste of pork, the resemblance between the two meats being indeed re- markable, Schweinfurth's opinion to the contrary notwithstanding. On this account the natives devote much of their time in hunting the animal, and in the chase display no little skill and courage. The Makoba tribe, along the Zambesi river, are particulariy suc- cessful hippopotamus hunters. Their weapons are harpoons and lances, but these they make al-iost as effective as the white man's best rifles. In preparing for the hunt they first ascertain the location of a herd in the river and then construct a considerable sized raft of reeds to which they moor two or more of their canoes, and upon which they float down among the unsuspecting animals. Andersson, describing this novel manner of hunting, says: "As soon as the position of the hippopotami is ascertained, one or more of THE WOHLD ASHORE. 663 he most.U u and ,„fe,,fcl of the i,unto,« .ta„U» „rop„,-ed with th. hypoons, wh.lst the rest nmke haste t„ I,„,„ch the cino sh . d 1 attack prove successful. The hustle and noise causedr',1 arations gradually subsi.le. Conversation ie-rT ^ P''''" and every one is on the mi vive ^hf ^- "" '" " '"''"P" every UKLent n.ore di!th"ct but 7h ,"" .',"" '""' "'"'«'"" •'^•='""<' aniraals fro,„ view. The anH 1 "' '" T '"■""" ''*'" '"''^'^ ">« a. .en «oati^ listie^i; jt ::::f . ^::u .rr 'n;;:'* Jt::: pearanee on the surface. On. Z:^^:^Z:^ ::!^Z::T who are now worked up to the highest state of JZ:t Z^ "ODB or „„™„„ .,„^ H,PH,POT»MO, BV TH. MAKOBA TR.BE. •l.cW NrM , , """»"'^'^>" '""'-diate contact with >.ut i'hinZtVo"'""" "'""^"™ "°'""*'-^' """ 0'^- '" "« "otton,; iM» eltoits to escape are unavailing. The line or the -!,.,« f wej c::::r:[t'h:x::.' ""'''™^^""" "-^^"---f "- -easfs ? If ^'/j a'?. t ■-■I i 664 SEA AND LAKD. ♦* As soon as the hippopotamus is struck, one or more of the men launch a cano.'? from off the raft, and hasten to the shore with tlie harpoon-line, and take a turn round with it about a tree, or bunch of reeds, so that the animal may either be 'brought up' at once, or, should there be too great a strain on the line, ' played ' in the same manner as a salmon by u fisherman. But if time should not admit of a line being passed round a tree, or the like, both line and buoy are thrown into the water, and the animal goes where he chooses. "The rest of the canoes are now all launched from off the raft, and chase is given to the poor brute, who, so soon as he comes to the surface to breathe, is saluted with a shower of light javelins. Again he descends, his track deeply crimsoned with gore. Presently — and perhaps at some little distance — he once more appears on the sur- face, when as before, missiles of all kinds are hurled at his head. "When thus beset, '".o infuriated beast not unfrequently turns upon his assailants, and either with his formidable tusks, or with a blow from his enormous head, staves in or capsizes the canoes. At times, indeed, not satisfied with wreaking his vengeance on the craft, he will attack one or other of the crew^ and with a single gra.-p of his horrid jaws either terribly mutilate the poor fellow, or, it may be, cut his body fairly in two. * * The chase often lasts a considerable time. So long as the line and the harpoon hold, the animal cannot escape, because the buoy always marks his whereabouts. At length, from loss of blood or exhaustion Behemoth succumbs to his pursuers." ATTACK OF A HIPPOPOTAMUS AND OALP. Several travelers testify to the harmless and timid disposition of the hippopotamus, but a majority of those best acquainted with tlie animal's habits declare it to be one of the most furious and vihdictive of beasts, and this latter opinion I believe to be correct. Livingstone describes an unprovoked attack made upon a canoe, in which he was traveling, by a hippopotamus, and his experience with the beast led him to believe that it was dangerous at nearly all times. Baldwin mentions an instance where he was set upon, while in a canoe, by a female hippopotamus and her half-grown calf. They were moving along quietly over the water without a susi)icion of harm when the animal bolted from the reeds and rushed upon them with the greatest fury, seizing the boat in her jaws and tearing it so that, but for a lucky shot he gave her, he must have been left floundering in the ift floundering in the THE WORLD ASHORE. ggg water The calf appeared no less Vicious for he fnn boat with open jaws and was bent on doin' ,], V ' '^''°= '' ''^^ power. ° """'"o "" <^^e imschief i,, his Another attack sustained by Baldwin he. ^u a mustered a stron- nartv of fiff ^'"'^ " *^"' describes : - ^^r^ and three fenov:s%rcI/b^^^^^^^^ *"^ ^^P*"''" ^'^ ^^-' ^-aal walked a long way wZTt L. aT^ ^^ """l^'T' ^'' "^ «"^ jumpeu up close to me, and I g^ve h"^^ n lit "f /", "'' '"^"^" which brought hi. to his kne^, J^ sriri^f^il^^;!:;: BATTLE WITH A HIPPOMTAMUS. z, tJT^:zi':7 " '"'1 r"-""" '^'"s -'-p o'o- in- ■« I howed Xlf h ./ P^^^o-J-d to <=""vl i" o., him ; hut just at me atTlTCefj h"'^ '° '"J/"^' "' -"«•- '» charged riiht and round 1 le a "„ ^LIT ""^ '"''' """'' '»"<''' ^im spin round effect, n,,' d hi tith a ht ™ 7T """"'' """ '"' '^'"'^ ""'"'■" kirn altogether T iT,, 1 ' "'"" '" ''='"' "" ™-e to lose further and f .'rth '' '•«'""'«""? •■">vay into deep water, and giving ver^ poor tsr} I ,',t w .11 ' ^ f-^ i Bdd SEA AND LAND. chiinces for a shot. The sun was shining so directly on him, that I could not see to shoot a bit ; the footing was slippery, and I was half- way up to my middle in water and mud, when I got a last chance, and put the ball exactly between his ear and eye and killed him. The sun was fast setting; the Kaffirs got him nearly ashore, and we lighted three great fires with a cap and powder on the heel-plate of my gun, giving it a smart blow with a stone. We fed on the hippopotamus, but he was horribly tough." A CLOSE CALL FROM A OHARQINQ HIPPOPOTAMUS. Dr. Emil Holub, an Austrian, acting under an imperial commission from King Francis Joseph, made some explorations in South Africa during the years 1877-78-79, which were published in the German in 1881, though never transMed, I believe, into our language. His book, in two volumes, possesses considerable interest, though it is more of a scientific character than given to the record of adven- tures. However, among the few thrilling incidents which he describes is a hunt in which he participated with some natives in a small stream in upper Zululand. The preparations made for this hunt included, among other things, the building of a double-prowed boat, after the European style, capable of carrying three or four men, with needful implements of the chase. In this boat the Doctor took his place with a native acting as guide and rower, while other natives were scattered along the shore to give notice of the vicinity of hippopot- ami, and to drive any that might be found, as occasion required, as the Doctor was to do all the shooting. The first day's hunt was attended with no success, beyond the bagging of some inferior game, but on the second day, as the party proceeded in a different direction from that at first taken, several herd of hippopotami were found that afforded excellent sport, a half dozen being killed and their bodies secured. Towards evening of the same day, however, an incident befell the Doctor which came near ending his hunt disastrously. His native rower had beguiled the time on the first day telling the Doctor of his grea£ prowess and courage, particularly on occasions when he had been brought face to face with the gravest dangers in hippo hunting. These assurances impressed the Doctor favorably, as they were intended, but, in fact, only increased the peril which he was soon after to encounter. A herd of several hippos being discovered along the sedgy bank, the shore beaters drove them out by casting spears, some of which directly on him, that I lippery, and I was half- len I got a last chance, f'e and killed him. The T ashore, and we lighted heel-plate of my gun, on the hippopotamus, 'P0POTAMU8. in imperial commission nations in South Africa shed in the German in :) our language. His le interest, though it ) the record of adven- ents which he describes itives in a small stream 'or this hunt included, prowed boat, after the 'our men, with needful Doctor took his place ile other natives were le vicinity of hippopot- s occasion required, as 3 success, beyond the cond day, as the party at first taken, several excellent sport, a half Towards evening of le Doctor which came e rower had beguiled his great prowess and lad been brought face ing. These assurances intended, but, in fact, IX to encounter. along the sedgy hank, spears, some of which 668 SEA AND LAND. stfuck two or three of the animals, one of which proved to be an ex- tremely large bull. They moved out into the stream directly toward the Doctor, who fired with no other effect than to slightly wound the bull again, which now l>ecame so enraged that it made directly for the boat, half wading, as the water was too shallow to swim the beast. Another shot had no better effect than the first, for the hippo charged with a frenzy that took all the courage out of the native rower, who plunged precipitately out of the boat and scrambled with all haste to the shore, regardless of the fate of his companion. The Doctor fortu- nately did not lose his head, but with little excitement he awaited the close approach of the beast, into whose wide-gaping mouth he fired a third ball. This shot did not prove fatal, but so crazed the hippo that it rolled and thrashed' around, until in its contortions it upset the boat and threw the Doctor out. All the while it gnashed its power- ful jaws and exhibited a blind fury that was positively awful to witness. The Doctor did not abide long in the water, but hastened out, and with particular rapidity away from the beast, when, gaining dry land, he awaited the death or disappearance of the hipp», before attempting the recovery of his guns and munitions, which were now at the bottom of the shallow stream. The beast succumbed to its wounds some hours afterwards, and , the natives had little diflSculty in fishing up two of the guns, but the other was lost, having been trampled deep into the mud by the animal in its desperate throes. CHAPTER XXXII, THE WILD DOGS OF AFRICA. ffMONG the many curious animals which abound in Africa there are but few that are more interesting to the student of natural history than the Wild Dog. These creatures are not alone singular in their hybrid appearance, but in their habits as well. They appear to be the result of an interbreeding be- tween dog, hyena and wolf, since their nature partakes of all of these. It is a question whether the Bingo, or WarragoJ, of Australia, and the wild dog of Africa are not one and the same species. While they are classed separately, I am inclined to the belief, after reading THE WORLD ASHORE. 3h proved to be an ex- tream directly towaid to slightly wound the I made directly for the (vv to swim the beast, for the hippo charged he native rower, who led with all haste to the . The Doctor fortu- tement he awaited the iping mouth he fired a it so crazed the hippo ontortions it upset the it gnashed its power- is positively awful to ' le water, but hastened B beast, when, gaining e of the hippo, before ;ions, which were now hours afterwards, and ) of the guns, but the the mud by the animal sen lich abound in Africa cresting to the student '. These creatures are )pearance, but in their if an interbreeding be- ire partakes of all of ^arragnl, of Australia, same species. While he belief, after reading g of St. Petersbur, as nearly :,s -,ge as a ma.t^-. but the i|^ i'. ,' J *'l'li ''■ I j;!««•., being at ,.„ t'n./ Z;,,, :t j/r ^ '' V"""""'" «i.i. t.,o „.e„to,t .i„a„o., ,,... it „,„ :c::ZaZ ;::a:r " A I i- . *^°*' "^"^ WILD-DOQ8 HUNT As before remarked, wild do.^s hnnt i.. . i . . ,v»ton,.ti« manner than the d^ ^Z T \ '" " '""''' "'"" to follow in the elui.e Th„i! 1 ''" I">un,i8 „„ are «eeu,t„n,cd lope »pocie,;i» v„ ; Lt?f LfrT'," 1 -^ '-"•""■""^ '" "'» »"'«- and tifo the,;, d«w,f di , ht^: ',: i:^,*;:''''' ""?''^ "r'""-" "- -"-g- .e^ onntolleetna, re.nree: :,:r,d:;;:ri':S.t"'''"'' """"' " "- Bechuana. U f.raeted Zl '^1:^^::^:::^:'--::!-^^'^ "'0 ^z^z:z:^:t::::^\r-T"-^^-^'^'^-'y a.l„ge, that ' ,n,e-h„lf of „ ' f , " '""'f'"' "'"' """""^ •!'« old nvet ' It was at , n" ^ I '',t: "hr "'T' '.'7 '"' """"■ '""^ tl.eBecliuanas),th0 8wiftLIf 1; , ^^ '■!""'''«»'(".. of .ho wagon „„i ^^^.xr::::ztzrzC'"^:Tr foll,Mving heirK.,1, ' i, " ^"^ """•" ""="• "PPearanee, "ur .u„.rto atta:rti,;,:\™:::r;;.^"'vr '»■'''- ^--^ -^-^ were sittiuo- around tho! . fl i ! ^ ^' ^''" P""'' P'^^'P'^ ^vho T ..c:";^,tilc;iHr'"^•■^'''''"-•'■'-«•■« '" co,ne to hi, a«si 'u„,ce Wh ° T," " " "' '"'''" '"'' ""'^ ««"1""»<'"'< i"g remained but the bones •„„r tl',„" „ ,' ^ "'" "'"" """'- 1-1.10 afterwards cJlle ejfo the s l::^ thf '""'n "" "'""• i.v,u lui me sake oJ: the marrow. On farther 7> SEA AND LAND. M luquii % I found th;U those people are in tho habit, when they »vv m\ aiitelopt , ov even uii ontrieh, pursued by tho wild doj^s, of ondetivor- ing to fri?t powerful iiiitag- onists ; indeed, nothing bui sheer starvation 'vjH ivduce then 'o at- tack these cunning and ferocious creatures, a m '!.ey , too, are always found in large numbers, so that an attack means a terrible battle, in which many on both sides are killed. In bating a lion the dogs employ strategy, for they are fully cen- se, \ ' ^ his prodigious strength and dangerous claws ; to rush in upon bui ">ul^ ijo the sheerest folly, and this they never do. Since the l;o4^ , ? p'j no wh' f thsit the dogs cannot follow, they surround and drive ht'Q from covert to covert; when somewhat tired the lion comes abit, when they Her an rild do^s, of endeiivof- 0 in for a hIuh'o of the • hirnwolf n h\ conipan- Oh, 1 am glad you did al.' Y glad, on theHamc Jic- had been troubU'honu! 5 desert very pioinptly k'hich I liavo since liad pproach a troop of an- niinglo with other on 1 scent, or, if he 1 hs, iT after, as they spread ilethe single do;; wlio in pursuit of his prey, lid a circuitous course, I a* fresh dog rcsiiiiios n this way they relieve lich they rarely fail to ig run. Should thev, L'h nearer than the one jgs, of which there are (structive to sheep and leir way." >N. irite game of wild dogs, Q to attack any animal e leopard falls an easy I' roost powerful antag- vin V «!'jce then 'o at- r ihe^, too, are always ms a terrible battle, in For they are fully con- i claws ; to rush in upon r never do. Since the low, they surround and hat tired the lion comes TMK WORLD A8lio«R. 678 to hay, whereupon the do.^s sit u.mn ,i • . -t, until ho .noves off „.:;,. m 1'"" ''""""'•^^' ^^ '' ^^-n and t-k is always in the rear;;,. . t^7^'^'" ""'"^ <'^' ^^-' <'<>.'^' aU -^i-W-rsinthere..;f,..-;~.; "ll'i0l.0S8 tl„.y „„„_ i 'fr A LEOPARD BESET BY WILD DOGS, ^^ a>-H IS c„ut,„uod uul,l finallj, some o„e of the *,.. c 674 SEA AND LAND. emasculates the powerful brute, which so weakens him that he soon succumbs to his persistent foes. WILD DOQ8 THAT KILL AND EAT TI0ER8. It is universally believed by natives of India that the tiger is occa. sionally killed by packs of wild dogs. These animals are not numer- ous. Their operations are of a character so destructive and harassing to o-ame that no tract could support them in any considerable number. Tho wild dog is apparently a hybrid, or cross between the wolf and jackal ; at k"ast they bear somewhat of a resemblance to both, while they are intermediate in size ; in color they are of a deep rusty brown above, paler on the belly and have a black, brushy tail. They run both by sight and scent, and their perseverance and endurance are such that they rarel v fail io kill an animal on whose track they start. From their manner of hunting and of their power of lacerating there M no doubt of their ability to kill a tiger. Sanderson says : " I can call to mind two examples of their powers. One morning two (legs chased a spotted hind past my tent. One of them halted at sight of the encampment, the other, which was in springing distance, made two snatches at the exhausted creature's abdomen, and then drew off. The bites were inflicted with lightning speed ; the deer went but a few paces when she fell with her entrails protuding. On another occasion I heard the yelping of jungle-dogs, and a noble spotted stag came racing down an open glade, his branching antlers laid along his back, and three wild dogs at hin flanks. They had only time to make a snap or two when we interfered. The stag went but sr few yards and fell, and was speared by one of my men. In the moment's hit- m nothing against him i„ a front ataclT' • "' '" ""'^ """'<' e.Sat's :;r:r r ,r tr '"% t-^ '"™'«^ i. so peenliar to them that th ^Z^ , ';","^;:t' f ''7 """"'"f which they are enabled ti.et..lw .„ L ■ / """ ""'" """""'. ration is Ll.jeet rdou ,, ^^t 1 1"° 7" """'"'• ™' "'"''»■ persons. It L n„ doub rl I a ,f "7"'"'"" ''^ """"^ '•^"'"''° Lffaloesinthispollt m.n„e iTf- "T"'"" ''"'"'"^ '"•"'- tare their game ify ham-strinX' 9 "^'f^ '""' """ "'"^ "''P" aaimals thft they !"„"£;» b ' "' "™ "" ''"'' "' "'"'" flanlc of a hartehees Car^^-^ I'Z ^^Z tT" T T' ""^ ^""^ animals. That thejave their ortof'?"' "' ":"" ''"'"""'' M the mooranfe ;'• ; r;" t ^ t "7" T'" '"'""''''' """ exactly like domestic do" TheT ^. '' """' <"'"""t<'»y, fierce growls but hei^vo- ™°^, "^'"' ■»»'"'«>'* ""ger by barlts and fromtL:;'ia;d„me:;i:r.'^^'''''''"*'''''' "" "- ^-"^ "^'-'^^ CHAPTER XXXm. THE GORILLA -DOES HE EXIST? h^f^.^'.t^r;'-^™- '-•' --oised over the <,„es- ' ;: r "' ■'.''e'_'i^'- there is sneh an animal as the GoriUa A «".gular point in dispute was with regard to the e^s enee 0I ly debated hy every learned person in Europe. It has at length .-•; 'M 676 8EA AND LAND. been settled that the gorilla is a reality, while the unicorn is a myth ; but there are not wanting persons v.ho, if not still openly disputing the claim, do entertain grave doubts as to the existence of the gorilla, and their reasons for so believing are not without some force. It is a most astonishing fact that the only African traveler who so THE GORILLA. much as pretends to have seen the creature, or even to have heard of it through the wild tribes of that couutr_y, is Paul B. DuCliuilia. This explorer and writer may be the very best authority, espcciiilly since he brought several skeletons of the alleged animal to Boston aM THE WORLD AsnoRE. 677 London, where they may vet bo sci-n R„. ■», credit on Du Chuilh,-, .taiment, H i, T' 'if.'"" ""^""'"« ''''- too promptly accepted the ev^d™ ;;;,,",;' *'* '"'•"™«''' ^ave skeletons, it i, t,.„o, speak for the,:,:,: t t ^'Te Ct r ,1 '""' yet Livingstone, Moffat, Ande,' on O , ''° '°"'"' ^""«° "'"""y ; go,illa seldom or never a c^.eet^,'',, ";.;''? "'"""^ 'I"" 'he deepest shades of the innlle tI ,1 ; '"'"-^ ■'""»'- -■« "• Mrs. Lee, formerly Mrs. Bowditch, who was with her husband in Africa, adds the following { " Mr. Bowditch and myself were the Hrst to revive and confirm a long-f<»rgotten and vague report of the exist- ence of such a creature, and many thought that, as we ourselves had not seen it, we had been deceived by the natives. They assured us that these huge creatures walk constantly upon their hind feet, and never yet were taken alive; that they watch the actions of men, and imitate them as nearly as possible. Like the ivory-hunters, they pick up the fallen tusks of elephants, but not knowing where to de- posit them, they carry their burdens about until they themselves drop, and even die from fatigue ; that they build huts nearly in the shape of those of men, but live on the outside; and that when one of their children dies, the mother carries it in her arms until it falls to pieces ; that one blow of their paw will kill a man, and that nothing can exceed their ferocity." The exaggeration of this description is apparent, not only because the assertions appear singular, but because they are in conflict with well-known physical facts. For example : None of the ape tribe are able to walk erect, for the reason that the spinal connection with the skull is so far back that the entire weight of the brain and skull is thrown forward and so overbalances the body. In man, the orifice —called the occipital foramen— where the spine enters the skull, is so nearly the center that a considerable portion of the brain lies behind, and the head is, therefore, perfectly balanced so that the easiest position is an erect one. A man is, ar^eordingly, just as comfortable and natural while moving on ♦♦ all fours " as an ape is when walking upright. m^0^ THE WORLD ASHORE. 679 DuOhAILLU'S ADVENTURES WITH QORIULAS. Since works on natural history treat the gorilla as a verity I will not seek further to throw discredit on the belief, but add hereto some of the adventures recorded in pursuit of the monstrous Satyr-like creature. I have gone patiently through no less than eleven hundred different books on Africa and found nowhere, save in DuChaillu's works, any description of the gorilla, if I may except Hanno's (the Carthagenian) account of a colony of the creatures he saw on the west coast of Africa, B. C. 350. I must, therefore, confine myself toexcerptmg from DuChaiUu, whose fame, however, I am glad to assist m spreading, for he was a great traveler. In a work I wrote a yeanjgo entitled; 'The World's Wonders,' ' I gave many ex^^^^^^^ DuCha.llus- Visit to Ashango Land," including a number of his adventures with gorillas, and among the Fan cannibals ; I will now quote from his later work, - The Country of the Dwarfs," being an account of his visit to Africa in 1863. He writes • -Gorillas were very plentiful near Nkongon-Boumba, and were committing great depredations among the plantain and banana trees • the patches of sugar-cane were also much devastated. I heard one afternoon, that the day before gorillas were in the forest not far from he village, and had already begun t<, play sad havoc with the plantain "The morning after the news, if you had beenin the village, you would have seen me, just a little before day-break, getting read/to go after the gorillas. I was painting my face and hands with a mix- ture of powdered charcoal and oil. After my toilet was done, I put on my old, soiled panama hat, took one of my best guns, called Odanga, one of my boys, to accompany me, and off. " Ii was a lovely morning; the sky was almost cloudless ; every- h.ng was still, and one could only hear the slight rustling of the tree- tops move i by the gentle land breeze. Before reaching the grove of pant.ni-trees I had to pick my way through a maze of tree-ltumps, alf-burnt logs and dead, broken and half-burnt limbs of trees, wh^re he land had been prepared for a new plantation. If gorillas are to be ee„ ,n a plantation near a village they most generally come in the eaiiy morning. -By the side of the plantain trees was a field of cassada, and just a I was going by it I heard, suddenly, in the plantain grove, a g eat crashing noise, like the breaking of limbs. What could thi b^? I 680 6£:a and land. Immediately hid. myself behind a bush, and looketi in the direction from which the sounds proceeded. What do I see? A gorilla, then a second gorilla, and a third one, coming out of a thick bush ; then another one made his appearance — there were four altogether. Then I discovered that one of the females had a baby gorilla following her. "So do not be astonished when I tell you that my eyes were wide open, and that I gazed on the scene before me with intense excite- ment. These gorillas looked so droll, walking in the most absurd way, on all fours, and now and then walking erect. How impish the creatures seemed 1 how intensely black their faces were 1 how hideous FEMALE GORILLA WITH HER YOUNG. their features ! They looked like humans, but like wild men with shaggy hides, and their big, protuberant abdomens did not make them less ridiculous or rejiulsive. "The goriUas went immediately at their work of destruction, I did not stop them, but merely looked on. Plantain-tree after plantain-tree came down ; it s(>emed to me that they were trying to see which could down the greatest number of trees in the shortest space of time. In destroying a tree, they fir^t grasped the base of the stem with one of their powerful, hand-like feet, and then with ^HE WoftLD Asttom, g.-oa av,d,ty , at another thno'^^h.^tmld „ J"^; "'"' "''"" " '^"h -npy demolish the tree without «;"t^'™ ''""<'''''«. "^ would the chuekle they g,,ve ,« if ,„ expres^tWi. f"'" '*'""'-" """"^'^d -n they would sit still and look ZJa TT'T'" ' ^"^ "»<' three fmes they looked i„ the di, octio^.Tv? T'""'"'^' Two or gu.e , and was «„ eoneealod, that thet ™ jj' 'V ""'^ = '"•' I lay .o wn,d was blowing from them to mo LT! T ""' ■"«• "»'' "« tl>e fiendish their looks were 1 a cold sT.i^^.^ '' "°' """'^ "'«• How for, of „„ themalignant expr ssio s had e "'"'^'' "'" ^"'"■■" '™- most diabolical. Several tfmes Te^ sele/'i^r' """''■'' "^^ '"» ™"""'S »WV. and appeared alarmed Z, " "" "'^ I'""" "f •": ^f »:i -- too "".-k of de::n,:'i'on"' """ "■^"- ^-Po-o Gradually, withoufttui'g ,*:;:;■ ^'"'"^^'^ "'— r .he went. d».k forest, and all at on^o disa„pe,red 1^ """' '" "'° "''«» "' «'e I went to the spot where they 1, In Je t '1 '"'"" - '""-" » "-.-.m. oae hundred plantain-trees down o th, '°? "'"' """""='' "ver tlc-troyed. "^" "" ""' g'ound whieh they had would make another vi.it tl.ere wi i .f ' ''."' ' "''" »"' """k ll-^ 'b-ght I might see an antelope' t 'J d"l Z'"^ '"-"P^-"'-. but I «sada.tree, of whieh they a'-e ve v'fonH ^ ^'"'"S '"'""^^ "*' ""= barreled shot-gun, while Odan..a /,'.?' ''"''"■''' " '''?'" ''""I'le- -"woLTiiititralrptiwTt "■"'"■ r """ ^—""^0 "Staking the lead in'the na;,';:!:;'' """'■' "■"" -g~. "own the hill to crossover to he I' ',"'"' ^""' "'' ^ «^ S""": »«Wenly fell „„„„ „ monstrlusiL f" f ""^ '""'""'' "Ave^ »"' onedallinvain. The h„,.e 1 „t t 1 ! , f '"""'"•■■■ B"'I''eok. "•to the great forest on all fou^ T r , T "'"' "'^" '"""O »» ;«» the matter with my bov Tut nio, '"""""J '•"-"<' to see what fellow k.j ...,»., •'^ ''•>^' ""t "" Odauffa was to K« .„... m. fi il fellow had bolted (r"nandall;the«„„Uah:dfright:;:dT: iga was to be seen. The and he G82 SEA AND LAND. bad fled. I was furiously anj^ry, and promised myself to give Odanga such a punishment as ho would not soon forget, that lie might not pliiy me such a trick a second time. " On my return from Nkongon-Boumba, a great surprise awaited nie — a live gorilhi. An old chief, a friend of mine, named Akondogo, had just returned from the Ngobi country, situated south of C:ii)e St. Catharine, and there, with some slaves of Olenga-Yombi, he had killed the mother, and captured the rascal before me. He was biirgor than any gorilla I had captured, or that had ever been taken alive. Bigger he was than Fighting Joe, which many of you no doubt remember. (See World's Wonders.) " Like Joe, this fellow showed the mos<^^ ungovernable disposition, and to bite somebody seemed to be the object ne was always aiming at. We had no chain with which to confine him, so that a long forked stick round his necW, was the only means we could employ to keep him at a safe distance. CAPTURE OF ANOTHER GORILLA— A PITIABLE SPECTACLE. ♦< A few days after my return home one morning, a strange sight presented itself in front of my house — a sight which I firmly believe had never before been witnessed since the world began. There was a great commotion and tremendous excitement among the Coninii people. There lay, in front of my bamboo house, a large female gorilla, bound hand and foot, alive, but frightfully wounded. There was a large gash in her scalp while her body was hacked and covered with blood. One of her arms had also been broken. Now and then the creature would give a sharp scream of pain, which lent horror to the darkness by which we were surrounded, the half-dozen lighted torches making the scene still more wild. "This adult female gorilla had been mortally wounded in the morning, and lay on the ground senseless for a long time. A bullet from one of my hunters had fractured her skull, and while in a state of insensibility she had been securely tied to a strong stick, and in such an ingenious manner that there was no chance of her escaping. Her wrists and ankles had been tied strongly together, while the stick had been adjusted between her mouth and feet in such a way that she could not reach out to sever the cords with her teeth. Hanging from her breast was a baby gorilla (her child). The little creature was a female but a few months old, and now and then, after feeding from its mother's breast, it would give a plaintive wail. By the side of both stood a young live male gorilla, a fierce-looking fellow, which THE WORLD A8I10RE. ^,^^ seemed afraid of nothing, and Icckod nround with if. i fiendish eyes as if to siv ' Wl,..f i , ^"^ "^^""^^ .iri-ayi.sh, I *i 'I to H.iy, >Miat does all th.s mean •-" \w \\c lived only three days after her mother's death; she I'ied the fourlli day towards noon, having' taken an unconquerable dis'.ike to goat's milk. She died gently ; her tiny legs and arms had become shriveled, her ribs could all be seen, and her small hands had wasted to almost nothing. She died on the little bed of straw I had made for her as if she had gone to sleep without a struggle." Du Chaillu had but little better luck with Tom, for he, too, died after a short captivity, though not in his native land. A ship havinir landed with supplies for Du Chaillu, he placed the gorilla in charge of the Captain and consigned him to Barring Bros., London. A quan- tity of plantains and bananas were sent to supply the precious creatuie with its natural food, but these were exhausted in five days after de- parture, and as his appetite could not be tempted by the offer of any other kind of food, the poor animal died of starvation on the seventh day. ATTEMPTS TO DECEIVE THE PUBLIC. Some years ago a young ape was sent to Berlin where it was placed in the Thiergarten and pronounced a young gorilla. The groalest interest was excited by this, as was alleged, the only gorilla that had ever been brought to Europe or exhibited in a civilized country; naturalists from many different countries paid the wonderful curiosity a visit, all of whom, I believe, were quite ready to acknowledge it as a veritable gorilla. As the animal increased in size, however, the typical features of the orang outan began to appear more positive, until at length it turned out to be, sure enough, one of those rather comraoD creatures, when the naturalists laughed at each other for being ** taken in" by the not very clever deception. she I'ied the fouitli TUB WOULD ASHOHE. A deception even nioie g|,„.|„„ ii,„„ .,,„ „ ,,. .™.e,l u,,„n ,„a„^ „,.tu,ali,u l,y 11,,°,'"", " "' """ l""!"" " as „ gc'lll,., to the g,-eat deltht h '^If-km-s, ,.„d ..xhibfted a iro,in„. because it wa, too^„,Hr.„ be f;,'':'''- "'""»'" "■ ■""»' ^e McmaidH and unico,™ . ''f"" "« ""y'l'-ig else. -n.oriaU and we hav:i eCI,,™ ll/'lt^d"';" tf""' """ "- H.ch e,-ea«„.es, ,„any of wh„,„ cl..i,„ ,„?'" "'° ""'«•"'«<"'' li,ea„i,nal.s while at one ti,„e there v! n? """ ''^''-"''""'»*'™ "f »li.. did not b„lieve a, i.nnlicitly i , the , ," ■""'""" '" "" E"™pe !:■■" '-- - they didS,, '1!L ; , ':"tl'''"''™'"' -■'» <>' ."itii a go,illa ig bronsht under the „v "• . "'"''■f"'" '■'Poat, that >i»<- who „.e fan,illa,- at le^ « ^ ;,"'"'"" ""'"f "I'l-'oved scieu- people, while not dcyin-, wi I ,o , „ ,,"""" '""'''^' '■"''l-'"=''L:iJ:^:'::::tJZ:^::!T """ ^ a» one „,- the ,„o.t ^lall' Z^r:Zf :!:" "■?"' """" '^ h"".a" analogy, thai roan,, upon the f. ee „f M T '" '"""^•>''>»t l« "«.et.ed, if such an a„in,!l ,./",,;' ' "f K " '" ""•"'' '" •;'"" a single authority for all the Z , " '"'™ '" '><='><""i 'U f..,. of all the interfst ;",,:;': 5:,- P"-7- -nce,„ing Ihegc-illa, and the natu.Jii is elnV „ u ■""''^ """" '^""x^d ""M a human .i.at G^d has gi^ „ hf ^'''T^r'i »»™ -'^^ ">» weapons »oh possihilitls of b.t,^; ^ ^''""'"' '" "'* "■■'='"' P^<^««"' m, '0 give fo,ce to\is ;ile,,rs .Vsa,,!:'"''''''''^ ""'"'' '''"" ™"'^ -"» A fight between two full m-o^v- r-r rUl. . , terrible to witness ..nd', J / , " ^ i "''''^ ^'^' '^ '''^^t almost too i"g upon thd :• d Is :;• ^ ;: 't"' '^^^^"''^"^"- «^^"^- m leg., beating the.r breasts, and giving, forth suci, 686 SEA AND LAND. hoiirso, woird, puttunil Ijowls, gnashing their teeth and wrinkling their brows in u diaholical frenzy, the picture becomes bo gli()ulinh inid devilish that the strongest liunian counigo must give phico to the groiitest fe.ir, for in (he monsters wo beliold images more frightful than a disordered brain has ever conjured up. Such buttles are but i rarely witnessed, owing to the seclusion of the countries inhabited by gorillas, but the savage nature of the animal is sufficient evidence LUuL (.UCS6 LuriinL v;t>iiicsi.3 «tv iH/t iiixi vvjltT. i^t,« DuChaillu tells us that the gorilla and leopard are avowed enemies, and that between the two battles are not uncommon. Though he '**-'*»u;4 "Hifc^, THE WORLD A8FIOUK. lard are avowed enemies, micomnion. Thoucrh he 687 never claims to have seen hh,.U ,. p. 1*1. ;i- o, A.,-0, „ho :::„":,!;: .f;;;;:;r:,f[,^" 7» -,.. In... tl„. i„,„t realistic desCTi.rticn, „f " <'l"in,.t,.r, g„v„ >vo l,av<. ',„,„ al.lo to jr^tt • it ,u,,„ ",-, t| 1 ' "'"' '"'""""■" """ ""■". -""■« "' -*^-.- a .o„,„„.,| '; : 'J ;;';;;'■» "'-.v. .„.„. oo„„,g „|,o„ this „„i,„„,, ,„„st f,.e,,,„,,||„ i" ' ""l'WI'»ln,t.iry |„ pati,, or 8tcali„g f,.„„, t,-eo to l,-o,. ■ '""'*-""-■"'■ 'I'" l«.p.i.'(l's ;."tii witi:i„ .,„;,gi„„ d,:„,!;'"T, ■ Si ''":^'"' -'■" '"■' -^ -■s'-t J..»Mfle'"- ""^ i. ...uch tl,o„,o,.o n^>vcr?„l (-!,'."«'"■" "'"™'">""Sl' the lattc^ within its advor,a,-/s da vU,o .trin;""," "' *''", '''"'««^ -'-•'' '- aa.I endeavors to sLe ti.e I an • f , "S "'"^T "-' «'■»' ""-k, dreadful grasp tl,e Lcautiful unin , i T ' ? "''""'™ '>'i'W" his ..fte,.it lies dead f,.„„ a b t ' , ; ':,' ^j. '"^ ''.'""r' »"<• » "---"t crushes the vertebra) of its neck S , L", ', ™''™"''™ "'"' .1<- not ,„a„gle its vioti.n. ...t l.t f ;',"","^r""'^ "'" S°^"'" oonvinecd that life is extinc an 1 m ^'"^ "'" '"""""" I'" '•" h' making a noise „h I , "ir:.;""'"''; r"'S™"""""S '"".-If a chuckle. Shonid ho .■eceivo nv ! J ? ''""' " K™'" ""J certain ,„„„t which g,-o, s in son' el ' "' "'" '"""" '" «-l'» » »"J makes a l.o,,ltice^,v,:s:u "'':'"'' '" "■« 0'"">"" co„nt.y, 'i.en applies it with all the ear L ""'^ "'"' ''" "'^■"'' •■""' rateful application on the h „, t „ ' h ■ ■ "'r'/™'"'''' ''"''''"« ""= lifting it f,.o„ time to ti„,e to ".tl el It ."' "'"'"' ■"'"'""'• arc penetrating the wound Ti; .• , ' "'' '" *™ '' "'« J"ices a.-e strikingly human "*'"'" "'"'" "'"» '^-tmS Ws injury , ■"■"£ ORANQ OUTAN. i»>caceof the f.,,'„;, w,,l ,",'''?'"''" "' ""•"""'""' "- '- a.mnal obtained f r , , ' th 1 t lo'tl "f-"''" '''■■^^'■■""■™« "' ^e latter i^ls. by which it wi. „ne..nio .""""'"'^ ""■•■'^ "^'"""-"l- ccnfoundedthetwoaS 1" IT"'" !""•'"" """ ^" CI'-"" '"s "..tan is not found nAWc' b / ",'"'""' '''^"'"'■'' """^ 'l>^'>'-.."g nco and Sumutr" l.f ,' *"" '' ,"«'"'""■ »" S™th..east Asia. Bo,° «»i-al is not onlv fr::::;;' ?:''.'.! .'""'"''f'/.'^ -l f«''"ong ,l,at the ica also, as well ly frequently met with in Africa, but in Sou'tl ^ ^ as in many of the Pacific i.sland li Amer- 688 SEA AND LAND. Tho idea of the Satyr was obtained from the oraiig outan,and it is even now sometimes called Satyrus. The classic authors represented the Satyr as of a more intellectual countenance and as wearing hoofs of the goat instead of hands, but they preserved tiie reddish, chest- nut hair with which it is colored. But the goat legs with which Satyrs are furnished are not indispensable, for some quaint illustrations found in 1530 represent the Satyr with true orang outan legs, and with all ptbef features similar to th^t animftl, 3 and as wearing hoofs ved the reddish, chest- THE WORLD ASHORE. ^.^p Dr. Lund has furnished us with descriptions of ih. T? •.• orangoutan, which ho calls tho Hn. ^"P'""^ «t the Brazilian the legends >f the na ves w ii^h tufT'' '■7'' ^""''"'i""^ ^'•-» DuChaillu and theli:;^::'' ^ ^H^^^^^ the.c is no doubting J. identity f^^^e tl!;;:: ^ :' t^:^t IS represented as he n^ eouil tn n,o.. ; * ^ . -^ -Liund it >va,k^,g i„ the erect ;o:Ct IT e,t:;n,r;: " "'° '"'"'' "' .la„ge..o„., ana t„ attack m nkin, Vtl ^ „ ■ 7% T" "■,"" • V • f , tnt^v^ooti, as being covered with lono- cnvi . ng ha..- of a brown coio,, «, thick „,, ,„ l.cri„v„l„c,-„blo ox ent " t single white spot „u the abdo.ne„. lis foot ai-e o-,,. fn ^'^^ . t>vo heels by which it is enabled to f ilt, Z.!; 1 '''"'' "'"" „,al ,» traveling. It is decla,ed to be the king of the wild o", „ d of s..eh cn,nii„g and i,n,,lacable disposition asl, be oe, intoTlt"' any one who may k 11 its vouno- if ; . i ^'i'""io ac^tioy half ape and half pi. and tint it ' ". ''^''''''''''^ ^^« ^eing •1 * ^ u , t ^ ^' ''*^ '^ ''^ ni<)st frequently seen in flm an^t of a herd of wild swi.io riding furiously 1 u.fbiek Z t This sa,>,e legend is told alike by the tribes- of Woste.n Afrio. ::;;;srief:;f'Ttrrff ■''"'''''« ■-'""■'■ '■'•'"" -^ '''"^^'-'i-' ..iicauy siwkLii of. The difterencos noted in the descriptions of Iho go.ma and o,ang ontan nniy be acconntod for by the 'f c |° 1 0 study Its habits ,n a domesticated condition, while the o,-,n.ont. „ .speifectly well known, being fa„,ni,, „„, J^ t„ ,;' .^f^ bill fai.-ly common in n.enagciies. '■■ivt.eis, I.. " The World's Wonders " I have given ma.iy adventures with the orangoutan. orniias, of Borneo, chit-Hy e..,racted f,- n wrutl' excel eat work on the Malay Archipelag,;, so that I will he.e e nten ...yself w.th giving some of the habits ami pecniia.ities of til: a,;;™:!' lh« Mzas-Pappan, a, the o.a.ig ontau is called in Borneo where it -nis to be best known, is the Satyr-like and terrible ki„; U gles. Befo.e n,an it is tin.id, a.,d, as previouslv renn.rked „il/ ' to escaiie until pressed to the last e.xtr'emitv, then its piiwer and fe^ roeityarewo„de,.f„l,f„r it becon.es more ia.,ge.-ous In he li powerful jaws and dnnks the' u ts 1 u':::™ fj^ ''W" "^ The oning outan. when take,, into .u,,-; /.'',: """""»"'«• . its life, can be taught ,„a„y amusii,., IH . * T'' ''"""' '" i..elli,e„ce bcyo„3 that eiiiill; fy ^ llXr ,;;?"">' "T" (Huiily. It has been taught to conduct f "'"l'^"' "' ""= '"">*<'y fcil.lc, to eat soup with a s„ „,? ' f , " """■ '"■"l»-''-''y "' '^e ■Singularlv cnou..h, t o i d, i, it 7 J'"^- """'"' ^""^ " «'"'<="- yet in captivity Tt , " fe a vo a i'?" 1 ' " " '''^^'»'"° '■"■''-' offered it whe-thci. raw rcooW e Iri i-etr "TV" '""' ianty is found in its readincs, to '!t . ^""'^'" '"'™'- siu-hpi-idc that the ,n,n, ent tnew sni' "?' "\ "■''■^'' " "«-'» tea.- up the old one in 0,*:^' aviid nft:,':!.'': '""'""' T" other civm^ed trait it exhiliits i, ., „.„ "! f " i^ • ^""'- '^"■ >i.l.."-. In other words it tl ,e a runhrd"'.T"r:' '"™^^^ ..ess of a society dude, and is bwil';: , ' J ' f '' ,' ^''t r ■ ::^,™:::;,:tf:;:'rr:,::;;r'----^- trees, ,u d w 1,Z h,t' .^ ! "'-.g "u tan ascends rapidly the tallest h ,™.uers, but rather, it would appear, merelv o ve t his ite ;^>^* .,f ^ ^ ™ ORANG OUTAN KILLING A HUNTER. 692 THE WORLD ASIIOiiE. 69a pursuers below, however nnao if ¥.. .*..• «• ,. DOES THE MIA8 LOVE PRETTY WOMEN? As previously asserted, the male mitis 'itt-iin. .„•.>, .„o,.e thu,. six feet i,. height and havi ga : ';; e Ct'"w,''''""' consider the bulk of his bodv h.o-n i ^ . ^^^''^^ ^^ o„o,™ou, pn,t„hen.„t;d,:^;:fe "::;;',:":''''""■' "r"=^ """ .roua a c-eature one six feet tall muTt h" No ZIT]" " T"" cope with such a ,nias a moment ; one troke of hi? T^'f' """ p..s...ate an „x and he eonh, tear'a ::;'He:.e:isirf .:;:;'"''' and bears away to his han'nts"^ h * '1, ';rr'''T ""'""? part ofaeour.eous bandit, never t,e^,!;himr ','"*' ''"^ ness.but boldin- her bva^entle .h , ''"^y"'"™ "ith harsh- restraint. The hlZ wiefrf b' „ ^^ ' "™° "" '«^^ »ff«etionate living in a land wC 1 u "t Ifs rf^Xm?:"!'''''^ ba"dsorne.and hardy lovers of the chase and as .dv." tnron a h '! T* '"'^^ r are sometimes overtaken in the forest hvcftv '"""' ""^ «ci.e them firmly in one arn, and ' off! Th le r'° °?"" "'"' ilaving reached a chosen snot the mi-m crnfJinv^ i . ^^'^est. monition which is not all scoldin-'' °«'0'g8 to the monkey race, a native of West Oen t. «l Africa, where it is known under several names, but toJl^u " t AN ORANG OUTAN ABDUCnNG A WOMANt THE WOULD ASItOUR. ,.r,r as the Mandrill This woiidiMfnl ....«„* that ever, other a„i„,al, inolncli g t " j, '.ir? f "T1' sagacity i. i» h.feno,- to all othc-sM ,hc a » ilvT" t"" '" out some cunniiiff. ' ''"""y- t"'t it is not with- With all its hideous, hobfrohlin-Iil-n no.^„„4- *i laHy marked with wonderful , -^ , l' ? "'",""■'" '"' -•?"- biiHis, but these en,l,ollisl,„,ent, of „', , „ ° '""'""'-'" "^ """" and only serve to really in't L e un.V'r' TT'^'' """'"• " A bright a.ure," says Wood. • . I , vs , ; , S " "";-■••'-«■ blue,' but on each side of its „os„ i 1 '^'"^ "' '"""'''"Ij' ■.a..aed, and s.o,,. t.:v::z.::^z.z "z::^t!^z rr:r^j'ra';;r:^'::r'^^;;-:--r:^^;^^ balanced, the opposite end ,,f „•,,".'"■ ,"""»s *ould be equally n.a.ic effect, be'iig He,:,:!, y' ^ ; f:;,:':;' ^^' -^ » <*- I— d to give its full effec^t ^>yl^l;:^,:-^:x^z The mandrill not infrequently attains a height of five feet and is as muscularly proportioned as the oran^ oufn, ,v\mJV<\ , ia>vs are equally as powerful, but added tJ »,:::::" sesses a hopelessly savacre disDosition .,nrl i= ,^ ^*^ '"•I'l^nll p„s- violent hursts of passion! in wiLhIrir:,! faitStu'w h Z such desperate n.oods it knows no such thing as fe, „J "m ^^2::rSi-s:--r;-~ ,uick.e,„pered creatures, but c^t- Ife^^''" r ':: 1=' ttel.",?""" ,"!""' ""^ "'" "■'" ""'y '« ""f".-tu"..te e,„th f„" nutate its^-oward temper. It will often call into .,i,l if t "o" ^° "ing, and will pretend to have fo,l,t thtoV '" ™''- decoy the offender within ,.eacl.,,f it: gl:;,''" '""""^' '" "'■''^'' '» A MANDRILL ATTACKS A MAN Loais. Several" c "e of ' ' " "'" '" """"' '^"''' '° ^'- Id animals w; 8p«ce within a barn and, with the kesp sre arranged around a lar»e •er, we were looking at the sev- 696 8-.A AND LAND. eral wild captives. Within a comer of the building, and next to a cajre containinff several lions, was a well-ironed pen, which was so dark within that we had not noticed the occupant. My friend chanced to approach very near the bars of this cage, when in an instant a huge arm was shot out from between the iron rods and a monstrous hand o-rabbed him with great violence by the coat-sleeve near the shoulder. At the same moment the impish creature screannd so horribly that my friend nearly fainted from fright. Although he was a strong man, the prodigious mandrill, for such it was, drew him against the bars and must have done him serious injury but for the prompt aid of the keeper, who beat off the furious creature with an iron bar which he carried. The mandrill now exhibited a fury I never saw equalled; it shook the cage, tried to break the rods ; jumped violently against the sides of its prison, screamed most fiendishly and could not be made to abate its violence though punished severely by the keeper, and until we left it continued its frightful demonstrations, provoking all the other animals to anger until the place fairly became a very pandemonium. WATCHING VILLAGES FOR VICTIMS — THEIR LOVE FOR WOMEN. It is affirmed of these animals, which live in large societies, that they frequently keep watch over native villages, and when the mule population is dispersed to field labor, the mandrills issue from the woods in great numbers, and enter the defenceless homes which they proceed to plunder, despite the terrified women. It is further asserted that they do not stop at plunder, but also carry off the women like Ihe chimpanzee and mias. Wood says this assertion is not improbable since it is strengthened by much collateral evidence. The large baboons, when in captivity, always make a great distinc- tion between their visitors of the two sexes, always preferring the ladies to the gentlemen. Sometimes they are so jealous in their dis- position that they throw themselves into a transport of rage if any attentions be paid to a lady within their sight. I once saw an illustration of this propensity exhibited by a large Chacma ape in the zoological garden of St. Louis, which struck me at the time as extremely curious. The specimen, which is in the gar- den, is a very large animal, and old enough to be very sedate in his i.l-_i. \. -. J~ ~..;^4- n'^A 4-n<.:<-.'>7<'. on'l sr't"«'»'P ♦h«l^ Ho xvill IIPP- IlianWUr, SU LUU.t UC iri qutCL Uilu latiLurn, AIUA JM,- l«inr; i.i.i.. s. j-i mit any one to caress him. On the occasion referred to the animal was sitting in the rear part of its cage* apparently in a brown study, THE WORLD ASHORE. 697 • i^ly occasionally opening its cjcs to furtively "lance at the .,. a M were passing before I P,,,„„t,^ „ very pret v lirl t somely dressed can^e l,v and paused t„ ioo'k at tlfe attii! i'n 'i: " mnl. In an insta.it tLe creature jumped un run t„ tl? i f ;ng its ga.e intently on the girl, .ei ch^le; 1 , ' T "l"' ,""■ and thrusting out l.is hands fo.'ards'hert't!::' t Je Zat': 'Z appealing manner; his every action was clearly i„dic-,tive„rhlf, ing which had so suddenly smote him. The Jh- "nw , from the crowd as the ohfeet of his atte,^!:!',', t / u^ tt ^nn,se that the ugly, dog-faced creature had fallen in love with h" When she moved away the chacn.a followed her with his eyes str^i ' n.g >s utmos to view her as long as possible, and when she va , h d" he ecemed to be as utterly inconsolable as a love-lo™ u>.v yoath who real,.es that his affection is not reciprocated. The !o heart-b,-,d,e„ annual cried n,o.st piteously for hours afterw"ds ,nd never left the bars the remainder of the d«v ,„..„t- "'•"™"'' ■"«' iu the hope that the girl might m^ll. t,,' 7' "''""=" "'"'' "^"^""''-^ Wood also relates a somewhat similar incident which served to re ..pture a large chacma that had escaped fron, its cage In Part ''It had already baffled many attempts to entice it to its home and when force was tried, repelled Ih'e assailants, severe y w , ZJ sevemi of the keepers. At last a ready-witted keeper hit up™ a pan winch proved eminently successful. There was a little wi dow t'^l back of the cage, and when the keeper saw the chacma in f," t „? t ; srh"e "" Tt siiT f "ir"""" '""-^ "• ''" ^'""-' -"p-trded to k,ss her. The sight of this proceeding was too much for the ie-d- ous feehngs of the baboon, which flew into the cage for the purp „ extermjnatmg the offending keeper. Another keeper w sstSld ambush near the cage, and the moment the infuriated aninari- tered the den, he shut and fastened the door." THE HUMAN APE, OR CHIMPANZEE. We now come to a creature which is separated from man bv a sin ^ If beT!r;r°"°'"'''""' *'''• ^' *■■'' ""'"Sht it appears that the gulf between the simian, or monkey tribe, and human family =- -n r— ^^"t the idea of an identical origin could not be conceded i, 'I Z^Z b™i,,hntsuchaco„cl„si„nistheproductofthemostsuperBcialin<,% m differences of appearance, thought, action and character between cm SEA AND LAND. an Americun of to-day and the Bushmen of Aust"alia, or the trog- lodytes of South Africa, are so striking as to apparently controvert the idea of the two belonging to the same species. Yet the anthio- pohjgist can phiinly trace the cultured man and the savage back to ii common ancestry. The link, however, which connects us with the monkey is entirely wanting, and when wo consider that the ape, a« lie is to-day, was one of the antediluvian animals, we are not encournged to believe that it will ever be found. If we pa«s the line of sepimi- tion between man and monkey \vc meet our nearest relation in tlie Chimpanzee^ an animal which, though far inferior to man, is superior to all other animals, while his structure bears a closer analogy to that of man than either the so-called gorilla or orang outan. The chimpanzee is found occupying a very small district, being confined to Equatorial West Africa, in the section where Du Chnilhi claims to have met with so many gorillas. Its range is about ten de- crees on each side of the 'equator, but hardly more than one degreo inland, being, apparently, a coast animal. Zoologists formerly main- tained that the chimpanzee and gorilla were one and the same, but it is now held otherwise and the two arc classed as belonging to differ- ent families, although the distinction is by no means radical. The tint of the hair is almost identically the same as that of the gorilla, which is a brownish black; ai;d, as in the gorilla, the hair of the fore-arm is turned toward the elbow, where it meets the hair of the upper arm and forms a pointed tuft, while in other respects there is a similar resemblance. The chih. canzee, however, lives in a social state, while the gorilla is represented as being solitary in his habits, though Du Chaillu mentions having frequently seen as many as seven together. Accordingto information obtained from the natives of West Africa, chimpanzees build huts for themselves in which they live; this statement is denied by others, however, who maintain that only the female and their young inhabit these huts, while the male takes up his position on the roof. The probability is that neither statement is correct. The chimpanzee spends most of his time on the ground, it is true, but his habits, when in captivity, show that he contents him- self with a simple bed and never makes any effort to erect a roof to protect him from exposure. HOW« THE CHIMPANZEE FIGHTS WITH A OLUB. One of the most remarkable habits of the chimpanzee, and one which indicates the proximity of reasoning power, if not its actual THK WOULD ASlIonE. cm 0 man, is superior 'g possession, Is the manner in which it (l,.fon,i v i* , All animals rely upon instinct a d tl oi , "tl " "'"" '^""^•'^"'* themselves, save alone man and thl ! • '""''''""' ^^ ^^'''«»^ ficia. and mo.-e po^lfZ^t; I ^^ 'r'-^'n' ^''"^^ '^^^•- other creatures do not possess 'Pho ni " >"toliigenco which tusks^the incisor terur;- th v^i. h' ir''"\'^ "'"'' ^^'^^ ^^'^^ trees and cut ^own bushes of considerable s^ I nfVl'"' ^'""*'"" with its natural and powerful weapons u b J.h \ t"' "*' '^''' Instead, it sei.es a ,a.^e club ancf attacl. w H^^ mg the weapon w th such force fh-.f .. .i^ "" Velocity, wield- against one if unprovided ':[:: ^, /o .""" T '" r""""° rendered desperate, has been known ' Tiie annual, when b,„ncl,es so thiek that the , Ued t e „^ "fT ""' " "'"='" '■""''• bead the™. Their n.nscnia t ^ 1 "» ^ "'"" -=""" — 'r their power for mischief with a iarco dul. n'T! •,?'""''"""'' "'"' strength whieh lies in their hindZs , r " v 'f \ '''"' """' chimpanzee, in the zoological wardens of I^,'"/ ' »''"«''. "^nlt The degree of intelliannpa ;« +j,^ u- »««in« p^ver soe.s">h:";LT.: „tT:nrj:,:.-':' "i '■•; '•™- wonderful mimie. It loves the «;,Sh T ! ' "'"*'''' " '^ " grateful blaze until thefue is eL 1 „„, " T' '"" "'" ^'"'^ "» to renew it, but will er; V'r re"^,, eTe'f ' '7"' """^^ '""'"'''"S merely because the fire has U "d He l -•"■■•. ■-■'■"P^ but will never learn to dress him elf H ! '""*' "='"""'-^' "«'• iathe wild state thitZr "f '«™>' *" "'"'I'rehend, when «n attack be nrade b, ule'h , r „ ' V'LTZl'r'''''':^ " assault of a herd nf oh;«,». ""« ne nees before the combined faisiife b/cLTi ;L ;r^^^^^ t;''^" 't ^'•^^' ^^^ -^'^ -- the gun or .pear and eLedri^h ' '"""''' ''^" '^'^'l' ^°^ ««''^« Geor,r«Tf """'^''•""^^ "'^«'^« O-^ THE CHIMPANZEE. _ /^eorge Thompson, author of several work, on \fnc" in * Z:Z:r" -''''' "ra.o:-W,. write, af ^^^l 7the' lO" i tl 700 6EA AND LAND. ♦♦ It is snid to be ty»o nearest approximation to the human iii th animal creation — and it certainly acta much like mankind. I luiv seen persons who had the features and expression nlmost precisely at any rate a sight of one will immediately remind the beholder o some person he knows. Some have been seen as tall as a man -. from five to seven feet high, and very powerful. It is waid of then that they build a kind of rude house of sticks, in their wild .slate and fill it with leaves; and I doubt it not, for when domesticated lliei always want some good bed, and • make it up ' regularly. If loft t( themselves they will gather a pile of clothes beneath and around then to make a warm and soft bed. And when they sleep they are entirolj different from the monkey tribes, which sleep in clu>c„ Z ^L^J^^T"'" '" "'" "™ tentioDs arc so constant and l„»|.,l fh. , " ""'""" his at- want of s,c„,„ but T 1: ^ "'^''^I'^^X"""','/''"/'"' '"' gonorallv l.itt„„ to death and hif bo.le s' f , r &' ',7 "" " l.ortsarc true or not we have no means fk' ^"'"■'''■" "'»«« >■«- .cdcrcd probable by „ eirennistanceT h W„ 7 °' ' """^ "'•" actnally occurred sol years «., , U „ v^v 7'^" "r'"'""^ He states that a particularly Nn^ H»ci„:„ ^ ' ^.r^itTd™"";- cated m its nafve country, wl.ere it lived with its „ „ , . '"■ ane years. Ou one occasion a soldier c , ,e Z I ™"'^- playingwitl, it, when «.ddenly the ;«,„„".„ .''■ ""'r™™™" perfect ease, despite his struiles. il^^^Tp the 'tr '"7 ''''," 7''' ™ chained, when help can.eVnd he was .rued tne th "w! " ^ " Ins novel experience. The circuni.if.n„.„ ,., ■ ' " '"^ Wh the po4r and the disp, it f he , "7"'?' " """'"'"^ dors the stories of the -.iles a o L hah "r ' ""'' '"''"'"'^ '■""- "..I only possible ,,,,„J|e "' ""'••>""= ''"*'« »«. fain;"!;:;;::-:/;:: bir r""" °"i"° ■"■ "^'""^ '» ^"^ "«-""- similar. They live in inr.,. «„l • ' , ' '■"''«'■«'•. are very favelers whoitn de „». n tht .'7'' '•'"' '"" '"" '"-'«'<' '» ""■'"k a«n.ber has been :^^^ ^:T2 ^ ""^ »"- <- <" ^eir Sirs ,,,— •--'": :Lr'"'''"^^°'^""'''^- .rnrr ;:T"b--"^'-'^ ' .u^^:::-a,o„, .he . feed to the riv fir water l^dt^""f T'"'' '^'^ "P' 'h^/ »- l...,..:.„ ,.. , 'T. ""'" • "'"J "'« sliady banks, covered »!(!. I.....-V '"o ="''""''» i'iduce them to renniii Tt :„ . ' . ^-'J~ these great male baboon. 7,. L-.' ^ ''^''^ """"'"S '" ""t"!" all ages, the mothers cany ing their little ones upon tifeir ff : = .'■ :" f ■ * -4 i) r I of 111 tl tlie theii list: the THE WOKLD ASHORE. Iwcks, tha latter with a roaular iortv . • "hile at ather time, they relieve tL*t, ''".""' """*' '■""'f''rt«'.ly, »|.™wli„g at full length a,,d howL, T'"^ "' ""> V'Mon Uy S..dUe„lya«ha,.p-ey:d yo^^Zl "T T*^-^' "'""' hair"^ '>-n™. ..nd hi, g,.eedy .„u„d,i'; be, J "r,.?"'; -"-"ered with n.si,of youogrte,., takes plaee, and fu ^f ^'"ff"«'• " S«"'=™1 place, ensue, among the l,.,y, . thirl, """"''''''"g '"•• the be,t ™a,e, a large male, who euffs one ,., 1 ""r!" "'"'""'' "''"' d'-wn another on the hindqnarter, LtTs'hl t" ""^ ''^ "'" ''""■'''»«' back a wonld.be de,erler by I i .a", "J"ft ", '■"' "'^""P""' "'■=«» tl'us he shortly re,torea orL ; ."1 tin. ,; f ^,"" """'""S'"^' "'^ l"ig under the bu,h and quiet ve° f''"'"'''' ''>' ^i'" These baboon, have a great va"ttv o 7'"® ° '""■'«* ''y '"■»»^"- ."present their voeab^lary , T ITof thriT '•'"" "'V. I'-h-P^. ™d, a, their note, „f alarm andTh! , "'"' '" ""J««tand, ;vl;enlam sitting alone b'Xt ^Id":'";'' ""'"«"" ' "^ ' iiahits, tliey are not at fir,t ouite „,"'■"''' "^ " ^''"^ I" wateh their may be, and they give a pe X ,yt"n'd ' "■'"' "' » ^^»"""'' ^ myself more distinetly." ^ """""" '"« '» '""ve and show A LUDICROUS WAY OP Oadti In another part of his " Nile T^-n™* """ "'°°'""° * """O"- -ibe, a eurions hunt for ..aboon,, rst^::!.^''^'''-'''''' ^'"«"- «- t.onXtz::„'irhtr:i"iT; ''"''-"^ --^ p-^- »f the valley, when we observed I,'. ^''fr ""' '^ "'^''' ^'»P- who were gathering „„m arii, V ',, '"" " '"""'""^ baboons, 'i-yato„:ewaddi:j:ff/:wo,i;i" ■': "r"'"^' "P"" -""'»? "« » ft'v* (baboon)?- e« aim^ t ,„ '"''-V'^''-'' "'"'er) likotohave tl.e astonished ape,, wh,/ findi .t , "' ']"""-"' "' '"" S-Mop after 'toir best speed.' T.rtroud CI """"?'?' P'"'"''''' """-* «t lows, covered ecaniily wiM, ,1^ ""'S''' ''7'« f"" "f L.oken hoi- -tend of turning to the riJhirr' " .""' "'"P"* ''aboons, in- Semte, where they w^ulL' ^ be ::r:l:;:,^r-P """^ "' ""> »*a,ght eour.se before the hor,,., iT " "Sgageei-s, ke,,t 'ho very v„„„„ ,,..^,.„1 „' '"'^iT- " ™ « •■nrions l„n,t , sonm of '«« now goi!;g at eir best .?."'' "° "',?''• '"""•™' backs, those -- .ndioiTing ab::rd;;ur: ;: "Tf a""; '" "•■™' '"■"""'"■ '«i.o.ed the Arahs/„, were '^\^LfZ:'T2 XZ Hi closely 704 SEA AND LAND. and with great dexterity two of the aggageers, while at full speed, stooped like falcons from their saddles and seized each a half-grown ape by the back of the neck, and hoisted them upon their horses. Instead of biting, as I Hud expected, the astonished captives sat astride of their horses, and clung tenaciously with both arms to the necks of their steeds, screaming with fear. The hunt was over, and we halted to secure the prisoners. Dismounting, to my surprise, the Arabs immediately stripped from a mimosa several thongs of bark, and, having tied the baboons by the neck, they gave them a mer- ciless whipping with their powerful koor- batches of hippopota- mus hide. The little creatures cried most pitifully, and at the same time looked so appealingly into the eyes of their captors, that my keenest sym- pathies were excited, and I tried to prevent the further whipping of the helpless cap- tives, which ndw more than before ap- peared so child-like. It was in vain that I remonstrated, they persisted in the pun- ishment, otherwise they declared the baboons would bite, but if well whipped they would become humble. At length my wife insisted upon mercy, and the unfortunate captives wore an expression like prisoners about to be led to execution, and they looked imploringly at our faces, in which they evidently discovered some sympathy with their fate. They were quickly placed on horseback before their captors, and once more we continued our journey." BABOONS AND GIBBONS OF SOUTH AFRICA. THE WORLD ASHORE. 705 chimpanzee ^l IZt ^Z^^'^' ""-" - ^-d iu the g„ri„a», .be .„,t in.pa,sive hu„te,.» omt 'ou ^ <' 'i'''f''--'e'^'tZ they have never been able t« coZ, • """"'^ ocknowied^e that .bl.i.excitedwhenwi,ne:j;r :;:,:';;"'»'■■--« -hichC! .^yjjB^lljf^^ "gonies of their victims. HOWLING MONKEYS OF SOUTH AMERICA. Devoid of the lieroeness and power of tl,„ more singular in its habits is tl,. H ,• J ™« outan, though This astoulshinirly u onth littlt "r'"!: ""nkey ot South Ameriea. -<• the ™„st re^e':erd eu^^, " isrrwhrr'r'' """ ^ '""'" '"« ^"-.ce is mirth-provokin.. to "d: 40 1^ "'^ ^'"';7 «»" «' o"""- - -% takes it^s very'irpr- e "rt,:!: tZZ^ ¥ I f- .A ^ t^ ''^ %^'.. 706 SEA AND LAND. it is more common for three or four of the species to go together, and iu the tops of the trees they sit for hours at a time giving vent to their dolorous cries. The cause of their making such strnnge noises is net understood. Some naturalists have thought it was to intiniidiite their enemies, but while horrible enough perhaps to accomplish this purpose, this can hardly be the real prompting, since in captivity they howl 0 less than when free. The Preacher Monkey is also a species of the howlers, though it is considerably larger than the kind just referred to. This latter is about the size of a common fox, has long black hair and a beard very much like the former. It is also a native of South America and has received its name from the extremely curious preaching habit in which it indulges. They are gregarious and seem to be governed by a leader who, upon frequent occasions, ascends to the low branches of a tree, where he addresses an assembly of his species which sit around on tht ground below him exactly like a congregation listening to their pastor. His preaching is not by chattering, as one might suppose^ but by howling in a voice so shrill and loud that he may be heard a long distance. After thus emitting two or three screams, or howls, he pauses a moment and then signals to his auditors, whereupon they join in a deafening chorus which is prolonged for several minutes. These quaint exercises take place usually early in the morning and late in the evening, never, I believe, during the middle of the day. CHAPTER XXXIV. THE MIGHTY GRIZZLY BEAR. IhE lion, tiger, elephant, rhinoceros and gorilla are often re- garded as being the most powerful and dangerous animals that are hunted, but so far from this being true, it is much to bo doubted if either of the iive named are so ferocious and difficult to kill as is our own North American Grizzly Bear, and, so far as my own experience extends, lam frank to say that I would rather meet any other monbter that roams the wi'.ds of any region, than to face a grizzly bear. No other animal manifests BO little feftr of njan, and \yl)ile other beasts flee befo^^ \h^ &.-at sceut ™E world A8B0SE. The g,4*;::;'r "-:^7 <" h.,,.. ^ ■'"" '-"-"y at. P^ferooce n,„y be for fesh mlrM?" """ '"^^ "-"ty. His haunts a,; invSw ''.'°''^"' ™'7 '"'Wom - brow ,. fS " "" ""=""- «^^l.v B„, cA«y»„ o„ . „;i ; e -e ,U .shT," eif r:;;r-'''''^'-M.i,eadeer„ffeets "■"uanjr othe.. y^j meat T h/ '""""^ """"""* ^'i'™ ""«• As he ,s a poor runner, while his ! \i } ill 708 SEA AND LAND. quarry is remarkably swift of foot, the grizzly resorts to a strategy that is very cunning and none the less effective. When upon the hunt he throws his head aloft frequently to sniff the air for a scout of the game; when he discovers that a deer is somewhere in the vicinity, he soon learns the direction, and, trailing the scent, so to speak, he moves cautiously, his nose never failing to indicate the dis- tance the deer may be from him. As he approaches closer his cau- tion is increased until he may be observed creeping along from one tree or rock to another, always keeping some objeet between himself and the game, occasionally stopping and lying so flat and motion- less on the ground as to appear as a stump. He carefully marks the di- rection in which the deer is feeding, and manages to get the ani- mal's wind, when he carefully conceals himself behind some shelter, not, however, obstructing his sharp look-out, where he waits until the deer approaches close enough for him to spring upon it. Though extremely wary and quick, the bla(!k-tailed deer seems to be easily cauf ht by the grizzly, for venison may be said to constitute its most common food. After securing his prey the grizzly seldom begins an immediate feast, preferring, it would appear, to first bury it and to dig it up a day or two afterwards, when the body s permeated with the moldy flavor of the soil. Nor does he bury the body on th-j spot where the capture is made, but carries it in his arms to some place, not, how- ever, far distant, that may suit his fancy, where he digs a shallow hole, into which he carefully lays the deer, and then covers it with sticks and leaves as carefully and intelligently as a man would. PERILS OF HUNTING THE GRIZZLY. More men have been killed by grizzly bears than were ever slain by lions, and of the two animals the former is very much more to be dreaded. The lion, though desperr.te in an encounter, is a coward before man ; besides, it is not very difficult to kill. On the other hand, the grizzly is aggressive and quite as tenacious of life as the crocodile, Indeed, they have been known to continue to battle furiously and pursue their hunters with great persistency, when pierced with twenty rifle balls. A gentleman of my acquaintance was killed by a grizzly that had been shot as many as seventeen times, but which still continued active and able to outrun a fleet hunter. The incident miiv | be briefly described as follows : The friend who thus met such a horrible death, was visiting some ;ly resorts to a strategy 3tive. When upon the miff the air for a scent ?ir is somewhere in the railing the scent, so to iling to indicate the dis- jroaches closer his cau- •eeping along from one 5 object between himself n2 so flat and motion- e carefully marks the di- lanages to get the ani- elf behind some shelter. -,, where he waits until spring upon it. Though leer seems to be easily id to constitute its most tn begins an immediate ry it and to dig it up a rmeated with the nioldy !y on th.D spot where the 3 pome ^lace, not, how- kvhere he digs a shallow and then covers it with y as a man would. tIZZLY. 5 than were ever slain by 8 very much more to be in encounter, is a coward I kill. On the other hand, s of life as the crocodile. to battle furiously and vhen pierced with twenty ntance was killed by a een times, but which still inter. The incident may death, was visiting some THE WORLD ASHORE. 709 relatives in Sacramento, intendino-f ^^' M region. Being a g/eat ^^ "^^^^ "^ -inter in thatdellg,,. t»o.>^of some ac,»aintances to go "P- a^:^^^ 'as. SAD RESULT OP A GR,zz,v BEAR HUNT. — '» "CAK. HUNT. The party ^as composed of fn,,,. ;« ever before pe n'etrl/tfo Sfof r^ """"^ ^'""" <— '• "' "' '"""^- The^ toot wittrra coit::'^." ^^"'^ »"^«""s " <'»'»Plete camping outfit, in- iiu 710 8EA AND LAND. tending to cast their tent in the country which they thought most promising for their expected sport. In addition to the tent, they had a half-dozen excellent dogs that were loaned them by a gentleman liv- ing in the vicinity of Devil's Pouk, and which had several times be- fore given chase to grizzlies. Being armed with repeating rifles, tlie hunters anticii)ated no accidents, and were anxious to give battle to the great kings of the mountain fastnesses. It was in the winter season when they started and the snow jjiy several feet deep in the gorges which they penetrated. The first day's hunt resulted in the killing of only a single deer, >)ut they had discovered the tracks of a grizzly which, however, were not fresh. Ou the following day they arose early and traveled as rapidly as possible along the trail, and toward evening their dogs gave tongue which told plainly they had come up with the game. The gentleman who after- wards fell a victim to the ,animal he was hui ting, being somewhat in advance of his companions, was first to sight the bear, which he dis- covered sitting on a rock bayed by the dogs. Much excited by this discovery he did not wait for his associates to come up, but immedi- ately opened fire and succeeded in wounding the animal several times, but it nevertheless made off jp a canon where, owing to the great rocks and dense growth of pine, it was Impossible for the hunters to follow. The gentlemen returned to their camp much disappointed, but not discouraged, for at break of day they renewed the hunt, separating, however, so as to cover a greater extent of country and thus increase their chances of falling in with the first one or another grizzly. To- ward noon three of the party heard the dogs barking a considerable distance off and apparently down in a deej^ valley; shortly after sev- eral shots were hearc and being now convinced that their friend was engaging some kind of game they hastened with all possible speed toward the spot from whence the sounds proceeded. The dogs con- tinued their barking with increased violence, but as no more shooting followed fears were excited that some accident had happened. Nor were their misgivings without cause, for as the first of the three came in view of the place where the noisy combat was waging, his blood was fairly frozen with horror as he discovered the dead body of his friend lying half-covered in the snow, while a monster grizzly was standing over it fighting off the dogs. The other two came up speedily, when the three opened fire and after discharging a score or ley thought most the tent, they had Y a, gentleman liv- several times bc- )eating rifles, the I to give battle to ind the snow hiy trated. The first eer, >)ut they had jre not fresh. Ou apidly as possible tongue which told bleman who after- leing somewhat in ear, which he dis- ch excited by this J up, but immodi- mal several times, ving to the great for the hunters to ippointed, but not hunt, separating, and thus in^i'rease ther grizzly. To- insf u considerable shortly after sev- it their friend was all possible speed d. The dogs con- no more shooting d happened. Nor of the three came waging, his blood dead body of his onster grizzly ms her two came up jharging a score or THE WORLD ASHORE. 711 more of shots succeeded in kiilin-r tl,„ f„, ■ 'oilow who had fallen „ Victim "tohU ':'"": ""'"""■ '^'«' !>"" n.angled, «, that his body could h.rdll ,"'Pf"""^y »»■< horribly for the knowledge of the "lircu^Jsto^tf wS t" '''^"''''^'' "™"' wnich his companions had. • il CATTLE AiTACKED BY A GRIZZLY BEAR When the bodv nf tUr. u__.. wound, were d-'is;;™.:d7:'xr, TTtu" !''' *'""' *"^-"y-"-ee -'»-» the dead .a;C.:;:futur^-^^^^^^^^^ 12 BBA AND LAND. tuken and toni the hunter, though wounded (*o frequently as must have speedily killed uny other animal. HOW THE GRIZZLY BEAR ATTACKS CATTLE. It quite frequently happens that excessively cold weather ami scarcity of food drives the grizzly out of his accustomed haunts, and prompts him to forage among domestic flocks. His depredations are nearly always committed at night, for he is a cunning fellow, and quite wise enough to know that discovery would pretty certainly lead to a chase by dogs or a physic of lead. In his fcrays upon the cow- yard he conducts himself with great caution, and lacks only the wk- dom of knowing that his nttacks must cause enough noise to awaken i,he soundest sleeper. He creeps with soft tread and slow motion, and mounts whatever fence may interpose with the utmost care, com- ing down backwards on the inside. The cows arc very liable to give the alarm before the att&ck is made, for the grizzly gives off a strong scent that inspires terror in all domestic quadrupeds. As they rnsh round the lot he watches his opportunity and springs upon his victim in a manner almost identical with the lion ; that is to say, he neaily always seizes the unfortunate bullock at the apex of the neck and bites through or disjoints the vertebrae, bearing the animal to the earth and speedily dispatching it. Should the grizzly catch a cow or ox in the open he drags it away a short divstance, and then, if not disturbed, begins his meal, never attempting to bury it as he does the body of the deer. He seems to reason that his depredation must soon become known, and to appear be- fore the carcass a second time would be like inviting the farmer to at- tack him ; hence, as soon as his f^ast is made he scampers off, not to appear in the same vicinity again. If he kills his prey in a barn- yard he never attempts to eat it, for, knowing that he cannot drug the body out of the jnclosure, he makes off with every evidence of great fear and without attempting to satisfy his hunger. BATTLES BETWEEN GRIZZLIES AND BUFFALOES. In the early days of California, when the amusements of the miners were generally of the most exciting character, it was a common thing to introduce a grizzly and a buffalo into a strong enclosure, about which an amphitheatre was erected for spectators, and goad the ani- mals into a terrific combat, which invariablv meant death to one or the other. It may appear, at first consideration, that a buffalo would have little chance for his life penned up with a strong grizzly bear, lently as must 1 weather aiul ed hauntH, uiid 8 depredations ing fellow, and ' certainly lead upon the cow- s only the \\\^- oise to awakoii d slow motion, nost cure, com- y liable to givo es off !i strong As they nisli pon his victim say, he iieaily i neck and bites 1 to the earth drags it away [is meal, never He seems to id to appear be- e farmer to at- mpers off, not )rey in a bain- le cannot drag ry evidence of 3 of the miners common thing iclosure, about 3 goad the ani- leath to one or I buffalo would g grizzly bear. THE WORLD ASHORE. ^jg but it is a fact that the former morn f,. ,^ of ,ou„g .„ffa,.. „.., ,.„„ . o.e„i„;Hir:i5s:rr,L'r FIGHT BETWEEN A GRKZLY BEAR AND BUFFALO 'ore a herd o^f >>nn.i:7CZnslZ^;^7'''''T f " '"'''' "'- wws and calves at once -atW th ? •^'™ "'" "'""■"'' ^'"'■' '^e th. h„n. ..u. ... ""^e gather themselves into a comuact mn.= „h,-i. make an immediut« «ff O.I. ».„.„,." ^^emy. The grizzly does not herd trying to .! * - immediate attack, but slowly circles about the 714 ftlA AND LAND. find a weak place to break through the line, which he sometimes suo- ceeds in doing, for if he once seizes upon a calf the herd immediately stampedes, and flies swiftly over the plains in a mud offoit to escujje further harm. Ho is more frequently met, however, by some power- ful and courageous bull that rushes upon him with the force of a catapult and ingloriously rolls him over the ground with broken ribs or other bone^ The attack is then foUowod up, often aided by other bulls, until the marauder is killed. While the contest is goirxr on the cows gaze, like meek-eyed spectators, and betray far less con" cern than they evidently feel. THE FEROOITY OF A CAPTIVE GRIZZLY. Of all animals I believe tha grizzly bear alone resists all efforts at domestication. Lions, tigers and even hyeiuis have been raised to such familiarity with man that they would follow their masters like dogs and never manifest any treachery. The grizzly, however, always remains the sullen and ferocious beast that we find him when in his natural home. I once saw a baby grizzly, perhaps two months old, that would suck a person's finger and play on the carpet like a little kitten. This same bear, six years afterwards (though in the meantime it had been constantly in the care of a kind master) killed H man, who chanced to come near it, by a powerful stroke of its great paw, and that, too, without the least provocation. In the year 1878, while on a visit to California, T noticed an uncommonly large grizzly that was kept confined in a cage at the rail- road depot in Lathrop, where the Central Pacific trains stopped for passengers to take their meals. Two years afterwards, when on an- other similar trip, I saw the same bear and noticed children feeding it with peanuts, cakes and pop-corn. There was no railing about the cage, so that anyone might venture as close to the animal as desired. I remarked at the time, that a serious accident would one day occur, to prove that the bear was still extremely dangerous though evidently long in captivity. It was only a few months after this visit that I learned, through the press, that this bear had seized a little girl and torn her arm off at the shoulder, so badly mutilating her that death speedily resulted. THH WORLD ASHORE. 715 CHAPTER XXXV. TH^LL''''''^ °^ MANKIND. ^ THE WONDERFUL PIQMIE8 OF kAvING described snmo «* 4.1 inf., which are peculiarly ir/*^,! ".','' T"'" ""' •"■•'■™"<'- As Africa ia the «,..• he eT .1 ?° ''T '" "^'"'"'" "'""• «o i, it the chose- groun'T ' ;.! """"'"'"' '""'» '''"P-'. por,ionof,hee„rh''.rrL !.,:•:■;;"""" '""t"" """' ""-^ ""'«■' donic f„,.>„a of .i?e ■„ the f ,™ If, T" '° """' "'"' "■» ""«'"- iio"- Io.,M since l„„icd in ex i fcH;,, ^ ,'" ?""" ""'»""' ""^y "« stition. But, althoulh the In h' V"" ""'^ '" '^S™'' "■• ^"Per- congeners still oontiu e : rA^ZZT^'' r'? """""'"^"' that roam the forest, in miuilrraUl'lifn TZ '""" ■"""""'"•» Homeric story, and batlUnlf l / ■ ^''"""' '^'■''™'' «>• '» the wildcrueas. S,:: cal '"„! ZZT^' t'l'""' '" '"^ "'""«'"«<' name soraething -nomisb » « I- ""'^ '"'""*'' ""'™ '» '" H>e tnrrow up our^th u"" ' Lt^v "' f ,^"" °'- "-"-Pi.-'t to ties, but I distinct r;.e :; rac^ ,'^1:^": o H^' "'" , "''™"'- «us than their di,ni„utrve statur . I, flct^ „"| l*;" "" '''"■■"'- lar creatures to be me, with in Africa these ttLh™"'"^"- ^- they reg„id^r:ttu -r ;':~r ^''- '- "■"'-' WhilA o(Y.« alone; sober historians and precise geographers have either adopted the poetic substance {>f the tradition or have endeavored, by every kind of conjecture, to confirm its accuracy. Nothing, for instance, can be moi-e de6nitethan the statement of Herodotus about the A^^w- monians af^er they had crossed the Libyan deserts : ' They, at lenld, do men and horses of dimiuutivrr |i :«:■""" "■" "" Puuer attempts to prove thjit th« .f 1 pigmies is no more thalTE.ymia alle^ir «'"-«, '«""i"g "ith battling with the falli„„ ,vater/if ' N f ^ •■'■■P'esentiugihe er,„,e., these birds eougregate T„ ;tt^tt^'«C'C-s:^^^^^^^ direction are not unliko nh,A.^ . ^"nauei » efforts m this Troy and the birth-^lee „?Hlr ' """'"""'™ """■'"" '» '"-"' Three or four centuries before thor}„.i.f .. ^ tainly knew of a raee of people nab i,;" aiTriH" '"" T'""' "'j source of the Nile which wee remark P. f.V °«'"^ "'» ™P"ted The indefiniteness of this lotrthmr » • ^"'' ''"'""' S™""-. a. we might, at «rst, be incZ J t: Xuu "' "'h ^'T'^ while the source of the Nile is, or was n^Tl J 'I ^•'''''''■°'^ ''"''' l.roblem unsolved, there is the ve y 1 est „ IL t'^T"'''' » some thousand or more years ZJ If J Tf'.T *" ''""' "'»' perfectly known. We mav f i ""'"' "^^"''^ ""^ "'"'"^t Homer a'od Arist;tie,?hen ty w ^e rf' r"""'''^ '""""«"' """ ^ubiect with Whieh they were ^C:^:i K^hryXl.t^ "' " ,, POSITIVE PROOF OF A PlQMv raop lie had supposed thai- thjl « Kamrasi, but until now u supposed that this specimen was no other than a freak ..f wh,.e one or more of these peculiar creatures w'as M tt tie hlTh ' I il iif '. n tt*fl!!"'Si'3l lir 718 SEA AND LAND. Village, which they were accustomed to visit for purposes of baiter Schweuifurth was intensely delighted to learn that he was i.i the dwarf country and forthwith applied to Munza, the Kino-, for 1,:, assistance in obtaining an interview with the pigmies, for though Schweinfurth s servants had already seen several, they were so fric.^! ened at the sight of a white man that they made off in great alann Munza promised his aid and sent some of his men to brine in one of the dwarfs, but before they returned Mohammed, who was one of Schweinfurth s party, chanced to observe one when on his way to the King and by swiftly running captured him. A great shout was imnie d.ately raised in the village, which brought Schweinfurth from his tent in time to see Mohammed approaching with the wonderful dwuf seated on his right shoulder, nervously hugging his neck and betray- ing signs of intense fear. ^ SCHWEINFURTH'S INTERVIEW WITH A PIOMY The quaint specimen of miniature manhood was taken to Schwcin furth s tent.and there deposited on a chair, while an interpreter wa.' sent for who soon appeared. At first the little fellow was so dread- fully frightened that he could not be induced to talk, but gradually his confidence returned, under the influence of innumerable c^if/ until he at length suffered himself to be measured, sketched? and plied with a great number of questions. The dwarf's replies to the inquines addressed to him elicited the following interesting facts- His name was Adimokoo, and the name of the nation to which he belonged was Akka. The meaning of these words Schweinfurth negectedtoolUain This nation of pigmies occupied a large d^- tnct south of Monbutto, and was composed of nine tribes, ruled by as many kings - most probably chiefs. Several families of the J. mies had settled in the vicinity of Monbutto, since a was (he desire of the king, and he had given them many inducements to remain near him. The princi.> ,1 portion of the Akka people resided in a district the borders of winch were only two days' journey from Monbutto, and the dwarf assured his questioner that the Akkas were extremely numemu^. Before departing, by the offer of many additional pres- ents, Adimokoo was induced to go through the evolutions of his war- dances, in which, being dressed in a rokko-coat, plumed hat. and armed with t,.,w a.ui ^rrow and lance, he created no little amusement. The height of this dwarf was four feet and ten inches, and he was, .liiiSIII^ THE WORLD ASHORE. 719 as he declared, an average size of his race It ;. • , p.gmy knew nothing whatever of anv r«n! • , °""'^' ^^^^ *his daily v'hen there is the best of ev donee in ^^ '° ^" "^^"' -op- tion thatu numerous nation of p," nies 1 v /'h "' '^""'"^'^'^ "■'^-'- nordid he know of the exi^l'^of L k^ " T"'' n ^''^^^'^ mentioned by Kolie. It ,v,s evident h ) I "'" ^'^''''^ ^^ibes teliigentasanyof his P^o.l.::^^ Xt^:^''' ^^ ^ ^"- people given to traveling, so that tiaveied, nor were his their knowledge was restricted to their imniediate locality. THE DANCING DWARF. Speaking of Adimokoo'aacrjlitv Schweinfurth writes; •'Alth!)ucrh' I had been repeatedly astonished^at witnessing the war-dances of the Nmm-niam,Iconfessthatmyaniaze. nient was greater than ever when I looked upon the exhibition which the pigmy afforded. In spite of r ;«'-g«. bloated belly and short, bandy legs -in spite of his ac^e ^h,ch, by the way, was consideral ble--Adimokoo's agility was per- fectly marvelous, ami 1 could not help wondering whether cranes would ever be likely to contend with Buch creatures. The little man's leaps and attitudes were accom- paniedbysuch lively ,tnd grotesque varieties of expression that the spec tutors shook again and held their sides with laughter. The interpre- th Tf IT'""^ ^"^ *^' Niam-niam that drive^their lances into^heir belli" "'"" "'" "' ^^^'^^'^^^'^^'^ ^^^ »"^ ^y^^^r'Z^'lf^I^^^ ^ ^^'^«-- «^^ visit from two of came to ^e every da v It '! ^''' T' l^""' ^^^^"'^ -"- "^ the Akka ery day. As exceptional cases, I observed that some ■' "t' ADIMOKOO, THE AKKA PIGMY. ' ■iJ'l.'l tit 720 SEA AND LAND. .nd.v.dual8 were of a taller .stature; but. upon investigation, 1 alw-ns ascertained chat tl.is was the result of intermarriage^vith he A , butto amongst whom they resided. I regret that I never chance see any of the Akka women, and still more that my visit to . itralL^Zr^^""^' ''-'"^ '^^^^ '"'-'''''' opportunity .a,; Schweinfurth indt.ced an Akka hoy to accompany him on his ti-avels, not, however without the most extravagL/inducen.cn Th,s boy remained w.th him ten months, and the explorer hopeongo, whose height rarely exceeded four fe seven inches, and ,n several respects. Schweinfurth affirms, the Obon, greatly resembled the Akka. Battel, who traveled through Ash f land subsequei^ to Du Chaillu, reports having met considerabl parties of the Obongo race and confirms ail that the great . wt hunter has said of them. The Portuguese, who trade inlhat ;.:; ! the world, have aKso given considerable confirmatory evidence of the dwarf people, whom they call BakJca-baUa, which is a desi^mation for the country rather than the race itself. Dapper, howeve.-, .ives us a very entertaining account of a race called the Yogas, who, he declares, m olden times spread fear and destruction as fai' as the town of Loango, a hundred miles away. This coast town was a Portuguese trading and outfitting post, from whence large caravans were despatched into the interior to bring back ivory c^.llected bj tiading with the natives. These caravans suffered dreadfully f J the attacks of the Yogas, whose malicious propensities were never gratified and whose fierce and murderous aggressions were only arrested by vigorous onslaughts of large parties of well-armed Poi' tuguese who were employed at length to guaH -'a caravans. The Yogos were a diminutive race, hardly so large as tl . Akka of whorr; Schweinfurth writes, but the Bakka-bakka, wl ir^ were a nei-hb race, and who sometimes affiliated with the Yogos, were much smalb ^THE WORLD ASHOBE. than the latter and aU u Dapper, -.arc st'ated b/tlo" rtf^r'^^"^?" '""« men." ,,y, Bakke-bakke. but sometime. Mi,C Th '' "'" ^"""•'"'y """ed ».ze ho neglecta to give, carted o t ho 17 """" """"""''• "'"'^e of the kingdom." "" S""""' P»rt of the ivory trade Escayrso du Lauture in • n o t- i Geographical Society „f Pati. tiZt^.' ■' ',° '"^ '''■"^"■» "^ *he d.scovory „f a race called W-ZLA '''',;'' '«'«' "-..ounced his wore of singularly stunted stafu-^^Th iw''""^, T" ""'' '»"^) who tails no doubt arose from a oust;,™ "' "'''"' ''"■"■f" h-vin.. "f wearing a„ o.-tai, suspen l^a rnrelr; """""'" '"» "^"S" "*« w.^t leaving the brush end pend.„" "■" " Si'-'"e "-und the ne». th t there is°„ trile t MrrJr.rLt' '"^ '* ^™' ---'" W, who are only two or thr^^f 7 , * "'er called the Sen- "^cl .hat Kolle, n'ot^ithsTa Xt '^S' V' ""'^ """-''' have seen any specimens of these nenlohr'. ''"'"' '"" "'»™ «« tetnnony of those who assured h;. >\u """" "="""'»' ^"1" tie traded with them. ^"" """ ""ey had often seen and Another witness, • . whom R-„ii , , li... of a race livi,^g ,o„°tbffh '' Tf ""P""" """S^^ee, told wbose height varied°from tlreo to Zf ^' " "'"' -"»" -S^'™". ' tmiled upon the ground. Notwith! I ' "'"' "■""" ''""•"'«' beard these dwarfs, K^llo's i ,fon„a" d'r "^ ' """"'^ encumbrance, "rely by the products of l" hase T ir""'"""-''' "''"'-I™ »- that the Niam-niams, of Ea t AfHc , '" «"'»»"''" let me say, 'tr:rot"^"^'-"-^^^^^^^^^^^^^ '" '" -'' "^ "l"«stat„,^doesnot X ee?tMof : '";" "' " "•''•■« "' '■"-f' years of ago. Consider! ,rtd! f " " .'""'^ ^"""P""" ''-'>■ 'en P-M'lo and the Mohammed nsl'som T^'f "" '"'"^'='=" ">« ^oko ^«W, .-. ,.. people wo e H°r ' """* ^'"'"' "' '"»'« «« "'e I ■^^ ■I 'III 722 8EA AND LAND. Stanley has not idiled to add his testimony to that of a hundred o:Iie;' explorers conlirmatory of the existence of races of pigmies in A i ica. The numerous evidences thus supplied lead to a general con- clusion that the fact is well established; but it is sin,7ular no speci- mens of these curious people have ever been brought tc Europe or America, and beyond the attempt made by Schwaii/.jurth, I hav<; heard of no effort, upon I he part of any one, to i-arry a specimen oi the pigmies out ot Africi to any country, tlroughtjifj oxportaiion of Javes for centuries has scarcely been interrupted. I incline to the opinion that an African pigmy would pi ove as great a curiosity as any wild animal, so that here is an opporiuniiy for some enterprising showman. DU OHAILLU'8 HUNT FOR DWARFS. It is with some hesitatii u that 1 cull, in support of the proof that there are nicest of pigmies in Africa, tho well-koowa travoicr, Du Chaj'h; .since readers of his works cannot f;!il to note the somewhat singula: fsct that, in/ triably, whenever this explorer went in search of a curi>ni« or .tpocryphal thing he not only found it, but met with some advt-rihire which enabled him to write something extremely in- teresting about the discovery. Thus, he not only met with the gorilla, the ipi ant-eater, the Fan cannibals, but also the pigmies, though a hundred other observing travelers who carefully explored tiie same countries could discover no traces of these curiosii.ies. But I cannot, nor am I disposed to, throw discredit on Du Chaillu's dis- coveries, for Africa is full of surprises, and I know that experienced miners sometimes overlook large beds of precious ore which are afterwards opened by the "tender-footed pilgrim," and Du Chaillu may be the lucky prospector. At any rate, his account of the Obongo pigmies, which he claims to have visited, is so interesting that it is eminently entitled to be added to the other proofs already submitted. In truth, of all Du Chaillu's writings, I do not believe that any are so interesting as his descriptions of the dwarfs, and for this excellent reason I will include the material parts of his novel experiences : Du Chaillu sailed from London in 1863, for the expres purpose of visiting the "' f""" "'"ivo tribe^ «s rewarded most bounteousu/L ,,?"'" ""'''''•" l'"-»<-'ver„,„o Aseovery, „„d wo.,derf„, adveniuVe "^ ,:';t.;.'" .'""■"™'-« " "^ ..P . .u"" """"■■■"■' oisoovrRr J '""""<"•"» follows ; «» great forest, passing many ,' "?"" "" """Journey through • «"■""»'». "nd I stopped anS as Id 7c'',"f "'■'""''""*'- »«'lte«, use these shelters were built H ^""""'" ("<•> !:^'i said I . „, ,„ , ''""*«*' ''"o been built t. -■^^groundto'etttoX^r" ^"'™- ^^ ■« 'i-iM''::: 2— "o plantaia trees It;;/!:"'^- "- ">» dwarfs now? pots, no water jugs.' """" ' """« "■•« uo liros, „o e„okin<. " ' Oh,> said Ko,„bi|a, • these 01,n„ «ever s,a^ |„„g ,„ „,^ ^^ne L!^""'!"! "'" f'-"So people. They *;uk« theirhands,orwi,'h';;;:geSr°' "'■ ^""-''■- ^''-^ -lien, J answered « dn « "-■""ntry of the dwarfs? > ' ^ " "'"•' '" «»y that we are in the "•yes,- said Kombila, .we are !„ ., Jbeyare scattered in the fortt T "''T'"'^ '" ""o dwarfs. yn see before y„„. are f,„. „ '.« T, '"' "" ''""S^"' '''« 'he on^ «nv»rf« l.e was told that th.v i,,l,.,,,:, , . that o„o „f their villages wa,, o„ t ' ,'!, ''j''^'"'H di,„riot, „„J "«»• •' But,- .said the KiaJ .. if ;:,'/'•"'" '"■» P^<-"t 'odg. -I'Hew who knows ,he dwaVf ,o ™ IT'"' ""'' ' »'•" K've yo,T,„; lop^s and gazelle,, ; they arc shy and o' n ""', '!''""'^' "■' '""^ «""- you ,nu8t tako then, hy „„.,,„,« „> f'-'J-'litoned. To sec thcra »lmll .ce then, . • ■ ■" " ''"'"• " J'O" »>•» ea,cf ul to-morrow you On tl,o folhiwing dav Dnni. .•„ •"«„ for ,h„ .«>ve .„,„„ I,,.,,, ,„„, ,;.""- ;.- wuhin v,ew of „ eh.tcr ' elod, the little creature, hai discovere ' H r. "'"■ "''''••'' 'h''^ trav- n.ade off hefo,. any of them wCseen' "',,,":'""'"'■"■'» "PP'-oaeh and '"."»'• '"" with the hope of winnhl H •' 1" ™"' " '"''<' disappoint. Hi3 anxiety to see the ,,i!„'""°™ """ ^« '»'«"8- -xt .orning^n sea,.: MTLrr ''" ^""""' '" ''-' ^- ' " «■« continued to walk vcy ca.efuHv 7 ™'"'»"i»'- He says : .. w. ".ker settlement of L dt,!js' 1;""' '''•''"" "^ «-"» "^ »- part of the forest. I see the h ,'t:" ' » *-st »l..ch he dwarfs d,-ew their watr Jo drin " '""<> ''^oa-n f,.„,„ « -.alk t„wa,.ds the habitation our bod ''""'«"■•'''"'« are as order not to be easily discovered ™' ''"''"^^ .>«"" a'-ost double, in ■'".nuchtosecthe dwarfs t„ ',«.'„ ,T! """""'-"l'. I would give va"ceM.ow cautious we .'..l^r , "„' ■!"■ ' H'"' -...y we' d! MyAshaugo guides held bunches of be fd?'"^ "'"•'•• =""""«^ ' l>""g on the trees have bee, t ken . ''" """ ""> ''^"''s we ™i". The dwarfs saw us a,!d , '^^ '^" O"'- ""'i™ was in fc»' it was too late ; t ey had Vo "'1 'r" ""^ """«'■ ^^ "id "eat I thought I saw thrJc creltu.est "T """" ''"'" ""= ^»W«- «wling M,.-,ugh s,nall dooTs ^to , f '"" "', "" ">« g"""' >f the viiiagel s^o^t 'd I tT" ^^■'"=-- wee in the "^wer. The Ashangos shouted it'tb """"/"^''"'ly he,e?> No «---othe\sha„r^/rrrt^\--^^^ I ' 726 BEA AND LAND. ._'*1^!. the dwarfs go into their huts.' Then I shouted ngain, but still no answer WHS returned. Turning towards nie, my guides said, ' Oguizi, your eyes have deceived you; there is no one here, they have thci. They are afraid '>f 'Oil.' ' 1 am not niistalien,' I answered. I went towards one * . , .". .vhere I tlxmglit 1 had seen one of the dwarfs go inside to hide, .iia!, as I came to tlie little door, I shouted again, but there was no answer. It did seem queer to me that I shoul 1 have suffered ;in optical delusion. I was jjerfectly sure that I had seen the dwarfs M. t inside of their huts. ' Perhaps they have broken throuirh the back part, and have os" ' 'aid I; so I walked round their little houses, but everything was right — nothing had gone outside through the walls. CATCHINQ A DWARF WOMAN. •' In order to make sure, I came again to the door, and shouted, 'Nobody here?' The ^ame silence. I now lay flat on the ground, and again shouted, ' Nobody here?' It was so dark inside that, com- i ig from the light, I could not see, so I stretched my arm in order to feel if there was anyone within. Sweeping my arm from left to right, at first, I touched an empty bed, composed of three sticks; then, feeling carefully, T moved my arm gradually towards the ri<:^^ when — hello ! what do I feel? A leg ! wliich I immediately grabln above the ankle, and a piercing shriek startled me. It was the Ie< of a human being, and that human being a dwarf ! I had g'»t hold of a dwarf ! "'Don't be afraid, the spirit will (In you no harm,' said my Ashango guide. *' ' Don't be afraid,' I sa' 1, in the Ashango language, and I im- mediately pu -d th creati • I had seized by the leg through the door, in the midst of great excitement among my Couimi men. ••'A dwarf !'T shouted, as the little creature came out. 'A woman !' I shouteo again — * .i r)igmy !' The little creature shrieked, looking at me. ' Nchende ! ncliende I' said sh. . ' Oh ! oh ! oh ! Yo! yo ! yo !' and her piercing waii . ont tin air. ♦' What a sight ! I ha(' ver een the like. * Wiiat !' said I, » now I do see the dwarfs of |u: rial Afiica — the dwarfs of Homer, Herodotus — the dwarfs .» the uncients. •'How queer the little old woman looked: How frightened she was ! Dhe trembled all over. She was neither whue nor black; she was of a yellow, or a mulatto color. * What a little head ! What 1 liurni,' Siiid my iguajro, and I iin- " B WORLD ASHORE. little body ! What a little hnnd and foof vt . • queer looking hair I' said I, bewildero 1 Th Z"^' ' O^, what in little tufts apart from each othe, •. ,d tl f "' '^'"'' "" ^^' ''^"^^ baked apple. I ennn<.t t.-ll you ho.: d ! ^.^^i; "^^^Z tl'^ '"' "^ ^' THE CAPTURE OF TWO ^ " '''^'' ^ '^'''^ "^^ ^ho d.scovery. "So, giving my little prize to one " tirui "°"" my Commi men to catch her should shn/. ^^'^''""^'"S ""^1 ordering other little dwelling wher 1 1 icH^'t I 7 " '"" ""•^' ' ^^^'"^ '" ^h^ hide. The two hut.%tood ^^l^^'^'T ^TV' '''' '''^'''^ No answer. Then I did whnf T i . ''^""^«^' ' Nobody here?' « i..iue t.„ hut tirg:';,:: ^r^ „t;:, r::;, ";t ^t t-- -^ No answer. I moved my rMrht hand t„ .I""""'- '^"'"■dy l.ere?> 'vl.cn, 1-, • I seized a leg a, d" ilmedl , ■; " '.'""''' '"■' ""^''ody. a....ther stingo >i..,e ■^IZiZT!'''''; l '"f " ' -'"^ not quite so old as the lii-st hot l,.,v' . ™' "''" " ""X""". Tl.e two dwarf women Io,;ked':"°l ''',7 ■'*''" '""'^ "Ppearanee »ing n,o„rnful songs, a^ if h^ e^pe ed t" b?;;,'" d "?""■ !° "'^ ""'' 'Be not frightened.' ''?'«'«" ^ ''« W.ed. I said I „ them, ou;;trittf:tz\trrtt:r:,?Tf t ff ■■" "> -= wlien I saw a little head peep 010,^ ^^ ""'^ '^'"'"^ 'P»''«°. .l.e creature come out. ? wa won „ 7'' "", 7 ^''""''"^ "'»"" the trio shrieked and cried wiZn,,"' ,"'"' ''"*■"'" "-^'"S- "'"^ 'i-.. They th,.„g,a th:;ri;s:':;';:td eie ''''.'d:";' V''"^, "''" - the Ashango, • the Ogui.i i, a good o! •- • ^Z'tt " "m'.' anu ...y rommi men. After a whife thev sIL 1 '""'• to look at me more quietly. ^ '^^ ' "'^'"S ""<• •"'g^"' -l™*.' TLytd ";:omiZt"ct l\'°'" ""^•'"'"^ ■'* "-» ""'« ;»ces hei,^ eLetiy s:::z':o^:^t:z::;:j'-^ y^'^^^ «j that struck „fe «r„„ e. the:" ud We?r ',"" """"""'"' "''''"-' thoir foreheads wereTow . '*"' "'"' """'"' '""' ""= "oe^e" i '"". w„sttk::^:h7r:ddi,rr; "" ''"- '-"'■•• "^'^'" ^- '■> ■ -^ "ean, a rustlinij in o hous 's, so I went th- "- :u lOi t-mestehidren. Thej v ere exceedingly 2. V they h,d the.r heads, just as young dog^ or kftten! ne of the I, (tie >iinjg inside saw it filled with the When they saw me would do, and got K 'I '"' '< i / 'm ii m w^ p« Mr ^.im 788 SEA AND LAND. Into a huddle and kept still. Those were the little dwarf childn n who had remained in the village under the care of the women, wliil,- the other dwarfs had gone into the forest to collect their eveniiif. meal — that is to say, nuts, berries and fruits — and to see if the traps they had set had killed any game. ♦♦I put beads around the necks of the women, gave them a le^r (,f wild boar and some plantains, and told them to tell their people to remain and not t be afiaid. I gave some motit to the little children which they seized and ran away with. •♦ I waited in vain — the other inhabitants did not come back. Tlnv were afraid of me. I told the w*)men that the next day I shouki return and bring them meat (for they are said to be very fond of it), and plenty of bread." THE DWARFS BECOME FRIENDLY WITH DU OHAILLU. Several visits were paid by Du Chaillu to the dwarf village and great quantities of beads and meat were left each time, befoTe the pigmies would suffer themselves to be approached. The old woiimn first captured by Du Chaillu, soon became friendly and it was thn)ui:li her influence that the curious little people at length accepted the traveler as a friend and were persuaded to sit with him in the villjure. Du Chaillu was anxious to possess a skeleton of a pigmy to luiiiir home with him as a specimen, and therefore asked his guides the burying ground of the dwarfs. They replied that such a quest i(,ii propounded to the pigmies would cause them to disappear at once, for nothing could induce them to reveal their most sacred secret. In order to encourage them to greater contider.ce Du Cliaillu brought to the dwarf village two legs of goats, a leg of wild boar, ten house rats, a large dead snake and two land turtles, which he had cooked and served up in a grand feast, to which fifty-nine of the cu- rious little creatures were invited. A WONDERFUL ASSEMBLY OF PIGMIES. Continuing his narrative of the dwarfs, and particulars of the feast, Du Chaillu writes: *« « Obongos,' said I, • we have come to have a good time. Fii>t, I am going to give every one of you beads.' Then the Asliangos brought before them a basket containing the beads, and I asked who was the chief. I could not find him, and they would not tftll inPl- Thft d""lr-fo TITOVp »»r»«r anniw •I'.-k.. 1vn..J» n— J , ..-J-J - ^ "^ "'■'■' • ■«•» .-'n".!-..- '«"Py them long, and.thorefo e Z , '•"""•"*" ""=-" d'd no, I"!;--- Fire, they explained, Tj/':^.:' rV", ''""" "■'"■ "'"•' '" gether.and «.„si„g t^^ spa,*, t„™! ' ""■*'"•'■' '«■<> ""'*■' to- grows on the palm tree. They ,Z,f " "''"''''"' "' ""''"-n that "voen tribes ; in fact, eaeh tri f„ „ ,-^;T"'f, '"-"-I'-, "over be- '""■•y of another, sineo a battle i cer ,, ' "" ' ,"'""-''' ""'"' ""> '»- ^ "0« THE P,o„,„ .„„ J""" «0 ■•-suit. .DnChaillu had now learned ervnr'r'r' ""mr,r,o... Pignnes, but bis anxiet, to obtain <^l". "' "'" ''"'""' of the ;'l;on the point of ,»ki„g the Tw'rfs ,"""""""«'"'«* he „a„ H,s Ashango guide begg^ed him nl" j'""? "'"' ''"'^ "'""■ "-"I. ■I'varfs would not „„,y ;ef„se tlteH I il ,": I". '"",'" " '"''"■''' "^ "-e f >- booomehiseneniies. Pressed for, ■"" ♦'"'"l«'>' wo-M immodi- 'at the fear of the dwarfs rsaifrsr?'/''"^-'''''''^"^-''---! en.tr be should fall i„,o th h ,X ff t "'"'" '" ""•"" "■,7 •'«''-«" " would be used Is a fo • , f n'T'' '" "'"'='■ -«»t "-'""ge of the Obon..os nn„^f i '. '" '''" ""o "»ner where the di-, the Ashango l-i^Tde?''''" " '"'""'■ ^hen an Obont ™ong the dwarS. andtn uL.T!:':'""'' """ '^ «-" --"' ' be f».-est to find a tali tree !vb ch asT. ';,'" ""' '"'" '^"'^ l""^"' ' '"d one, they come back to the sett 11 7 "' "'" '"P' " «"■>■ ' '« with a hollow.'. The the , HI " .'"^' " "'" ''"" '"""^ e«, bearing the dead body "„ a li '""'"•"""'«■•'■"'""'» '"■- 'o"r,d the tree. Upon reTch^l ,"""■' P"^""'"' ''>■ 'he n>an who fee, earrvin. „i,K lu ' ^ "" "P"'' '"» or more aseen^l ,be ■'■■y leaves. " ""^ "'""''»' »'"1 <="vered with earth and S^ fi' 732 SEA AN1> LAND. Sometimes a hollow tree, such as will snnnlv fk« ^ ^ bereadil, found, in ,vlncb 'ea.. t>>:^^,^:^!'li^SZ''':Z""' of running water. This being found, however I eat the labor i, gmde, a,Hl hough h>s attendants offered to capture one of the dwrf! tha he ht T' r' "" '"'' "" 0'"'"S- -'"""" " -ng «owIe ' that he had, indeed, ever seen a dwarf. "viueiice Just before this volume was sent to press, a remarkable verifi. t.on of the truth of Du Chaillu's statemen s, wiT .tard 1 ,1,: B^stLr """'"" '" "" '""""'«=" ««"■» O'^p""'" f-™ tho z;": " Tl^ explorer, Ludwig Wolff, just returned from the Con..o re ports havng met in the Sanltouron regi,,„ many tribes of dw' r:,;" h^air^Th"' T' t t ''"'' •>-■■<''''-. »ndwVsh„:i woory hair. They l,ve by hunting, and are wonderfully a<.ile ■, J good-tempered. Many thousands of them are dispersed over ihi v"e y s^iStrf 1;'""" """"■ "'" "»""' "' ^-«- tT:; CHAPTEE XXXVI. ^BARBARIC NATIONS OF THE EARTH-CANNIBALS. PiROM the higher quadmminous-four handed -animals, it i. ^1 but two steps to the lower species of human life ; the tirst P, step leads to a chasm, which is unbridged, as already ex- not so .rSiha? '" '"^. "' ^^^^^•^^'^"' ^^^^^^ -" --^'<^ ^^ and hon n^ ff . ^^''^^^^^^ evolutionists are still investigating and. hopmg, if not believing, that future di^onv..;.. ..;„ ..J.. ^ complete chain counectiDg man with the lower'animaUr"' THE WORLD ASHORE. 733 The question, - What race or tribe is fh. ^ human creation?- is, by „o „,ean8 aM ! ""'* ^" *^^ «««>« of thut the troglodytes, o^^ ej^:^^''^;^- S-ne maintain others as stoutly declare that the tJ ^^;''*'' ^^^ the lowest ; the most despised position; but if Du CMu /"'"'""' °^^"P^ Afncan pigmies is a faithful and true on J ^^^^'^'Ption of the "nenviaWe place, not alone because of th ""l '""'' "^^^'"^ ^^^«' ^he tl-eir hal)its as well. The pT^Z"! "^^^^•"''•'ty in size but for thing.; their houses are tho"^ udel r "''' ^° ^>- »>^-ts in n,any abide long in any one place, they w; rTr^r''^'"^ '' ''^^^ "-- fleebefore every other race ; haveL f" r/;: 1^"' ^^ ^« ^^^^ = they subsist upon bugs, snakes, li.ard., cenZd s^^nTr?'^ "^'' ^^^"^' t'ons of scientific dispute do not n!v. , ^ . ^'"'*'- ^"^ ques- uncivilized races have curious cutlTr^'^ 'l'"^' '" ^^"'^ ^^''^ «» .he highly favored people of ou^o wnTe T "?""^^ ^'"''^ ^"^^-t to of the rather wonderf'ul .u^Z^^'^^;^^ T''^' '^ ^-ting om.t mention of some, at lea.t of ' """^l^^'^f ' ^ ««»"ot afford to whose homes are made in the junHeof f;"^"'";' ^""^«» creatures wilderness of perpetual snow Ist ^^'^'""^ ^'^'' ""'' ^^e weird featment has been from a lowerlo a .^^r/'^^^^^^^P^-'^ the order of depart from that plan now but 11^ ^^'"' "^ "^^^' ^^'» »ot wild races in an ascendin^'s Tie 2 m "^ ".T""^' ^""^^^-^ t^e civilization. " ''^'' ^' "^^"sured by the barometer of .•a^'t:rSt::;iS;:m~^ the Ossification of of which may not be e^lrd ,'^;:r^^^^^^^^ ."ost abominable of all infamou ha "ts v ^ ' !tV" ^"''^ °' *'^'^ fest many marks of intelligence admi,^.hl " '"'P'"^*^' '^""•- genuity and homogeneity such ,^ m ^^vernment, industry, i„™ But since this disgu'stin^t: ot i an^lIdeT Jll!: """"J ^^ '''''' ^'' harism, I shall first notice somp nf fi , """^ ^^^'"^^^^ bar- the world. "^ "^ *'^^ remarkable cannibal tribes of THE MONBUTTO OANNrBALS. Itie Monbuttos of Nnhia nro „ * "Id .aoe» „, „„ th, 2;, none „:™;r ""'^ 7'" '""°"g '"o ">-y peculia,. „„d „„„„„,„:; future" ..rr""^ '''""""'"*^ ^» e i^^vats It may be said tl.at they maintmn m 734 SEA AND LAND. isolation not exceeded by the tro-lodytes or anthropomorphic ape. J hey cultivate, however, the sweet potato, eas.nva, plantain, «.' tree, and are experts in extracting oils for cookin-, lighting tull drinking purposes. They know nothing of the art of weaviix? but continue to make fabrics, strings, and hut coverings from the bark of the fig tree. They never make clothing from the skins of animaK though few, If any tribes, excel them in hunting, their principal «.aine being elephants, buffaloes, wild boars and antelopes, which afford them an abundance of meat at all times. The Monbuttos are intense lovers of grease, and not only consume large quantities of oil expressed from palm pods, earth nuts, sesame and the fruit of forest trees, but they gather quantities of a certain' plant, from which they extract a greasy substance by boijincr, and this they drink with great relish. But of most universal use amoD. them IS human fat, the climax of their culinary practices. A KINO THAT DINES OFF BABIES. The cannibalism of the Monbutto is the most pronounced of all the nations of Africa. Surrounded as they are by a number of peo- pie who are blacker than themselves, and who, being inferior to them m culture, are consequently held in great contempt, they have ju^t the opportunity which they want for carrying on expeditions of war or plunder, which result in the acquisition of a booty that is espe- cially coveted by them, consisting of human flesh. The carcas.es of all who fall in battle are distributed upon the battle-field, and are prepared by drying for transport to the homes of the conquerors They drive their prisoners before them without remorse, as butchers would drive sheep to the shambles, and these are only reserved to fall victims, on a later day, to their horrible and sickening greediness Schvveinfurth says that during his stay at the court of Munzu-the Monbutto King — the general rumor was quite current that nearly every day some little child was sacrificed to supply his meul "It would hardly be expected," he writes, -that many opportunities should be afforded to strangers of witnessing the natives at their re- past, and to myself there occurred only two instances when I came upon any of them whilst they were actually engaged in prepaiint^ human flesh for consumption. The first of these happened by my coming unexpectedly upon a number of young women who had a supply of boiling water upon the clay floor in front of the doorway oi a iiul, uuii were engaged in the task of scalding the hair off the le THE WOELD ASHOBE. lower half of a human bodv Ti,« ''* had changed the black skin i,i !',?""'"•'"''"• ■""'"''^ "ffecUd jU could not fan to make n, think ::if''^J r' '"" ^-gus^ilg of ourfatted swine. On anotheroica, fn „ "^"'"'"^ "^ ^">"in| ^olXdattfkT'^^^--- «" == ^tedir tir --" -.-^:.:;;::- an,a„ fle,h, and puttl.o di^ qet. ™ to tr;?-""" '" '"« '"'- » .tat just at this precise time, whr^ ™e" t, "" '""' " ''"""--<> "" "'"^mption of human food. Mul'l I" "'" T"''^' "'<"° "»« .w.-.re that such a practice was held n ,1. ""'T'^ '"''' """ '^'"S oare that it should only l,e carried o„ 1 1::;™ "^ -' '- '"'d taken "As! have said TlLr"'""" * ""'"'°" «*«• '^e hahits Of thelo'n'hr :: l:!"""^ '"^ ^'™"^-- '» o—e oar caravan were carefully cxcln,l»/h V *''" '''"'go "«d Mittoo of and, therefore, reckoned ,fs Tavalt I'l^^l'T '"'"^ ""--"cised Mnbians prevented them fro n pi ,Ik n ^ ''"'^'"" ^"'•""'-^ »f w.th ca,mibals. Nevertheless tl"e^" ° t1""^ '"'"^ '" <""nn>on Ihemselves auffieieut to sW bj 't "m ".'"" "''°''""^<' -« i» «d>lic.edtocannibalismthan7e,hn,L tf"" "'« '«'• "><>'■« They do not constitute the fir "S ""fu"'' """''''"'-!'""• t»n,an flesh eaters-who are in . ZT, ""' «»""°l"'Phagi_ many savages who persistently Ludiatf h'' *'"•'''' '" '='"""•« """> fle«h (for example the Fiji uLaZTaV'^ enjoyment of human for mo to recount the person.d !? ""'^"■•"ibs). It is needless "«ries who have accompS" 'e Mo^bTr "' ""= ^'"""» — " Poditions, or to describe h „ ,h, ^""^T" "" ""'''' """-'"ding ex- again to detail the ,;':^Z uttLH; " Tt" '"''" '"'"""' '^'- « O'V'g it over the fire in its p! "L "? """ '""? ^'"l^ ""d numerous skulls .ow in tl"e A Lf f i;" ""■ "^""^""■Ption. The "-remains of =ae J "» * ^holTr ^'r'"" "' ''-"•"••'- -•">piy '•it» of co,,;.e.. ,„,] ..„ ?." ,: "'"''' \ P">-=l>aiied one after another for tlm\T».,K..... -»/ any nation of the world. But vhh •- ti nfff 736 SEA AND LAND. as few natives of the African wilderness can boast; men to whom one may put a reasonable question, and who will return a reasonable reply. The Nubians can never say enough in praise of their faitli- fulness in friendly intercourse, and of the order and stability of their national life. According to the Nubians, too, the Monbutto were their superiors in the arts of war, and I often heard the resident soldiers contending with their companions and saying, 'Well, perhaps you are not afraid of the Monbutto, but I confess that I am, and I cau tell you they are something to be afraid of.' '* NIAH-NIAM WARRIORS. Some years before Schweinfurth's visit to Africa the Khartoom traders had a trial at arms with the Monbutto, of which he heard frequent confirmatory accounts, and particularly of the heroism dis- played by a famous Amazon, the sister of King Munza. Eye wit- nesses of her wonderful skill and bravery relate that she was equipped in full armor and armed with shield and lance, and girded with the rokko apron of a man. Thus caparisf«npd p-hc led on the troops of her father against Aboo Guroon, whose large force pf ahe led on the ^S THE WORLD A8HORE. Arabs, that was well suuuU. i • . ^^^ way of the Nile o. Zanzibar ^ Z'"T'^ "'" ^"'^-' ^^^ eountrv by Mohammedan f"^ 'l-'-o-ch Nul! .f :V°™ ™ -„,.„ exhauZ^'lht'S^if ''■■''' "''" "^'-pX' ""'<■»' " ^*<"« of this necessary , Ivi 1 "" """'"''"e'l the eara^a h.« «.oek he proposed a raid^^r til ""' n'""'"^''- To repleZ "-•cup.ed a disfict „ea,- by Zll ' "f" ""> -^o^-^'fe •, who Sdnve,„f„,.,h ejected, but'^t,"' ' .^ "''^ "■" N'-"'"-'-™ cou„ ^y sul>oi-dn,ate, sent his h-eute,n„f T '"" "l'l«'"-ing o,,e„lv i^ l-ondses of aid had no dffi ^ -rT".'; '° ""= N™".-nia°ns'and w th" « ...OS sbockin. brutalities, as he B.^ T" ""' "'■-n'l'a-.ied by oteiy by surprise that they s .'ecdv ™ T'' ""''° """"' ^" <=""'- l>=...»elves. A large number of XeX "" '*"'' '" "«^^'"' a g.'eat quantity of corn. The Khl ■ ™''""''"'' '"S'^'hor with : "7 '--'e Babuekurs, t^ yo r::"^ "f" '""'-'- ""-«„n ""■ '■ '"■■"•*«. the n,iddle.aged f o, | r° T^""' """>■ <'<'»"n'=d for tar caldrons. Of ti.eir^o ., b,c o f;''" "'"' ""' "'" "''"' '''"■• Schwenifurth writes but little ^V, ! l""l"''.'ated in this raid "»' 1.7 ...entioning the f It Ih'f ';"^%"- "-der to infer a g,:'; ";"7» ean,e to hi^ with t tti ^t,""^' ""•"• "^ ■•"-'< - e •Ly bad heard that he gave r,n 1 'f '"' """""' '''""'"^ l-oil-d ; -' "ff-^d to sell the ghas.VSsT;::,:;4-^""=- '"■• »k"..»' " Some days aft»rth":ront -"'"""• ' «« -tness pf a .cene"^ ^ tvlb*""'"/"-^^ Schweiufurth. " ""<= of my rambles I fom d mv If"-'™"' ''■""* ""^ '"'"■"'y' «. """" "'yelf ... one of the native farii- Dur 738 SEA AND LAND. steads. Before the door of the first hut I cnme to, an old woman wji:* sitting surrounded by a group of boys and girls, all busily engajjcd in cutting up gourds and preparing them for eating ; nt the door of the opposite hut a man was sitting composedly playing on his niinido. lin. Midway between the two huts a mat was spread; upon thj^ mat, exposed to the full glare of the noon-day sun, feebly gaspinir, lay a new-born infant ; I doubt whether it was more than a day old. In answer to my inquiries I learnt that the child was the offspring of one of the slaves who had been captured in the late raid, and who had now been driven off to a distant quarter, compelled to leave her infant behind, because its nurture would interfere with her properly fulfilling her domestic duties. The ill-fated little creature, doomed to so transient an existence, was destined to form a dainty dish ; and the savage group was calmly engaged in their ordinary occupations until the poor little thi'ng should have breathed its last and be ready to be consigned to the seething Ciildron ! I profess that for a moment I was furious. I felt ready to shoot the old hog who sat by without displaying a particle of p'ty or concern. I was prompted to do somethinjr rash to give vent to mv sensation of abhorrence; but I was swayed by the protestations of the Nubians ringing in my ears that they were powerless in the matter, and that they had not come to be law-givers to the Niam-niams." CHAPTER XXXVII. THE FANS AND THEIR DREADFUL HABITS. pEXT to the Monbutto tribe of cannibals, if not indeed equal- ing them in bloody propensities, are the Fans of South- west Africa. In "The World's Wonders" I devoted consid- erable space to these people, and will, therefore, only add a few pages of additional information here, gleaned from several travelers who sojourned in the Fan country. Of all barbarians none are more cruel and rapacious than the Fans; their delight is in war, which they wage upon weaker tribes without the slightest provocation, and invariably conduct their campaigtiswiti; the view of totally annihilating those whom they attack. THE WORLD .tSUOIlE. Du Chafllu describe, a scene „.,• ■ '*' «s l..cap,.l,l„ „/„ff„,.i „„y d^Z"'''"''"'' "" Mpo'.gwo vill,,™ that to nhabitants Afte,- T^on,;,' .^T ,; -^-"'-l-^iy .nu..d:,.oi'a to plundermg tl.u huts.nnd when ,?,„ „ """''"'"" work, they sot in va ed the b„riai.g,.ou„ds, „he r 1 '""" T"'"' "'» ■"O'-fe bod e, for the sake of .hj ona^f ;;':!;"• '^« ^-^'--^o,. dec.; d '-^">.>.,.,...,..^.::;.a:.r.:Li-?r- body and, after carrying it to a olnm.. * - cooked the bod; if the" v rpo t"vt7f ""d Y' '""' " "'^ same grave. The feast wl,i,.|, f ii j ^ '^"""<' '""i"'! i" the •» thej. tore away t e er" flel Tf. "" """'""^ "■ "■" ^"--e. -" to eat it int'o pleVer^^ittlrt -v^ '"'"' ""' "■"<" '"^ "- ,,n,, ;"n !'■''*' T'""'' P™""''' ea„„ibab-s,„ are „.«)„,„.^ of the - f^^'ing of pnde and ius float on T '"""^ '" '"^^ "J^"" ^* -'t^ » protest against su.kU^ZlTut ^^'T"'"'"'' "'"^ missionaries nnuman L. bit^ the Fans will ackuowledfee that hlJi M II 740 8KA AND LAND. some of their tribes do » at hun.in flesij, but not those whom tlio misKionarioH are fjucstiuuing; that those of the neighboring vinafr<'s are human flrt-b -caters, but not they. Knowing this peculiarity, Mr. W. Reade, the f xplorer, took caroto ask no questions on the subject until ho had passed through all the places previously visited by white men, and then questioned an ohj and very polite cannibal. His answers woic plain enough. Of CiHirse they all ate men. He ate men himself. Man's flesh was very good, and was " like monkey, all fat." He nu)stly ale prisoners of war, but some of his friends ate the bodies of exocuttMi wizards, a food f which he was rather afraid, thinking that it nn'ght disagree with hn He would not admit that he ate his own relations when they died, although such a statement is made, and has not yi'i been disproved. Some travelers say that the Fans do not eat peoi)le of their own vi! lage, but live on terms'of barter with neighboring villages, aniicabh exchanging their dead for culinary purposes. The Oshehas , xmoWw^ cannibal tribe of the same country, keep up friendly relations with the Fans, and exchange the bodies of the dead v h them. The bodies of slaves are also sold for the pot, and are toUsiably cheap, a dead slave costing, on an average, one small elephant's tusk. The f!' Mudy Fan above mentioned held, in common with n any of his darl • 'mtrymen, the belief that all white men were cannibak *«Tbebe, ' tsid a Bakalai slave, on first beholding a white man, "are the meu t; 5t eat us I" So he asked Mr. Beade why the white men take the trouble to send to Africa for negroes, when they could cat as many white men as they liked in their own land. His interlocutor, having an eye to the possible futuie, discreetly answered that thiv were obliged to do so, because the flesh of white men was deadly p< son, with which answer the worthy cannibal was perfectly satisfied. DAUGHTERS A BLE8SINQ TO FAN FATHERS. Nearly all the tribes of Africa increase very slowly, notwitijst Hid- ing the fact that polygamy is general. The Fans, however, seem (o be an exception, though their habits are different from other tribes only in marrying their children off at a later age than is the ciislom with other races in Africa. A daughter is an unmixed blessing to a Fan father, for, until she becomes of a marriageable ajre — about sixteen years — she assists her mother in performing all the hard woric, and when she at length marrys she brings her father an excelieiii return. There is ijo sugb thing as courtship among the Fans. Fre- I )t those whom the eighboring villages plorer, took care to Lid through all the questioned an old iuough. Of Cuursc ;sh was very good, prisoners of war, wizards, a food nf disagree with Im 8 when they died, ^t hc«>n disproved. e of their own vil- villages, amicably 3 OsJiebas, anotlm dly relations with V h them. The tolerably cheap, a nt's tusk, ion with n an) of 1 were cannibals. white man, "are y the white men n they could eat His interlocutor, swercd that llnv I was deadly pi fectly satisfied, ts. ly, notvvitlistind- lowever, 'secui (o rom other tribes m is the fiislom lixed blessing to able age — about II the hard work, her an exceileni the Fans. Fre- THE WORLD AfilfORB ''; ^'.t"" *» "■'■ i.igi,„,,t bidXr ;■;,,", ""'• ""'■" '-■■"t "pu " "f Mde.-,,„t,vM,.|, ei„,„ ,,,,..;,;»■» Piotty, tl,er„ i, „„ Z^ ™l viilue, while tlu, brd,l,.r« i„ r , ""*"'" hef merit, i ! i»». « -le i, „,„do. '""^ '" '""" "-- 0" P-- A .'AN p.-rHER ..e,,oN,Na okk „,s bauuhtkk ^-'^^^^z^dTztr i" - '^^ --'- .be l«cd to last several d«vs „„dT t, T^"""' ^ ""^ '"art i el '^". o, expe..e is .o„.ti:. "^Tt t't i^ """^ "' "'"P'^' '^^ fvenshed, and he therefore W , «'•"""' '^ ""erly im- P^nts used to call ...::.:;^;f„:;,",r- '"-"'y. what our g^.„I lediately so.tl. I"/,,":";:'"*'" "''"'"". S(| th of the J-quato, 1 V "'^••^lu ui me Jargeaud fertile territory held >"d near the Nile bas Hi' t>y ; tribe of extremely fier in, is a ■ce cannibals lrS ,:] MICROCOI»V RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) A APPLIED IIVHGE Ir ^B*. '6S3 East Main Street S^S Rochester. New York 1460' ^= (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone ^S (716) 288-5989 -Fox 742 SEA AND LAND. ■-■^ called the Niam-niams, or Neam-nam. Our information respecting these curious people is almost wholly obtained from Mr. Petherick, the English consul at Khartoum, who visited them about 1860. They are not blacks, but in color are a light brown, or olive tint, and weav their hair so long that it flows down over their shoulders. Though they have never had any relations with even Ariib traders, and know nothing whatever of civilization, thev cloth ation respecting Mr. Petherick, m about 1860. ir olive tint, and their ishouldeis. a Ar^lb traders, c! themselves in hey wear a very men wear nuni- tanius hide, and e. But for all disposition that y, many of his F such a terrible ipono. Several iy had come in s and ran away, the alarm drum tie array, their ng their bodies, ;e the passage; ' onward, they ge, from which hey then seated , deposited the 5ides a front to earer than was travelers' feet, ir visitors con- ughter. There id by means of id meant to eat in the country not like to kill tit joke was ex- as the NiaD> ,5^.< ^ ifW'il .11 I llj 9 lUV-l ._u. li....... awvi ihoir large shields covering their botlioi Ihcy drew u)) in line, and seemed disposed to dispute the passatze but as the parly marched quietly and unconcernedly onward, the opened their ranks and allowed them to enter the village fvom wliio the women and children had already been removed. T!. ;en scute themselves under the shade of a large sycamore tree, deposited tli ba^o-a^re, and sat in a circle round it, keejjing on !«" the armed natives, who now began +- -''•eeable, some actually sen<^" ere all verv n^ ii ^•.-(^ > iolds covering their bodies. L>d to dispute the passage; conoernedly onward, they ter the village ^rom wliirii •emoved. T!. .en seated •amore tree, depc-^ited tlie niir on ..n ^--^*" ^^^^^^^iJmmmi^^ - iPlat ate 4 •sw-toaii^. TERRIBLE BATTLE WITH FAN CANNIBALS ' HHrcn lea? !>,i1 THE WORLD ASHORE. niams, knowing perfectly well tint tho" ^^^ pie, and the followin<' ^ who a„ 0- must indeed be di,,a„t, „„d TolZyV" """'"""■ Tl-oi^oun- . then- country and ours ouHitt, he ° ,' Tr '" "'""-'' '"''"» •>«*«»" «t t e thing, they hold i„°t, e ! ,„T"; , °"'" °'."™- """■■• I^""^ nor hows and arrows, but inexp able 'h '/■ " '""">«■• 'l---. ^'ubs Ne.the,. have they shields to dZ^u^ " "'"'7''"'"'"' "" """O- Therefore, to have traveled thus f"u. ^ '" '^'■""' ""'• """P""'- ■-*nce ™„st be as puzd , to u,' IZ'f "''"" "' ""'''• '"^"' "^ that any tribe, aye, even our ^.n c'J '"'""■'"'■ '" ""^ a™>3 N.an,-niam, I, who have led vo to m "Tt '" "'™- ^''""•"f'"-''. JO" have often followed, lylZ "o7 " "f^' "'"' "''"»« ^o-n-^cl •disgrace upon y„„r fathe ■, wh„ t ^""'' '''"'"• '" ™'"' ""'• ''■•'•"" ll""" "ot, but prove vomse! "'"'', "«'™'- been vanquished. Touch handful of brave ,„en ^„ "d d ' ""';"'-^ "' ">» M^-d^hip of such ■ather than degral l: l;;;:':::;;^- """"V^ -tertaLng til Jt is impossible not to L "'","'""''»<'« »' y""r insults." «« wise enou,d, to deduce tlu^st'^ltZf ?•""'" "' ""'^ "'''*'• "'"> Paient weakness, and to fear them f .k """""'^ '''"» ">«"• "l)- "i-nore ignorant and in,p „ „ 'ne ri T, " -^ """"" """ »"-<' Having thus cdmed thi ? ' ' "^ '" ''""l"'"' "'em. -Pons'of h la :!" tt '" A ™'^"'"'V" "^'"='' '" "'■'P"* tie st^n^e - -.oved-Utvt rb^":e:;".f, <•.'<• '■L-- •'•-ap havin-: manner in We been w was evi 'Je a knife, as it had no ed^e dently not a club ; and yet it could not if! 11 'ge;nora8pear,a8ithad no point. In 744 SEA AND LAND. ilftllH tleed, the fact of the bariel being liollow puzzled liiin exeeedin At last he poked his finger down the muzzle, and looked in(iuiiii at his guests, as if to ask what could be the use of such an aiti By way of answer, Mr. Petheriek took a gun, and, [jointing to a ture that was hovering over their heads, fired, and brought it dowi But before the bird touched the ground, the crowd were prostr and grovelling in the dust, as if every man of them had been si The old man's head, with his hands on his ears, was at Mr. Petheri< feet; and when he raised him, his apjjearance was ghastly, and eyes were fixed on him with a meaningless expression. Mr. Pethei thought that the (Hiief had lost his senses. "After shaking him several times," says Mr. Petheriek,"] length succeeded in attracting his attention to the fallen bird, qui\ ing in its last agonies between two of his men. The first sign returning animation he gave was putting his hand to his head, j examining himself as if in search of a wound. He gradually recover and, as soon as he could regain his voice, called to the crowd, v one after another first raised their heads, and then again droj)] them at the sight of their apparently lifeless comrades. After repeated calls of the old man, they ventured to rise, and a gene inspection of ijraginary wounds commenced." THE WONDERFUL WEAPONS OF THE NIAM-NIAM8. When the Niam-niam warrior goes out to battle, he takes with li a curious series of weapons. He has, of course, his lance, which well and strongly put together, the blade being leaf-shaped, like tl of a hog spear, oidy very n.uch longer. On his left arm he bears shield, which is made of bark fibre, woven very closely together, t\ very thick. The maker displays his taste in the patterns of t work, and in those which he traces upon it with various colored dyi Within the shield he has a sort of wooden handle, to which are i tached one or two most remarkable weapons. One of these is wholly flat, the handle included, and is about t thickness of an ordinary sword-blade. The projecting portions ti all edged, and kept extremely sharp, while the handle is rather thick than the blade, and is rounded and toughened, so as to afford a fii grip to the hand. When the Niam-niam comes near his enemy, and before he within range of a spear thrust, he snatches one of these strani weapons from his shield, and hurls it at the foe, much as an An D. \y puzzled liitn exceodiiiglv. uzzlo, iiiid looUod iiHiuiiin«>|\ Ug the use of such an article. I gun, and, i)()inting to a vul- fired, and brought it down, id, the crowd were prostrate, Tian of them had been shot, s ears, was at Mr. Petherick's iirance was ghastly, and his s expression. Mr. Petherick says Mr. Petherick, <'I .it [)n to the fallen hii'd, quiver- his men. The first sign of g his hand to his head, and nd. He giaduaily recovered, :e, called to the crowd, who :1s, and then again di'opp^'d Feless comrades. After tlic tured to rise, and a genenil •ed." THE NIAM-NIAM8. to battle, he takes with him course, his lance, which is V)eing leaf-shaped, like that On his left arm he bears his n very closely together, ancl ste in the pattei-ns of the t with various colored dycs- 1 handle, to which are al- ms. included, and is about the 'he projecting portions are i the handle is rather thicker ned, so as to afford a firm enemy, and befoi'e he is ches one of these strange the foe, much as an Aus- THE WORLD ASHORE. 74 T tralian flings liis bo,,,,,,.,, .,„ ,„,,„. , ,. Owing to thi. ..KKi; ;,;;■„;;„;; ;*;::";;:"« "■"" .» i.o .i,,.;,";;'.' -'/'■•CO, „„U(f the ,„.„j„ctin.' lTl,„|o', ,.11'"'" ""'''"''' " "'"»i'J-'Wl,le And as scvcal of tl,e.«o are I,m,.|,. i ■ . '""' '"'" "" »'<' »P"t. "-ttho Ni„,„.ni„„, ^„,z r "',,,;,;:.;!:" ;'""""""• ''■"-"•''-' HUNTERS OF Q»ME AND V.T „ " "" "< ■HHy U|,n. The sa,„„ „.oa|,„„s ,vi,io , tl,o Ni, , ' °" """"' '"»"• '"■^ M,„ ek.„l,a„t, l,i,,„o,„,ta,„r ,^, , '' "'""" ■^"<'«- "' '""'t- 'I'o- liuntcs tl,at tl.ov will n" ,".;„, r,""''" ""'' ^"l'"'' «'■" luicklyasa„y„f ,1,0 ,;,,;,„ ,„„^";i',""' '"II «" elephant quite a.,' I'ert in,,„.oved .-ifles of u»Uy ""' '""""^ '" ^Wea with the to";2S;i::;:i:';:!;;:-,:7'-7'e"«fu, in their .e,.,.i. .has p,.o.ided, l.a,-.i,.nh,,.,v?i ' t^Th T;'' ""-""-'f"".! " ""t quite, as ,nueh f„,. ihe 1,3 ' "■" ^'.'' "' '"""-» "linost, fl-^i. .t yields. The a,-g„ ,'°, t'^' ,' ^ l"'''"" "«-*. «b for the l'ytl.eo..iststoexc„se.he,,m luon, " T','. ""'™'-»"ll^ "Ovaneed -t apply „i,h ,he least e e "vl tT' X" '■' "' '""'"'"- ■"» "^ t"n,be,,eeouotedf„..„p„ ;;;X ° ""'■ "^- """a.- ^^^c„s- f'■^- purely hecanse tVey;:rrt't:::r^^^^^^^^^^^^ '"-^ - "■^^•• '^oir e»e:":",;r:::f -::;-' '™"- !>-'•• ";^° -' -ly devour victim who may fall i„ theU. .t" xi, """'■ '""F''^ ""l^'i'e' ->« any eHok that wi,™ their ow,^ neo„,„ k ■'' "''"" ''•'™""^<' '" «■■• Peth- further service, they were , "at ^ !l"'^'^" '"" "''^ "'"' f"''"" '<>■• also when any of 'tirerate^ttlrl '""■'■ """'^^ ^»'-- ^- '"■ea they ,u.ee,.ten, rather araw.,,rn^\„'";er "l™^ """ ^^' ""P" the feast which their bodies afford; ^ others, however, than for if ■if M ■:ll 746 SEA AND LAND. CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE BONNY CANNIBALS. * |F ail the savage tribes of Africa, and there are many, th( are none that can rival the Bonnys'm ferocity, blood-thir.si nes8, cannibalism and infamous* practices generally. Th« impish and fiendish people inhabit a rather small distr near the west coast of Africa, and their chief city, or capital, whicli also called Bonny, is situated on the river bearing the same name stream of water so murky, foul and foetid that when Burton ascend it in a canoe, he was obliged to stop his nostrils with camphorat cotton. The history of Pepper, Piemento, or Peppel, as he is various called. King of Bonny, is a, wonderful one. This remarkable pote tate was accustomed to dine every day off the palms of young mei hands, for which he h.id a passionate liking. His bloody propensiti were such that he hesitated at no crime, but, at length, he murder a popular chief named Manilla, and also shot his wife because s displeased him, which base crimes so incensed his subjects that 1 was deposed and sent to Ascension, while the government was hand( over to four regents. Peppel, though a savage, was not without much cunning, by the e ercise of which he contrived to be taken to England, in 1857, ai: there adopted English manners, became religious, was baptized, ai then he set about to perfect a scheme for re-establishing himself on tl throne of Bonny. The church people of England took the livelie interest in him, not only showing him such attentions as he vi'i utterly unfit to receive, but they very willingly subscribed to his grei scheme for Christianizing his countrymen. To this end they contril uted the sum of $100,000 towards establishing a missionary statioi and the old reprobate, not satisfied with this princely assistance, ii duced several Englishmen to return with him to Bonny as his suit( to whom he promised ministerial positions in his court and splendi salaries. When the deluded followers of Peppel arrived with him at Bonn their surprise may be imagined when, instead of finding a sumptuoi; palace abounding with every conceivable luxury, they saw only a co :viii. NIBALS. A 1, and there are many, there iyn in ferocity, bhxxi-thirstty- practices generally. These ahit a rather siuall district lief city, or capital, which is er bearing the same name, a that when Burton ascended I nostrils with camphorated Peppel.as he is variously J. This remarkable poten- P the pabns of young men's »g. His bloody propensities but, at length, he murdered > shot his wife because she sensed his subjects that he the government was handed ut much cunning, by the ex- n to England, in 1857, and eligious, was baptized, and -establishing himself on the England took the liveliest such attentions as he was igly subscribed to his great To this end theycontrib- ishing a missionary station, this princely assistance, in- hira to Bonny as his suite, 18 in his court and splendid arrived with him at Bonny ead of finding a sumptuous ixury, they saw only a col- THE WORLD ASHORE. 747 lection of the most miserabin Imvni tto whole town .,ce„p . ;;tt T"""':' '" " """'-""• -'"-I" ...lors „„d vapor, aa „„ civ Id ,m „■! . , 7 ""'' "'""""'■•' »'"•'' -»" found to 1.0 „s im,.gh.,,.yr, ;•'::"""'' '" "'" "'"■•"■- "-iv >vo,.o yarn, a, a„ cqmvalcn fo,- wiv al 1 f ""'" "''"' " """P'" »' I..SI of their terrible l.lu"/ iL l^'"'^' '''"•' '"'" '" """<» "- f".' they speedily s«c um l^t th 'de"air";''''' '"" '""" '■'""'•""'' filth of their surroundings. "'"^ "'""""' '""> >'"■'■" ''»•> pe.-l.ap, because that article i,' r .^d! ! 1 ,'■- ""'^ "■""» "^" "' """'. ties, to be had for the 1; "I'" '^'i:' :;;.'»''"r'''''^ ''""■'''- somewhat resemble Swiss c .»,?,„ • .u ■ ""^"""T '"'"-^es, which eonsist of three rooi^r o- it ? bvi ""' ""'""' "PP-"™-- ju-ju, or chapel room TuJL '"'"«""""- » kitchen, and a every Bonny'houso fi.r w 1 ,,1"." "" .'"f »''-'°-^»'''» '"'J""et to ju-j". which is the guardian h! ■"'";"' '"■'P' "■« '""»'>. or room are also erowded ,„a Iv .1 H ? ",",'' "' '""""''■ I"'» 'h'' "Wing to its sacred eh actt t™'";'"- <" "- family, which, eovetous, though superstt:; ^gl I'""'!?;?;?. "l''''.^'' f^ "nytlnng answei-8 the purpose s .ch « -n' . • '""J" ""'="' a tooth, an old shoe, 'or a':; di ', 'l^Z":, " 7' "'";'"°^' owner may hit upon. ^ ^''^ ^'"'^^^ o^ the edS WcatitrittTellf ""^ ""'" '^ » '™'^ g>-"y-aPPoaring It- builtofTwlh-i t t ;r"7""°°^"'''' '"*"»■» "'■"»- "'forty or fifty fee? 'tlTh '"•»»«'>«'- ""d "■ shape is oblong, ii. the end oveVwhkl , , " • """ " ''''"^''''- ^" »"»'■ '^ Pl^eed Under the eaves 0"^""™"'^ '" ^'"^ """ ™'" "« ""' P^'^'- of • 'av,, V J u ' ""^ °'"' °' "'^'"^ 'S conspicuous b.' r—or -I .. ,aige black beard which still adheres to if ti ' . ' eral goat skulls «ri.«n».j k .. """"'es 'o it. There are also sev- S sRulls atranged between the human, while many skinless 748 SEA AND LAND. Iicacls look «rnnnin^ly >lown on the altur from upright polos fix tho ground. Under the altur is h circular hole huving a raised made of clay, in which is received the hlood of victinis, togi with the sacred lil)ationM. Within this ju-ju house are l>urie( bodies of Bonny kings, since it is meet that they should lie the bloody scones they had in their lifetime so frequently prove BLOOO AND TORTURE. Tho ju-ju house admirably illustrates the character of tho p( -—a race which takes a positive pleasure in the sight of blood, ai inflicting and witnessing pain. All over the country the tra comes upon scenes of blood and torture. Animals are boun various positions calculated to cause them the greatest suffei goats and fowls, for no other reason tliiin malignancy on the pu the natives, are found everywhere tied to posts head downward, hung up by their ears or one leg, and all left to die in that posii after which they are oaten. Even the children of prisoners take war — which is usually waged merely for the purpose of plundi are hung by the middle on tall poles while the parents are rose to be sacrificed and eaten. As to this last report, the Bonnys declare it to be false, but the 1 cannot be doul)ted, since we have tho confirmation of several w travelers who have witnessed the act. For example, King Pe gave a grand banquet in honor of a victory which he had garned Calabar, and in which Amakree, the King of that district, was ti prisoner. The European traders were invited to the feast, and i most hospitably entertained. They were, however, horrified to the principal dish which was placed before Peppel. It was the bl ing heart of Amakree, warm and palpitating as it was torn from body. Peppel devoured tho heart with the greatest eagerness, claiming at the same time, <' This is the way I serve my enemies. hORRIBLE SCENES WITNESSED BY DR. HUTCHINSON. More recently than tho event just mentioned. Dr. Hutchinson a witness to Bonny cannibalism. He had heard that something tho kind was contemplated, although it was kept very quiet. On appointed morning he had himself rowed to the shore at some tance from the ju-ju house, near which he concealed himself, waited for the result. The scene which he soon witnessed he t describes ; "I know not of what kind are the sensations felt by those aro U ND. r from upright polcH fixed in iilar liolo having a ruisetl rim le Mood of vicliiiKs, logctlar is ju-ju liouso aro Uuriod the lit that they should lie aniid time so fiequeutly provoked. TURE. ;s the character of the people e in the sight of blood, and in icv the count ly the traveler ;uro. Animals are bound in them the greatest sufferliig; nin malignancy on the part of .o posts head downward, doi's idl left to die in that position, hildren of prisoners taken in )r the purpose of plunder — lile the parents aie reserved aie it to be false, but the fucl.s ;onfirnnition of sevei-a! white For example. King Peppcl ory which he had gained over ig of that district, was taken nvited to the feast, and were t-e, however, horrified to .«iee ire Peppel. It was the l)leed- ating as it was torn from tiic I the greatest eagerness, ex- way I serve my enemies." Y DR. HUTCHINSON. ntioned, Dr. Hutchinson was lad heard that somethinir of kvas kept very quiet. On the ed to the shore at some dis- b he concealed himself, and 1 he soon witnessed he thus isations felt by those around THE WOULD ASHORE. Newgate, waitino- fm- ..» . ^"^^ .--oit., Huu".:;:;'i.r::t",,;;;j:;-V'-'' •" '- -•- ""!' f at,„,,,,pi,,.,„ „,„j ^ tia^ ,:%''':';'' ■ »"'■ '• "-"vine, Hhoneout. AsIJook.JHf '""'""•'^^^''tl' ""'« breaking fh 1 . ^'^ ^ ">olvcd throuirh the «lif : .i '»''K"ig, the sun eenng «t ,„e with u„ oxpre.sL , , ' '"''" '"'"''' ">at seemed have been ,. relief i„ .,,„ C^u 't .T :;''?'" '";" ™"'""- '' «->' o.neth,„g „f „.,,„t I ^„j '*'o» t .0 pl„ce to l,„ve he.nd Liverpool „r London -„f the Inm,?,^- ' """' '"'' "" "^''''tion in .nto .eaflold, drop, or coffin ^r^^r'^:''™ "' ""^'"^ '-I •rid i:'j;s -:.;r '- '""'-»• "" " """""' ''""" .» head of his vie 7m "'"! he had „„t eaten hlCdhr' '",'""■'''''» »" '"'t' bellpiZ h"."g put enough pepp".;n i '~ " ""'"' """'S ^P"'M it h/ ot ^k-'^, ^ -« •ilf 752 feEA AND LAND. m CHAPTER XXXIX. 4 THE DAHOME AND ASHANTI PEOPLE. ^N what is known as the shive coast of Africa, whose shores are washed by the Bicjht of Benin, live the Dahome SLVii\ Ashauli races. Though maintaining separate governments they are the same people, both in race and habits. I beiieve tlicv have never been classed among the cannibal tribes, but their horrihle customs fall little short of this infamous practice, for their cruellv and blood-loving propensities are carried to the greatest extremes. The rulership of the two kingdoms is confined to a king and caboceers ; these latter are men of wealth rather than hereditary rank, corre- sponding somewhat to tl^e lords of England, though their power is greater. Eminently a practical people, both the Dahomeans and Ashantees are very particular alfout the royal l)lood of their rulers, as is cvi- denced by the law of succession. Instead of succession in a direct line, the throne passes to the brother or nephew of the deceased mon- arch; the nephew, however, must be the son of the king's sister, and not his brother. The reason for this is, that the people are sure that their future king has some royal blood in his veins, whereas, accord- ing to their belief, no one can be quite certain that the son of the queen is also the son of the king, 'nid, as the king's wives are never royal blood, their offspring might bt purely plebeian. Therefore, the son of the king's sister may be chosen ; but this singular idea is carried still further, viz.: The sister m question need not be married, provided that the father of her child be strong, good-looking, and of tolerable position. 8HOCKINQ SACRIFICES. In both countries are practiced a horrible rite called the " customs," at which there '^ a shocking sacrifice of human victims. These rites take place at the celebration of the Yam and Adai festivals, the former occurring in September and the lat, ir every three weeks. At the Yam festivals hundreds of people are slain, not because they are objectionable malefactors, but for the sole reason that the people delight in the sight of blood and murder and must be amused. It is the same sentiment as actuated the Romans to provide entertainments ff 8 Wives are never THE WORLD ASHORE. in which slaughter w- -^ho w j: Yam festival fall „, , Z kt'a bi'lV' T ""'^- «'>-"' '»e sacnfiees is increased t„ thousands Itl? ""^ ?■" ''^^ <" human truth I cannot positively decide, that wt' """*- ""'"gh with what palace, or a new one is built, that thT„ j ." "'''"''"' '" 'iie ti>.<''s 'r^rcroLeoir— '" "^^""^ '^^ though it is atroci„: ZZ^, o:'T'' '"'^ '"^ V- festival, frequently, generally „„|y those a p I'lTr"'.*'""'' ''™"'- » dered, but these offences may beT we, "^ '°'' "*»«»* "'e mur- res eufrely „p„„ ,„e,, accusations til '"'"T "^ '■"'"• '<"• 'hey t™K or to submit any evidence of ne.t.rr'' '"'« "'""-" "» he slaughter is ready to begiu the vieth^s 7 "'■""""■• ^'"=" housewherethcyhavobeenpreviou,7v r« 1 ^''""''" <"" f™" a ractingdinof thefctishtrumpe a,y. 1' ""''' """<" ">o dis- fore the delighted crowd wh c7 ,a 11"?,' ?'^ "'" "'^"P""'''' be- -mewhat more given to this a „'",,; r:;:'- , J"" ,^'"»»"'- -'c hough both people sacrifice so ma vvl! V """■" '''''"'■>><•»»> hive frightfully decreased. ^ ""™'^ """ """■>• Populations rt is stated by tragic" tLT ""T "°'"™"- -e not the result of a^^' e m : Xl ?" "h^"' " "^ ^^""""^"^ product of the irresponsible rlershhffrV' "'" '^^^""""^ "=« warrants for executing those ol t t Z,! 1 ! ,"?' "''"*' '•"«C"»able l«od-letti„gs, by dccia g ;, ,u;:n "?." '•"■ '^'"' P'""*--' toras are messengers sent tT> /h ^ "" """^ """""'e at the cus- WhenaDahomeC;^ ;:■'' ;,:,'l^«''f-'','-'o-h, the spirit word. liutely despatched to'se ve h m s'str " if ''"""^' "■■" """- »me of these may afterwarT ^ ^u "" "" "*■""■ ^'-W- As »hweei„thesameway,rd;tl'"'' """'' "■" """g '■' ^-'t othe of the kingdom a„7 „' test rrf"'°r" *•''"'" *''«"«» k'"? does must be reported to t' ' ? '; ^'"'•"■'"- ""' ''■""'? -ser Who is killed f'or lit pu ; s ^ jr::r r™^"': " "■-- 48s ^ ^ ^^ umtter how trivial the 754, SEA AND LAND. .•■■■v'iii! occasion may be," says Burton, *«if a white man visits him, i has a new drum, or if he moves from one house into another messenger is sent to tell the departed liing." If, after the execut the king should find that he had forgotten something, away j another messenger, like the postscript of a letter. Captain Burton says that he never saw the most repulsive part the sacrificial ceremonies of the Dahomeaiis, but states that thei only one approach to cannibalism in Dahome. This is in counec with the worship of the thunder god. This deity is supposed to preside over the heavens and to hoh his Lands the lightnings which are the weapons with which he stroys those who incur his displeasure. " Thus, if a person be ki by lightning, they consider his death due to the thunder-god's > geance, and his body, therefore, must be execrated ; it is accordit refused burial, and, in lieu thereof, is laid on a board where cerl women are appointed to cut it up into small bits, these pieces of f] the women hold in their mouths and pretend to eat, but in rea do not. HORRIBUE CELEBRATION OF THE GRAND CUSTOM. The Ashantees and Dahomeans both celebrate their annual Custoi as before stated, but the latter people have also another <« festiv? which they call the Grand Custom, which occurs only in commemc tion of the decease of a king, and is carried out by bis successor, it has been the pride of each king to outvie his predecessor, by venting some more novel or revolting mode of performing the sa( fice, each in turn has been more bloody than the previous celebrati To obtain victims for the frightful ceremony it is customary reserve the criminals for a considerable length of time until th number is quite large, or else make war upon neighboring tribes, t sacrifice the prisoners taken. On the great day of the Grand Custom, the king appears on a pi form, decorated, according to Dahomean ideas, in gorgeous raim( on which are painted the figures of various animals. Around him i his favorit€),wives and principal officers, the latter being designated the umbrellas they carry. Below him is an immense crowd of '. subjects waiting for the royal favors which he distributes anio them in the shape of cowries, rolls of cloth and strings of bea( over which they fight and scramble, like so many hyenas over D. white man visits him, if he one house into another — a ig." If, after the execution, otten something, away goes f a letter. w the most repulsive parts of jeans, but states that there is lome. This is in connection • the heavens and to hold in weapons with which he de- Thus, if a person be killed le to the thunder-god's ven- ! execrated ; it is accordingly lid on a board where certain all bits, these pieces of flesh retend to eat, but in reality : ORAND CUSTOM. lebrate their annual Customs, ave also another " festival " I occurs only in commemoia- ied out by his successor. As atvie his predecessor, by iii- ode of performing the sacri- lan the previous celebration. 3remony it is customary to ) length of time until their ipon neighboring tribes, and , the king appears on a plat- ideas, in gorgeous raiment IS animals. Around him are le latter being designated by 3 an immense crowd of his svhich he distributes among cloth and strings of heads, :e so many hyenae over a THE WOBLD ASHORE. -til the „„b denes fnZtC'a"' ^>'" ""<' ""» "" i» ll::! -re to get in abu„du„o . '^ t", "ff ^-'d W°od, wlL th^ , each being g„gged in order to L";?,"" »<"' ■"-"Stt f,.nvard! k.ng for mercy, i„„hiet case he „ms be "" '"'" "■'.""S out to the tl.ey are firmly secured by bei," la2?° '"™<'<'i'"ely rele-sed, and 2" move neither head. kLiTZ to^'T'' ':''*«'«. - tl.at they yelUof the crowd belov ref^L t j fh"'" "' "'^'"'""- as the king rises, a„d with h,s ownL f '•" ""» " <'»""'.like silence helpless wretch falls into the uutst»L "" "'""'•' '"^'o""- The the basket is rent to .ton s bvab ^^™' "' "" eager crowd toethanithastakento w. te this r"" '"'"''*' "'"^ '■"• S '"»l.from Umb, while aro™d each 1 ! °''' ""^ "■»» •-- ''een torn a^assof infuriated negrool e fi'hC l""^ ^"" l---^ bo^y over a bone. " """""S bke so many starved doo-s Gelele, the present kin..' f„li„ • , ° foduced an improve™: °;,t'';j"'! "-""ts of hisances.ors, in- P"» i..g the victims off th pa fo^r'™' ""'■ "'"'■'"'' "' mer 1^ "■ey feet in height, decorated afttThe,, " """'"'• '""^^ »ome the platform, and ordered that th7j- . "" S^'esquo manner as top of this tower. ShouM t k rroVTh" "°, """^ ^"""^ for Galele to have a successor «. I^ahome last long enourrh ».r„dueed into the GrardCu^r"^"'" variation wil. p,.ogab";;^ --^^^^^t^^::]:::^^^ ^ writer who ho tower- the proeessio, „f b "/ FhT™" """•"" "^ ""'^ to ' each carrying a pole, to the end of th- J ^^""' " """■''<"• of men, a ter the,« marched anothe: Ih ,„ ,^'"; „"" tf " ""'"=" '"* ' »"" «l'";.ggoat tied up in a flexib e'ba'ker ""t """"'"" •"'^ ''-■"i «;- in -oeessi„n:::\t;": :/;;^;/J''» '-er and received the "' *--» »<'- s,ace w/,ef;:trc^ z i" ^^^ of^wirr 756 SEA AND LAND. the edge of a hole, attended by the executioners. The fowls wer first flung from the top of the tower, still attached to the poles; aiK it seemed to be requisite that every creature which was then sacri ficed should be tied in some extraordinary manner. As soon as the CELEBRATING THE GRAND CUSTOM IN DAHOME. :";:.^i||ii,,i [j touched the cround. they were seized, drasrwed to the block, and their heads chopped off, so that the blood might be poured into the hole. The goats were thrown down after the fowls, .the bull afterthe IN DAUOME. g THE WORLD ASHORE. royal umbren,., surmounted wfth^I'rd '"'="' ,?'''^'' """'' "' and around hira are his wive, and t ? ' ™'''™ "^ "-oyalty, cioth.=„vered tower, from which aC"™-.- '" ""= '""'^^ *«« th"^ whHe another is being carried t„ hi Ce "bJ ""' J""' I'-" -""-lod. ccutToners standing by the binct ' ,"• ^"'"w >« one of the ct- - the mob of infuSat^d siv,::,' ' ''"'^""« '" '™»' «' 'he tower ,™-if'S:t^llt:ir-V''^ -"'' -"'»-' '-- by the drummer who stands behind h„. "" ". "'""'' '"""'' ■""! beaten nersis displayed behind the banS and .^>Tu°' """''"8'^ l-""- Amazons. In front are several fi i. ^ '^"^ ""^ " ^"^y »' «™ed with the conical cap, their bodTeLttrr,"' ''"'■ '^""^ »<'<'">«'' table sicull in their hands. The hou'r ^ .-^ ? ""' ""^ "■' '"*^'- tho spirit of the deceased king I tn ontf ,eft ""''"«' "" '""^ The ^„<„„„, „, femairso'S"orD°r- for. fonnd no where else in the world T h , ' """"''""^ » '"»'"»- ago they were common in the tralTr "' '"■*'>'• *'«'°gl' "ges" Afric , and in South AmelBrtr"''.'''? ^ ''''^'^ "' Central have always been fierce Tlfes 11^ t ""^ ^'"'"'" """'^-^ World's Wonders " i„ „„ ".f ' ^ '"'™ described them in " The *o„g. discipiin::^, %h .° ^trrstCh" "-' "™"""^'^ -«' « The kin trnf no K f ^"'^^ as m Dahome. o'wome:Vv:fhts:n7sr::TL:r^'"^r7'"°"''»-^-«-'r «" ,'""'' '■'"' '•''""^^ *" hibiting also the sealps of wr„" l"b^';,:;l|; "r"'' ^'"y-- »"<> o- but who were conventionallvsunnl! I f t " P'"™<^ hattles, oceasioa. Sorapid Jt^^Ttt^^^'f^'' "","'■' "-«"' had elapsed after the word of comm.! 1 !: '"""^'^^ " """"'o The wo^eu of „„,t acknowMged cLage'are gathered iuto the AN AMAZON REVIEW. age and success of ^fh: J^""" """^ P"'"™ with great cour- ^°o„ tCz;:f:TJ::;!:' """' "- ^'^'"'""' '"- » -'^le v„iiey ino.s 1^ J^ marks of a consecrated priestho'od"''^"^^'-^ supposed to hear the Ane priests have, as um.ni godly power „ the drinking of ,„i" • ^f"" "'""""■■ tost to p ovo """ "' » '•-"'-hot iron ,0 t,,: ski^ T • "'' '•'"■'^' '» "'« «l> -licl P «„„s„ec„,od of cri„e,,. u'l^.^uT T'"" '""' '"■« «l>p'i d ,o "^»y .re guilty. I, aperson'd ;f '" "" °'™"'« "'"■'■»'. or „ ,t effect of course he is guilty "i/t "°"'"' ""^ <""» f''"™ Ihc r'" ^""'y- B"' 'he Coni 1,1 r.""" ''""'^' "^e "could tte United States, e„sily defft h ', ^^^ ""' '^'""^'■■d fibos of J^P-sn^ to those „ho'appiy?hot: T "'^ "- P-^-nt^Va '""' ''"• "•■"•» i' he i^ weilthy o, oulh to t "r" """" """^ ''» P""' The wives in Congo a,e tnk? m ' """"" "-^ oonoo -vorely beaten wi!h le , ITv (• """ ""' '^^'^'P' ""'"•ey are «me„ do not resent this treatZt "T^T ""'"''° '^^ip. "^Ti ^ »ou..dly flogged occasional rrehinrlV"!'"''' "»'''' » ''"'"a., is her. and feels offended act Xl t T^' ^'i'' '"'^•«'"'"» "esleoting taking any woman for his wife wh'fb. '^'"^ '"'^ «''« P^ver of *^goes to the royal haren^Wi,',^:dir^^^^^^^^^ no,, ard, when The people „f Congo are-nroh' M '"^""""^ly executed. cl,mate-a very indolent and Cht j^ "" ''°"°""' »' "'" enervating «° do all the work, while the It lif T' "■' '"""'" "-eing mad^ P;Pe« and drink their pain, wine "vlrtb ''""'' "'"' ™"''e "■eir ">o»gh not so well as the Bubo tribe 5 v'^ """"' --eraarkably well, aro merely huts of the sin,,ri „ ^'""""''' ^"- Their houses ever the™, and twigs ire be r^T'""' " '*" P"^'' "'"' '"^ot "■-y of walls, are all that a Co to ^fn'" " "'■"'"-""* ^-"ion ly *ttn,gisassi™p,eashislod3.? ""'I ^" •'" " ""»•'». His •"■ -oiddle, hein^ all ,,,.,» u'''."'"'"^; ° P'e™ of native cloth, tied r„„„d i«on,e fnrs ^o^n by the k ^glntt h" "iV''' ""P'" '='»"'- «"d Imost naked pipuJe ^ "" '"'™ '""' " ""^ strong effect f handi )C"I on 762 SUA AND LAND. Accorc n, traditional history, Congo was In old times one of tlie Afl'toilQ kiagd*. Tis. Twice it rose t>o tills eminence, and botii times by the energy of a woman, who, in «pif« of the low opinion in which #o«nen are held, contrived to ascend the throne. Sonaevhere about 1520 — it is impossible in such history to obtii;ri pr«c»ton of (Jutes — a greaf chief, named Zimbo, swept over a largo pari (if A r'ica, taking every countr' to which ho came, and estab- lishing his OH II dominion in it. Among other kingdoms, Congo was taken by him, and rendered tributary, and so powerful did he at last become, that his army outgrew his territory, and he had the audacity to send a division to ravage Abyssinia and Mozani»)ique. The division reached the eastern sea in safety, but the army there met the Portu- guese, who routed Ihem with great loss. Messengers conveyed the tidings to Zimbo, who put himself at the head of his remaining troops, went against the Portuguese, beat them, killed their general^ and carried off a great number of prisoners, with whose skulls he paved the ground in front of his house. ^^^^^■^^^HsiMH iffwHI ■n ■ ""-'^LMoia. CHAPTER XL. THE DYAKS OF BORNEO. jSHOUGH Africa is peopled almost exclusively by wild and savage tribes, especially all the central portion, and while nearly every form of superstition and bestiality is practiced in that great division of the earth, yet we find in other parts of the globe uncivilized races distinct from the Africans in character, color, rftlgion, habits and all that goes to make up the attributes of humanity. This fact itself is remarkable only when we consider the races of man and the line of separation between thi. o«.Viiga.k- '.-. polyg„„y. tre^cht/ d twdlT'ir^'."''""''''™' '^'^»- "■""d, .ro :a,„re than civilij TZJ ?'.^>'"'"' »" ">" other concerned, for they are hosnrt ,hl! """'' """■»' obaraoter i. other people, steadLt in frSb!' ^^fP""'".'-. ''onest above a, »-nts, for they have no deaofl' C ""'"'"' ''"="'""» -"«' monogamies who are devoted .„ 1 ,' """" ^'""'•' '" slav .,v «>most unknown among them Tbl^VT"''''' ^'"^ '-J»- i '" W« natural life, „he°„ unirjue^ ed by thl M? '"'""« *" ""= »^'^ lopers who so corrupted him «t 1 ^ *''''''^' "'"' other inter. I'letely changed f^of:ttZ\l'"lT' """ ''" ""'"^ ^^ -- ".oit of no excess, as ,vi„ be swCplairef """"" '""' ""PP^" ^- ther:t:rp7o';^tIt^::::^^^ --'"»" - -^ven a"d European,. When the llXafet w "^'' •'"™''^'^' '^>''"'»«> found tl,e Dyaks not „„Iy peaceahL ^ '""' "" ""= ''=l«"<>, th,y - their nature that the newrcomer °w:lT"*rr' *••" "" '™P!'«''le k.ndnes.. These first visitors h'Lv "'"^ ""'' *^'»'-)' «""* "f •'■ade their quarters in the une ' ^n r'-' """ "'"'*''■ "'"> "ot only Bornean coast, where f„^. ""?P'<"^»^ ""^"^ »«i indentations of the ""en pi^cy, at length l^mr^exTe':'; *^ "'"""■'" -'«' ^- 'urned their hands To he Znllvn^^^u, ''"''"'•''"'"• ""> Malays trading, which they practiced fom'^"""" °^'=''P'"'"" "' ^W oat the island. ^P'»°"'^^''/or n>«ny years, unmolested, through- InsinuaHncy f k«^„-i_. . , «-anns, sw;rd;::i;:::':::,'^;X^h':''M r "^ p™'*-*- »' t'.'". wa„ .nd then pr„«ted ^e^; t^X^ ^-'0:^ ■('■ ''I fill b\:H§ iTy^',. 764 SEA AND LAND. taken by either side, by which means they were enabled to away thousands of the poor Borneaiis annually. THE HEAD HUNTERS OF BORNEO. Previous to the coming of the Malays, it is asserted by tra' who have visited the island, and also by Sir James Brooks, th« ernor of the British Commercial possession of North Borne many years, that war between the Dyak tribes was almost unkr but that the slave trade developeu by the Malays led, not only cessant internecine wars, but also created a disposition in the Dy murder, which he never before displayed. He was taught to b( that bravery was the greatest quality of the human heart, and tl be brave it was necessary to incite war, fight desperately, and prisoners to be sold into slavery. This propensity, thus create( stimulated, grew until a Dyak was not considered eligible for n mony until he had a humkn head dangling from his waistbai prove his valor. As a man was appreciated by the number of I he had taken, head-hunting soon became a rage among the male ulation. The Malays further taught the simple-minded Dyaks famine, plague or disease, was caused by some offended god would soon bring them plenty, or abate the disease if he be pre ated by an offering of heads. This practice of head-hunting was at one time so common, sc Stanford Eaffles informs us, that the depopulation of the island seriously threatened. Every hut became fairly festooned with blea skulls and no Dyak had the least standing among his people who not these ghastly proofs of his valor hung to his waist or suspei before his door. . RELIGIOUS SACRIFICES. The Kyans come the nearest to having a religious belief, or, rat system of formulated superstitions, of all the Dyaks. The Ba Kyans believe in a future existence, and their heaven and hell an vided into various compartments for the proper accommodatioi all according to the circumstances under which they die. They much attention to the carving of wooden images and charms, tc of which more or less meaning is attached; still, their ideas c Supi-eme Being and a future state are very vague, and they have religious rites or outward observances. ^he Trings have a well-dofiacd belief in a tribal heaven, and a p gatory of toiling and enduring which mr.st be passed through bef AND. IS they were enabled to carry annually. OF BORNEO. ays, it is asserted by travelers by Sir James Brooks, the gov- ssession of North Borneo for ik tribes was almost unknown, the Malays led, not only to in- ed a disposition in the Dyak to ed. He was taught to believe f the human heart, and that to ar, fight desperately, and take 3 propensity, thus created and t considered eligible for matri- ngling from his waistband to liated by the number of heads le a rage among the male pop- the simple-minded Dyaka that I by some offended god who te the disease if he be propiti- t one time so common, so Sir epopulation of the island was fairly festooned with bleached ng among his people who had mg to his waist or suspended FICE8. ; a religious belief, or, rather, all the Dyaks. The Baram their heaven and. hell are di- be proper accommodation of ir which they die. They pay len images and charms, to all iched ; still, their ideas of a ery vague, and they have no in a tribal heaven, and a pur- r.st be passed through before THE WORLD ASHORE. the heaven can be reached. Yet the T • ^^^ '' ft I f • A DYAK VILLAGE. Which the Tvhyrr. „,.„ „ , P"t to death by torture, r ^°y« of the tribe. This '"•e, or by flesh species of ti' ^,^ ""^''^ ^«'-ty sluve debt ds inflicted bv th WOUIl sava, ors were « men iuid ^gery was unknown before 766 SEA AND LAND. the Malays visited the island, aud must therefore be regarded as one of the results of their influence. The houses of the Kyans are, in general, very similar to the long- houses of the Sea Dyaks, each of which accommodates a number of families, but very often a number of these long-houses are grouped together in regular village style. THE MORALS OF THE HILL DYAKS. The Sea Dyaks are very like the Kyans in habits and disposition ; both are warriors by preference, and have been noted for their head- taking propensities, and other savage customs. They also live alike, in long houses, built on posts, ten, and sometimes fifteen feet above the ground. Each house is composed of many rooms, and each room is occupied by a family. For furniture they are content with a mat to lie upon, and the fire they warm and cook by is built on a pile of baked clay which lies in the center of the room. Even now, skulls, blacked by smoke and begrimed by dirt, may be seen hanging over the doors of the Sea Dyaks' houses, but the custom of head-taking has about become obsolete. The Hill Dyaks more nearly retain their primitive manners than any others of the Bornean tribes. Living remote from the coast, in the mountainous regions of the island, they escaped the influence of the Malays, and are to-day nearly what they were before the slave traffic was inaugurated ; hence, a description of their present habits will represent the aborigines, or, at least, the Dyaks in their original simplicity. To W. T. Hornaday, author of ♦♦ Two Years in'the Jungles," I am indebted for most of the information here given of the Hill Dyaks. The people of this tribe are morally the most highly developed of any in the island of Borneo, if not in the whole archipelago, which, in view of the extent of the influence Hindooism formerly ex- erted over them, is all the more surprising. Although they are, as a tribe, wholly without religion or any of its restraining influences, their moral principles would put to the blush the children of Israel in their best days. To the other virtues of the Dyak must be added that of strict honesty and profound respect for the rights of property. Whether they steal from each other I cannot say ; I suppose they do some- times, althouorh it must he vprv sAlHorp Tf ia nr^au;,,^},, -o^^-^^p^ b«w«Jver, th^t the^ never pilfer from Europeans, por ^ycQ Malay? be regarded as one por ^yeii Ilijalay? TOB WORLD ASHORE. .haj practice with f.l.e Strand m/'''''^'"" "' '"' ""-"-and Sf-angcl^ enough, some Tf the H:?rrV'' ''''' "'■■«■•• custom which they have clearly adopted f.^^t' t"™ ''"'" "^"-J. » i»hed ,„ Western Borneo several c^,,? " "'*' "'"'''•"^ "ho Sour- peop e of ,hi, ,,.,^ .^ Sarawak Crlrr T ' "^"^^ «" "•.« ■ng those „ho live on the Sadont Thf ST''" T"^*'""' ^'^Pt- thoir dead, and bury with them vTrion!! , , "5 ^''"- »•""''' h-'y ceased, especially his betel box wkhT T "<" ^"^""^'"^ "> «■« "e^ some old clothes of „o value a^dnt "f '<"»■»» (Wack pepper) then divided equally among his hildt^''^,^ 'P""^" His'lmV ,' or agamst either sex. ° '* children, without discrimination for f"r'":}'''^''^^^^'^^"'o^y^^^^ future state and , believe the good Dyaks go to a nit. ; . """""O »'""<'»• They » ere they are happy. »d tha the 'i^^'/ ''' """'• "»"'"' -S^''^™! called Saiyan. where they are Ih! "^ ^" '» »"»"'er place, alsj t.".es their ancestors taklth: .nfr/d ^ T ""''-e that :ome! reason, like the Hindoos from Xm ,h.t"' """' ^'""■> '<>■• «'"<=1> orwood-devr(:t:r:r;ra;n^^^^^ ^»ch of their survivors as ha e off 'de^ ' Z"""'" °" """" "' Plagie «» 'ehgious ceremonies or ohLrfrfX, h ?'"''"' "■"■"• ^hey hwe of a God who control, the dest „ e^f m't'"' ""' '"^ """-I'"'''' Marriage among the lUU Zl ■ "' ^""^ "' ''^■ wife is honored for all tha Ketrl""' ° """""' ''»"'' l"" ""e sometimes it is effected by he mer? k'^ " """ '''"''^' "-e same; t'"i"g of a fowl between then! Tr th ''"'. "^" "' '"■'''«"'^' <»• h th^ «'W« is it answers the puZrfdirM^ "'■■''" ^^«'P>o .■»a"'age is invariably made and ,h.^^^ '' f "'"'"'' """""" "' "-e ■a g.eat hura.„„y. save nt, tl 1^/" ^ """" "'"" '"S'""'^ ""nkisnot known to them ^hTv ,/""''• ,^- "■« o-'^e of strong "'ter people would if the,™ werf n "'Tu"'' ^'m»ly. as every «»»e of death the p.-ope, ty is eZL H Z. ""'"^ "' '"'"xieants. I„ «« regard to sex I so' If I ZT^l'f!'!'^''' """"g ">e children, with- ;:»^j»teiypasses to her.;;i;h;u";re:ii!::^°":/i'';v'''"''r executors J she ii debts aua alwa^^s mapages to j,a^ theroi 768 SEA AXD LAI^D. Says Hornaday : «« Once more I assert, with the certainty of b( disbelieved, that the Dyaks actually do not steal. I have an acc( of one who did once steal some gutta from a companion, but h dead now — hanged, 'in the usual manner.' '* Their most wonderful trait, however, is their faithfulness in { DYAK GIRLS AND HOUSE. ing their debts. If the people of the village want goods, a trad will give them his whole cargo, if he can get them to accept it, in e change for jungle produce to be collected. The day for full settlemei is iiaraed by the head man, and by that day the debts are all piii( What a glorious country for an honest merchant to start business in D. t, with the certainty of being lot steal. I have an account from a companion, but he is er.' •, is their faithf uhiess in pay- SE. illage want goods, a trader :et them to accept it, in ex- rhe day for full settlement day the debts are all paid. rchant to start business in! THE WORLD ASHORE. """' ''"!' thus far come in ccuac with /h '"^ ""-" '" "'<-■ I'ooi.lo "Z- ^'""■=»^' Malay- or Europ!aL i """"'' «'"'"• Hi'Hi"o»; Jai,.! all the vico», a,>d but very fewTf h T"^" '""'""" """'^'b a^aui I toucbea then, but ao tj^^ '^y^:;'^^'"^ «- <^'m.lJZ hrough the fire uu.cathed. 'Zt " ?!""'" ^°"""' ''avo g.u.e ■dolatryaud abominable reli- in , a luxury which only those oh' hoS 'TT "' "" «""- - I afford; but the common peonllwerfr/ u'lf'"' ^ '™"'"' »"« , I regaling their appetites on thk tri! "'"'"^ "'""O"' »«""» for aries of the govlment and Ze rrir"'- • ""'"''^ '"^ ^"-"o-' oners and culprits, the poor had occas „ 'al 7 V"''T "'"'"' "« P"^ d,ed or became too old for furth^ v" ^It' ""? 'f^'' P'"-"' >"« fact," says Sir Stanford, " that whTnit I "• *''"'-'' "'""''"''- their parents, the greedy chi Wren to^.M "''^'^'"''<''^'> to sacrifice the hands to the bmnch^of a tree Td t T'""^u ""' •"" P'-P'' "-y feast, a circle was formed round the s' ".*>' *''"' '"'^"''^ to the making began. As thrcl™ da ced r^H l'"''^^ ^'I "«' -«'-r- cy out from time to time, .Gertie f^f'" '"""^ ""^^ -""W This sacrifice nearly alway took 1^ I '^ "P"' ""^ " »"" '"" !' sometimes it occurredTft r a snmt'o?'",."" 'i""^^ "'P''"^'''' """■g'' Battas are very fond of but onTl """ P-'PP'". "Wch the That this pec'lliarly hLw fel^J 'f '" '" Tf^ ""'^ ">» M"'"^-" to quite recent times, we hive ,h!f """"jl'al.sm prevailed down kave visited the Bat Is and Zd^,rr°^ "'"^ """>°"'i^« "ho toms. A certain writer who t"™''"'"'"'''^ "'"■ *''«^ ™«- thatinlSlTuoTess hlonohf". r?."""' '■" ^"'"'"'■^ """"lated i« a oompamtive ly smaU di „.i r "'" P'"P'« '™^'' «»» --ifioed Wmbynatives ^ ^"'""'"•'P"^'^ «'»".«'' w<^^o brought to " 1 772 SEA AND LAND. OTHER 8A0RIFI0E8 FOB PURPOSES OF CANNIBALISM. The great traveler, Marco Polo, who visited Sumatra in the teenth century, describing the Battas, says : ♦' Whenever an ind '.V/>f-yy^ ual was stricken with sickness, his relatives immediately inquiied the priests or magicians whether he would recover; if the answer w IE8 OF 0ANNIBALI8M. visited yumatra in the thir- uys: "Whenever an individ- ««8 WOftLD ASttORK. m )8 immediately inquired of recover; if the answer was in the negative the patient was nf «. devoured, even to the vo^^ZlTtl^r"-'^"* '" "'""" """ wa. to p,.eve„t the genfrntio, Tflt,^:;. ?'";""'^ "'"'=-''. allowed to infest it, would, l,y ,„„„:„„ 7/ '°''^' '»''"'^''. 'f tie dead." The „l„u,-di,; of ," 70 "=„' f i "'" """"■""■» -"'»' the fact that stranger were e„ o , T h """""<"'»I i" the fueo of The evidence of^„,„ibl,; .fa „ '""" '"'""""' ■"""vc. alone confined to the ,taten,e 1 UI TT« ''' "'" ''"«»'• '» "»' the British Government, b,r„r'\,^,^;r' """ ""'"-• »' missionaries Ward, Burton, Jack, and Z .'' """"'"'"' *>>■ "■« resided and preached among tiem Th! ?'";•"'" '"'' " '"'« '""« people, which was once ver? conrmo,, t ^u "" "^ *'"=''«"'"S "W cause the tastes of the peopVl™";-,'"",''?" -"""'I'm-d, „ol he- execution of later laws has served,, 1^""''' iT """'•"'^ ''-'"'« ">» of human bodies that it is no lon«, , ^'"^^ ^ """'"""' "'« ^^I'Ply therefore very tough pe„prfo"f!'T"'"-'''" '''" "" <"''• »"d on so-called stall-fed victD " "'""• ^"""^ ™'V »-'w feast enit^rtiz^artrr rr- '»"»" "^^ '-• ^^^-^ the end that revenge for the '"ott^tl T, n1 ^""^ '''°" "* -'^"- *« among whom the crime w .s p^r^ Id T ! ™^"^^'' '^ ">» P^P'" treason to the king, notorious Jm, , "'""^ "'' = ■"»'der, last named offence" s dtubtle L hi j :(; ""t,:^^''"'^^ "■««• This i» seriously injured, or bu'lZyln'^ ','" ?' '" "'''"'» ""^ "•<''™ ers. taken in warlwhe" itT ^"V''^° "''''""'d 'hat all prison- dirtrict-shall be eaten Indi":-"? "J'' "" P^^P'" "' ""'>">er left on the field of batt"; or the b '^- "':' '" "'" ""> "^"^ •'"'"es may be buried. ' ""^ ''"''"'^ "^ ""^ «' 'he enemy that i-dges patently ^^^uZiZ^^ZtT ''T^ ^"^^^ order the accused released or n,.,., ,' "" "'"""l"'!"" either ">g the verdict of theToutt ,.e 7 T " ''""'■ ^""^ """"""O" ...d drink together a c^n of tdJ • *" .''""" "P '"'"'« ^^^ "«"»• confirming the senteleCsed ""' "'"" ""' '^ ^^"-"-t '» dearaT/etHl'tt'effLt ''•' "''?"' '" ™"^ '"^ -"'-- "f and partake oiThefeasf The"'"'. '".""'"'' "' "" ""« "PP-' "nd bound to a stake with hirbT'"''' " ""' '"""«'" '""'-d -take, with his hands extended. The husband or 774 SKA AM) LAND. party most aggrieved hy the offense then vproachcs the victim and havng the privilege of first ohoici^ usually cuts off his ears Th; next degree of relation takes the second choice, and so on. ea'h re, ative cutting the portion he may select from the condemned Afte the relatives have thus maimed and most cruellv cut nnfho . It IS generally cu.toniary to devour the body of a eulnrit on th. /eJh^trr; ?r;;i;t;T~d'::,:''' iiT- *: ^■■"' "- hibitpd r1.,.Mn« f k u J, 'f ♦ i^'^t^Her ana salt. Intoxicants are pro- uiuiiea auring these srhast v fpn^in Knf i^ i:^. r • * *„„„4. ^.1. . e)'"*'"^v ieascs, out, m Jieu of wme, manv of -^ «^ the vTctimV^ dnnk It off with the relish of veritable vampires. The flesh of^mln IS denied women, and none of the sex are allowed to e>^n be ;!"« at he cannibal banquet, but travelers assert that that which iTaw into the whole people is their taste for human flesh. ^ rir T I . „ "°"''°"« IMPOSSIBLE TO DESCRIBE, hUn'ii ! ? *^^' frequently, at the execution of criminals ^o P^; of th^^^ ''' T't ''-'' ''^y «^^ -^ «-^-t with c^X'off paits of the living victim, but will tear him with their teeth and e.t o:iTa;vf ^ HeT ^ ^^", """^ ^'^ ^"^ ^^"^^ ^^ "^^ ^^' vouied alive He further relates that a British resident, on one a Uiiti.h soldier who had been about one-half eaten. The Battas h-id evidently been surprised at their feast, for a fire was burn^! besi ork ZTr'/n' ' iTu^' *'^ ^^'^^^^ -« ^«-^ half.cooked°upo a fork that had been left by the cannibals in their hasty flight. ^ The fo lowing description of the execution and eatin^ of a Bitta dressed to the Court of Direction of the East India Company, which may aptly conclude this tale of Batta horrors • f rr :.';tr!. ^"^^^' ^'^^ ^-^.«^ ^^=-»^ -me, though th; wn-;:; r ^"7 t"e „,;.u was reaiiy guUty of a mere pettv offense. But he was sentenced to be eaten, according to the law piWiding for X ho victim and, his ears. The > on, each rel- lemned. After up the victim, id cuts off the The brain*!, d preserved in culprit on the • flesh is eaten ers to grill the icants arepro- J, many of th;.' be victim end e flesh of man ren be present which is luw- , so ingrained ' criminals, ?o ith cutting off teeth and eat i literally de- dent, on one he remains of le Battas had irning beside oked upon a ght. ig of a Battn Kcer and ad- ipany, which trial, of «n ?h the writer Gfense. But ding for the THe WORtD ASIrolil!. punlshmsnt of adulterer. Ti,„ • P"»t ealled Tai,pa„ool^ and "r/wi '7 ''?,''''"*' '^'""'' '"» ''"'''I' other British resident.. 'V.tne.sseU l,y the writer and two Upon reaching the scone „f execution ,1, report found a large «»»cn,l,l„g„ :"»«";, all ^ ,T" "'^''"'^ ""> nund over the feast that was about t " '"'"'■'""'' ''■"'"« "* was soon produced and bou ,d „ „ st k '""''"?''• ''''« «'-■"""' formed in a circle. The nl "ter^ ^ "•"""'' '''''"'^' "'" P-'Pl' such.can,o f".ward, holding r;T,"!,i";:"^'"' " ' ""'J' call |,L ki.ife which he flourished fo^r In.ol 'f ^"'' " '""»'• -"'Wooking Close behind hin, followed 1 m„ 2 T ' "f"'"'"'""' "•" ^-""' condiment n.ado of limes ,.|,il. ■ '"""^ " '""'> oontai„ine despairing cries of anguish, a see™ 11 ^P"""". despite hi, him to the heart, more%ut J ^e™ „t tThr'^'!;^ "'>/"" »"""'«<> spectators, however, than any dTIoV "^^ "' "'» B"'"'> peot.e^:The":::n;;;et:i:iirr;-^' '- -- -- commerce, written language, arms Lb! ^r"'"'"""'' '''"«'<"'• !n advance of all othe,°h.,rh . . -^ '"' '■"'" ">"'' "' be far cannibal and brut^ pro ' ' ^th^ ' ",",' " " ""™ •■'" '"' ''^- the Malays, their neLXthLr':"^ """" ""*"">tedly rank with We know thaTth" "'"'■^'"'° -""»= o.«»,BAL,s„. p™cticer:iM/3 ::::m\:r:;i-r;r' '""^^ "-'• '^■'- "»<• x-t descHbe,s;„c:'r:i:i:tt;;:---:^^^^ that the pracSce I coufiued to , "° fl''"''^'- ^''^ -^^°'"' bOief i'hmds is one wh eh,, s„ 1 ^ '' °' '^''■'"'' ""^ ""'^""«'= -.w„.andtroturr\:rtt;:: -:'^ " -- u> li 77(5 ftftA AND LANt), The ropub he of Hayti. which is almost at our door and the mosl on that of tninco, with president, nenato and house of representa- t.ve.s; with secretaries of atate. prefects, judges, and all the para- phernaha of courts of justice and of police : with a press .nore or less In Hn?. "" 'r r1'"''' ''^^''"P' ""^^ clergy nearly all Frenchmen." Ins connecfon Ilayt. nu.st not he confounded with its sister re- pul.hc of Santo Dom.ngo, inhabited by Spanish-speaking negroesan.l occupy.ng the argest part of the island. Santo Do mhfgo Th said be far more enlightened than Hayti. Sir Spciiser St. John, now British Minister to Mexico, was twelve years beginning with 1863. minister resident and consul general f om Great In tain to Hayti. In his recently published book^alled -Hayti,or the Back Eepublic," he has a chapter on •' Voudou Worship and Cann,balism,v a„d his testimony is so strong and direct that the hornble facts which he exposes can hardly be refuted. Can- nibalism in Hayt. is an accompaniment of the barbarous voudou wor- s up brought from Africa. The evil is so widespread in Hayti that ho government has never dared to grapple with it, with the excep- tions of the administrations of Presidents Geffrard and Boisro.ld Canal, and it is probable that they, in some measure, owe their fall to this action. The Emperor Soulouque was a firm believer in the voudou, the muUtto, Governor Therlonge, was one of its high priests, and a late pnme minister was said to be a chief priest of the sect A believer in voudouism is, however, not necessarily tainted with cannibalism, there being two sects who follow the worshij), one con- sisting of those who only delight in the blood and flesh of white cocks and spotless white goats at their ceremonials, and the second compris^ caflfrrfl" r TVr'^ <^-"^ed to these, but on great occasions viclims. "' "" " ^''' "^'^""' '°^"«'" «^ ^"-- A VOUDOU CEREMONY. At a dinner Sir Spenser heard the Archbishop of Port-au-Prince g.ve an account of the occurrences at a voudou ceremony held the preceding week in the district of Arcahaye (in 1869). A French pnest in charge of the district had a curiosity to witness the cere- monies, and he persuaded some of his parishioners to take him to the forest where a meeting was to be held. They were very unwili- ing, saying that if they were discovered he and they would be killed '^^ trORLO Ptfonjz^ T77 ''"t he i)i„,nised faithfullv th..* i. ^^^ After tl,o u„u,.I ccr..,„„„ie, of killh „ , ' '''"-""o-' "» » l>™»a„t. CI.W 8 feet fl„„ t„ g" " l.bck, was tigl,to„cU, tl,„ " ''""'• ^-•''« 'oud «,„,ek give , 1 y 't i ' • '"'"' ""'"■"-'"■<• " >-'h t" t .e ruth of what was goi, „C IT ", '"'""•'"' "'° F.em l„„a„ ca.WI- and would have dwed f w. ." k'"""""'' " »• ^P"™ tho "end, around hi,„ and ,,:,/: ^d /' "",—«-' by hia »;'fely back to the town and tried L ''"" ""' »1">'- Ho »„t """"thing unti, the Zni'Tlt^r '''"''"''''''•''"' '^°y ''""^"d «cene. They found the re„ lli^o , 7 '"•""'>l'«"iod bin, to the •l« boiled skull of the child Thl nV""-'-' '""' '""' "'» »bed w„, ™"»ed at the priest for hi, inl , """"'"'""' '"«o exceedingly ;„ "..■■t they could not «nsw« f„ " r;!"' T'- ".""" "'" "■"«»"" au-Pr,„ee, where he made hi« re, ort t„ ?' "'"PP"'' '""■ "« "' I'o.l: S.r Spenser enys that, in .e neH vV "'' •'', '"''"P' dou worship are spoken of ir " Lv '."h '"'ll''""!' ''""''"^ '" ™- deavor to turn the conversation or hj' °^"'" t""'""-"". en- »n, or the events have been exa:.rr,tr''j;^'™ '"™ '^^^'> ™Po*d 'h" «tory of a trial which he t r"«„ ""'" '" ''''"' '«'«v»^ account of which is given in the offi , • " "'""'""' '"'"*' " d"'""*.! «rred during the Presidency of r rT"' "' "'^ ""^ " oe- -"s the „,ost enlightened n^Jsbt;,, f ■■'"■'• "'■""■ ">^ """■"^ A man named Conge Pelle uTa ''■'^' "' President Boyer Po''-au-Prinoe,i„lv L-^tEVor""^' ""''^^ '" '"^ "-"■' ^gentleman's servant, an ilL whfw "' '"'"' ''^™ » '»'«"-er. »«.on without an exertion o7h' ''"■""°"' •» '"'P™™ his no- >l'--«od himself to hi ."ter T """ P?"'- ^" '"•^ •'il-™"".. he ad- ^-"..hevoudou.and, ' ;t;'"r,' 'T ","" '""' "-" »»-cted h^elf « we,, known m:;„i'^°';t.f™f "","'« P^^-'--S and «-^ ^e^pectfnl ly ::„r "" J- ^'""^ """ "'^''^ P"-'^ ""'i prie t- -™™anroi.^oy7f:r:XTr:LT'ur " 4 ™' •^ 'uotner.; it was agreed that 778 SEA AJfD Land* '.!<>& about the new ydiii' some sacrifice should be offered to propitiatf serpent whom they worshipped. It was thought better to o« more important sacrifice than the customary white cock or goat consultation was held with two papalois, Julien Nicolas and Fl( Appollon ; it was decided to sacrifice a female child, and the cl fell on Claircine, the niece of Jeanne and Conge. This was the count given in court; but it appears to be an undoubted fact human sacrifices are offered at Easter, Christmas eve, New Y< eve, and more particularly on Twelfth Night. A CANNIBALISTIC DEBAUCH. The mother was induced to go to Port-uu-Prince for an aftern when the child was kidnaped and hidden under the altar of a vot temple. The mother was deceived on her return, and on New Yt eve a select company assembled at the house of Jeanne to partak a savory feast. The child was horribly butchered, carved up, and flesh placed in wooden dishes. After various ceremonials, the i was cooked with Congo beans, and the head was put into a pot ^ yams to make some soup. One of their women present, urged the fearful appetite of a cannibal, cut from the child's palm a p of flesh and ate it raw. The night was passed in eating, danc drinking and debauchery. The next morning the remains of the t were warmed up for breakfast. Fourteen persons were arrested, suflScient evidence was found against eight, who were tried, ( demned and executed. Sir Spenser asked the public prosecutor i thought that the mother had been really ignorant of the fate reser for her child. He replied : "We have not thought proper to p; the inquiry too closely, for fear that we should discover that she j took of the feast ; we required her testimony at the trial." Aft( pause he added ; "If full justice were done, there would be fifty those benches instead of eight." During the trial, proofs were duced that the devotees of voudou worship associate it with the c( monies of the Catholic religion. Crosses and pictures of the Vir are strangely mingled on their altars with the objec^.s of their sup stition. In 1862 the delegates of the Pope left the country in c gust on account of the prevailing corruption, the dearth of relig among the secretaries of the voudou, and the opposition which met with in what in Hayti is called civilized societv. The Spanish minister reported to his government the case of unknown youth of about twenty years, found dead in the streets d be offered to propitiate the as thought better to offer a tuary white cock or goat. A 3, Julien Nicolas and Floresil female child, and the choice id Conge. This was the ac- ) be an undoubted fact that Christmas eve, New Year's ^ight. EBAUCH. •t-au-Prince for an afternoon, n under the altar of a voudou er return, and on New Year's louse of Jeanne to partake of butchered, carved up, and the mrious ceremonials, the flesh head was put into a pot with sir women present, urged by Tom the child's palm a piece s passed in eating, dancing, rning the remains of the flesh 3n persons were arrested, and eight, who were tried, con- Bd the public prosecutor if he ignorant of the fate reserved not thought proper to press should discover that she i)!ir- mony at the trial." After a ione, there would be fifty on ing the trial, proofs were ad- lip associate it with the cere- ;s and pictures of the Virgin th the objec;,s of their super- Pope left the country in dis- iption, the dearth of religion nd the opposition which he zed societv. i government the case of an found dead in the streets ofi THE WORLD ASHORE. Port-au-Piince, his hea -t ' ^^^ '•' thin, hollow' cane \ T'""^^ ^^ "" '"'^^I'"" attached to ^U- u order to suck his bodS "^'"""^ ^^^^ ^- - as a W 7" to the. report made by the st ^^T''^' *'^ ^«"^o» pHe s acol- " thing tremendous in i s infl"'^ ""'"^^'^^•' ^^'' A W 'w ' "^ death,^ apparent I ^"Auence on the peonle Ttu '''""''' ".the doubted that these^^jJr':"'"? "> ">«■> -vilf l""." sense, can understand so thT f""^«''^>, without eve,, .' Uiat they receive these instri.enJ ""''"'"'i i" a great bool; ,,„i generation to another, with I "f »' "' " '•""■<"i d'l'osit Znl T' ".onntains of this isia'nd 'grl v ^ -"f ""'■Ve that'in the^a^d Beside human saerJlvl "■"" " """'■■"' "ooo.' slanghtenng of human bei„„, ,« 1 ^^ "' "'« '""J which th. "'"■'■^- A lady, the wif :, fit'" " "■'" '"'''"" of 'h om ""enor o„ account of civil war JT""""'''' '""""^ '" ^""7 in iZ ome horrible incidents of kl ol t ^"7™<'i'=g districtsf rlted human sacrifices were eonsta.rt T ^'•"''«'s«- She deeh. ed 7h!t ^e maricet. A high g'^^ZlL^^^I^Z/t r ""^"'^ ^'^ '" »g • A man traveling with his wifj ®"' ^>"""""- "lo follow «««age on account of as ,'rth~T ;''''="'='' '^ ^^'i^ «'*r in J "O^e, the man went to seek hdn f ° "'"'[^•'' "'' ""d becon L pants, two men „„d „ne woman u '""f ""' "''" '>""' the oc °! fc'd any one, and on his ,^^",; ."'"f"'""? '™e l>efore he co„W »he had followed him, becom nT' '" ""' ""' «°"^- Tl>ev to^dl, „ "vay and induced the p icr.o^f^ ""l •" '" '""^ "'»«°«<^- He rode ;'«».ed, and the body of^w '::'""'; ^'^'^ "'■« inmates wl iyd in a cask i„ an outhou e c %""'' '"^""'""'ered, " 4 Tl>e only punishment the ass ""i •''"' '""" " '^''"' '•'y^r "t 2 ^elab, of the police as tr;;' ';'~ ™ """ """""-teredf :f.:"TJ'y"'S children to' ent hi " tP?,""- ^he practice of sii^ t::rfi:n~" =^^^^ 780 SEA AND LANt). Silf salted down for future use. A woman arrested for cannibalism asked by a priest : *♦ How could you eat the flesh of your own < dren?" She answered coolly, " And who had a better right?" There is in Hayti a class of human monsters called loup gan who make it a practice to prowl about lonely houses at night to cj off the children. They are employed by the papalois to secure c dren for sacrifice in case the neighborhood does not furnish a suiti subject, and they are naturally the bugbears of the country, closing this frightful record, Sir Spenser says that, except dur one year of Geffrard's Presidency, no Government has ever carec grapple with the evil. If they hjive not encouraged it, they h ignored it, in order not to lose the favor of the masses. THE TERRA DEL FUEQIAN8. As the Battas are the most cruel, so are the Fuegians the m singular of all people. T^ey are an anomaly in nature, a very fre of physical laws, setting nearly every standard of physiology defiance, and becoming at once a lusus naturae, and yet a race, typk of human beings. We can understand why men live in oaves, or trees, why others are continually emigrating, why some live insects, and others subsist upon the spoils taken from their neighbc or enemies. But we cannot understand the law of nature that wot protect persons living in the fire, because the conditions would appej and are, impossible. But what are we to say of the Fuegians, a somewhat populo race, who maintain the most miserable of existences on a barri island, projecting almost into the Antarctic circle, where in mi summer the voice of winter is never silent. Even here, as wii theEsquimauxin the far north, we might expect a hardy race, bi it is an astonishing fact that we find here a race who persist in nuditi to whom clothing is a greater burden than to the tribes of Ceiitri Africa I A race of humans in whom the sensation of cold seems t be entirely absent, for in their nakedness they exhibit less sufferin from the severity of climate than does the polar bear in his great cold-defying robe. In his «' Uncivilized Uaces of the World," J. G. Wood, describiii| the marvels of the Fuegians, says: , *' One of the strangest phenomena connected with the Fueo-ians ii a Climate so cold that in the middle of .sum- J. II mer people have been frozen to death at no great elevation above the D. arrested for cannibalism wag it the flesh of your own ehil- ho had a better right?" nonsters called loup garous, nely houses at night to carry the papalois to secure chil- >d does not furnish a suitable gbears of the country. In er savs that, except during overnmcnt has ever cared to )t encouraged it, they have ^f the masses, iGlANS. • are the Fuegians the most tnaly in nature, a very freak standard of physiology at turce, and yet a race, typical, /hy men live in caves, or in rating, why some live on taken from their neighbors le law of nature that would he conditions would appear, ans, a somewhat populous 3f existences on a barren !tic circle, where in mid- lent. Even here, as with ; expect a hardy race, but - race who persist in nudity, an to the tribes of Central sensation of cold seems to they exhibit less suffering ihe polar bear in his great, ," J. G. Wood, describing jcted with the Fuegians is that in the middle of .sum- • great elevation above the THE WORLD ASHORE. " Tilcy might do so if tiicy chose T„ they l,.ve tl,e thick-„„olod ^JZ' 1^^^" ^'"'^'' '" ''""' '-""'^^y dog, wh,ch they keep i„ „ domesticaLd 1^ n "'■", *" """'"™ ">» fur, warmer Ihan those of the .e " .^''"*"' "="■« "'« few 0.. the Fuegian c„a«ts, soms.'h;: '".'■" ^•"•'•"'•» '"■-'-'bound -e. Then there are variou w o , urt ""' "f""" "' ^"''^ ''"'S'^ d.-e,se, equally light and war,,,, »u h a, Lo , '" '■'"'" """''' »"""' albati-oss, and the like. " l'""S"i". the duck, the 't IS evident, therefore thiokly clothed, it is n, t fr^ft ! / '"-''"" ''^ '"" «™ly and ""t f,.om necessity h" cloic A "//"t™'' """ """ '"= '' "''-<' «a.-i„ga„ydescriptio, o, ohest ! "•''*' '"""'■^' "^'""='--- "bout eighteen iacl es sauI,-» K ''" " '"""' °' ^»' °'- deer skin of the body to a„ ,tl e a"oord,tt°tV ? '"■''"'"' '"'"' °"« »'<'<' F"cgian appearing to bel, f' " °, !" *""""•" "^ "'« »i»d. the Forexan,,/. . "=.'.'"' '""'""^tly indifferent to f.-ost. rain o. .n^.- a^S wea lV„,fur "luuItT-.H ^ '"" '"'•'" "'•"> "- e'si.p,e:r:i;':ct cons,s.ing of a number of long poles, with the thicker ends «h, ened and stuck into the ground in a circle, so ,h„ the tops mt bent over and fastened at a common cent r. Th s oomT ere framework which is then covered with small branches w""^ tto , .nterstices between the poles, and the whole is afterward cove with grass The inside is furnished with a bed of gZ! upon wh t..e miserable people lie, and they do their cookino at a fii" builli small place scooped out of the earth in the ce„te°r • qufte as 1 however, the fire is built outside the huts, opoosite the w d Iheir cooking IS of the rudest character, and generallv consist ■ put..g Uie food into hot ashes, and ailo;iug i" to re^in u^ I •^ o.lj fairly warmed. Cooking in vessel? of any kind is u, I^rown to them, and the first lessons given them in cToki . musse mam pan were scarcely more successful than those in se«:in°" he the women invariably made a hole In the fabric with the needfe tho tT pl'ctr " Th°"' "' "" "'' "' ""' "^^^'^ ""« inserted U t ;o„: me puncture. They were repeatedly tauo-ht the uso of ih. ., ^ carrying the thread, but to litUe purposc-as t t; Z^l IZZl I their primitive way of sewing with a fish-bone aifd fibrf of sinew The Fuegians are a quarrelsome people and war is almost con thX rrugh^a^iroTd^ir : :r^^^^^^^ ffenerallv Amr.i«,r^^ • T '^ ° execution, these arms are not t"! ir."!"" *'*'' "'•"'•"" '^' ^"^g'™' "e marvelou.,; - expert. " "■"" "' -u»pears are generally about ten feet in length,' and 18 heaped between her child ant seeming to be more than , or when the Fue^ian is pad- thinks that even the piece of i^sitoff." QIAN HUT8. s body against icy blasts, so a habitation, he avoids any , using it rather to break tlie i meat, but around which he of the simplest construction, ith the thicker ends sharp- •cle, so that the tops may bo enter. This completes the lall branches woven into the hole is afterwards covered a bed of grass, upon which r cooking at a fire built in a he center; quite as often, opposite the wind, r, and generally consists in )wing it to remain until it issels of any kind is un- i them in cooking mussels ;han those in sewing, when ibric with the needle, then die and inserted it through ht the use of the eye in IS they always returned to >ne and fibre of sinew. E FUEGIAN8. and war is almost con- though the number killed and arrow, the spear, and cution, these arms are not one may he killed, hut cos, deer, fish and birds. J are marveloua: / expert, it ten feet in length, and THE WORLD ASHOEE. instead Of being round «r« . ^^^ With the shaft. °« -""l l>ave u barb near tho juuction ta."e" '«?"« on '^^ "f " ^""g-to„e a cap pC on a7 ^'"« "'" ^-" 'hem rit The men seem to th;. i .. ®' ^^^^ I'ebounded tn fU ' ^eidon, that a Fuc„i „ ' '" "■"" " """"'-^J of life L "■'"""■ +;«^ , "egian is seen withnnf .-^ vi , ' °" ^t is verv tiod rouud hi, ,..,i3t_ '"'■''<>"' 't either hu„g over his back or nogs are regui'ded " wkT "T ""^ ""' """'"us.,, -g-ect a..d iStreat^;:: f,,"Xtl.^r';>-''^''"eFuegia,,s,wh„ be..»,s„thatiftheydepeodedTttrV ° "" ''■"'""■> '"feed ey ,vou,d starve. However, t eir ' ll'r • """' "^ '"-' "-'ers "-ef al servauts the power of f„ral ^ ^, ""« ?'''"» "'exe most :eq-red by their masters, the;Tiw ^T"'^*'' »■"'' ""«" "ot They are odd, sharp-nosed bulv,-^i '" "" "•"»• ""n account -et ears, „„d usu'llyt t'h ^t "t^b "'''^I "■'" ""''• ""^"■^.' hem have the fur nearly white '■ / '"'"•' ""'"'"'' ■> 'ew among ten- masters, and the sight of a ;;/ "' *'"cl,fnl and faithful t« - affectioSf:: ™f - ^;^^^^^^^ -» ^"'^ - .-. .espeet and '"Petefail. that the weather is to te, T"' """ "'« '""-e'^ a"' ™ consequence the people a^ ed„ ed TttT" ^'f"""'' """^ ""'' "f i'^ presumed that, havin.. their dt''.;"""^ "' ''""'"'"'"■ '^ -■....elves of so obvious a source of f* ' 1, Z^' '""^ """" a™l -- -. -ept When reduced .r LXm!:;.^-?,:!;^-^ ?il 784 SEA AND LAND. eating their dogs, they eat their old women, who, as they think, ai worn out and can do no good, whilo the dogs, if suffered to live, wi assifit in catching fish and guanacos. • The Fuegian's great feast, however, takes place when a whale i stranded on the shore. All the people within reach flock to the spol while fleets of canoes suiiound the stranded monster, and its body i covered with little copper-colored men carving away the blubber wit their shell knives. Each cuts as much as he can get, and when h has torn and carved off a large piece of blubber, he makes a hole ii the middle, puts his head through the aperture, and thus leaves hi FUEGIANS FEASTING OFF A WHALE CAST ASHORE. hands free to carry more of the dainty food. It is immaterial whether the flesh be putrid or not, perhaps they like it better if it is ; anyhow, Mr. Darwin, who visited them during his journey round the world in the ship Beagle, declares that the Fuegians eat the flesh of the whale when in the very last stages of decomposition ; and what they can't eat at once they bury in thy sand for future occasion. FILTHY HABITS AND IMITATIVE POWERS OF THE FUEGIANS. Though much of their time is spent in and about water, especially the sea, it is a strange fact that the Fuegians never wash themselves, AST ASHORE. THE WOBLD ASIIOIiE. tho idea of cleanliness havi,,.. „evo,. h. '^^ have a most disgusting hahhonZ , k ™"»«''«> h tiiem. Thev .»ud, until their natu™, e,'',"^: '^ ;;» "-"-'vos wi,„ g^ease^i s never removed, while new appHe tin ' """ "" ""^ >^''^»"'tio the,r bodies smell with an odor mo e , , i ^ " " '^ '''''"S "'"*, noses ean possibly endure. " ""P'""" """■ unaccuston,ed tan, Parker Snow, however seemrtn '"'"' "'"<"'? "'<""; Can. ception during his visit to i.e i™, a , T" "'"' "'"' " '■»«!'!'„. ,e!. confidence to such a„ extent h'^t;-,""''^'' '" "'"-""'i'tl-r and one of them willi„g|„ aeconZ L f^ ^ "'""""■''™''l ''is ship, I'oped that, giving him tl'JTZ^tZ T '"• '^"""'""''- " -^ means, upon returning to the is nTof T '■'"""'• ''« """W '""he pie. .After several ye^rs 'p:''^,, .::■=-'"!» « " <'f his ,.e„. Fuegnin received a very „„„d educnH 1 ''"'' '"^""^ "'ne this fa., faith, he was sent l,* to Ten 'd 'l 7 "" 'T"'"' '" '"" «"-- "•ards some voyagers met him o, jll , T^'u ^ ^'•'"' y""' »««.- F...«ian. A'very2:;?. :,:,3 Th^f '"""'^ developed i„ the occurred to some sailors who we t 1 ',""' '"''"''>' "' "'"!™° drink coffee. One of the FuJci ' r^ T^ ""«■" ""= "a'ivcs to '■■i/ed to conceal the tin .of Sc T '""'"' '"^ «"»-• eon- «ior demanded the .■esto ati'orlf Z " 'T '" "'"''"S ''■ The "oyed that every word which, eutlrdCn:!' 7;'™'='"'''^'"'- Fuegmn. Thinking at last th.t , ,„ '""'""Hy repeated by the fo.-getti„g for the^instaTt tl; , ' dM*" 7^' 1"""°"'"'« ^"""""> E'.Rlish, the sailor assumed a In ""' """"^'^'"d ""e word of "You copper-colored rascal wher'"" ' "'"' "'"'■'«<' '"'^. ""U " the copper-colored Zc,r . h^rt,"'' '1" "?'' " ^' '' '-^d "* -«. -erstXCS'ht ttrofter^ -^ - THe PATAQONIAN8 COMPARED w.tm\ ' " Separated from the rue<.iHnsbvtpv '"'°"''- I X8fi THE WORLD ASHORE. illustrate the r.u .arkahio ^iff ^^^ o'o.e;,v .,it„,.,e<, thatU ' „ *;;:'::V''"?,«'^' >.etwee„™„e. ,„ ought to approximate each othoT " •""'"»• ^ ■""■'"ers of L:" i'lolatagonians are noted f,„.'i v.-. , .eve- even employ <,og» f„,. ZX , "^'■■"" '''™ "" '"-'^a. and ;', «^™"^""l3' horsemen as wtHhl '''•""'•■" "'" I'"'"?"'™., are The,r very infancy is ,>,„„,, J^lf^ '"e.ent people of Thes^aly! poverty „,„„„g ti,^,„ .^ « W n the saddle, and ti.e depth of »"o nearly »„ eold a. that If t ,„ i, "'• "• -f'-'-gl'tl-i.' dunata abuDdanee of clothing, ,n„de of f *"''S""''^- "'"y wear a super «..- '» -ine "«««, and at a distance of /ft" 1^^'^ " ""'^ '""^'ou^ expert! «™n of a rifle-bullet. The il„^e c • «"''. '"' *■"''' '' "'"■ ">«?«- ve.y fleet animal, which abou.fds i , pf'' ''""!"' '« «■« g"""aeo, a »upphes the people with nea."y a, 'tt^ "f T '" S™" """bers, and Ade^oription, or history of alv T/t,* "°"" *'^"»''"»' '^.e% noticed is always intr^lth I'g^. I'VoXl T" '^'"■"'' ' "^ - ,.n«e or human existence so ,i.,„. i ? ™ '» ""y tribe, Went of nature or casnaT -kl wh \ '' """''''^ '" ''^'■- th« 788 SEA AND LAND. II 1 properly called InnuUs). These wonderful people appear to us like be,„g, who belong to another world than ou«, son, ^»phe e where ni"hl LT r ":?'"^ '" "■•'"' ""^ ">" bl-k specter, of u lace peculiar to wondcr-Iand. How, by what law of natu.c, can huniim beinfrs subsist in a n ;■ petually frozen wilderness, where the landscape i! dovoTd of X: and naught but icy peak and hoary plain, ieetling crags of V^^o and wh,stl,„g wmds, vary the dull monotony of a ^cen^ „ru,d in death- hke slun,her, the funeral scene of nalurc? lyT n nv subs.st, but subvert the elements of cold to their own p„ p. :^ "J pass as happy hves in their inclement country as do the ap»°;," v more favored inhabitants f,f su.my dimes. "PPi.ently „. _ . APPEARANCE, DRESS AHD HABITS. The Esquimaux are a short, and l,y no n.eans stron.. race their ZZTZ^t' I"""" ''" ""'■ ''"'"- ""^ '^"^'^^ one Knows and few have even conjectured. Their eves are sot Ob hquely hke the Chinese, whou, they also resen.ble in ;„ ,p eL, PC irilv" 1:^ ;''7T': ""=^P™-'^''e appeau.nee„f Ind.'ns e : peually the h,gh cheek-bones, hair, and facial features. Living i , an excessively cold climate where any exposure of body is foil, wed b wa is' r T"™'.""'""- '" "■" *"«' """■■"'■ E'luimaux nev sary. But we .lo wonder that they are equallv ignorant of such v,go,-ous exercise as running and jumping, the yeiy p'ract "es which i would appear their condition would develop. The young peop e hav! The Esquimau women use the tattoo quite liberally, eoverin.. a greater portion of their faces and bodies with queer d sS™ f I, process of tattooing is an extremely painful one! which Ze wo!d submit to except for fashion's sake, whose votaries never stopala thu.g, either painful or ridiculous. It is accomplished by means o'. thT:xf ::" h' ""rf, "'f"-"' ^"'""^ -'<= thesemd'ermpTeme : the aitist sews through the skin of the victim by short stitches tie thread being blacked with soot from time ,„ hL ..Ih.- - • ioteut!n!d bvM "' " V' '""" ''•'^""^^ *'^ "°-^^- The suffer lug eutailed by this operation must be terrible. 1 kin call use( port time feet capa shuti It over hole ^ takes the b( twent that a water, The that tl ful spc ill a mi have s( Ther the woi sel. B at hand waist, a flings hi iiig him turns hi again. twenty t only his As mil; barism, t though r€ fl^antiug. THE WORLD ASHORE. Tu- 789 , tHB wonderful KVAif D« The means of tva,mmvt«,: , *"" '" """"'"""r. "'« l-r "-o women. Tl,i latte „„ ", ' ""'' "'* ""»"■< ^vhk-h i, port,„gJa.gequ„„tai„3 of b,!^ ,/:"';;•'""• "'^'--ely for trans- .me They are genem.lv twt^ "^ "''"""' -' "' l-'-n., at a feet depth, and, being made of sk™ , '" "''"■ """ "^ ''"-" oapacty. The kyaok is a reraarkab ' , ™ ."' '"""'""■'"' """y""- shuttle shaped, both ends bei " , X TV, ""■■'"»»-''i.>- It U It IS nnuleo' avery sli„|,t''f ., ' ^ "^ """•• overwhieh is stretehed'^a e^veH ::r:'k'i ^7' "'"' '""''-"'>'"'' takes h,s seat, he gathers the skin "^l" ''" "T'- """ »''e" he the boat is absolutely impervions t Tv T' '"■^ "'"»'' «" that twenty-flve feet, and so liM.t -n-e tho r^- . " '""■'■'»" '""gth is :-»a-ea„earryhisU'::ln-'t:rL::-ol:t:te ;f ^s:e:-:,-r,tL::it..:V"'r-" --^ .'"' "P^od- The paddle is a double one b,'°','»'' "' '''"' '"'""'«- ■" a manner whieh is now rende ed tW i'li ? f '" 'k" ""'"'"• »'"' "-'' have so largely taken the place If sWffs "' '^""' '^""™^ "'"■<='' '^erdirern:''itrh'rr>^''T-'' "■ -^--^- »el. He does not, howevir altint T'" '"^ °'" '''' "'"^ '- «t h.nd. Af..r seeing th the " k , . "• T""' '<^''^'' '•' »l"- «i»t, and that his neck and vHs s ur ' n " ''.""^ ""'' '•"""" ^is fl".gs himself violently to on! ide tb ":'-''"'"'' "'" "■»" ^'"'''enly ">g himself under water W h « 1 T,"""" "'" ""'"' »'«' ""-ry- t"rns himself and eanoe eon/o le r "' f'"^""^ '"'P'^'d'e he «8-.. A skillful eanoeZ w, 'Z' ::'■•"=" '■'"^''''"''■■'^^^^ ' twenty times or so, almost as faJ . H °™'' "'"' "'"'' ""^^ only his face will bL in the llf'wet "'"' '"" '""°" ■""■' ""0 ^»t Wism. tL T,, 3r!!l"" ■ "' " """* """"^ '•" ■' ™"*ti„n „f ba. though religrjus'^eliefaTrerectettr '"7 ''T^" -""'titiJns, -.g. HarWa,e.;recSfn:tZ^%rfrp:S 790 8EA AND LAND. by any ceremony with them, consisting of no other form than a consent to live together. Polygamy in common, hut there is a! a favorite wife,genornlly the first one, who assumcH the rcsponsil of the Igloo, and in turn has the best bed, food and attention i. household. When an Ks«,uimau wife is about to become a n>. 8ho retires apart from all her family to an igloo built espcciall her. Here she is suffered to remain without a sin«Hc compal caring for herself until her child is about two weeks^old when comes out of the igloo for the first time, throws away all hei clothes, which no one may afterwards wear, invests herself in ESQUIMAUX IN THEIR KVACK BOATS furs, and then visits every family that may be i , her village 1 ceremony completes her purification and she resumes her place w ner family. ^ _ r>«ath is a matter of small concern, apparently, among the Innui judging by the indifference they manifest. When an Esquimau h 111 he or she, as the case may be, is carried to a new igloo and, bei supplied with food and drink near at hand, is left to perish or surv as .ate msy dcci-co. In taking the patient into an igloo, however, 18 never by way of the door, but through a breach made in the m pnt why, no one has attempted to explain. ...i.i4»;.ljl of no other form than ii nioro 8 common, hut there is alwavH vho assumoH the responsibility !?cl, food and attention in tlie i8 about to become a mother > an ijrloo built especially for without a single companion, )ut two weeks old, when she ;ime, throws away all hor old wear, invests herself in new *HtJ ivOHtt) Asiioni.:. 791 :k boats. may be i. her village. This she resumes her place with )arently, among the Innuits, . When an Esquimau falls i ed to a new igloo and, beinjr 1, is left to perish or survive tit into an igloo, however, it 1 a breach made in the wall, In case o^ death the body is cnrvUui .» i- J?.oundand laid upon the summi "" '"'j'"""* '"''« '" ^'"^ the wolves or dogi so,:; '"i. 'n" ''T'' I'T ^""^^' ^'•«- H g.ave. to which the frl.^JiZ'L d^ ilt: f 'T-' ""^1 talk to the spirit which Is m,.... . , ^.^'''V ^^^ f'*'q>«('"t visits and would ..nveiJtm':;,;:;.^!;;:' '- "° ^^^^^^ i^-- ^^i-t ..they OttAPTKH XLt. CURIOSITIES OF THE HUMAN RACg ?N fl r '"^'^ DWELLERS OF THE OR.NOOO. N he preceding pages I have cursorily described .ome of the ^ nio. n.teresting races of the world, and, while on"itl nraeti,ne, even a»»u„,i„^ that of the horse, but often talcing that of the n,.,n„ti. The O,ohu i° d Iff ^'1 ■"' '""'""'• '' "P' '" '''* •^'o^" '" '"e canoes and drag them and then- crows under water. 792 SEA AND LAND. T ,U ^C "^'*°°°^"«' '^E'^T.ON OF LAKE DWELLERS oovt-'; wet td;'„,";rr -""-i t'^^^" '^■"■"'- "-«' -''- Switzerland, once occupedbv a r"? of »"'-'' '"'»™ historian. After I„lm; I L f '' " '"^'■^ '■"""''<'" »' "■<> subdued, he states tharthepl-f ™™"\»''«»"' thatMegaha.es .uer^. those who ^'t^z^zz:^:^::^^?' '° -"- planks, and leading dowu to tC ,\ Z"^""' "'"""'-^ ^''^d i„ the with a cord round tlie fee V- f'' ^^"^ *'" "'" ^"""S "I'ildren beneath. To thettrsta^d;!! rf^tXt:'' '"" """ ''" '"'"' der, of which there i, «„I i, j , °" """^ S"ve fish for fod- his trap-door, l.irZ' .^'Z'ZZ^ f " 7" '"' "'^"'^ and, after waiting a short tin,e,Ztt';'fu?; :;fi:h.'.?"' ""' '""»' TU i«T ™^ WONDERFUL ITA PALM The Waurus construct their dwelling „f .1,' r, the ougmviug, the tree bein» to tLm Zd h / i""""' *' '"™ '" When full-<,rowi. th„ Tt! 1 ' ''""'' "'"' "overing. with a fan o C r twelve 1"? -semblea a tall, c^liudricafpillar, top. Each leaf is oLe In W ^T?Jf'^^">S fom its extreme huge stem about twelve feet if T'"''.""'' '^ '"PP""''" »P"» « than a leaf-stem. Indeed ! .1 ,T^' ^^^'"^ """'^ "k* " branch At regular Nervals ttCtefZ^ol:';::;! IT' ^ '"'i " ■"»"• "nother, the tree adding to its hetht at Z/ ^ ' ""^ '.' "'^P'"''""' ''^ stem is nearly a hundred feet S a^d Tr "^^ °' "-f,untilthe Food is suunlied hv th.7 • . '*"" '" ""■""mference. fruit,wh,ch, whe^ ripe ilT '" """'""' '"""'" ^'^^'' """•« is the of which a 0 devVred on ^hf "' ? l''"'""'^ "PP'^' ™»''y ''»<'^^ds Next, there is thetunt of te '"^ ^'^"'"' P'°''"'='='' ''^ ""s tree, tongitudinally at th time whenTeZ"'' T^'T- " " "" ^P'" bu.-st from the enveloping smthe!. '"''""''"' J"»t about to substance is found wS rrh f """"'"y "' -'t, pith-like burnishes a sort of brtd oa;^ J^r '"'"^'' "- ''" '=''^^''™' "»" drawTa :p,'"rhict'nke1hMTf tT "" ^°""- ^'""' ">■' '-^ " en be ferm'onted, »;,d th!l'/ulo::"''?-r^ "r"' ^■"'™''" "'-• other kind of drink is proen^d ^^^^"01 r^'^, ^ .ER8. ?e which, until dis- igs in the lakes of their homes above •e invention of the lis that Megabazes uttempted to eon- Jllings." n has a hut on the )selj fitted in the he young children fall into the lake give fish for fod- nian has opened ^rd into the lake, ish." palm, as seen in d covering, ylindrical pillar, From its extreme jpported upon a re like a branch load for a man. id is replaced by 3f leaf, until the umference. rst, there is the many hundreds ed by this tree. If it be split I just about to ' soft, pith-like le cassava, and the trunk ia V-merican aloe, quality. An- 3 ita, which is THE WORLD ASHORE. fil-er. «„d is th„, ready for c„„.u„pUo„ ''' " '""" """^ »' i'" Besides tlie Wiiurn"',. '"*"*°"°° "" ""eller,. ou». There are four larg vi^^e'r' 7, ',"; ■"""•■"• -e nu.ner- Instead of „si„g t,,e ,,, „„„„ Zw ^ H M ""'"" "" ^'""•«^- TH» WA„R>, UK. „„«,„,„ „ ,„„^„ ^^^^_^_^ tlieir habitations on nilc« m„^» f,.„ .1. ■ ■""..age to cut these tree 1 „o,;"''T°'''' """• "o" ">'y hTd that it will turn the ed!e o IT' 't'',' "'"" "'" """<•'» ™ ■«'r„ ,. nor do I know how thZ , ""' ^ '"'™ '"" '"«■■> "bl" to botto™ of the la^ra tL^ ^.rrXt': '•'■" ,""-■ "''"' ""» ">« doseribe the process. But the fl., ^'"'' ''"™ "''S''""«<' '« n„„ n.. .u."^ ., """"»''"" remains, and is « v.rv !.,.,„-,. ... ,"" "'""" Pi'«» '« filled s^olb Th" -•'"^'^' -«'' » ™h cave bT; Zu h"""'" " "™'""«" -- so that these lacustrine habitatioL b,ovL l"' "'"' '"'•g'"- »»i".als, such enemies could „. assault WW eo,t , '*™"g'«''<'s which ■ hunter, he was » . i,nt„rf . „ "^ origmal man was no donht , intelligencealo, . Jet'^^"""^ '"""' -«"- "om whth L: Avastquantit;"™: TfThi '" T '""' """• from the lakes, ,rtich poe's extra "T"' ™™ ''"'' ''»™ '^covered ' l»"ogrst. The original' pil ha T f mT '•""' "" '"^ "»"■- st"nd.ng, and several we e drawTf;, th, ^ "'"""'"'''' '«"'" '"""d depth to which they had bee, driven "';'7'""» "' determining the of the huts have also been found .oZ'thef'^r" "' ''"' """'^-J "«"" "•.plements n.ade at a very ea Iv ;^^ G^e T "'"" """""'" <" ^"'"e a so been found, the cresfent be r. ; fav„, ''""'""'''' "' '"'""r have of utensils of crescentic shape hlV it™ u"'"'?™'* "'"'" ■"">"«■• These relics were the S , 7 """ ''i'^overed. tte lake dwellings ^.htnrwel"^::" 'T'' "''"^"'^ "^ ' those people improved upon thel! ' 'T'''<'">g generations of and substituted metal fjln'."'"'"'^. ""■■'' •" their proge„i,„,." 'vhich they smelted the 1 "s XnT '"T"'^' """ «'<' -"-ner in work, are, however, abundant such l"- ^"""P'" <" "■^'' """•'i- n*i/*tI„rto- I- - "ttiiL, sucn as avps. on/,.. .» ... . Ki„,e,, bracelets ajid hairpin« nnrf „■' 1 •' "' '"■™w-heads, abe-thereare specimens of "he iden7 ' " ''""'«'^y '•™'"*- »n.vers.l use in nurseries. ,/,eLXS """'° """ "' "*""'' 796 SEA AND LAND. T. We have abundant evidence of the kind of food which these lafc^ and cut by them, and also, singula,- to relate, the kind of brea°d they ^t;» ™ %/ '""!"""'• *'">"■ '"■'""' ""« "f 'I"" """■■-•'est character be ng „„de from grains of corn that were first rousted, then pounded ^.th a stone and pressed into cakes. Even fruits ha;e len Lnd ready cut and prepared for consumption, the apple einl qu ! seeTl'? tT""f "" '"'"''" ^P""™™^- There hav^'also be,! found nts a, ??"',"• >»P"»7;"d Olaekben-y. also hazel and bee h- -S Wh:f^.l lev' T""V" '"'■'• ^' ""' P^-'P'" ""=,„selvesl " passed »L,hT.r "^'"'"' O"'™"""', and whither have they passed? Noth,ng but the age-cove,ed relics mentioned remain to tell us that such a singular people ever existed. . ' THE TREE DWELLERS. As niees of men a,e found dwelling in lakes, r,ve,-s .u,d caverns so do we find others making thpir habitations amon.. the treefasTf tl prove that ma,.kiud. ^. his undeveloped state, adopts th Z's , f a,^- mals among wh.oh he maintain., a struggle for existence. Some in es the ravages o beasts, with which he is unable to contend drive hm uZ "''^^V'^f ■"" '"^ -™ '» ""P"^ to him the ,ost s7nlul : .dea„ leading to the adoption of equally curious modes of liWn! The same results may arise from oppi-ossions imposed by a m°fe powerful race; and yet again, in the wildernesses of the worid wire there ,s no stimulant to ambition, we occasionally fl,,rZ t t . he^d,datthe dawn of creation -in shape a hu'mun. i: c" ,IdiZ": «u"r Tdn'ofTf '•"*" "' "'"""""'" ^""S"' "^o "*" f"'- "-eir sin- gula, mode of life ,n const,-ucti„g their dwellings high up upon the u::fz^x:^:::t^:tr7:''-^^ r -'^ ^^ ^ " Ba^one, of South CenCl' A^^^a, at"' el wtwfusrXy '^ «y rehable ,nformat,o„. Mr. Moi5fat, the well-known missionarv tie, r ^'™", "' '" """"^ '""'^«^""S d-eriptions of th TfZ; ^itZfiLtrdtitr '"' "-'' *-"'-«- ^-- -""- ,,, » , THE HOUSES OF THE BAKONE8. ground. I entered, and sat down. Its only fu,.„it„re wastte ha; which ood which these Jake- •ious animals gnawed e kind of bread they he coarsest character, ousted, then pounded its have been found e apple being quite have also been found so hazel and beech- people themselves! id whither have they tioned remain to tell vers and caverns, so ig the trees, as if to 'pts the ways of ani- stence. Sometimes contend, drive him rn the most singular s modes of living, nposed by a more of the world, where find man living as nan, in condition a Joted for their sin- high up upon the not only build iso- 3trange people the , because they are I of whom we have nown missionary, as of the African i^e years, writes as liiity feet from the vasthe hay which ARABS ATTACKINa THE BAKOKs TKEE PWEU.EES. 797 798 SEA AND LAND. covered the floor, aspear, a spoon, and a bowlful of locusts. Not having? eaten anything that day and from the novelty of my situation, no! wishing to return immediately to the wagons, I asked a woman who sat at the door with a babe at her breast, permission to cat. This she granted with pleasure, and soon brought me more in a powdered state. Several more females came from the neighboring roosts stepping from branch to branch, to see the stranger, who was to them as great a curiosity as the tree was to him. I then visited the different abodes, which were on several principal branches The structure of these houses was very simple. An oblong scaffold about seven feet wide, is formed of straight sticks. On one end of th.8 platform a small cone is formed, also of straight sticks, and thatched with grass. A person can nearly stand upright in if the diameter of the floor is about six feet. The house stands oil the end of the oblong, so as to leave a little square space before the BARBARIC DESTRUCTION OF CHILDREN. The Bakones are not a numerous tribe now, though believed to have been once populous; their timidity and infamous practices have done much to diminish their numbers. The Arabs, knowing them to be a cowardly people, have captured thousands .nd sold them into slavery, and even to this day occasionally attack the Bakoue villages not so much to make them slaves as to plunder them of the iv°onl they may |)0S8ess. 5 ^ The Bakones are extremely Ijuperstitious, and carry their barbaric Ignorance to the point of sacrificing infants to the gods they worship. It .8 also their custom to kill their children for the most frivolous causes,, so that comparatively few are suffered to attain their major- ity. If a child turns from one side to another durinc sleep it is murdered, because the Bakones believe an evil spirit has influenced the act, and therefore will continue control of the child if it be allowed to live. All deformed children are at once put to death; so are all infants that cut the upper teeth before the lower ones appear. The Bakones have few weapons and rely chiefly on the bow and arrow, with which they hunt the antelope species and smaller animals. 1 hey also use a strange weapon made like a two-pronged hoe, with short handle, which is of great service to them in digging out ground- anima.3 such as mice, moles, ipis, ^ts, 8i»al| spikes, etc., all of iwhich they eat with avidity. f ■■■t ■ * . Not having ituation, not woman who ) cat. This a powdered )ring roosts, who was to 1 visited the iches. The Qg scaffold, one end of sticks, and fc in it; the inds on the before the believed to ictices have ing them to them into ue villages, '. the ivory ir barbaric >y worship, t frivolous leir major- sleep it is influenced be allowed so are all ;ar. ) bow and )r animals. hoe, with it ground- tc., alj of THE WORLD ASHORE 799 There i, also a ::r„7;Lrj;;^"' °"'""- coast of New Guinea, that spttd „ 7 'j ''"'"-" ''"< "n the branches of trees. Their hulsa e h u "' """■■ ''"'« «"•."" he e'earing is ™ade for the ,>Cso but 1 '*"" "" "-""'■'>. wl^r a «» »ro the monkey,, „ith wl i^h theh- t^;"" """"^ "'"•'>■' f"«niddle si.e »e»ttb«ir, bodies wi h reVo rf fr:'""'^ """"' ""O ""ey o, faees ,„bfch ,,, „, as sc", et' 'r'";* "P'"''" ""-"»■' to their » « a dirty set of people 2T' ?'" '"'" """» 'he™. They which »iv. .■,._, . "^ ' "' "'"' ■'™ subject *8 .fi«»ao<.g „f ., . . ' n....?;- — """-ery repulsive appearance. '"" """' not used 1)v th ^"mm. They ^.ost,;\:;"; ;i"' 'irrL.""' ?"-^ jPJ