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V <«• -.^^ o. of '^0^ -1" '^/ v w* v -fife \/ A y . v • . *<*> ■■■"'^i^SKiit^ , , .. ... ,..,&/■■■ :■■#, ^-tz ■-■■■- -"** ;;»vi^^^^ - 1 '"' ' "i roosevelt's Marvelous Exploits IN THE Wilds of Africa CONTAINING THRILLING ACCOUNTS OF HIS KILLING LIONS, RHINOCERI AND OTHER FEROCIOUS BEASTS OF THE JUNGLE INCLUDING FULL AND GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF HUNTING BIG GAME, HIS MIRACULOUS ADVENTURES AND WONDERFUL FEATS WITH HIS RIFLE, TERRIBLE EXPERIENCES WITH FEROCIOUS ANIMALS, STRANGE PEOPLE, STARTLING REVELA- TIONS AND AMAZING ACHIEVEMENTS IN DARKEST AFRICA THE WHOLE COMPRISING THRILLING STORIES AND FASCINATING NARRATIVES OF ROOSEVELT'S ADVENTURES IN SEARCH OF SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE By Jay Henry Mowbray, Ph. D„ LL D. The Celebrated Author, Traveler and Lecturer Embellished with a Great Number of Striking Illustrations of Wild Beasts and Scenes in the Dark Continent & ENTERED ACCORDING TO ACT OF CONGSES8 IN THE YEAR 1«0t, 1Y GEO. W. BERTRON IN THE OFFICE OF THE LIBRARIAN OF CON0RE«», AT WASHINGTON-^ D. C, U. k ©CI.A251591 INTRODUCTION. HEODORE ROOSEVELT, having, on March 4, 1909, with his retirement as twenty-sixth President of the United States, completed over twenty-five years of public service, decided to take rest and recreation in a trip abroad, half of which was to be spent in Africa under the British flag as a faunal naturalist. When the tentative announcement of this great trip of adven- ture was made, about a year before his retirement from office, the world in an instant was agog. Rumors as absurd as they were conflicting began to fill the air, but the President pursued his preparations unmoved. It was not until the 3rd of the December preceding his stepping down from office, indeed, that he made any official announcement of his plans. On that date, however, the following official statement was given out at the White House : " In March, 1909," it said, " Theodore Roosevelt will head a scientific expedition to Africa, outfitted by the Smithsonian Institu- tion and starting from New York City. This expedition will gather natural history materials for the government collections, to be deposited by the Smithsonian Institution in the new United States National Museum at Washington. " Besides the President and his son, Kermit Roosevelt, the personnel of the party, on leaving New York, will consist of three representatives of the Smithsonian Institution: Major Edgar A. Mearns, medical corps, U. S. A., retired; Edmund Heller and J, Alden Loring. " On arriving in Africa the party will be enlarged by the addition of R. J. Cuninghame, who is now in Africa preparing the President's outfit. He will have charge of a number of native no* INTRODUCTION. porters, who, with necessary animals, will be formed into a small caravan. , . ,. , . " Mr Roosevelt and his son will kill the big game, the skins and skeletons of which will be prepared and shipped to the United States by other members of the party. Kermit Roosevelt is to be the official photographer. > " The national collections are very deficient in natural history COL. THEODORE ROOSEVELT. materials from the Dark Continent and an effort will be made by the expedition to gather general collections in zoology and botany to supply some of its deficiencies, but the main effort will be to collect the large and vanishing African animals. " R. J. Cuninghame, who is now engaged in assembling the materials for Mr. Roosevelt's use, will act as guide and manager. Mr. Cuninghame is also an experienced collector of natural history INTRODUCTION. *21 specimens, having made collections for the British Museum in Nor- way and Africa. He is an English field man, who has guided numerous hunting parties in Africa and who was chief hunter for the Field Columbian Exposition. TO PRESERVE BIG GAME SPECIMENS. u Edmund Heller, a graduate of Stanford University, class of 1 90 1, is a thoroughly trained naturalist, whose special work will be the preparation and preservation of specimens of large animals. Mr. Heller is about thirty years old. His former experience, when associated with D. G. Eliot and Mr. Ackley, of the Field Columbian Museum, in collecting big game animals in the same portions of Africa which Mr. Roosevelt will visit, will be a valuable asset to the expedition. " Mr. Heller has had large experiences in animal collecting in Alaska, British Columbia, the United States, Mexico, Central America and South America. In the year 1898 he made a collecting trip of eleven months to Gallopagos Islands, starting from San Francisco. " He is a born and enthusiastic collector, as well as a well equipped naturalist. He is also the author of scientific papers on mammals, birds, reptiles and fishes. At present he is assistant curator of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the University of California. " J. Alden Loring is a field naturalist, whose training comprises service in the biological survey of the Department of Agriculture, and in the Bronx Zoological Park, New York City, as well as on numerous collecting trips through British America, Mexico and the United States. He is about thirty-eight years old, of ardent tem- perament and intensely energetic. " In August, September and October, 1898, he made the highest record for a traveling collector, having sent in to the United States National Museum many well-prepared specimens of small mammals in the three months' journey from London through Sweden, Ger- many, Switzerland and Belgium. " Major Edgar A. Mearns, a retired officer of the medical 22* INTRODUCTION. corps of the army, will be the physician of the trip and have charge of the Smithsonian portion of the party. He has had twenty-five years' experience as an army doctor, and is also well known as a naturalist and collector of natural history specimens." It was Rooseveltian in the extreme, yet the people had long been prepared for this great climax to the career of America's great game hunter, whose battles with the bear and bison of the West left him none but the greatest of all game fields yet to conquer. A LIFE FULL OF THRILLING ADVENTURE. Long had it been the desire of Colonel Roosevelt to make a hunting tour into the heart of Africa. He had made numerous trips in search of big game in every part, of the United States where such animals make their abode. For years he had been an ardent hunter and a writer of hunting stories. Some of his books on the subject are: " Hunting Trips of a Ranchman," written from his experiences while on a North Dakota ranch, when he spent two years raising cattle; " Ranch Life and Hunting Trail," " The Wilderness Hunter," ' The Deer Family," " Outdoor Pastimes of an American Hunter." In the latter volume he refers to the sport in these words : " From the days of Nimrod to our own there have been mighty hunters before the Lord, and most warlike and masterful races have taken kindly to the chase as chief among those rough pastimes which appeal naturally to men with plenty of red blood in their veins." One might think our ex-President desired to emulate the earlier among the great conquering kings of Egypt and Assyria, who, he says, hunted the elephant and the wild bull, as well as the lions with which the country swarmed, and Tiglath-Pileser I, who as overlord of Phoenicia embarked on the Mediterranean and there killed " a sea monster," presumably a whale — a feat which, Colonel Roosevelt declares, " has been paralleled by no sport-loving sovereign of modern times save by that stout hunter the German kaiser, although, I believe, the present English king has slain both elephants and tigers before he came to the throne." INTRODUCTION. *23 Speaking of the great hunting grounds of the world, Colonel Roosevelt says that there remain only three in the present century. South Africa is the true hunter's paradise, in his opinion. If the happy hunting grounds are to be found anywhere in this world, he says, they lie between the Orange and the Zambesi, and extend northward here and there to the Nile countries and the Somaliland. COLONEL ROOSEVELT AND HIS SON IN THE PADDLE. Nowhere else are there such multitudes of game, representing so many and such widely different kinds of animals of such size, such beauty, such infinite variety. " We should have to go back to '.he fauna of pleistocene to find its equal." Having been in public life almost continually since he grad- uated from Harvard University in 1880 — serving the people in the capacity of assemblyman in New York State, Civil Service Commissioner of the United States, President of the Police Board 24* INTRODUCTION. in New York City, Assistant Secretary of the Navy of the United States, Colonel of the First United States Volunteer Cavalry in the Spanish War, Governor of the State of New York, Vice-President of the United States, and finally as President of the nation, the highest gift in the power of the people of the country — Colonel Roosevelt felt that he had earned the right to put in a portion of his time in the sport which most appealed to him. He proposed to spend some months away from the United States for two reasons. Rest and recreation in hunting and scientific research were only the minor ones. REASONS FOR THE TRIP INTO AFRICA. He intended to put himself beyond the reach of those persons who he believed would inevitably seek, if he were within reach, to use his influence with the administration of President Wm. H. Taft. Colonel Roosevelt was, of course, aware of the manner in which the charge had been circulated that Mr. Taft would be only a Roosevelt man as President, and whatever Mr. Taft, as President, might do it would be ascribed to Colonel Roosevelt's influence. It was because of this situation that Colonel Roosevelt decided to take himself out of the country, where it would be impossible for anyone to repeat any such charge against President Taft. Colonel Roosevelt well selected a place where his seclusion in this respect would be secure, for hardly could a more inaccessible locality be found. In this connection, Colonel Roosevelt, some months before the Republican national convention had nominated Mr. Taft to the Presidency, made a statement in which he said : " If Mr. Taft is nominated and elected President, which would be very gratifying, it would make impossible any criticism, if I were abroad, to the effect that I was dictating to him and being followed, or that I had dictated and had been turned down in any suggestions." In traveling abroad Theodore Roosevelt determined not to make any such tour as did General Grant after retiring from the Presi- dency. General Grant was received in state by emperors and kings wherever he went on his tour around the world. He was feted as no other American ever has been. INTRODUCTION. *25 Colonel Roosevelt decided to avoid all that, it being his desire to travel as a plain American citizen, and spend a good part of his time in pursuit of game, thus putting himself out of the way of social entertainment. Statements had been made to the effect that the game preserves , in British East Africa under control of the British Colonial Govern- ment were to be opened to the President and his companions to shoot at will. No advantage of these offers, he decided, should be taken, Colonel Roosevelt having made up his mind to decline to do -any shooting on government preserves where the hunting is not open to all. HUNTING FOR PURPOSES OF SCIENCE ALONE. The feeling of the ex-President on this matter of shooting on government reservations he explained in this way : A person taking advantage to shoot on government reservations in Africa would be exactly in the same position of any foreigner who came to America and was given permission by the United States government to shoot at will in the government reservation at Yellowstone Park, where the American buffalo, to be found almost nowhere else, roams un- molested. Colonel Roosevelt declared that such permission rightly would arouse resentment. Colonel Roosevelt shares with other sportsmen the feeling that the wild animals on reservations sh< aid be protected to the utmost, and that under no circumstances should permission be given to kill them, except, possibly, when predatory animals become too numerous for the safety of other practically defenseless animals. Permission for one person to shoot on a reservation, Colonel Roosevelt believed, would lead eventually to permission to others, and that in the end the game reservation would not be a reservation at all in its proper sense. It was Colonel Roosevelt's desire that his African hunting expedition should not be looked upon as one with sport as a main object. A limited number of specimens of mammals and birds were to be killed for the uses of the United States National Museum. Other killing was to be confined to the limits of the necessary food supply of the camp. 26* INTRODUCTION. On his trip Colonel Roosevelt hoped to secure for scientific purposes two adult specimens, one of each sex, and a specimen of their young, of animals he was likely to meet on the Dark Continent. For the ordinary needs of the Museum the ex-President and the naturalists and director of the Smithsonian Institution, whom he had consulted, thought these would be sufficient, but whether they were sufficient or not these are all he had in mind to kill, no matter how plentiful the game might be. It was the known wish of the ex-President that the expedition into Africa should be made with the privacy that marks, or should mark, any other scientific expedition. Colonel Roosevelt wanted an outing and a chance to do a moderate amount of shooting, with a first view to getting results that will be of some benefit to science WARNING AS TO RIVAL EXPEDITIONS. A few days before he sailed for Africa, and while he was at Oyster Bay preparing for the trip, a telegram was handed the former President from a press association stating that a rival concern " had fitted out an expedition to follow him to Africa," and requested the privilege to do the same. " Now, what do you think of that?" he inquired, sarcastically. " I want it understood that I will permit no other expedition besides my own to accompany me in Africa." " Do you expect to survive your trip, Mr. Roosevelt?" was a jocular question put to the former President. " Come and see me when I return to America and then I shall answer you," he answered. "If these professors who take such a warm interest in my trip and my chances of contracting and sur- viving miasmatic fevers in the African jungle knew how little their views affected me they might not utter them. I have been in bad places before and I know how to take care of myself. Besides, the tei ritory in Africa I am going to visit is as safe to traverse as are the marshes of the South. ' I am accustomed to facing dangers, and the fear of fever is purely imaginary. I served my apprenticeship on the Western plains, and a little jaunt in Africa will be merely a diversion." Colonel INTRODUCTION. *27 Roosevelt reverted to his cowboy days in Dakota as the happiest of his life. One member of the party told Colonel Roosevelt that he used to be a cowboy in the Panhandle of Texas. " I am only a has-been, now, though," added the visitor. "Don't say that — don't say that!" exclaimed the former Pre- sident. " Bully for you ! Give me your hand ! I used to be a cowboy, too, but I'm no has-been, and I guess I'm a little older than you." ASSIDUOUS PREPARATIONS. During his summer vacation the previous year, which he spent at his summer home in Oyster Bay, Long Island, N. Y., Colonel Roosevelt did most of his planning for the trip. During the hot summer days from June till September he devoted much of his time sitting on the broad veranda of his home studying books on natural history and big-game hunting in Africa. These he procured from every available source. Working out the details of his plans occupied a great deal of time. Pie was continually in correspondence during the summer, and even after he again resumed his official duties at Washington, with the noted big-game hunters and naturalists who have devoted years of study to Africa and its fauna. Men who had spent any length of time in that part of Africa where he intended visiting were welcome visitors at Sagamore Hill, and from these he gained valuable information. This was the case also when he returned to the White House, and among those whom he entertained there were Bishop Hartzell, who had spent many years as missionary bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Africa, and Sir Harry H. Johnston, the noted English naturalist and author, who had twenty-five years' experi- ence in Central Africa and was the discoverer of the Okapi. Sir Harry, after his visit to the President, said he was sur- prised to find Colonel Roosevelt so well informed on Africa and its fauna, and declared that the President was able to tell him things about it of which he had no knowledge. 28* INTRODUCTION. Numerous other persons who had been to Uganda and British East Africa the President consulted, and, as a result, he gathered a store of information not to be obtained from books. It was to Secretary Walcott. of the Smithsonian Institution, that Colonel Roosevelt first unfolded the tentative plans for his African trip. In a letter to the secretary he made known his project of going, after his term of office expired, to Africa for the purpose of hunting and traveling in British and German East Africa, crossing Uganda and working down the Nile, with side trips after animals and birds. He declared then that he is " not in the least a game butcher," saying : " I like to do a certain amount of hunting, but my real and main interest is the interest of a faunal naturalist." TENTATIVE PLANS FIRST UNFOLDED. In his letter he expressed the opinion that this trip opened the best chance for the United States National Museum to get a fine collection, not only of the big game beasts, but of the smaller mammals and birds of Africa, and ought not to be neglected. The President offered to take with him several professional field naturalists and taxidermists who should prepare and send back the specimens he is to collect, the collection to go to the National Museum. The President said that as an ex-President he should feel that that institution was the museum to which his collection should go. While he would pay the expenses of himself and his son, he felt that he had not the means that would enable him to pay for the naturalists and their kit and the curing and transport of the specimens for the museum. All he desired to keep would be a few personal trophies of little scientific value which, for some reason, he might like to keep. He said the actual hunting of big game he would want to do himself or have his son do. Seeing the value of the President's proposition, Secretary Walcott immediately set to work selecting men to form the party. INTRODUCTION. *29> He decided that three men should form the Smithsonian Institution's portion of the party. The necessary funds for the Smithsonian's share of the expense were secured from a source which has not been revealed. It is stated that no part of these funds was derived from any government appropriation or the income of the Smith- sonian Institution. But before going further, perhaps it would be well to dwell a little more fully upon the careers and qualifications of the former President's companions than he himself did in his official statement. COLONEL ROOSEVELT'S COMPANIONS. In selecting the four men to accompany Colonel Roosevelt the best men in the scores of naturalists of the country were selected. . It was decided that Major Edgar A. Mearns would have charge of the Smithsonian portion of the party. As an ornithologist, Major Mearns is probably one of the highest authorities, having made a specialty of bird study for many years. The Major was one of the founders of the American Ornithologists' Union, and has written widely on bird subjects. He is a member of the Linnaean Society of Natural History of New York, of the National Geographical Society, of the Biological Society of Washington, of the American Association for the Ad- vancement of Science and a patron of the American Museum of Natural History of New York. As a field naturalist J. Loring Alden was probably the most efficient and experienced man in the party. He has made a specialty of the smaller mammals, and it is said of him that, where other traps and baits fail, he can devise a trap and select a bait that will lure any of the smaller creatures into captivity. His home is in Owego, N. Y. Of the party, the only one who has had previous experience in that section of Africa through which the expedition was to journey was Edmund Heller. In order that he might accompany Colonel Roosevelt, his release from his position as assistant curator of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the University of California w T as. secured by the Smithsonian Institution. He is an enthusiastic collector as well as a natively equipped 30* INTRODUCTION. naturalist. Of numerous scientific papers on mammals, birds, reptiles and fishes he is the author. Mr. Heller's home is at Los Gatos, Cal. Kermit Roosevelt, the President's second son, then a young man of nineteen years, was selected as the official photographer of the expedition. His collection of photographs of animals and scenes was to be made use of in a scientific way and as illustrations. Young Mr. Roosevelt was a student at Harvard University and a great favorite of his father. KERMIT ROOSEVELT PREPARES HIMSELF. He spent considerable time in preparing himself for the work he was to undertake. During his summer vacation he made a study of the camera and photographic methods. He also experimented in taking pictures of the animals at the Zoological Gardens in New York. It was his first trip abroad, and he looked forward to it with the keenest interest. He is tall and slender, a good horseman and a splendid rifle shot. Much of the shooting of the big game he shared with his father. To complete the personnel of the expedition, R. J. Cuninghame was chosen. No better manager for the trip could have been selected, because Mr. Cuninghame is thoroughly familiar with every nook and corner of East Africa and its natives. He spent some time in London purchasing the outfit for the expedition and shipping it to Mombasa. After that had been com- pleted he proceeded to British Africa, and was engaged in selecting the natives and animals necessary for the expedition until the time he met the party at Mombasa. Before this, however, the expedition was joined by another ' big game " hunter whose fame was international — Frederick Courteney Selous, the hero of Rider Haggard's novel, Allan Ouarterman, whose achievements and adventures will be spoken of more in detail later in this volume. Suffice it to say, at this time, that no hunter in the world has won greater celebrity by his bravery .and skill than has Mr. Selous. This hunting of big game has a double fascination. There INTRODUCTION. *31 is the fascination that all big game hunters confess to — the danger of it for one thing, and which to many is lure alone. That is one side of the fascination that it holds. The other is for the stay-at- Tiomes and those who follow big game hunting by reading about it. It is interesting to note that since the first publication of the ex-President's intention of making a hunting trip to Africa that almost as many hunters started for the Dark Continent as usually invade the Maine woods at the opening of the hunting season. No announcement had ever so popularized that region. STRANGE FASCINATION IN HUNTING BIG GAME. A New York firm furnished the greater part of the outfit for Colonel Roosevelt and his party, more accurately, that part of it which has to do with tents, camp equipage, rations, cooking utensils, khaki hunting suits and waterproof bags for clothing, hunting boots and shoes, pith helmets, sleeping bags and blankets, filters, hunting and skinning knives, folding bath tubs, folding brass lanterns, bull's-eye lamps, candles, hot water bottles, etc. As was explained by this furnisher of hunting outfits, one of its chief essentials for an African campaign is a serviceable tent, The hunters must have rest at night or else their health will give way. And to insure that rest a specially constructed tent is re- quired. The ones that were provided for Colonel Roosevelt and his party were of green waterproof silk — a material so light in texture that an entire tent with its telescoping pole weighs only thirteen pounds. It is essential that its color be green, this because of the fact that a rhinoceros, reckoned by big game hunters as the most dan- gerous and vicious of all wild animals, will charge a white tent the moment he sees it, no matter if the tent were surrounded by a whole caravan of attendants. One can imagine the restless slumber of a hunter who goes to sleep with the knowledge that he might have his life crushed out at any moment by the infuriated charge of one of these vicious animals. 32* INTRODUCTION. Of the greatest importance was the battery of guns which Colonel Roosevelt carried along with him. When it became known that he intended to make a hunting expedition into Africa many of his friends presented him with guns. But he did not select any of these to take with him on his trip. Instead, he had made specially for him by one of the best American gun manufacturers four different types of rifles, each having a special use. ONE DISCORDANT NOTE MARS THE PREPARATION. Amid all these preparations there was but one discordant note — the fear that the former President would fall a victim to some of those dreaded and mysterious fevers which have given to Africa the title of " The Grave of the White Man. 1 ' If these dire predictions did more than cause amusement to Colonel Roosevelt, the public never heard of it. Those closest to- him say he read them and smiled — smiled in that Rooseveltian way that expresses so much — a smile that carried with it even more of dogged determination than it did of amusement. As for the American people who love him so well, they watched. the preparations with the keenest interest, practically free from apprehension. They had little fear that the hero of San Juan Hill would be unable to take good care of himself under any and all circumstances. He had slain the moose and the deer, the wild cat and the panther, the grizzly and the bison on American soil. What new, dangers could Africa offer ? America felt that the unfailing nerve, the cold eye, the trained muscle of its most beloved citizen were; equal to any emergency. ANIMALS, REPTTLES AND FISH OF THE TROPICS THE FAMOUS ROOSEVELT EXPEDITION "EWS SHOW.NG PART OF THE OUTF.T TAKEN BY COL. ROOSEVELT ON HIS TRIP THROUGH THE WILDS OF AFRICA ROOSEVELT AS A HUNTER WHEN A YOUNG MAN , /VASHINGTON, D. 0. THEODORE ROOSEVELT WRITING HIS LAST MESSAGE IN HIS OFFICE AT THE WHITE HOUSE '0S^B0: ^■y-l'Jil/l ^'J^l < " : BBS 1 i" ' '<>& //uT^PP rl ^ DC o m$m ■ mm few ■■:»/ ,!!,;.: v '.?? SOUTH AFRICAN OSTRICHES A MONKEY CHASE THE WHITE-TAILED GNU BRUSH-TAILED PORCUPINE THE MARABOU STORK OF AFRICA THE STORK BELONGS TO THE WADING BIRDS, HAVING LONG LEGS AND LONG POINTED BILL. IT FURNISHES PLUMES FOR ORNAMENTS THE SECRETARY BIRD AN INHABITANT OF AFRICA AND IS INVALUABLE IN DESTROYING SNAKES THE VULTURE A SCAVENGER THAT IS FOUND IN VARIOUS PARTS OF AFRICA XPLORING PARTY ON THE MARCH-SCENE IN AFRICA o DC < < O Q. o □C I- COL. ROOSEVELT AND HIS LIVING QUARTERS WHILE IN THE WILDS OF AFRICA CHAPTER I. Lueeed to Seeep by Roaring Lions — Arrival at Kieindini — British Warship Salutes — Great Reception at Mombasa — Oee eor the JungeE — The Hunting Grounds at Last- Plains Aeive with Game — Others Tele oe Wondereue Trip — Prowess Toed in Sketch and Song. |w^ OOSEVELT'S ship, the Admiral, on the evening of April 21, entered Kilindini harbor, flying the American flag at her fore and main- masts. She dipped the German ensign *3 while passing the British cruiser Pandora, . h^t- whose rails and masts were manned by --^ffliL. cheering sailors. The Pandora saluted the ex-President, who was on the bridge. The first word of the sighting of the Admiral brought the people of Mombasa in crowds to vantage points, where they might catch a glimpse of the distinguished visitor. The Admiral came slowly up to the harbor and it was dark when Colonel Roosevelt, his son Kermii and the captain were brought ashore In the com- mandant's surfboat and carried to a place of shelter in chairs on natives' shoulders. There was a perfect deluge of rain, but in reply to the expres- sions of regret at this, the Colonel said he was glad to get ashore in any weather. He added that he was in splendid health and that the start to the hunting grounds could not come a minute too soon. The Governor's aide boarded the Admiral and extended a welcome to Colonel Roosevelt, who received another cordial greeting on shore from the provincial commissioner, who conducted him to the government house. R. F. Cuninghame, the hunter and field naturalist, who had charge of the preparations for the expedition, also was on hand at the pier. 3— R„ Ex. *33 TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. *35 Colonel Roosevelt was pleased highly when he observed the military guard drawn up. He replied to the salute by doffing his hat and smiling broadly. The crowds pressing forward to see the noted American included Europeans, Indians and natives, and pre- sented a picturesque appearance. While genuinely hearty in their welcome, the people were not demonstrative. The week's voyage from Aden was interrupted only by a short stop at Mogadiscio, in Italian Somaliland. A feature of the trip was the captain's dinner to Colonel Roosevelt. The saloon was decorated artistically and much enthusiasm was shown over the speeches which were exchanges of good fellowship. SOCIAL AMENITIES IN THE JUNGLE. In toasting the ex-President the captain wished him Godspeed and a safe return to the United States. Colonel Roosevelt replied, first in English and then in German and French. It had been the intention of Colonel Roosevelt to remain in Mombasa two days, but the floods had been heavy and it was deemed advisable to change this plan. The special train, which was to carry the ex-President and his party to Sir Alfred Pease's ranch on the Athi River, was therefore scheduled to leave at 2 o'clock on the following afternoon. The acting Governor of the protectorate, Frederick J. Jackson, entertained the ex-President at dinner and later they proceeded to one of the clubs. So far as possible, the Governor and his associates did their utmost to meet the special instructions from King Edward to show every consideration to the distinguished traveler. F. C. Selous, the English hunter, was also a guest at the dinner. He was to accompany Colonel Roosevelt on his first shooting expedi- tion at the Pease ranch. The great American hunter and the members of his party left Mombasa on a special train at 2.30 o'clock the next afternoon for Kapiti Plains Station, whence they were to be conveyed to the ranch of Sir Alfred Pease for their first shooting trip. The party was accompanied by F. J. Jackson, acting Governor of the protectorate. TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. *37 Before leaving Colonel Roosevelt telegraphed to King Edward, thanking him for the message of greeting read by Mr. Jackson at the dinner given in Colonel Roosevelt's honor at the Mombasa Club the preceding night. A guard of honor composed of marines and blue jackets from the Pandora was at the railroad station when the Roosevelt party arrived, and was inspected by Colonel Roosevelt. A number of officials and civilians also were present, and the station building was decorated with flags. The ex-President spent the morning at Government House, where he was the guest over night of Mr. Jackson. From Mombasa Colonel Roosevelt dispatched a cablegram to the Emperor of Ger- many, saying : " I desire to express my appreciation of my treatment on board the German steamship Admiral, under Captain Doherr, and my admiration of the astounding energy and growth of the mercantile and colonial interests of Germany in East Africa." SIGNIFIES PLEASURE AT RECEPTION ACCORDED. At the banquet Mr. Jackson said that Colonel Roosevelt had left the " Big Stick " at home, and after seven years as President of the United States had come out to Africa to make use of the rifle. In conclusion he promised the distinguished visitor an immense variety of game and good sport. When Colonel Roosevelt arose to reply he was enthusiastically received with full Highland musical honors. He began with a tribute to the British people for their energy and genius in civilizing the uncivilizing places of the earth. He said he was surprised at what he had heard of the progress of British East Africa, but he warned his hearers that they could not expect to achieve in a short time what it had taken America twenty generations to accomplish. He then emphasized the necessity of leaving local questions to be solved by the authorities on the spot, and commented on the fact that the people at home knew little of affairs abroad. In this con- nection he instanced the United States and the Philippine Islands. Continuing, Colonel Roosevelt expressed his great pleasure at GIRAFFES IN THEIR NATIVE RESORTS. 38* TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. *39 the welcome given him that day by the British cruiser Pandora, whose rails and masts were manned by cheering sailors when the Admiral came into the harbor. He said he believed in peace, but considered that strength meant peace, and he hoped that all the great nations would provide themselves with this means to the end. Colonel Roosevelt was followed by Mr. Selous, who expressed the hope that Colonel Roosevelt would in the future use the power of his position to bring about an entente between Great Britain and Germany. THE HUNTING GROUNDS AT LAST ! Theodore Roosevelt reached the hunting grounds the following day and that night he spent his first night in Africa under canvas. A big camp had been established near the railroad station at Kapiti Plains for the Roosevelt expedition, and only the preceding night lions were prowling about in the vicinity of the tents. The country was green, owing to the recent rains, and there was every prospect of good sport. The commoner varieties of game were exceptionally plentiful, and the huntsmen lost no time in getting started on their shooting trips. The special train bearing the party from Mombasa arrived at half-past one o'clock in the afternoon. Only the members of the party got off at Kapiti Plains. F. J. Jackson, the Acting Governor of the protectorate, and the other officials who came up from Mom- basa, continued on to Nairobi. The camp established for Roosevelt was most elaborate. The caravan had a total of 260 followers. There were thirteen tents for the Europeans and their horses and sixty tents for the porters. An American flag was flying over the tent occupied by Colonel Roose- velt. All the native porters of the expedition were lined up on the platform when the special pulled in, and as Colonel Roosevelt stepped down from the train they shouted a salute in his honor. In response Colonel Roosevelt raised his hat. The ex-President was welcomed at the station by Sir Alfred Pease, who was to be his host on the Athi River. Colonel Roosevelt 40* TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. was dressed in a khaki suit and a white helmet. The weather was bright and warm. Colonel Roosevelt, F. J. Jackson, F. C. Selous and Major Mearns rode on a broad seat attached to the cow catcher of the locomotive from Mombasa as far as Mackinnon road, a distance of about fifty miles. The visitors were delighted with this experience, and Colonel Roosevelt was deeply impressed with the marvelous scenery that unfolded itself to his view. They had a magnificent view of snow-capped Kilimanjaro. Plenty of game was seen from the train, including about twenty giraffes, with their young, close to the line; wildebeestes, harte- beestes, waterbucks, zebras, duikers, guinea fowl, ostriches in great number, and one rhinoceros, with the rhinoceros birds on his back. AN ADVENTUROUS AND INDESCRIBABLE JOY RIDE. The other passengers on the special train included Mr. Sandi- ford, local superintendent of the railroad line; Mr. Cruikshank, the traffic manager; W. J. Monson, secretary of the administration; J. H. Wilson, a member of the Legislative Council, and R. F. Cuning- hame. The party was scheduled to have several days in camp before going on to Nairobi. At the conclusion of the visit with Sir Alfred Pease Colonel Roosevelt was to go to the Ju Ja ranch and be the guest of George McMillan. After this he was to shoot buffalo at Hugh Heatley's kamid ranch, fifteen miles from Nairobi, on the Forthall road. Before leaving Mombasa Colonel Roosevelt received an address of welcome from the American missionaries. He expressed a de- termination to visit at least three mission stations while in the Pro- tectorate. That night he was lulled to sleep by the music of the lions' roaring. But it never will do to dismiss the delights of these first few days on African soil in so light a manner. Let us review the country traversed and tell of it in the language of other distin- guished travelers. One writer says : " The aspect of Mombasa as she rises from the TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. *41 sea and clothes herself with form and color at the swift approach of the ship is alluring and even delicious. But to appreciate all these charms the traveler should come from the North. He should see the hot stones of Malta, baking and glistening on a steel-blue Mediterranean. " He should visit the Island of Cyprus before the Autumn rains have revived the soil, when the Messaoria Plain is one broad wilder- ness of dust, when every tree — be it only a thorn-bush — is an heir- loom, and every drop of water is a jewel. He should walk for two hours at middav in the streets of Port Said. He should thread the PECULIAR AFRICAN BULLOCK. long, red furrow of the Suez Canal, and swelter through the trough of the Red Sea. " He should pass a day among the cinders of Aden, and a week among the scorched rocks and stones of Northern Somaliland; and then, after five days of open sea, his eye and mind will be prepared to salute with feelings of grateful delight these shores of vivid and exuberant green. " On every side is vegetation, moist, tumultuous, and varied. Great trees, clad in dense foliage, shrouded in creepers, springing from beds of verdure, thrust themselves through the undergrowth ; palms laced together by flowering trailers; every kind of tropical 42* TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. plant that lives by rain and sunshine; high, waving grass, brilliant patches of purple bougainvillea, and in the midst, dotted about, scarcely keeping their heads above the fertile flood of nature, the red-roofed houses of the town and port of Mombasa. " The vessel follows a channel twisting away between high HUNTING THE OSTRICH. bluffs, and finds a secure anchorage, land-locked, in forty feet of water at a stone's throw from the shore. Here we are arrived at the gate of British East Africa; and more, at the outlet and de- bouchment of all the trade of all the countries that lap the Victoria and Albert Lakes and the head waters of the Nile. TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. *43 " Along the pier now being built at Kilindini, the harbor of Mombasa Island, must flow, at any rate for many years, the main stream of East and Central African commerce. Whatever may be the produce which civilized government and enterprise will draw from the enormous territories between Southern Abyssinia and Lake Tanganyika, between Lake Rudolf and Ruenzori, as far west as the head streams of the Congo, as far north as the Lado enclave; whatever may be the needs and demands of the numerous populations comprised within those limits, it is along the unpre- tentious jetty of Kilindini that the whole traffic must pass/' Another writer adds : " We left Mombasa by train. The run of 327 miles to Nairobi takes twenty-four hours. The afternoon of May 4th was an interesting trip and we began to see game about four in the afternoon. They were principally tiny deer, standing about a foot high. I thought at first they were rabbits, but when I saw some close to the train discovered my mistake. VARIEGATED SCENERY SURROUNDING MOMBASA. ' We passed through typical African scenery such as one sees in pictures — natives in the scantiest of costumes tending flocks of funny looking goats and queer humped cattle, their huts of woven sticks daubed with clay and thatched with reeds. There were strange trees with long creepers hanging from them, and in parts thick jungle that a person would have to cut his path through. " Next morning the scene changed and vast plains, in some places dotted with trees, and in some bare, were seen on all sides. Shortly before coming to Nairobi we passed the Athi plains, cele- brated for their game. People are not allowed to shoot near the railroad, so one sees herds of zebras and hartebeeste, gnus, looking at a little distance like our buffalo, ostriches, pea deer, stembuck, Grant's gazelle and tiny "tommies" (Thompson gazelle). These have very pretty horns and a black line running from the rump to the lower part of the shoulder, and little black tails which they whisk incessantly." But Mr. Winston Churchill's description of the trip is even more vivid, perhaps the best ever written. In it he says : " We may 44* TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. divide the journey into four main stages — the jungles, the plains, the mountains, and the lake, for the lake is an essential part of the railway, and a natural and inexpensive extension to its length. In the early morning, then, we start from Mombasa Station. " For a quarter of an hour we are still upon Mombasa Island, and then the train, crossing the intervening channel by a long iron bridge, addresses itself in earnest to the continent of Africa. Into these vast regions the line winds perseveringly upon a stiff upgrade, and the land unfolds itself ridge after ridge and valley after valley. " All day long the train runs upward and westward, through broken and undulating ground clad and encumbered with super- abundant vegetation. Beautiful birds and butterflies fly from tree to tree and flower to flower. Deep, ragged gorges, filled by streams in flood, open out far below us through glades of palms and creeper-covered trees. PLANTATIONS OF RUBBER, FIBRE AND COTTON. " Here and there, at intervals, which will become shorter every year, are plantations of rubber, fibre, and cotton, the beginnings of those inexhaustible supplies which will one day meet the yet un- measured demand for those indispensable commodities. Every few miles are little trim stations, with their water tanks, signals, ticket- offices, and flower beds complete and all of a pattern, backed by impenetrable bush. 4 In brief, one slender thread of scientific civilization of order, authority, and arrangement, drawn across the primeval chaos of the world. ' In the evening a cooler, crisper air is blowing. The humid coast lands, with their glories and their fevers, have been left behind. At an altitude of four thousand feet we begin to laugh at the Equator. The jungle becomes forest, not less luxuriant, but distinctly different in character. The olive replaces the palm. The whole aspect of the land is more friendly, more familiar, and no less fertile. " After Makindu Station the forest ceases. The traveler enters upon a region of grass. Immense fields of green pasture, TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. *45 withered and whitened at this season by waiting for the rains, intersected by streams and watercourses densely wooded with dark, fir-looking trees and gorse-looking scrub, and relieved by bold up- standing bluffs and ridges, comprise the new panorama. " And here is presented the wonderful and unique spectacle which the Uganda Railway offers. ' The plains are crowded with wild animals. From the win- dows of the carriage the whole zoological gardens can be seen dis- porting itself. Herds of ante- lope and gazelle, troops of zebrasgjgjjjj —sometimes four or five hund- red together — watch the traing pass with placid assurance, orB scamper a hundred yards further^ away, and turn again. jg™* " Many are quite close to. the line. With field glasses one can see that it is the same every-® where, and can distinguish longfe files of black wildebeests and herds of red kongoni — the^. hartebeests of South Africa and wild ostriches walking se-j| dately in two and threes, and^ every kind of small deer and gazelle. The zebras come close 5 ^ enough for their stripes to b( admired with the naked eye, showing little or no sign of fear. " We have arrived at Simba, ' The Place of Lions,' and there is no reason why the passengers should not see one, or even half-a- dozen, stalking across the plain, respectfully observed by lesser beasts. Indeed, in the early days it was the custom to stop and sally out upon the royal vermin whenever met with, and many the lion that has been carried back to the tender in triumph before the guard, or driver, or any one else could think of time-tables, or the GAZELLES. 46* TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. block system, or the other inconvenient restrictions of a regular service. " Further up the line, in the twilight of the evening, we saw, not a hundred yards away, a dozen giraffes lollopping off among scattered trees, and at Nakuru six yellow lions walked in leisurely mood across the rails in broad daylight. " Only the rhinoceros is absent, or rarely seen, and after one of his species had measured his strength, unsuccessfully, against an engine, he has confined himself morosely to the river-beds and to the undisturbed solitudes which, at a distance of two or three miles, everywhere engulf the Uganda Railway." Could anything be more graphic ? Before leaving Mombasa, Colonel Roosevelt heard his prowess as a lion-killer told in song and sketch at the entertainment given by the " Nairobi Follies," which Colonel Roosevelt and his son, Kermit, attended as the guests of His Excellency, Mr. F. J. Jackson, C. G., C. M. G., Acting Governor, as an evening's diversion after dining at Government House. The topical songs dealing with Colonel Roosevelt were a feature of the occasion and at each allu- sion made to himself, Colonel Roosevelt's laugh. rang out above the applause and laughter of the rest of the audience. The song describing Colonel Roosevelt's lion hunting was sung by Miss Shooter, in the course of a sketch, entitled " A Tale of the Chase." It ran as follows : " FELIS LEO." A lion lurked in his lonely lair. As African lions do. For he liked to be where he could get a share, Of a nice little buck with a slice of luck. In our wonderful Nature zoo, His large inside he nightly fed with zebra or hartebeest instead. " There isn't a scrap of doubt," said he, " This diet's exceedingly good for me, " For I grow fat, fat, fatter. " What on earth does it mat, mat, matter. TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OV \TION. *47 " If the way that I creep, on the beasts in their sleep, " Makes the poor things scat, scat, scatter." He hunted game in the moonshine bright. With never a thought of harm, But he got quite a fright, when there hove in sight, Teddy armed to the teeth with a knife and sheath, And a rifle beneath his arm. The Colonel plugged him with a laugh. While Kermit took his photograph. Said he, " Those Wall Street boys would cry, " If they knew how near I'd been to die, " Oh, this country's bull, bull, bully, " I've enjoyed it full, full, fully. " For it euchres the best they can show in the West, " That's so wild and wool, wool, wooly." Another song, entitled " B. E. A." (British East Africa), recounted some of Colonel Roosevelt's experiences in the colony, as follows: B. E. A. (With apologies to Kipling.) At the port of Kilindini, Looking eastward 'cross the main ; We welcomed Teddy Roosevelt, As we hope to do again. And the rain it fell in torrents, And the world seemed far from gay; But we did our best to greet him in OUR way in B. E. A. He traveled up the railway, And he said the sights were GRAND, And he also said " THAT'S BULLY," As we well can understand ; For the game is here in thousands, And it's here we'd have him stay ; Just to see giraffes and rhinos Near the rail in B. E. A. & 48* TRIP OUTWARD A POPULAR OVATION. We heard of hand- fed lions, And of rhinos on the chain ; How he bravely faced all dangers, And deadly beasts has slain ; Still, we've nothing heard BUT rumors, That's a truth we must confess; We have no truthful story for He shut out all the press. Yes, he shut out all the press, And he left them there to guess ; They raved, and growled, and grumbled, They were left in such a mess ! But that's all passed and done with, For they were not far away ; And their news is scattered broadcast, Over all the world to-day ; Still, he sent in news on Tuesday, It is nice to be polite ; But the New York papers had it On the previous Sunday night. Oh ! it really was a frost, And one finds it to his cost, If he tries to baulk the press men, He is very often lost. CHAPTER II. Three Lions with Three Bullets— Wildebeest or Gnu was Roosevelt's First Victim— Son's Expedition Without Father— Smallpox Breaks Out in the Camp— Hunt Delayed by Missing Baggage. EARNING of years at last was on the verge of satisfaction. Theodore Roosevelt was where, in all the world, he most desired to be — in the heart of Africa, snrronnded by the most majestic game the earth affords. The first night of the Roosevelt expedition under canvas in Africa was spent in the elaborate camp set np for the party near the railroad station at Kapiti Plains. It was without incident save that the plains resounded with the night roaring of an unfenced Zoo. No decision yet had been reached as to when the expedition would leave. Some of the baggage sent by the Smithsonian Insti- tute was left behind at Mombasa, and this fact threatened to cause a delay in the start of the shooting trips of two or three days. It was rumored that the baggage in question was stolen on board the steamer Admiral, but these statements were eventually proven with- out foundation. Col. Roosevelt, who arose the next morning in splendid spirits, forbare all the members of his expedition to give out any informa- tion regarding the future plans or movements of the party. He was much annoyed to receive word that the Mombasa Standard has published a violently worded attack upon Mr. F. J. Jackson, the Acting Governor of the protectorate, and Col. Roose- velt, for allowing only representatives of American newspapers to accompany the Roosevelt special train from Mombasa to Kapiti Plains. This attack was copied by the Nairobi newspapers, and it is said that the imperial government asked an explanation from the 4-R. Ex. *49 50 ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE. local authorities of this exclusion of English newspaper men. An exception was made in the case of the representative of an English news agency, who was allowed to accompany the special. Col. Roosevelt spent part of the afternoon sorting his kit, while Kermit and several of the men went to try their luck with the rifles. An old settler, who seemed to take a liking to Kermit, offered to show him a likely place for good sport. They succeeded in bring- ing down one buck. If ever there was a happy boy on earth, it was when the native bearers brought in Kermit's booty and laid it at the feet of the former President, whose face beamed with pleasure at his son's luck and skill with the rifle. Col. Roosevelt's first hunt was favored by fine weather, and he enjoyed the experience immensely. He bagged two wildebeests and a Thompson's gazelle. THE STRANGE WILDEBEESTS. The wildebeests, of which Col. Roosevelt killed two, are gen- erally know as the gnu, the Hottentot name. This animal is of a sub-family of antelopes and resembles a "horned horse." The mane and tail are like a horse's. The legs are slender as those of the gazelle. These animals, when captured young, may be tamed, but if caught at a mature age, they behave like mad in captivity. When chased on horseback they often give the pursuer a lively time on account of their endurance and great speed. The young are play- ful and will circle around a caravan for hours showing a marked curiosity in everything the traveler is doing. The flesh of the gnu is palatable and the horns are made into knife handles and other articles. The gnu is about the size of a full-grown donkey. The neck and tail strikingly resemble those of a small horse, and its pace, which is a species of light gallop, is so perfectly similar, that a herd of gnus, when seen at a distance scampering over the plains, might be easily mistaken for a troop of wild horses, but for their dark and uniform color. ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE. 51 They live in large herds on the great plains. When first alarmed, like a restive horse, tossing their heads and tails, and but- ting at the mole-hills, or any other object that might be in their way; but immediately after, off they start, traversing the ground with a speed which soon carries them beyond the reach of danger. They do not run in a confused crowd, like sheep or oxen, but in single file, following the leader, and exhibiting an agreeable regu- larity as they bound over the plains. "When hunted they will turn upon the hunter, and pursue him, dropping on their knees before making an attack, and then darting forward with amazing alacrity and force. WONDERFUL ANTIPATHY TO SCARLET. "In common with the ox and buffalo," says Captain Harris, "the gnu has an unconquerable aversion to scarlet — pawing the earth and becoming perfectly furious on the sudden display of that color. In situations where these whimsical animals had been ren- dered more than usually wild by the incessant persecutions of the border colonists, I frequently found it requisite, in order to allure the herd within range, to hoist a red pocket handkerchief upon the muzzle of my rifle. "This exhibition invariably produced the most violent tumult and excitement, and caused the whole troop to charge past in single file — 'with mane erect and blazing eye' — following their leader, flinging out their taper heels, whisking their streaming tails, but- ting with their horns in so menacing a manner, and displaying emo- tions of such violent frenzy, that I was fain to strike my colors and have recourse to my weapons — when they instantly whirled and pranced confidently round at a safer distance, headed by their swarthy chief." It was by means of this exhibition of scarlet, the scent of which Mr. Selous revealed to the American, that Col. Roosevelt's first game in Africa was enticed within reach of his death-dealing rifle. While game was plentiful on the plain, it was exceedingly wise and wary. The fame of the Colonel seemed almost to have reached the animal kingdom, for no sooner did he appear, rifle in 52 ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE. hand, than every living creature seemed to vanish as if by magic. Then it was that Selous's trained eye detected the presence of a pair of wildebeests. But they, too, were wary. A moment later, however, a red handkerchief was floating from the muzzle of the Ex-President's gun. The infuriated beasts made a dash for the obnoxious scarlet! Crack! One stumbled and went down to death. Its now even more than ever infuriated mate plunged on straight for the daring hunter. He reserved his fire till the last possible moment and then pulled the trigger. A double kill was the result, and the Colonel smiled while the native bearers clapped their hands in glee that the great hunter from across the seas had not been lacking in coolness and aim in his first encounter on African soil. A GRIEVOUS DISAPPOINTMENT. In one respect Col. Roosevelt was somewhat disappointed as he had been anxious to secure a Grant's gazelle, whose massive horns are much sought after for trophies. The hunt lasted several hours, and all the members of the party were tired out when they returned to camp. The Thompson gazelle which Col. Roosevelt shot and the Grant's gazelle which he failed to get, are members of a large family. The gazelle is one of the most graceful animals known. Its eyes are large and liquid and the poets of the East always likened the eyes of their lady loves to them. The animal is often hunted with greyhounds and falcons. When hunted with dogs alone the gazelle easily outstrips the pursuit running swiftly and making tremendous leaps over obstacles ten feet high without apparent exertion. When a falcon is used the bird will rise high in the air and swoop down on its quarry, fixing its talons near the long, lyre-shaped horns and harass the animal till the hounds come up. There are many species of the gazelle, ranging from three feet ■>' f ■< * H Jf ft THE STRANGE SHOE BILL OF AFRICA. S4 ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE. in height to five and six feet. The springbok is one of the largest species, and it is known to make vertical jumps in the air with its legs folded. Considerable anxiety was felt because smallpox was prevalent at Nairobi, and two cases developed among the porters at Kapiti. These were quarantined and the strictest precautions observed to prevent a spread of the disease among those attached to the Roose- velt party. The danger of this was at first considered slight, but later several of the bearers were attacked. Pleased with even the small measure of success of their expe- dition on the plains, the Ex-President and his party the next day broke camp and continued their journey to the ranch of Sir Alfred Pease, on the Athi river. The rain was falling heavily when they arrived, this giving fine promise of good sport. As the torrential downpour continued, the party spent the next day indoors resting from the fatigue inseparable from the first hunting trip. Seasoned sportsman though he was, the former President had not yet gotten hardened as he was destined to get within the next few weeks. FATHER AND SON HUNT TOGETHER. The next day Col. Roosevelt and his son Kermit had sufficiently recovered from the fatigue connected with their first shooting trips and their journey from Kapiti Plains station to the ranch of Sir Alfred Pease, on the Athi river, to go out shooting for small game. They were successful in bringing down a Grant's gazelle and a hartebeest. The Ex-President was especially pleased by his success in bag- ging the Grant's gazelle, which he had failed to secure on the first expedition. Now they were in the very heart of the game country, where "small game" especially was very plentiful and all were correspond- ingly elated. Col. Roosevelt and Kermit were fully recovered from their indisposition, and the Colonel was astir early, anxious to get a shot at something and complete preparations for pushing on. Both Loring and Heller, however, were showing the strain of pre ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE. 55 paration and of the climate change. Their indisposition was not serious. The Colonel shot a couple of bucks during the day, but they were not particularly good specimens. However, he got real satis- faction from hearing lions roaring all through the night, a promise of better sport to come, and he did not chafe at the enforced delay as much as might be expected -from a man of his temperament. The fact that all hands must be fully acclimatized was being more and more impressed on everyone, as only in that manner could their arduous program be carried out. ANTICIPATIONS TO SOON REACH FULFILMENT. But the intrepid Roosevelt could not long remain inactive. Hardly waiting for the first effect of the African lassitude to wear off, he was eagerly planning for the great feat over which he had dreamed for years. He wanted to kill a lion ! None but the most majestic beast of the jungle would satisfy him. To slay a lion he was determined, and his restless spirit could not brook delay, especially as he lay in bed and heard the deep booming roar of the king of beasts as it rang out on the air, night after night. He was counselled to go slow and to test his aim first on game where a miss would be less disastrous, but to no avail. "Now is as good as any time," he would reply. "Bring on your lions !" '- Accordingly, the party soon was hurried into motion. The caravan started early Thursday morning from the ranch of Sir Alfred Pease and proceeded slowly in the Mau Hills. This range is open for wide areas, but in places is covered with dense growths, where game is plentiful. The first night in camp was without special incident, no attempt being made to go after lions, although their call was heard now and then during the course of the night, but at dawn the camp was astir, and the drive speedily organized. ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE. 57 The native beaters set out in all directions under the instruc- tion of the "headman," armed with all sorts of noise-making devices, which could not but arouse any game within earshot. Some of the beats proved blanks, but by nightfall no less than ten kinds of game had been bagged. Kermit during the greater part of the day did more effective work with his camera than he did with his gun, he and the other members of the party allowing Col. Roosevelt the much-prized shots. Mr. Selous accompanied the former President, who also was attended by the usual retinue of beaters. As a rule the beaters go into the jungle with considerable trepidation, but as Col. Roosevelt's reputation as a hunter had reached Africa long before he arrived in person, the beaters on this occasion were exceptionally enthu- siastic. They seemed even eager to play a part in the first hunt of the distinguished American. FIRST LION HUNT FULL OF THRILLS. Col. Roosevelt's first lion hunt was full enough of thrills to last the average man a lifetime, yet it is doubtful if that dauntless hunter so much as turned a hair at his marvellous shot, which unquestionably saved the life of two members of his party. After that one shot, his fame was as secure in Africa as it is in America. The beaters had discovered three lions in the act of pulling down a buffalo, off on the edge of the open ground, where prairie and jungle meet. Two of the men, one of them a native and the other a white employe of Sir Alfred Pease, Col. Roosevelt's host, stealthily advanced and strove to disconcert the animals and to drive them in the direction of the other members of the party. Two of the lions, with that queer psychology so common in wild beasts, bounded off into the high grass, and temporarily, at least, evaded the sportsmen. Not so the third and largest of the trio. With a bound and a roar he leaped for the now thoroughly terrified men. One instant he was in the air in a grand flying charge. The next— 58 ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE /UNGLE. "Crack!" spoke a rifle full in his face. Limp in death the majestic beast crashed to earth and Col. Roosevelt's first shot at really big game in Africa had saved two lives. The Ex-President's fondest ambition had been realized! Scarcely had this magnificent beast fallen before the deadly aim of the American sportsman, now more than ever a hero among these simple children of nature -than one of the beaters who had gone up the river-bed close by to get some water, came running back to say that a lion had been down to drink at one of the shallow sand wells. Col. Roosevelt started at once w T ith two trackers, tell- ing his pony-boy to follow on as soon as he could get the pony saddled. When tracking, he had been advised always to have the pony led some distance behind. The boy ought to have no difficulty in following the tracks of two or three men and a lion, and if the pony is kept close up, it is sure to stamp or blow its nose at the critical moment. A TIRESOME JOURNEY FOLLOWING A LION. When they got to the well there was the spoor plain enough in the sand, but rather blurred by some rain which had fallen at day- break. This made the tracking a little difficult after they left the river-bed, but when they had followed it slowly for some distance, they came to a place where the lion had lain down under a thick bush, evidently to shelter from the rain, as the spoor after this was quite distinct on the top of the damp ground. This made the party think they were in for a short track, for it must have been light when the lion went on again, and lions gen- erally lie up shortly after the sun rises; but this day proved an exception, because it was cloudy and cool through the forenoon. The spoor now led along a sandy path, where they could follow it as fast as they could walk. When it turned off into the bush, all quite expected to see the lion at any moment ; but not a bit of it — he wandered about through endless clumps of mimosa and "irgin" bushes, as if he did not mean to lie up at all. The track at last led down a little sandy watercourse, which it ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE. 59 followed for some distance. Up to this time the trackers had had no real difficulty in making it out, but now came the first serious check. The nullah turned off along the side of a stony ridge, and, instead of going along it, the lion had turned up the hill. The party had got the general direction that the lion had been going in, but this was no good, as on casting forward in the same line to the bot- tom of the other side of the ridge where there was some sandy ground, they could find no sign of his having passed in that direction. Nonplussed the party halted for a few minutes, but Col. Roose- velt, having tasted blood, could not long restrain his impatience. "Another lion," he was heard to mutter, "won't that be a grand climax for the day's hunt?" A MOMENT OF IMPATIENCE. Impatiently he strode back and forth while the trackers spent some time hunting about, growing less hopeful as time went on. A man following a trail by sight certainly has an enormous advan- tage over a hound hunting it by nose, because time is of no particular object to him, and every direction can be tried in turn. After mak- ing out east forward they went back to the little watercourse, and followed that down for some distance, hoping that the lion had turned down hill again; but here, too, they were disappointed, and gravitated back to where they had first lost the spoor. The trackers knew that the lion had not gone straight on, nor had he turned back; he must have gone along the top of the ridge and then crossed into other stony hills where it was hopeless to try to track him. In the meantime Selous, with half a dozen beaters, came up. On hearing of what had been done, Selous, who is never defeated, said there was a big river-bed further on in the direction in which the lion was going. It seemed a very slender chance, as he might have turned off anywhere in between, but it was the only one, so off all went. They were evidently in luck that day, for they had only gone about a quarter of a mile when the trackers struck the spoor. The lion seemed now to have made up his mind as to his direction, for 60 ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE. he kept on straight down the middle of the river-bed. The sun had come out from behind the clouds, and in places the sand was very deep, so that the American was not sorry when at last the track led into a little island of bush in the great flat sand. There was no doubt the lion was at home, for on casting round no sign was perceptible of a track coming out. The island, raised a little above the river-bed, was formed of a mass of thick-tangled bush and creepers clustered round a few big trees. The water com- ing down the river after heavy rain had washed it roughly into the form of a triangle, the apex of which pointed up the river. From this point the sides widened out to the other end, which was about thirty yards broad, the whole length being somewhat under a hundred yards. Now, more than ever, the Ex-President's impetuous tempera- ment asserted itself, but Selous, the veteran huntsman, who had slain scores of lions, counselled caution. A DANGEROUS AND TRYING SITUATION. Accordingly he posted Col. Roosevelt on a spit of land opposite the point of the island, while the beaters began to rain stones from the other side. At the first stone there was a growl and a crash in the bushes and then, for a minute or two, not a sound. The men started to walk down, one on each side, shooting and throwing in stones. Col. Roosevelt was watching them, and wondering what had happened to the lion, when there was a faint crackling just in front, and he appeared at the point of the island. Although the Colonel was standing within a few yards of him, and absolutely in the open, he did not see him. He was facing straight towards Selous and the Ex-President, and was so close that the Colonel did not like to fire at him as, on receiving the bullet, he would be very likely to plunge in the direction he was going and be upon them ; nor did he want him to come any closer; so, as he stepped down on the sand, he moved his rifle up towards the shoulder to attract his attention. He saw the move- ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE. 61 ment at once, stopped dead and turned his head sharply towards the huntsman. With an angry snarl he made one bound in the direction of the American. He was so close that the dauntless hunter could almost feel the beast's fetid breath in his face. But that bound was his last. One shot from the rifle of the former President laid him low. The bullet caught him straight in the heart while he was at the highest point of his leap and the great body of the tawny brute crashed to earth to rise no more. Coolly adjusting his glasses the Colonel strode over to where the giant form lay stretched. Then with a smile he turned to Selous : "That's a fine one, eh, Selous?" he said. "And magnificently shot, too," rejoined the Englishman with a zest in which the native beaters joined. Another gazelle next fell prey to the Ex-President's unerring aim, but he merely glanced at the carcass before he remarked : "I think I prefer lions for targets. Let's find another one." COLONEL ROOSEVELT GETS A THIRD LION. And find another one they did. The encounter was scarcely less dramatic and dangerous than the other two, and once again did the American's aim prove so true that but one bullet was neces- sary to end its life. Once again did Col. Roosevelt prove his prowess, but this time, instead of standing and letting the beast do the charging, Roosevelt himself, his eyes snapping with surprised excitement, but other- wise as cool as he had been on another memorable morning when he led his troops in the face of the Spanish fire, advanced upon a raging lion, angry at having been roused from its morning nap. One of the excited bearers fired first at the beast, but missed. The terrified bearer then made a wild dash to get under Col. Roose- velt's protection, but the lion was close upon him when the former President rushed to meet him. He was almost too late! The animal was crouching for that last spring which, had it 62 ROOSEVELT'S EXPERIENCE IN THE JUNGLE. been consummated, would have snuffed out the life of the helpless native like a candle. But that leap it never was to take! The former President was advancing along a line at an acute angle to the beast's path, but on the animal's right, so that his heart could not be reached. His head, too, was down in the tall grass, thus destroying any chance for an accurate aim. And that shot must be accurate or a man's life would pay the forfeit. With that quick decision for which he is famous, Roosevelt threw his rifle to his shoulder and, aiming at the only other vulner- able spot, the spine, split it with one ball. The beater's life was saved. Most marvellous of all, the shot that killed Col. Roosevelt's third lion was made while the Ex-President was on a run. Small wonder that the natives called him The Lion Slayer. CHAPTER III. Kermit Slays an Enraged Lioness — Three of His Volley oe Bullets Bring Death — A Brave Deed — Natives Scatter Like Chafe — Tracking the King of Beasts— Jubilant over Success — Closing in on the Prey — Novice Easily Fooled — Tales Around Campeire. T?ll /J^'*'ft ! ' i i K ^T us ' however, for the moment follow Kermit's fortunes on that happy morning, a morning that will live long in his memory. While his distinguished father and Mr. Selous were off in one direction, Kermit, accompanied by Sir Alfred Pease and a native white man of Dutch birth, went off in another, accom- panied by a score of native trackers and beaters. They had gone only about a mile from camp when the natives set up a great shouting from the far side of a small clump of bushes that stood on the edge of a large wood. They rushed round to the other side of the thicket just in time to see a fine lioness come out. Kermit could not get a clear shot at once, and when he did, after running some distance, he was shaking so that he could not get on her at all, and missed. She kept lobbing along just ahead, every Efipw and then stopping to look around and show her teeth. Each time she stopped some one shot, but so badly that they wasted seven bullets at different ranges without touching her. The first six did not seem to annoy her at all, but the last hit the ground just under her teeth, and either the bullet so close frightened her or a stone hit her, for she sprang off with a snarl and a flourish of her tail, and, putting on the pace, in a minute or two ran clean away and vanished into the thicket. It was then deemed advisable to separate, the other two white men skirting the bushes and joining the natives, while Kermit *63 LION LEAPING OVER A STOCKADE Col. Roosevelt Killed Three Large Lions Like the above During His First Day's Hunt in Africa. Q H 2 z < S2 Q I" Q CO z UJ < S a O =3 li_ UJ < 3 tl_ UJ o > - < o E u. < 1- co < UJ D Z < CO UJ I O 5 \- co O CO < CD 111 N LL o UJ Q Ul a. < CO cJ- m i x $\ 1 H 1 s tu * Z t'J'J UJ 1 ° H 7 -;;':'::•: IT If ? m ■ w r ,..| < S-i \ ' NATIVES CHASING ELEPHANTS Col. Roosevelt has Killed Several Fine Specimens. ENCOUNTER WITH BABOONS IN CENTRAL AFRICA THIS ANIMAL, WHEN IT HAS ATTAINED ITS FULL AGE, EQUALS IN SIZE A LARGE NEWFOUND- LAND DOG; WHILE IN BODILY STRENGTH AND PROWNESS, IT IS A MATCH FOR ANY TWO DOGS THAT CAN BE BROUGHT TO ATTACK IT. ■■■ id THE GIRAFFE THE TALLEST AND MOST GRACEFUL ANIMAL KNOWN. THE SKIN IS VERY THICK AND HIGHLY VALUED BY THE NATIVES OF AFRICA ■^ -.0 m SOUTH AFRICAN RIVER HOG IT FREQUENTS RIVER BANKS AND WET PLACES. ONE VARIETY IS NOTABLE FOR ITS PENCILLED EARS > CC o > o z > cc < o < o cc u. < h co < LU H D ft -;--_'- 111111 LIONS CAPTURING A BUFFALO. early as possible in the morning. If once the large flocks of sheep and goats and herds of camels which have been shut up in the villages all night are let out the ground all about is a mass of indis- tinguishable footprints, and every path from the village is choked with long strings of beasts going off to their feeding grounds. Hitting off a lion's spoor under these circumstances is almost im- possible, and the dust raised by the herds is very disagreeable. Besides villages, any well in the neighborhood is a good place to look for spoor. If a lion is about there ought to be no difficulty in picking up his spoor within a day or two. 70* TRACKING THE LION TO HIS LAIR. For his part the lion is no seeker of quarrels; he is often described in accents of contempt. His object throughout is to save his skin. If, being unarmed, you meet six or seven lions unex- pectedly, all you need do — according to my information — is to speak to them sternly and they will slink away, while you throw a few stones at them to hurry them up. All the highest authorities recom- mend this. But when pursued from place to place, chased hither and thither by the wheeling horsemen, the naturally mild disposition of the lion becomes embittered. First he begins to growl and roar at his enemies, in order to terrify them and make them leave him in peace. Then he darts little short charges at them. Finally, when every attempt at peaceful persuasion has failed, he pulls up abruptly and offers battle. WILL FIGHT TO THE DEATH. Once he has done this he will run no more. He means to fight, and to fight to the death. He means to charge home: and when a lion, maddened with the agony of a bullet wound, distressed by long and hard pursuit, or, most of all, a lioness in defense of her cubs, is definitely committed to the charge, death is the only possible conclusion. Broken limbs, broken jaws, a body raked from end to end, lungs pierced through and through, entrails torn and protruding — none of these count. It must be death— instant and utter — for the lion, or down goes the man, mauled by septic claws and fetid teeth, crushed and crunched, and poisoned afterward to make doubly sure. Such are the habits of this cowardly animal. It is at the stage when the lion has been determinedly " bayed " that the sportsman from London or New York is usually intro- duced upon the scene. He has, we may imagine, followed the riders as fast as the inequalities of the ground, his own want of training and the burden of a heavy rifle will allow him. He arrives at the spot where the lion is cornered in much the same manner as the matador enters the arena, the others standing aside deferentially, ready to aid or divert the lion. TRACKING THE LION TO HIS LAIR. *71 If his bullet kills he is, no doubt, justly proud. If it only wounds, the lion charges the nearest horseman. For forty yards the charge of a lion is swifter than the gallop of a racehorse. The riders, therefore, usually avoid waiting within that distance. But sometimes they do not ; or sometimes the lion sees the man who has shot him ; or sometimes all sorts of things happen which make good stories — afterwards. Who can doubt that around the campfire that night, were gathered the happiest group in all Africa. His muscles already beginning to take on the hardness that comes of the jungle, the former President sat back in lazy contentment and listened to the stories told by the other hunters. Kermit, proudly sitting at his father's side, for the first time felt that he too was of this hardy breed of man who have faced the lion in his lair and laid him low. His pride in his accomplishment was natural and is not to be denied. Nor was he alone in his satis- faction. His father beamed upon him proudly, the brave son of a noble sire. It would take a volume in itself to recount the stories of hair- breadth escapes told that night around the gleaming fire. CHAPTER IV. OFF FOR TFIF AFRICAN WlLDS-ENTHUSlASTIC GATHERING OF " Home Folks "-Forts Thunder Salute as Ship Sails- Ovation Tremendous, Though Unofficial-Taft Sends Present-Talks to Newspaper Men-Tribute from Italians— Story of the Voyage. ASCINATING as were Roosevelt's first days in Africa, it will perhaps be well, for the time being, to leave the happy hunters grouped about the camp fire, after that glorious day's shooting, and to retrace the trip of the great American from the time he left his native land until he landed on the shores of the Dark Continent. Former President Roosevelt's departure from Ins home town at 7 o'clock on the morning of March 23, 1909, was marked by an enthusiastic gathering of his fellow-citizens at the stetoon to tad him Godspeed. Colonel Roosevelt shook hands with those who pressed about him for a parting greeting, and there was a lusty cheer as the train moved out. , Colonel Roosevelt was up with the sun and immediately all was astir at Sagamore Hill making ready for the three-mile drive to the station Kermit appeared alternately happy at the prospect of an exciting trip and not a little dejected at leaving home Colonel Roosevelt bade good-bye to the family at the house and drove down to the station with Kermit and little Ouentin, who sat on the front seat with Noah Seaman, the family driver, the ex- President wore his light buff army overcoat with the colonel s insig- nia on the sleeve, and Kermit wore a coat of similar cloth and Tt the station Colonel Roosevelt kissed Ouentin good-bye and there was a hint of tears in his eyes as he said farewell. He shook 72* FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. *73 hands warmly with his driver and patted the neck of old Rustin, the family horse. " He is a bully good fellow," he said as he caressed the animal. Waving a parting farewell with his black slouch hat, a few hours later, his face beaming in the morning sun as he stood on the captain's bridge of the steamship Hamburg, former President Roosevelt sailed away from New York for his long planned African " Safari." He left his native shores amid the cheers of thousands of persons who swarmed the Hamburg-American Line pier at Hoboken, the whistles of countless river craft and the thunderous reverberations of the ex-President's salute of thirteen guns from Forts Hamilton and Wadsworth. FATHER AND SON ON THE SHIP'S BRIDGE. P>eside the happy figure of the former President as the steam- ship slipped out of her dock stood a lad, seemingly dejected as he wistfully gazed at the cheering multitude on the pier below. It was Kermit Roosevelt, who accompanied his father as official photo- grapher of the expedition. Father and son, both clad in brilliant buff-hued army coats, remained on the bridge on the trip down the bay and acknowledged with sweeps of their hats the salutes of the vessels. The ovation was unofficial in character, but many high in the affairs of the nation were present. The crowd in its enthusiasm bowled over the lines of policemen on the pier, surrounded the former President while a bronze tablet was being presented by the Italian- American Chamber of Commerce, and before he was again safely back on the sheltering gangplank knocked his hat from his head and caused him to drop a vacuum bottle which had been pre- sented by Pittsburgh admirers. Colonel Roosevelt was not hurt in the rush and seemed to enjoy his experience with the crowd. True to his . promise, Colonel Roosevelt made no statements regarding his hunt in British East Africa other than to say that he probably would be gone about a year and a quarter. Colonel Roosevelt eschewed politics to inquiring friends and contented 74* FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. himself with expressions of pleasure and appreciations of the kindly- farewells. One incident of the departure which touched Colonel Roosevelt probably more than any other was the presentation of a message and gift from President Taft by Captain Archibald Butt, who was chief military aide to Colonel Roosevelt and holds that position under President Taft. Captain Butt had a difficult time in reach- ing Colonel Roosevelt. It was imperative that he should do so, as he carried a message from the President which required a reply. Finally after Colonel Roosevelt had boarded the ship a second time Captain Butt reached him in his stateroom. PARTING GIFT FROM TAFT: Grasping his former aide by the hand with a " By George, it is good to see you again, Archie," Colonel Roosevelt drew the Pre- sident's messenger aside to talk with him. Captain Butt then delivered President Taft's message and a small package containing a ruler of gold with pencil attached. It was a collapsible ruler twelve inches long when drawn out of the end of the pencil. On it was inscribed: "To Theodore Roosevelt from William Howard Taft: Goodby and good luck. Best wishes for a safe return." When Colonel Roosevelt opened the package he exclaimed, " Well, now, isn't that just too fine ! It certainly was thoughtful and kind of President Taft to send this to me and I appreciate it greatly." Turning to Captain Butt he whispered a message for him to carry to the White House and said he would reply by wireless telegraph to the letter Mr. Taft had sent to him. Captain Butt, learning that Mrs. Roosevelt had remained at Sagamore Hill, promised Colonel Roosevelt he would go out during the afternoon to pay his respects. One of the last acts of Colonel Roosevelt before sailing was to send a message to President Taft reading : " Parting thanks, love and sincerity." Friends and political and official associates almost without number went aboard the steamship to speed the departing hunter. FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. *75 Only those who were known to Douglas Robinson, brother-in-law of Colonel Roosevelt, were admitted to Colonel Roosevelt's suite. An eleventh hour decoration in Colonel Roosevelt's main state room was the hanging on the walls of portraits of the several members of the Roosevelt family and pictures of the White House and Saga- more Hill. The departure of the Hamburg was delayed until 1 1.06 o'clock by Captain Burmeister, so that Major General Wood and his staff might board the steamship from the Government tug WyckofT and bid 2'oodbv to their former commander-in-chief. Former Judge E. H. Gray, Senator Elihu Root, former Secre- tary of the Interior James R. Garfield; Robert Bacon, former Assistant Secretary of State; Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts; Silas McBee, editor of the Churchman; General Bingham, Commis- sioner of New York Police, and M. Jusserand, the French Am- bassador, and Mine. Jusserand, were noted among the more promi- nent visitors. COLONEL ROOSEVELT MAKES HIS LAST SPEECH. From the forward gangplank of the ship Colonel Roosevelt, addressing the Pittsburgh delegation and representatives of various organizations that had come to New York to see him off, made his last speech. He said: " I want to thank the representatives from Pittsburgh who have come all this distance to see me off. I am indeed grateful and am touched by their thoughtfulness and kindness in coming such a long way. I want to thank also all my fellow citizens who came to see me off. To you and all Americans T say God bless you." The Hamburg presented a pretty marine picture as she steamed down the river in the sunlight. Racing alongside the Hamburg was a fleet of tugs tooting incessantly. The tugs carried scores of Colonel Roosevelt's friends, including Collector of the Port William Loeb, Jr., former private secretary to Colonel Roosevelt, and others in the Federal service. Colonel Roosevelt waved his hat in answer to the cheers of those on the tugs, for the high wind prevented any sound of human 76* FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. voice from carrying across the waters. The Hamburg dipped her colors in answer to the salute of the forts and her siren answered the frequent whistles of the craft met and passed. When the Hamburg was last seen moving eastward in the haze that hung over the Atlantic those on the tugs saw a figure high upon the bridge waving a last farewell. Colonel Roosevelt and Kermit received a continuous ovation from the time they landed at the East River terminal of the Long Island Railroad from Oyster Bay to the sailing. There was a burst of cheers as the ferryboat landed at 34th street and as the party whirled through the city streets pedestrians catching a fleeting glimpse of the ex-President, cheered, took off their hats and waved farewell. FIRST TRIP THROUGH THE HUDSON TUBE. Colonel Roosevelt took the keenest interest in his first trip through the Hudson tube in a special train and took a position in the front car so that he might inspect the underground bore. He shook the motorman's hand after the trip, saying, " I want to shake hands with the man behind the gun." Colonel Roosevelt started the first train through the tunnel a year before by pressing a button in the White House. On the trip from Oyster Bay scores of men and women stopped and shook Colonel Roosevelt's hand, wishing him farewell and a successful trip. At Long Island City there were only a few who recognized Colonel Roosevelt and his son. After a brisk walk they boarded the ferryboat Hempstead. Here they were surrounded by a crowd of Long Island commuters, who came forward and extended their farewells. As the Hempstead entered her slip the captain of the boat from the pilot house called for " Three cheers for Teddy Roosevelt." Instantly there was a burst of cheers which lasted several minutes. Colonel Roosevelt was met here by Douglas Robinson, his brother-in-law, and Lawrence Abbott. The party proceeded to the Hudson tunnel in an automobile. To the newspaper men Colonel Roosevelt said : " It's just a fine FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. *77 day to travel and ought to be fine at sea. I have received hundreds of telegrams wishing me a safe journey, but I will not give out the names of those who sent them. As I have said before, I have no statement to make, and it's strange you gentlemen of the press have not asked me this morning if I have a message for the American people. No, there is nothing to be said, and I really don't know why newspaper men should want to travel with me to Naples or Mom- basa. Surely there is little likelihood of there being any incidents at sea. ' You tell me that the photographer of Mr. Harmsworth's papers, who accompanied the Prince of Wales to India, is going to join us at Gibraltar. That will be fine, won't it, Kermit? He can help you. I cannot definitely say how long I shall be away, but it will be about fifteen months. My lecture at Oxford will take place in the spring of 1910. I expect to have a good time, and I am sure the expedition will be a success." TALKS TO NEWSPAPER MEN. Later he received the newspaper men on the Hamburg, when he said : " Now, gentlemen, I am glad to see you. What can I tell you? Oh, yes; there is that picture (indicating a portrait of President Taft). It is very interesting, and very fine, don't you think so? " Oh, gentlemen, there is one thing that I desire very much to have you say for me. There is an immense mass of mail on board this steamship which has come to me and which I have not been able to open, and much of which I will not be able to open for some time. I have no stenographer with me. " Since I left the White House I have received about 5000 or 6000 letters. Four-fifths of these I have not even seen. My thanks to the people who sent them is, however, none the less. Now, I wish that you would say for me that it will be only a waste of time for any one to write to me while I am in Africa. Again I will say that I deeply appreciate the courtesy of those who have written me, and take this occasion to give them my thanks." More than three thousand persons were crowded on the pier when Colonel Roosevelt arrived, and they cheered tumultuously. 78* FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. The Hamburg's band was on the promenade deck playing the "Star- Spangled Banner " and the " Watch on the Rhine." Hundreds of flags were hoisted aloft and the ship put in full dress. The pier at which the Hamburg lay was decorated with bunting and flags and the gangway to the first cabin was draped with American flags. TIIE FORTS IN NEW YORK HARBOR THUNDERED FORTH THE EX- PRESIDENTIAL SALUTE AS COLONEL ROOSEVELT'S SHIP PASSED OUT TO SEA. A notable feature of the reception was the tribute paid by the Italian-American Chamber of Commerce. This body presented a bronze tablet bearing on one side a portrait of Colonel Roosevelt and on the other the scene of the Sicilian earthquake and a repre- sentation of the goddess of peace placing a wreath on Roosevelt's head. The tablet was inscribed: " To Theodore Roosevelt: To you and the United States, a tribute of thanksgiving from Italo- Ameri- cans for generous help to their stricken brethren of Calabria and Sicily." FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. *79 Several delegations from Italian societies were present, bring- ing a band, a floral offering and a large banner, which was erected on the pier. It bore the inscription: " Italo- Americans, let us shout, ' Long live President Roosevelt and the United States.' A tribute of thanksgiving on behalf of our brethren of Sicily and Calabria. Let us solemnly condemn any crime staining Italy's name. Let us here pledge our loyalty to American institutions. Long live America." COLONEL ROOSEVELT SWEPT OFF HIS FEET. It was when Colonel Roosevelt appeared on the after-gangplank to accept the tablet that the crowds swept him off his feet. As he came down the gangplank the cheering redoubled, and a party of college boys from Stevens Institute, in Hoboken, let loose their yell. On the way across the pier the lines of police escorting Colonel Roosevelt were broken through and the ex-President was swept toward the tablet by the crush. The crowd closed in solidly behind him, and while the police were endeavoring to fight off the on-rush, Colonel Roosevelt asked the speakers to cut the presentation cere- mony short. Colonel Roosevelt in reply said: " I appreciate this very much. I want to thank you all. I cannot tell you how deeply touched I am." Colonel Roosevelt gave directions that the tablet be sent to Mrs. Roosevelt and turned back toward the ship. The police did their best to clear a way for him, but the crowd became demon- strative. Two policemen were knocked off their feet, but were not injured. As he neared the gangplank Colonel Roosevelt's hat flew off and the vacuum bottle which had been presented to him was knocked from his hand. He bowed his thanks when the articles were returned to him and smilingly called " I am all right." Everywhere he moved outside his apartments Colonel Roose- velt could not escape the leave takers. More than once he was nearly jostled off his feet, and on one occasion was saved by a police- man from a fall at the edge of a short flight of steps. The story of the first leg of the voyage, to Naples, is well told in the language of William Bayard Hale, who sailed on the 80* FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. Hamburg from Gibraltar to Naples. Mr. Hale says : " Now that Colonel Roosevelt is safely out of Europe, it is possible to speak of a feature of his journey concerning which it was advisable only to hint while the voyage was in progress. It is quite true that there was no little uneasiness among those in command of the arrangements respecting the personal safety of their distinguished charge. " Whether or not the investigations conducted by Lieutenant Petrosino in Sicily and his assassination there had determined the abandonment of the plan according to which Colonel Roosevelt was to spend ten days in Italy, there is no known ground, at all events, for asserting, but it is the case that immediately after the murder of the New York police officer it was decided that Colonel Roosevelt would sail for Naples, not on the Konig Albrecht, departing March 1 1 and arriving at Naples on the 25th, ten days before the sailing of the Admiral, but on the Hamburg, ten days later, due to arrive the day before the sailing of the Admiral. STEAMER DELIBERATELY HELD BACK. " It is also true that the Hamburg did not make her schedule time, and that she was deliberately held back, arriving at Naples after noon of the 5th. The Admiral had been docked alongside the berth prepared for the Hamburg, and every arrangement had been made to transfer the expedition, its complete personnel, luggage and stores, directly to the ship for Mombasa. " Over morning coffee on the 5th Colonel Roosevelt was gleeful over the discomfiture of Mr. Griscom, the Ambassador at Rome (of whom really the ex-President is particularly fond), who had persisted in plans for a landing at Naples, and who had started out to meet the Hamburg on the United States gunboat Scorpion, with the idea of taking the Colonel off. Colonel Roosevelt had, in his own phrase, ' wig-wagged ' back — in reality he had marconigraphed — the Scorpion that it might go back to port ; he wasn't going to leave the Hamburg till he went aboard the Admiral. " There is no danger of any one fancying that Colonel Roose- velt was afraid. He is afraid of nothing. It is quite true, how- FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. *81 ever, that he is not unaware that the life of a public man is an inviting object of attack to certain types of the criminal and the insane. He spoke of this fact quite openly and naturally on this trip. ' The grossly exaggerated stories which filled Europe after the Hamburg left the Azores had just this much basis in fact, that after leaving New York an insane steerage passenger did aproach Colonel Roosevelt on board muttering incoherently something about his children. DARED DEATH IN STEERAGE. " Shortly after this unfortunate incident Colonel Roosevelt proposed to the Captain and the Royal Italian Commissioner that he should visit the steerage. The officers were much alarmed at the suggestion, not apprehending that it was Colonel Roosevelt's idea thus to give the lie to the story that there was any enmity toward him on board or that there was any fear of the Italian emigrants either on his part or on that of the ship's officers. ' But there might be a bad man there,' exclaimed the Captain. ' As if,' said Colonel Roosevelt, in telling me of the incident, 'as if there might not be a " ' bad man' " anywhere!' " He then spoke, as if he had given the matter some thought, of the best means of repelling an assault, observing, among other things, that there was no defense against a swift shot or blow in the back, and concluding by exclaiming that in case of a tussle he might prove to be a 'bad man' himself; though not looking for trouble, he was acquainted with trouble, ready for trouble, and prepared to give trouble a welcome; he was prepared to eat up anything that didn't bite him first. " After having determined to transfer directly to the Admiral at Naples, Colonel Roosevelt debated the idea of making a landing at Messina. He was all against it, except on the ground of a single consideration, namely, that to steam past the scene of one of the world's greatest catastrophies, still palpitating with its anguish, might seem like a display of indifference to human sorrow. It was this reflection that determined him to marconigraph to Mr. Griscom, 6— R. Ex. 82* FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. consenting to land if, in the Ambassador's judgment, it was advis- able to do so. " Colonel Roosevelt did not then know that the King of Italy was to be at Messina. The stop in Sicily was, however, deliberately arranged by Colonel Roosevelt. The landing at Naples was against his wish. The Ambassador, when I congratulated him on having the last laugh over the Naples plans, replied that it had not been a question of what Mr. Griscom wanted, but what the police arrange- ment made necessary — an oracular remark which he did not go on to explain. " It was evident at the pier that the police precautions were very great ; a cordon of guards kept the waiting thousands several hundred yards from the dock, and a regiment of gendarmes stood at the plank when it was lowered to prevent any attempt to go aboard. The Hotel Excelsior was also surrounded by guards while the ex-President was within it. DISLIKED TO APPEAR AS A PUBLIC OFFICIAL. " It was precisely to avoid being the object of such solicitude that Colonel Roosevelt wished not to land in Europe at that time. He dislikes excessively to appear as anything but a private person. He is aware that the position he has held has rendered him a public figure, and he is delighted to be received as a distinguished Ameri- can. But as to anything in the nature of public honors — that he will not accept. " Conversing on this subject on shipboard with Colonel Roose- velt, I asked him if he did not apprehend there would be difficulty in drawing the line between what would naturally be offered a dis- tinguished private American and what would amount to official honors. ' None in the least,' he replied. It is only necessary that the point be thoroughly understood from the start. It was with this intention that Colonel Roosevelt was particularly emphatic in his telegram to Sir Frederick Eorestier Wright, Governor of Gibraltar, declining anything that could be construed as official honors. " I mentioned the trip around the world taken by ex-President FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. *83 Grant as the only precedent for Colonel Roosevelt. Grant traveled with a considerable retinue, and was received everywhere with honors. ' Yes,' said Colonel Roosevelt, ' and our people seemed to have been pleased at it, taking the honors given the ex-President as a compliment to themselves.' But there will be on this trip no repetition of the formalities participated in by Gen. Grant. A MOOR ON TEE STREETS OF GIBRALTAR. " The Governor of Gibraltar was" a little puzzled over the proper course to pursue, being a typical Englishman, very much at sea without a precedent to guide him, and doubtless might have been rather nicer to Colonel Roosevelt without displeasing. " An hour after the visitors from the Hamburg had landed there appeared in shop windows in the town photographs repre- 84* FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. senting the disembarkation of Colonel Roosevelt with a battalion of troops drawn up to receive him. It is possible for a clever photographer to do anything with a camera. As a matter of fact, I myself was the only person on the dock when Colonel Roosevelt landed at Gibraltar. " The Consul and Vice Consul, the Consul at Malaga and an aidecamp on the Governor's staff had gone on board, and there were perhaps a score of people at the public landing, but the picture, like many of the imaginative particulars which adorned the stories which European newspapers printed of the trip, was a pure ' fake.' " Gibraltar, if the truth be told, took not the least interest in the visit of the Roosevelt party; the presence of the Princess Royal, who was to distribute prizes at an Arts and Crafts show, that afternoon, was all the glory it could get away with for one day. At Naples the interest, both official and general, was very great indeed. THE MAGNIFICENT MEDITERRANEAN. " The afternoon after leaving Gibraltar was the most lovely imaginable, and was followed by an equally wonderful night. Colonel Roosevelt was a-weary of ship life, but his spirits rose to the highest when the panorama of Mediterranean splendors unfolded itself as the ship made her way through these fabled waters past Spain's purple headlands, rising presently into romping and jubilant slopes and soon into the glittering snow peaks of the Sierra Nevada. " Back of them lay the scenes of the long struggle of the Moors and Christians, one of the most picturesque of history, and Colonel Roosevelt was full of it — of the romance and heroism and colorful dramatic nature of it, as well as of the fascinating human questions that attend the envisagement and contest of two contrasted religions and civilizations such as that of Saracen and Christian, Moor and Spaniard. " He had something to say, too, of the present condition of the land filled with glorious monuments of a golden age. " But chiefly his mind went back further to the earliest days when adventurous man put out past these shores through Hercules' FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. *85 Pillars to conquests or strange and terrible death amidst the mys- teries of the unknown Western Ocean. " I knew Colonel Roosevelt possessed a lively historic imagina- tion, but I feel moved to record that I can imagine no one more eloquently possessed by the spirit of the remote past than he was as we sailed these seas. He seemed to see, as repeatedly he said he did see, the fleets of thronging generations passing before his eyes, and he gazed over the rail and pointed at them, from the tiny boat of the first adventurer who cried : Push off, and, sitting well in order, smite The sounding- furrow ; for my purpose holds To sail beyond the sunset and the baths Of all the western stars, until I die, down to the magnificent modern armadas whose prows had cut this blue — the latest and most splendid of all by his own orders. I had to remind him of that. " There is a story for you — a little history sidelight, a ' human interest' anecdote, complete in itself: You are walking the deck of a steamer passing through waters that have been the theatre of stirring and romantic events ever since history began. " A man of wonderfully vivid imagination is talking to you of those events, looking out and seeing them all over freshly himself and bringing them before your eyes till you, too, see ghostly fleets passing, hear the accents of Hellenic adventures and, crowding into ten minutes the sea romances of twenty centuries, witness at last the processions of the maritime glory of modern times. " And after a little, you bethink you that within a few months a fleet has been here at the sight of which Jason would have swooned, and Villaneuve stared, and Nelson been confounded, and you say to the man on the deck with you : But the greatest sight these mountains ever looked down upon was the fleet that has just sailed around the world. It was you who sent it, you know.' And the man who has been making all that history live again, stops in his walk, and looks out again over the rail, while it all comes over him again with a suddenly new and "the panorama of the mediterranean unfolded its splendors. FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. *87 more intimate interest, and turns to you again and says : ' By George, it was, wasn't it?' " On the subject of civilizations, Colonel Roosevelt, who has an astonishing fund of information regarding India and an acute realization of the problems that confront the British Government there, one day on board turned from a discussion of that racial crisis to deliver a monologue on the subject of the position of the negroes, or more particularly of the mulatto, and the near-white colored man and woman, in the United States, which for its appreciation of the tragedy that existence may become would be hard to match in any literature with which I am familiar. GROWING GENTLER OF HEART. " Colonel Roosevelt is growing a little older and he is becoming a great deal gentler of heart. I am not sure but Ferrero would adjudge him a decadent, if he could have heard him talk of the pitiable lot of educated colored young men or girls, and their attempt to ' cross the line,' or have heard him quote poetry under the influ- ence of the sunset and the moonlight, or have watched his affection for half a dozen kiddies on board. " One of these was a little shaver whose parents were Germans living in America, but who himself could speak no German. ' Rather too bad/ I remarked. 4 Not a bit of it. It is just as it should be,' the ex-President rejoined instantly. " ' We want this lad to grow up an American, through and through. Let his children learn German, and be proud of their German grandparents, but let every thought and every word and instinct of this first generation in America be American.' " Colonel Roosevelt remarked that he had to translate German to Mr. Loeb, his private secretary, though Mr. Loeb's parents came from Germany not knowing a word of English. " Here, as well as in any other place, may be set down the story of Mr. Newberry's pants. Coming down through Spain from Seville, say, to Algeciras, is tedious work. You are quite alone in your compartment — if you are so lucky as to find a first-class car- riage on the train. From early morning till late at night, you look 88* FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. out of the windows at wonderful scenery, it is true, and you buy oranges of pretty damsels at the stations, and eggs, which you find uncooked, but on which you manage to subsist after performing a primitive experiment in physics. " In the afternoon you begin to buy Spanish papers and puzzle over the language — very sonorous on the tongue, but a little trouble- some on the printed page. On the first page of a Madrid journal of the preceding week, however, there stood out one phrase which caught the eye of the lonely traveler as a beacon of hope catches the eye of the despairing mariner. There it stood, in the middle of the page of that stately Castillian: No Plush Pants for Ml. " I may have missed the loveliest bit of scenery in the wild Rondo Mountains, but I mastered the article that surrounded that homely English. It was to the effect that an American politician had won immortal fame in his own land by declining an appointment to an Ambassadorship in the not over-elegant but forcible exclama- tion given. " The article further stated that the gentleman's phrase had so pleased the democratic enthusiasm of the people of his State, which was Michigan, that he would probably be elected Senator. ANXIOUS FOR THE LATEST NEWS. " Colonel Roosevelt says he has left the Presidency behind him ; that all that is as if it had never been; but I noticed that he was eager for the latest news. So, after retailing the circumstances of the Paris postal strike and the English naval crisis and the Balkan imbroglio, I told Colonel Roosevelt of the Michigan man's exploit. No one ever told Colonel Roosevelt anything and failed to find that he knew more about it than the narrator himself. ' That must be Newberry,' said the ex-President. ' The remark is a paraphrase of something I said about him once. He was mentioned to me for a diplomatic appointment, and I remarked that he was one of the finest fellows in the world, but I didn't believe Newberry wanted any plush pants.' " Colonel Roosevelt is the greatest phrase-coiner in American history. Colonel Roosevelt has become a great story teller. He FROM SAGAMORE HILL TO THE WILDS OF AFRICA. *89 has acquired the art of taking refuge in an anecdote — an art the father of which was Abraham Lincoln. ' The Hamburg had on board, to the joy of all who knew him, General Huidekoper of Philadelphia, who knew Lincoln intimately, and who tells many stories of the great war President's wit. When Huidekoper was first presented to President Lincoln, he was asked whether his name indicated a dutch origin. • Yes,' said the young officer, ' our family came from Amster- dam.' ■ Well, Colonel,' said the President, ' then perhaps you can tell me what is the difference between an Amsterdam Dutchman and any otherdam Dutchman.' " Colonel Roosevelt delighted in these stories of Lincoln, who grows more and more his ideal, and did his best to match the stories which the gallant General repeated. ' Though the Mediterranean voyage soon became a boisterous one, against head seas and through a two-days' gale, the ex-Presi- dent, though he confessed to a weariness of confinement in the ship, never for a moment lost the remarkable thoughtfulness and cor- diality toward his fellow-passengers. " One of the most pleasant incidents of the trip was his seeking out of the mother of Mrs. Cleveland, who came aboard at Gibraltar; it delighted him to be able to pay his respects to the relative of his illustrious Democratic predecessor. " But he was no less courteous to every man, woman, and child on the ship, carefully giving a personal goodbye to every one who had traveled with him on a voyage distinguished throughout by mutual consideration, accord and good feeling." CHAPTER V. On Rock-Crowned Gibraltar — Naples Wild Over Roosevelt — Reception by Royalty — In Shadow oe Vesuvius — Precau- tions by the Police — Greetings by Wireless — Oee eor Sicily- Ttiunderous Salutes. UT five stops on the way to Mombasa were DA w : \ of more than ordinary interest. Additional J ^j^wi; ^ zest was l ent to these landings on foreign ijjflijf soil by the strenuous efforts of the officials \r , ." h "% there to do honor to the great American whose fame was world-wide. Gibraltar was reached on the second day of April, after stops at Horta, on the Island of Fayat, and at Ponto del Grada, on Sao Miguel, in the Azores. Xo more unassuming passenger than Colonel Roosevelt ever sailed the seas. So subdued of demeanor was he, indeed, that it was difficult to identify him with his former torrential personality. The first three days of the voyage Colonel Roosevelt remained largely in the cabins and found that he was not altogether immune from seasickness. The unpleasant weather in crossing the Gulf Stream did not prevent him from taking his constitutional, morning and evening, and making his appearance at dinner. It was while on one of these walks that Colonel Roosevelt got his first glimpse of the giant of the deep, the whale, while off in the distance lay two vessels, hove to, while the sailors tried to capture it. Notwithstanding his insistence that he is now merely a private citizen, the Royal Italian Emigration Commissioner insisted on giv- ing up his seat at the captain's right; but, notwithstanding the usual number of amateur photographers and autograph hunters, with all whose requests Colonel Roosevelt complied, the passengers as a 90* m 9# : - INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP TO MOMBASA. whole recognized his evident desire to be treated merely as a fellow- traveler. The popularity of this new role was attested by the animated groups which gathered each evening on deck and in the drawing room, and of which he was the centre. On Saturday evening Colonel Roosevelt made his first appear- ance of the trip in evening clothes. The occasion was a dance. The promenade deck was converted into a ballroom, through which a score of couples, among them Kermit, who danced until midnight, found more or less difficulty in keeping their feet in the choppy sea. The first surprise of the voyage came when it was announced that the ship would touch at Horta and St. Miguel, in the Azores. Horta, the westernmost of the group and one which liners rarely touch, was sighted Tuesday morning, although it was past noon before the Hamburg's anchors rumbled down off the breakwater at Fayal. THE PICTURESQUE AZORES, The picturesque horseshoe-shaped harbor, with its fringe of pink, blue and yellow houses in the background and its luxuriant gardens, had a particular interest for the Colonel, as it was here that during the War of 1812 the American privateer, General Arm- strong, took refuge from five British warships. After beating off repeated attacks of the British until every American was dead or wounded, Captain Reed pointed his Long Tom gun down the hatch- way and sent the ship to the bottom with colors flying and with the crew aboard. The Portuguese quarantine officer at Fayal, on being informed, to his unbounded amazement, that the ex-President was aboard, promptly expressed a desire to take him ashore. A gig was promptly offered, which was accepted with equal promptness, despite the heavy sea. The Fayalez spend the middle of the day at siesta. The ex- President had been ashore an hour before the town woke up to the identity of its distinguished guest. Escorted by the American con- sular agent and port doctor, Colonel Roosevelt was driven in a INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP TO MOMBASA. *93 typical Fayalez vehicle for a few miles into the surrounding country, where he obtained glimpses of the primitive agricultural methods still pursued in these out-of-the-way islands. By the time he returned from his drive a crowd of several hundred natives, English and Germans, attached to the cable sta- tions, had assembled and cheered vociferously. Colonel Roosevelt held an informal reception on the quay and received a huge bouquet of camelias from a lady of the English colony. A somewhat unpleasant incident occurred as he was ascending the steps to the promenade deck. An Italian steerage passenger, who was being deported, rushed toward him talking unintelligibly. The man was immediately placed in irons and examined. The surgeon pronounced him violently insane. LANDED IN A ROUGH SEA. Ponta del Gada was reached at daybreak on Wednesday, but the steamship Finland was occupying the inner berth, and it was necessary for the Hamburg to anchor outside the breakwater. A terrific sea was running, and the passengers were forbidden to land. Word had been cabled from Horta of his coming, and prepara- tions had been made to give him an official reception and a guard of honor. The sea became so violent that all hope of his going ashore was abandoned, and the troops were withdrawn. Not ten minutes later, however, a boat swung around the end of the breakwater and Colonel Roosevelt, in a military overcoat, with the stripes of a colonel on the sleeves and a Rough Rider hat, stepped ashore. Traversing the cobble-paved Marina, and crossing the quaint Cathedral square, he entered the consulate and showed himself for a moment on the balcony, bowing to the cheering crowd below. In returning, the greatest difficulty was experienced in getting alongside. At a critical and somewhat inopportune moment, the ship's band burst forth with "The Star-Spangled Banner." Colonel Roosevelt, despite the perilous swaying of the boat, rose to his feet and stood bareheaded until the music ceased. With the boat alongside the gangway, the Colonel started to jump, but, hampered by the folds of his overcoat, his foot slipped 94 * INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP TO MOMBASA. and he went into the water to his knees. Fourth Officer Hessler and the quartermaster, however, caught him under the arms and lifted him to safety. Colonel Roosevelt, dripping with water, made light of the experience. On Wednesday afternoon the passengers had an opportunity to see Colonel Roosevelt in a novel role. He acted as master of GIBRALTAR. ceremonies, judges, starter and official announcer of the games. That he enjoyed himself hugely there is no doubt, for from the beginning of the program to the end he was convulsed with laughter. At the captain's dinner the night before the arrival at Gibraltar, a resolution of appreciation, signed by all the passengers, was pre- sented to Colonel Roosevelt in a speech by E. Alexander Powell, the correspondent of the New York Times on board, and late of the INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP TO MOMBASA. *95 consular service. Colonel Roosevelt was taken by surprise. He managed, however, to make the following reply: " I will follow the advice given by a New Bedford whaling captain to the first mate. ' All I want from you is silence, and darned little of that.' You have all been very considerate. I should think having a former President aboard would be a big nuisance." The stewards, dressed in Rough Rider uniforms, carried ices in a procession. Just as Gibraltar loomed in view on the left, to the right, on the African shore of the straits, could be seen the minarets of the Moroccan mosques at Tangier. A correspondent on board, at Colonel Roosevelt's request, tele- graphed to the Governor of Gibraltar requesting that no official reception be given ; as he wished to be treated as a private citizen. The real reason was that he had no suitable clothes with him. All the voyage he clung to the gray suit and the same pink shirt. CHANGED HIS MIND. Someone asked Colonel Roosevelt if he would accept the invi- tation of the Duchess of Aosta. " No," he replied, " because her ideas of me are gained from the newspapers and caricatures, and she would doubtless expect me to shoot out the lights of the palace and kill the butler, and would be disappointed if I didn't." He changed his mind later, however. Colonel Roosevelt announced that he would accept invitations from royalty on his return from Africa, and would make his addresses in English. He denied the report that he would raise a beard in Africa, and declared he would use American weapons alto- gether, if possible. At Horta and Ponta del Gada, Messrs. Mearns, Heller and Loring, the naturalists of the expedition, landed, dressed in full khaki, and armed with guns. The peacable inhabitants thought it was an armed invasion party. They shot three small birds within the precincts of the Portuguese fort at Fayal, the first specimens of the expedition. Colonel Roosevelt, silk-hatted, visited the Governor on the i 96* BRASS RAZAAR AT TANGIER, MOROCCO. INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP TO MOMBASA. *97 arrival of the ship at Gibraltar, and later, surrounded by a guard of honor, with the Governor and his staff, was driven through the town to Europa Point and viewed the fortifications. He re-em- barked on the Government's barge, accompanied by all the officials. Just as the ship was sailing from Ponta Delgada, on the Island 3f San Miguel, in the Azores, the following message of welcome from Cardinal Satolli, former Papal Delegate to the United States, and Ernest Nathan, the Mayor of Rome, were received by Colonel Roosevelt on board the steamship Hamburg. Cardinal Satolli said : " Recalling the cordial reception given me at the White House, [ send you my cordial greetings and congratulations on your glorious administration of the Presidency of the United States, my wishes that you may have a happy journey and my hope of meeting you personally in Rome before you return to America." Signor Nathan's greetings were as follows : ' To Theodore Roosevelt, the worthy successor of Washington and Lincoln and the champion of truth and fearless integrity, Rome, the soul of united Italy, sends her friendliest welcome and heralds his coming across the ocean." GREETINGS FROM HIS COUNTRYMEN IN EUROPE. Lloyd C. Griscom, the American Ambassador to Italy, sent a message of greeting by wireless telegraph to Theodore Roosevelt on board the steamer Hamburg, just before it reached Gibraltar. The message was sent from Italy to the Italian steamer Duca Deglia Abruzzi, which left Genoa March 24. This vessel was in the Atlantic and got into wireless communication with the Hamburg. The communication is as follows: ' To Theodore Roosevelt, on board the steamship Hamburg, Atlantic Ocean. Accept this first greeting from your countrymen in Europe. I deeply regret that the essentially private nature of your journey makes you decline all honors and prompts you to avoid the public enthusiasm which would have such an admirable effect in emphasizing the good relations between Italy and the United States. " I profit by the inventive genius of a great Italian to send you 7— R. Ex. 95r INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP TO MOMBASA. while you are at sea a welcome message from Italy. With every good wish, from your devoted friend, Lloyd C. Griscom." Former President Roosevelt spent several hours in Naples on April 5, and in that time received many evidences of his personal popularity with the Italian people and of the admiration which diey have for his services to his country. The steamship Hamburg was greeted on her way to the anchorage with the blowing of whistles, the fluttering of many flags and the playing of bands. Italian warships in the harbor, steamships of many nationali- ties, private yachts and craft of all kind, dressed in bunting and signal flags from stem to stern, added to the picturesqueness of the scene, which Colonel Roosevelt characterized as magnificent. ASTONISHED AT THE ENTHUSIASM SHOWN HIM. Great crowds, too, waited for his appearance on the streets, and when he rode along in an automobile he was greeted with enthu- siasm that astonished him. He met various official delegations at the Hotel Excelsior, scores of prominent Americans and the repre- sentatives of other countries, and to them all he expressed his warm- est thanks for the welcome which he had received. The Admiral, which was to convey Colonel Roosevelt to Mom- basa was ready to sail at midnight. The ex-President's quarters aboard were filled with flowers, which had come from admiring- friends. Chief among these were bunches of red, white and black carnations from the German Emperor and a grea+ cluster of frag- rant blossoms from the Empress. Emperor William, indeed, showed particular interest m the former President. The German Consul General, in the name of the Emperor, carried to Colonel Roosevelt the warmest greetings and a letter in which the Emperor expressed the hope that he would see Colonel Roosevelt in Berlin on his return. In reply to this Colonel Roosevelt told the Consul General to inform the Emperor that he would certainly go to the German capital and would tell his Majesty " how the white man can live and fight in Africa." INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP TO MOMBASA. *99 The Emperor closed his letter with " Weidmannsheil," (" Hail to the successful huntsman "). Colonel Roosevelt was particularly touched by this and in expressing his thanks f~r the gracious thought, he said: " In a year from now you will be in a position to see whether I deserve such a wish." A letter was received by Colonel Roosevelt that afternoon from a prominent American prelate who lately had been in Rome. The writer said he had gained the impression that the Vatican would have great pleasure in receiving Colonel Roosevelt, because of the admiration and high esteem in which he was held there. Later Colonel Roosevelt told the American Ambassador that he should assuredly go to the Vatican to see the Pope if he visited Rome. PERSONALLY SUPERINTENDED HIS BAGGAGE. Three hours elapsed between the arrival of the Hamburg and the landing of the ex-President, as Colonel Roosevelt wished to superintend personally the handling of the baggage, of which he had a large quantity. Meanwhile he was the object of a continual ovation from emigrants who cheered every time they caught a glimpse of him, from the moment the Hamburg dropped anchor. As the vessel steamed into the harbor, the Italian men-of-war, several German ships and a large contingent of yachts and craft of all kind ran up their bunting which fluttered in the high wind. The sun succeeded for a moment in piercing the clouds and height- ened the bright colors of the streamers. As Colonel Roosevelt stood on the bridge and watched the scene, he remarked that it was some- what ear-splitting, but picturesque and magnificent. The great crowds ashore, which had been waiting for hours to see the former President, became exceedingly impatient at the delay, but even when the Scorpion's launch, with Colonel Roosevelt aboard, did come ashore they were ignorant of the fact, and the distinguished visitor reached the landing stage practically undis- covered. When he appeared in an automobile and proceeded to the Hotel Excelsior a great roar broke from the crowd, and he was 100* INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP TO MOMBASA. *101 cheered continuously all along the route. The ovation moved Col- onel Roosevelt to remark: " It seems that the Italians can make as much noise as the Americans after all." At the hotel the ex-President received with the greatest cor- diality the Americans and foreigners who had gathered there to welcome him.. Among those at the table with the ex-President at luncheon were his son Kermit, Ambassador Griscom, Consul and Mrs. Crowninshield, Lieutenant Commander Logan, John W. Garrett, First Secretary of the Embassy; Winthrop Chandler, Mrs. Garrett and Miss Cartright. The party was a merry one, frequent out- bursts of laughter being heard as Colonel Roosevelt described some of his adventures aboard ship. He seemed to be in the best of health and spirits, and expressed himself as looking forward impatiently to his arrival at Mombasa. WELCOME FROM ROYALTY. After luncheon Colonel Roosevelt proceeded with Ambassador Griscom to visit the Duke and Duchess of Aosta at their palace, which is the most magnificent in the Neapolitan provinces. On the way to the palace Colonel Roosevelt confessed that this visit was intensely interesting to him, not only because of his desire to meet the Duke and Duchess personally, but because of the official nature of the meeting, the Duke representing King Victor Emmanuel. Colonel Roosevelt was welcomed warmly, the Duke receiving him in private, the two conversing at great length concerning affairs in the United States, the voyage just ended, the ex-President's pros- pective hunting trip and the experiences of the Duke of the Abruzzi. The Duke expressed the hope that Colonel Roosevelt would meet the Count of Turin, who was also on a shooting expedition in Africa. Colonel Roosevelt was presented later to the Duchess and they conversed together for twenty minutes, about hunting in Africa, where the Duchess had spent some time. She gave Colonel Roose- velt many hints, which he laughingly promised to carry out. The room in which the meeting took place was resplendent with 102* INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP TO MOMBASA. trophies of the Duchess' African expedition, being hung with ele- phant tusks, deer antlers and the skins of tigers and lions. She would not say that these had fallen before her gun. The good impression was mutual, as, while Colonel Roosevelt was charmed with the Dutchess, the latter said after his departure that the ex-President was the most interesting American she had ever met — she might almost say, the most interesting man. The party later proceeded to the museum, where the Colonel said he would have liked to spend hours. But the time was short, and they went direct to the Pompeiian rooms. The bronzes particu- larly attracted him, and he said : " I shall now get an idea of what I want to see when I return. Such a museum deserves days of study. It has been entirely trans- formed since I was here before." HIS WEDDING TRIP RECALLED. In accordance with Colonel Roosevelt's desire the party made the trip to Posilipo, and the ex-President was recognized and cheered all along the way. They sat in the balcony of one of the characteristic Neapolitan restaurants, overhanging the sea, with the bay at their feet, always glorious, whether in calm or storm. The sunset was magnificent and brought out the colors on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, Capri in the distance and the emerald sea. Colonel Roosevelt was enchanted, and remarked that he had not looked upon this scene for 22 years. It was his wedding trip then, and he could only wish that Mrs. Roosevelt might see it as it was that day. While his father w r as at Capodimonte Kermit Roosevelt took the opportunity to visit many of the points of interest. He made a number of purchases, mostly of old books, including a set of the works of Virgil. Colonel Roosevelt was accompanied aboard the Admiral by Ambassador Griscom and Lieutenant Commander Belknap, who went to Messina with him. It is estimated that fully 5000 foreigners came into the city, especially from Capri, Sorrento and Amain, in the hope of catching INCIDENTS OF THE TRIP TO MOMBASA. *103 a glimpse of the distinguished traveler. American flags were flying from the consulate, all the hotels, and many private houses in honor of Colonel Roosevelt. The police took special efforts to guard Colonel Roosevelt. They took every precaution to prevent small boats getting too close to the Hamburg as she came into port, but in spite of these measures several managed to reach the side of the vessel and proffer their offerings of fruits and flowers. CHAPTER VI. King Greets Roosevelt — Former President Amid Messina's Ruins — Victor Compliments and Thanks America — Photographed Together — Deeply Moved by Disaster — Rebuilding Work eor Titans — Voyage Continued. . - s " HEN Colonel Roosevelt and Victor Emmanuel | met the next clay it was on the Italian bat- tleship Re Umber to, in Messina harbor. The steamship Admiral, with Colonel Roosevelt aboard, arrived about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and was saluted by the Re Umberto, with the King on board, which reached there in the morning. Almost immediately Captain Pfister, the former Italian Mili- tary Attache at Washington and aide to Admiral Mirabello, was taken to the Admiral in a launch, and inquired for Colonel Roose- velt. To him he said the King sent his compliments, and would have great pleasure in receiving the former President. Colonel Roosevelt's face lighted with a pleasant smile, and, accompanied by his son Kermit and Ambassador Griscom, he pro- ceeded to the battleship. The King met the party at the head of the gangway, and he greeted the ex-President effusively. He did not wish, he said, to allow the opportunity to pass of making the acquaintance of so dis- tinguished a man. Above all, he wanted personally to thank the ex-President for the help extended by America at the time of the earthquake. ' You are now able," he added, " To understand bet- ter what a terrible disaster it was." Colonel Roosevelt thanked the sovereign for the compliment paid him in inviting him to come aboard the Re Umberto. He said that the American people did not wish thanks for what they had done, as they had merely tried to do their duty and knew no better 104* THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. *105 way to confront the immense need than by their work and contri- butions. The conversation turned to the hunting trip to Africa, the King- saying that his tastes also ran in that direction. He mentioned the expedition of the Count of Turin in Africa, and, as had the Duke of Aosta the previous day, expressed the hope that Colonel Roose- velt would meet the Count there. The King accompanied his guest ashore, where a photograph was made of a group consisting of the King, the ex-President, Kermit and Mr. Griscom. At the suggestion of the King, Colonel Roosevelt snapped a picture of his Majesty, Admiral Mirabello, Kermit and Ambassador Griscom, amid much laughter. Before leaving, the King saluted Colonel Roosevelt, washing him a happy and successful trip and much good luck in the way of hunting. He asked Colonel Roosevelt to promise that he would visit Rome on his return. DEEPLY MOVED BY DISASTER. In the American quarter Colonel Roosevelt congratulated the American workers on the speed with which they had constructed the huts. He shook hands with the men from the American navy who are directing the work, leaving them highly delighted at the meeting. Considerable trouble was experienced in passing through the city. Rain added greatly to the difficulties of the jourpty, as the mud was deep. In the hut where the American workers made their headquarters a glass of wine was offered to Colonel Roosevelt, who, raising the glass, said : " I drink to all the men, of whatever nationality, who have worked and are working to relieve what befell the Sicilian people." The people of Italy, he added, would have energy enough to rebuild Messina, but it w r as work for Titans. Colonel Roosevelt's departure to go aboard the Admiral was marked with scenes that moved him to emotion. Although it was raining heavily the people gathered in crowds. The women kissed their hands to him, the children threw flowers in his path and the 106* THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. men cheered wildly. It was a spontaneous greeting to one who had been their friend. Turning to one of the members of his party, Colonel Roosevelt said: " I am glad and proud as an American citizen that my country could do something to help after this immense disaster, for which even all the assistance in the world would be insufficient." The Admiral left Naples soon after midnight. Arising early the next morning, Colonel Roosevelt was soon out on deck armed with a pair of marine glasses, saying he did not want to miss a minute of the trip. The air was balmy and the sun- shine brilliant. After the buffeting they had received on the voyage from Gibraltar to Naples, the trip down the coast was like sailing on a lake. ANXIOUS TO MISS NOTHING. The whole morning was spent on deck, and Colonel Roosevelt had a good opportunity to learn much from those of the party who had been through the thrilling experience of the earthquake con- cerning the tragic detail of that disaster. He was particularly interested in the stories told by Signor Trincheri, the Prefect of Messina. The Prefect, who was wounded in the wreck of his own home, told of having his son buried for many hours under the ruins. About 1 1 o'clock the Admiral passed close to the Lipari Islands, the volcano Stromboli, which the ancients regarded as the seat of Aeolus, the god of the winds, standing hugely against the blue of the sky. From the cone of the volcano, more than 3000 feet high, a column of smoke rose majestically and was swept far away in fleecy clouds. The village of Stromboli, all white like a Moorish town, lay low down by the sea. At luncheon the ex-President had before him the vase of car- nations sent by the German Emperor. There was little ceremony over this meal, and soon all rushed on deck again, so that they might not lose the view at the entrance of Messina harbor. All that was left of the population of that once busy city gath- ered early near the landing place to witness the arrival of the dis- tinguished party. THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. *]07 As the Admiral approached the shore the ex-President made exactly the same remark as hundreds of others who have visited the ruins and observed them from afar. ' There is more standing than I expected." When he saw behind those shells of what once were the walls of splendid palaces, he was aghast, saying that it was impossible to form any idea of the completeness of the disaster without ocular demonstration. COLONEL ROOSEVELT VISITS SCENE OP DESTRUCTION IN MESSINA. There have been many changes at Messina since the early days just after the earthquake. All along the sea front huts, tents and make-shifts of various kinds have been erected. There is a bustle symptomatic of the city's resuming something of its former activity. Very small shops are tucked away in doorways or in an isolated room left here and there in the general destruction. An occasional horse is to be seen, while a kind of open-air market is held for the sale and barter of the necessaries of life. Numerous craft were to be noticed in the harbor, from battleships to fruit scows. Colonel Roosevelt and his party penetrated into the interior 108* THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. of the town, now a desert waste, practically composed of a gigantic rubbish heap, from 20 to 30 feet in height. Great blocks of stone and ancient columns lay scattered among the rubbish, where dan- gerous walls had been pulled down. The line of the streets was preserved only by tracks worn by the civilian survivors, the soldiers and the police, extremely narrow and in some places difficult to negotiate. No tree or green thing met the eye, and there was scarcely a person to be seen, so terrible and vast was the desolation. It seemed impossible that any one should live in such a wilderness of ruins. Colonel Roosevelt was strangely moved by the pitiful spectacle of a city destroyed, and on the way back to the sea front he spoke most sympathetically of the sufferings of the Sicilians and of the mysterious influence that held them to their devastated country. EVERYWHERE GREETED WITH ENTHUSIASM. Arrived again in the populated quarters, it seemed as though the people were not so unhappy after all. They showed a certain serene contentment, and everywhere greeted Colonel Roosevelt with enthusiasm. The scene about the harbor front was characteristic. The handsome Sicilian women, with their beautiful half-naked children, appeared in bright colors, as though in pictures painted by Murillo or some other of the noted artists, while the men of the Arab type were just as attractive, in their own way. But in another sense the spectacle was most touching, for here was a people, suddenly overwhelmed, now struggling for existence, but refusing to leave the land from sheer love of home. The crowds followed the American party wherever it went, cheering frequently and shouting " Viva America ! Viva Roosevelt !" Colonel Roosevelt was visibly touched and lifted his hat repeatedly, stopping sometimes to shake hands with the children. He left an impression on the people, which can never be forgotten, of a strong man whose deepest sympathies have gone out to them. The people were still acclaiming the ex-President as he climbed aboard the steamship, shouting wishes for a happy journey. As the Admiral sailed slowly out of the port, it was seen that King *109 110* THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. Victor Emmanuel was standing on the bridge of the Re Umberto. The battleship saluted the departing guest, and the king waved his hand, while Colonel Roosevelt replied with a frantic waving of his hat. Although somewhat worn from his fatiguing excursion ashore, Colonel Roosevelt said that he was exceedingly happy at his meet- ing with the King. What he had seen in Messina, he continued, would leave a lasting impression. After a short rest he donned evening dress and went to dinner, still having before him the flowers sent by Emperor William. Colonel Roosevelt referred on the trip to a letter he had written to Sir Harry H. Johnston, the British traveler and scientist, who has made a study of the negro and the problems of that race. Col- onel Roosevelt had invited Sir Harry to go to Haiti so that he might see the differences between the negro in America and the negro in Africa. The United States at that time had a negro as its representative at Haiti. OFTEN RISKED ASSASSINATION. The letter, he said, was intended to be private, but instead it was published. Colonel Roosevelt observed that this had created some embarrassment for him, but he added that he preferred to fight in the open instead of trying to avoid tackling a vital question. " For example," he said, k ' it is well known that I have often risked being assassinated, but not even to escape this would I resign myself to being shut up in an iron cage, because if I were so con- fined I would not be able to take any action." Prior to leaving Messina the ex-President sent telegrams to the Mayor of Naples and the Mayor of Rome. To the former, after thanking him for the courtesy which he had received in that city, he said: " At Messina I realize more keenly than before the dreadful nature of the disaster, which all the civilized world has mourned." To Mayor Nathan, of Rome, he sent the following message: " Accept my hearty thanks for your very kind greetings. Through you I thank the people of Rome. I wish again to express my pro- AN ARABIAN WOMAN WATCHING THE ROOSEVELT SHIP AT ADEN. *m 112* THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. found sorrow and the sympathy of the American people for their Italian brothers in the overwhelming disaster which befell them." Malta was sighted, far off to the left, soon after leaving Messina. The Admiral, with Theodore Roosevelt and the members of his party on board, arrived at Port Said, at the entrance to the Suez Canal, on April 9. Excellent weather prevailed during the three days' voyage from Messina, and the trip was uneventful. Colonel Roosevelt gave out for publication the following state- ment regarding the situation at Messina : " There is no sadder sight than the dreadful desolation of Messina, and words cannot describe it. It seems that there are still 40,000 bodies buried in the ruins. GREAT PRAISE FOR AMERICAN OFFICIALS. " The American people do not realize the labors of relief per- formed by Lloyd Griscom, the American Ambassador ; Commander Belknap, the naval attache at Rome, and the men of the gunboat Scorpion, under Lieutenants Buchanan and Wilcox, as well as by Winthrop Chanler and the other members of the Volunteer Com- mittee. They have performed labors which should be a source of legitimate pride to every good American, and our gratitude should be heartfelt for the honor they have reflected on our country. " I was especially struck by the efficiency, good humor and all- around power shown by the enlisted men." The Admiral passed out of the canal the night of April 10, made a brief stop at Suez, then proceeded down the Red Sea. The Admiral made stops at Aden and Mogadiscio, on the east coast of Italian Somaliland. During the trip through the canal the Admiral slowed up to permit a party to land at Ismailia, which is about half-way distant between the Red and Mediterranean Seas. The landing party con- sisted of Kermit Roosevelt, Major Mearns, Edmund Heller, zoolo- gist, and J. Aklen Loring. Their intention was to make a collection of bird specimens and proceed to Suez by train. During the voyage through the canal the Admiral passed the steamship City of Paris, from Kurrachee, crowded with British 114* THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. passengers. These massed on the steamship's decks and cheered the ex-President enthusiastically. A large Teddy Bear occupied a prominent place on the bridge deck. Colonel Roosevelt answered the cheers by waving his hat ardently. He seemed to enjoy the experience very much. The voyage down the Red Sea was rather dull, but still lit up by vistas of palm-decorated estuaries on the Egyptian shore. Alto- gether the trip was a delightful one, but it was with a cry of joy that the intrepid hunter at last, in the waning afternoon of April 21, saw the island of Mombasa, his landing place, emerge from the sea. Here every preparation had been made to receive and enter- tain him during the short interval between his disembarkation and his departure for the hunting grounds, including the engagement of his Somali burden bearers. SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED. It is said that the Colonial Office in London issued instructions to the Governor of the protectorate to surround Colonel Roosevelt on his hunting trips with every possible precaution for his safety, since the mullahs of the Somalis inhabiting the desert country north of the protectorate were reported to be showing signs of unrest, and massing on tlie northern boundary of Kenya province. This restlessness first became evident some six months before, and there had been apprehension of trouble in the dry season, when travel over the trails is easier. This northern district always has been a territory to watch closely. When the natives do go out for trouble they generally bear to the westward in the direction of the settled districts and the good hunting grounds. There was, on this account, some local anxiety, particularly as a majority of the protectorate groups are at Berbera, in British Somaliland. Sir H. Hesketh-Bell, Governor and commander-in-chief of Uganda, left Uganda April 28 for England. Colonel Roosevelt and. his party were to be received in Uganda by S. C. Tomkins, one of the provincial commissioners. . 116* THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. F. J. Jackson, Lieutenant Governor of the protectorate, was already at Mombasa arranging the details of the reception to the Roosevelt party. Mr. Delamere, a game ranger ; Percival Jackson, an entomolo- gist, and Mr. Anderson, members of the local Natural Historical Society, were appointed a subcommittee to Mr. Jackson to confer regarding the details of Colonel Roosevelt's reception. Gloom had at first been spread over Mombasa by a cablegram from Colonel Roosevelt declining a public dinner and reception, but with his usual urbanity, he afterwards, as will be detailed later, acceded to the wishes of his hosts. HIS POPULARITY PRECEDES HIM TO AFRICA. How great was Africa's enthusiasm over the coming of the great American can be judged by a letter received weeks before his start by Dr. Andrews, of Philadelphia, from Dwight L. Elmen- dorf, who was at Khartoum, 1400 miles up the Nile. Mr. Elmendorf wrote: ' I am 1400 miles up the Nile, 15 degrees north latitude, and weather averaging 90 in the shade and 120 in the sun. We passed through two severe sand storms that were anything but pleasant. Photographically the trip has been a very successful one, and has resulted in a number of new views and motion pictures. Aside from the temples, I have enjoyed Omdurman, the old capital of the Sudan, about three miles from here, more than any place I have seen on my trip, the life there being most interesting; the women are, with a few exceptions, hideous. The children, however, are beautiful. I made a picture of one dear little girl dressed in a string of beads. I call her my Sudanese sweetheart. At Khartoum about a dozen different tribes of natives may be seen. Most of them are very black, and while the men are fine, the women are terrible. " After many vicissitudes the town is being slowly rebuilt, and now numbers a population of about 25,000. Architecturally, the city has little to offer. " For a number of years Khartoum has been connected by rail- SCENES AMONGST THE SOMALIS FROM WHOM ROOSEVELT' S PORTERS WERE DRAWN. *11"7 118* THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. road with Cairo, and on the completion of the Cape-to-Cairo Rail- road, it is destined to become a place of great commercial importance for all trade passing to and from the interior. " It is through this gateway to civilization that our ex-President is expected to make his way into the world after his hunting trip in the interior. News of his coming has already reached here, and the people are all anxious to see the great hunter. " Everything here is military and under martial law, but hav- ing a letter to the Governor General, I have been treated with the utmost courtesy and have had no difficulty in going anywhere. I leave here for Cairo and will reach there in about three weeks." This is merely a straw showing how former President Roose- velt's fame has traveled. The press of the day was filled with many similar tokens. VISITED BY MANY NOTABLES. British East Africa and Uganda have entertained probably more " great " people within five years than any other portion of the British Empire. Royal reigning dukes, brothers and cousins of kings and emperors, British and Continental statesmen of high degree, all have received that unostentatious but genuine welcome which characterizes colonial peoples. The occasion of ex-President Roosevelt's visit was unique in "the fact that he was the first famous American statesman to set foot in East Africa. The people who are pioneers in what once was " Darkest Africa " are of a different stamp to the pioneers who made Canada and Australia what they are. The British East Africa colonist iias been drawn chiefly from the hardier of Great Britain's aristo- cracy and from the educated middle classes. All were sportsmen in the best sense of the term; all were men with whom the ex-President immediately would be on friendly terms. There was to be no crowding on the privacy of a visitor when once the shoot commenced, any unsportsmanlike attempt to spoil a sport by following close on the party's track. Kilindini Harbor (the place of deep waters) was to be the port THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. *119 of debarkation, and Mombasa (the place of war) the place of resi- dence, where the distinguished visitor was to be able to do the " sightseeing " of which he wrote to the Boston League of Mercy. It was hoped that he would visit Freretown (the place of free- dom) where only a few years ago the decree of the late Sultan of Zanzibar was read, forbidding the continuance of slavery. He thus would be in a position to stand on the spot where, even in the time of his own youth, wretched slaves, raided in the fiercest manner by the famous Arab chief, Tippu-Tip, were put up for auction as goods and chattels and eagerly purchased by the old Mombasa Arabs, many of whom are living in ease now on their ill-gotten gains. The massive fort begun by the Arab conquerors in the seventh century, and finished by the Portuguese in the days of Vasco Da Gama, they felt would surely be visited. Every stone was laid by slaves under the whips of their masters, and for every stone a life was paid. HISTORY WRITTEN IN BLOOD. Within the grim walls of this fort history has been written in blood. Nine times has the ownership of the famous edifice changed hands. First the Arab and then the white man, and then again the Arab, have fought hand to hand within its walls, until the time of the final massacre. This was when Yussuf, a baptized Arab, defeated the Portuguese governor, and put to death every white man, woman and child in the place. Colonel Roosevelt's national pride was to be stirred when he inspected the locomotives that were to carry him in comfort over the continent in two days, on a journey which took Stanley three months of the greatest discomfort and personal danger. These locomotives are the product of Philadelphia. Colonel Roosevelt was to find that British East Africa pro- vides food for the anthropologist as well as the entomologist, zoolo- gist and historian. Each great native tribe is bound up in its own civilization, its own customs, its own religions and its own physical and mental characteristics, and the march of Western civilization 120* THE RUINS OF MESSINA INSPIRE SORROWFUL REFLECTIONS. can be clearly and peculiarly denoted by the wearing apparel, or its absence, of the fashionable native women. At the coast the women adopt picturesque costumes of fancy patterned cotton prints and huge silver hand-worked anklets of many pounds weight. In the highlands around Nakuru the fashions change. The dressed skins of wild game displace cotton manufactures and roll upon roll of bright iron and copper wire, bound tightly around the upper and nether limbs, complete the costume. Then again in some districts wearing apparel is exceedingly scant. Such were conditions when Colonel Roosevelt arrived on the edge of the long-looked-for hunting grounds. CHAPTER VII. Roosevelt Breaks Lion-Slaying Record — Refuses to Quit Hunt Till Successful — Fourth Victim a Beautiful Lioness — Brings Down Ferocious Wart Hog — Kermit Slays Fierce Cheetah — Habits and Anecdotes of Both Animals — Back to Camp. REAT was the commotion in camp the morning after that first successful lion hunt. The mem- bers of the ex-President's party had sat around the camp fire till the dying embers warned that the evening was far advanced. Then, though reluctant to call a halt on the flow of reminis- cences Colonel Roosevelt finally had cautioned all that the hunt was to be renewed at an early hour in the morning and that every member of the party would have ample need for all the strength that a refreshing night's sleep would bring. Accordingly, all had sought their respective tents, where, guarded by their trusty Somali servants, they slept. We readily may believe that those hours of slumber were not unbroken by dreams of big game yet to fall before their aim, but, nevertheless, all were immensely refreshed when the first rays of the rising sun called them from their beds. Breakfast over, Mr. Selous, the veteran hunter, proposed that the party set off to the southward, in the hope that in the more wooded portions of the country a giraffe or two could be bagged. The giraffe seldom wanders into the open country and must be hunted where the branches of trees furnish it food. " I find," objected Colonel Roosevelt, " that the record bag of lions by one man in British East Africa is three within as many days. I have equalled that record in twenty-four hours' shooting. *121 122* PERSISTENCY WINS A WORLD'S RECORD. Now, before I deliberately seek any other game, I am going to get at least another and break all records." "Bravo!'' cried his companions ;■"" that's the way to talk. Another lion first and then the giraffes. Let them wait." And within two hours the fourth lion had fallen before the former President's rifle. It was a gigantic lioness, beautifully modelled and one of the finest specimens ever slain in the province. It was driven out of a two-mile stretch of reeds near Kapiti. Colonel Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and F. C. Selous, the English hunter, were on horseback. Colonel Roosevelt fired as the lioness was bounding away across a ridge. The bullet scored its right flank, and instantly the animal wheeled and charged. It made straight for two beaters at the edge of the swamp. The men were filled with terror and threw themselves flat on the ground. Colonel Roosevelt waited until the lioness had come within fifty feet, then he planted a bullet in its brain. ROOSEVELT SHOOTS A WART HOG. A wart hog was in the last patch of reeds, and Selous and the Roosevelts thought they had another lion. Kermit tried two shots without effect, and the pig, a giant porker, crossed the reeds toward the former President. Colonel Roosevelt steadied himself on his horse, and the pig went down with the third bullet. The African w r art hog in appearance, is closely allied to the common hog; but is distinguished from it by a pair°of large semi- circular lobes or wattles, situated beneath the eyes. The snout also is much broader, and very strong and callous. These creatures inhabit the wildest, most uncultivated, and hottest parts of Africa, from Senegal to Congo; and they are also found on the island of Madagascar. The natives carefully avoid their retreats, since, from their fierce and savage nature, they often rush upon them unawares, and gore them with their tusks. They reside principally in subterraneous recesses, which they dig by means of their nose and hoofs. If attacked and pursued, they rush on their adversary with astonishing force, striking like PERSISTENCY WINS A WORLDS RECORD. *123 the common boar, with their tusks, which are capable of inflicting the most tremendous wounds. A boar of this species was sent by the governor of the Cape of Good Hope to the Prince of Orange. From confinement and attention he became mild and gentle, except when offended; in which case even those persons to whose care he was entrusted, were afraid of him. In general, however, when the door of his cage was r^€ ^\:.;; WART HOGS. opened, he came out in perfect good-humor, gaily frisked about in search of food, and greedily devoured whatever was given him. He was one day left alone in the court-yard for a few min- utes, and on the return of the keeper, was found busily digging into the earth, where, notwithstanding the cemented bricks of the pavement, he had made an amazingly large hole, with a view, as was afterwards discovered, of reaching a common sewer that passed at a considerable depth below. It was not without much 124* PERSISTENCY WINS A WORLD'S RECORD. trouble, and the assistance of several men, that his labor could be interrupted. They at length, however, forced him into his cage; but he expressed great resentment, and uttered a sharp and mourn- ful noise. His motions were altogether much more agile and neat than those of the common hog. He would allow himself to be stroked, and even seemed delighted with rough friction. When provoked, or rudely pushed, he always retired backward, keeping his face towards the assailant, and shaking his head or forcibly striking with it. When, after long confinement, he was set at liberty for a little while, he was very gay, and leaped about in an entertaining manner. On these occasions, he would, with his tail erect, some- times pursue the fallow-deer and other animals. VERY FOND OF RYE-BREAD. His food was principally grain and roots; and of the former he preferred barley and wheat. He was so fond of rye-bread, that he would run after any person who had a piece of it in his hand. In the acts of eating and drinking he always supported himself on the knees of his fore feet; and would often rest in this position for a long time. The wart hog also inhabits the Molucca Islands and Java. It is remarkable for possessing four tusks, two of which proceed from the upper jaw, and do not pass out between the lips, but through an aperture in the skin. The sockets of the two upper tusks are curved upward, and give a singular appearance to the skull of the animal. It looks a ferocious animal, nor do its looks contradict its habits, as it is very savage, and cannot be hunted without danger. Yet when taken young it can be tamed and conducts itself much after the manner of a well-behaved pig. From the above it will be seen that on its native heath the wart hog is far from being an enemy to be despised. After a variety of small game had been secured, the party, elated by Colonel Roosevelt's success in breaking all records as a lion-slayer, started to return to camp. The trip back, however, was not to be without incident. Just *125 126* PERSISTENCY WINS A WORLD'S RECORD. as the party was nearing their tents, a magnificent cheetah sprang from a clump of bushes, barely missing Kermit's pony. In an instant the lad's rifle was at his shoulder. He had missed several shots at the wart hog, but this time he made sure of his aim. " Crack! " The beautiful creature never took another spring. Kermit's bullet ploughed its way to the brain and the animal dropped in its tracks, stone-dead. Elated, Kermit slipped from his saddle and a moment later was standing over his beautiful trophy. The cheetah forms the transition between the f elinse and canina, or, in other terms, between the dog and cat tribe. By its physical organization and its character it belongs, in fact, to both these classes. It has non-retractile claws; but in its teeth it unmistak- ably shows its affinity to the cat family. KERMIT SLAYS CHEETAH. Its limbs are also longer, the spinal column is less flexible, and the body more slender than that of the other felinae, from whence results a greater aptitude for hunting. Its tail is often curled over on itself at the extremity, a disposition very common in dogs, but which is not observed in the cats. Its mildness, obedient temper, and attachment in domesticity, naturally define its place on the confines of the feline and the canine family. The cheetah inhabits Southern Asia as well as various parts of Africa. It is about four feet in length, and twenty-six inches in height. Its fur is very elegant, being a bright fawn color above, perfectly white beneath, and everywhere interspersed with black spots. The tail is barred with twelve alternately white and black rings. A quantity of hair, longer than on other parts of the body, grows on the back of the head and neck, forming a scanty mane. The cheetah seizes its prey by a succession of bounds remark- able for their rapidity. In India and Persia has-been adopted the habit of training it to hunt certain animals, its natural docility allowing it to be readily trained for this service. The custom of PERSISTENCY WINS A WORLD'S RECORD. *127 employing the female cheetah for hunting goes back to a very remote period, for the Arab Rhazes speak of it in the tenth century. In Mongolia the following is the method of conducting this sport. The sportsmen start off on horseback, carrying the cheetah either on a horse, or in a carriage specially constructed for the pur- pose. The animal is chained, and its eyes blindfolded. The places THE CHEETAH. which gazelles frequent are sought out. As soon as one is per- ceived, the hunters stop, the cheetah is unfastened, and its eyes unbandaged, and the game is pointed out to it. Immediately, under cover of the high vegetation and brush- wood, the beast glides off in pursuit, taking advantage, with un- equalled tact, of the slightest breaks in the ground to conceal its movements. When it considers that it is sufficiently near its victim, 128* PERSISTENCY WINS A WORLD'S RECORD it suddenly shows itself, dashes on with terrible impetuosity, springs on the prey after a succession of prodigious bounds, and immediately pulls it to the ground. Its master, who has followed the events of the chase, then enters upon the scene. To detach it from its victim, he throws it a piece of flesh, speaks gently to it, and caresses it; after which he again covers its eyes, and replaces it in its conveyance, while the assistants carry off the quarry. This kind of amusement is greatly in vogue in Mongolia, and a well-trained hunting leopard, as the cheetah is called, attains an extraordinary price among the inhabitants. In Persia this method of hunting is not conducted in quite the same way. Men and dogs beat the woods, and drive the game towards the hunters, who turn off the cheetahs when the quarry passes them. EASILY TRAINED AS A DOG. These facts sufficiently prove that the cheetah differs essen- tially in its nature from the other members of the cat tribe. It is tamed almost as easily as the dog, knows and loves its master, rec- ognises his voice, and runs to him when called. In its treatment of strangers, it is so docile that it may be allowed perfect liberty. In menageries it is not necessary to confine it. If allowed to ramble about a park it is very submissive to its keeper, and receives with the greatest goodwill the caresses of visitors. The menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes, at Paris, had one for many years, which was brought from Senegal. It had a most excellent temper. One day, among the spectators present, it saw a little negro who had traveled with it in the same ship, it imme- diately testified the greatest pleasure at finding an old friend. Despite the facility with which they may be tamed, the cheetah in its wild state is a most formidable foe, as will be appreciated from its easy conquest of so large an animal as a buck. Kermit, there- fore, was exceedingly fortunate in making sure of his quarry at the first fire, for had he missed, the cheetah scarcely would have failed to drag him from the saddle before he could pull the trigger a second time. PERSISTENCY WINS A WORLD'S RECORD. *129 The lad hardly had dismounted and reached the side of his beautiful victim when Colonel Roosevelt dashed up on his pony. He had been riding ahead, but hearing Kermit's shot, spurred his mount back to the scene. After praising his son's improving marks- manship under the most trying circumstances and admiring the kill, he ordered a remount and that the return to the camp be resumed. But before closing the chapter that deals with Colonel Roose- velt's first encounter with the African wild hog, it may be well to tell, in the words of another famous hunter, of the perils of an encounter with an infuriated boar. THE DANGERS OF BOAR-HUNTING. This hunter, who is none other than the Rt. Hon. Winston Churchill, says: " I cannot pretend to the experience of both coun- tries necessary to compare the merits of pig-sticking in India and in East Africa in respect to the fighting qualities of the animal, nor the ground over which he is pursued. But the courage and feroc- ity of the African wart hog, and the extreme roughness of the country, heaped as it is with boulders and pitted with deep ant bear holes concealed by high grass, make pig-sticking in East Africa a sport which well deserves the serious and appreciative attention of the most ardent sportsman. The wart hog- is regarded as dan- gerous vermin who does incredible damage to native plantations, and whose destruction — by any method, even the most difficult — is useful as well as exciting. " Our first pig was a fine fellow, who galloped off with his tail straight up in the air and his tusks gleaming mischievously, and afforded a run of nearly three miles before he was killed. The risk of the sport consists in this — that the pig cannot be overtaken and effectively speared except by a horse absolutely at full gallop. The ground is so trappy that one hardly cares to take one's eyes off it for a moment. Yet during at least a hundred yards at a time the whole attention of the rider must be riveted on the pig, within a few yards of whom he is riding, and who may be expected to charge at any second. 9— R. Ex. ISO* PERSISTENCY WINS A WORLD'S RECORD. *131 " A fall at such a climax is necessarily very dangerous, as the wart hog would certainly attack the unhorsed cavalier; yet no one can avoid the chance. I do not know whether your true sportsman will shudder, but I should certainly recommend the intending hunter in East Africa to strap a revolver on his thigh in case of accidents. You do not want it often, as the American observed ; but when you do, you want it badly." In telling of one hunt, he continues : " It was late in the afternoon when we started to the train, which lay eight miles off on a siding. On the way we fell in with a most fierce and monstrous pig, who led us a nice dance through bush and grass and boulder. CHARGED BY A MONSTROUS PIG. " As he emerged into a patch of comparatively smooth, open ground I made up my mind to spear him, urged my pony to her top speed, and, was just considering how best to do the deed when, without the slightest provocation, or at any rate, before he had been even pricked, the pig turned sharp round and sprang at me, as if he were a leopard. Luckily, my spear got in the way, and with a solid jar, which made my arm stiff for a week, drove deep into his head and neck before it broke, so that he was glad to sheer off with 1 8 inches of it sticking in him, and after a dash at my com- panions he took refuge in a deep hole, from which no inducements or insults could draw him. " Later we rode and killed another pig and chased still another unsuccessfully, and it was nearly dark before the railway was reached. As I was getting into my coach they calmly told me that six lions had walked across the line a quarter of a mile away and a quarter of an hour before. A settler who had been to lunch at Elmenteita was loading a hastily borrowed revolver, before starting on his homeward ride to Nakuru, and as I gave him some cartridges, I reflected that, whatever may be the shortcomings of East Africa, the absence of an interesting and varied fauna is certainly not among them." After the party had reached camp Sir Alfred Pease conveyed 132* PERSISTENCY WINS A WORLD'S RECORD. to Colonel Roosevelt the pleasing intelligence that giraffes had been sighted off to the southward and suggested that an early start be made in the morning to hunt them. Strange to relate, however, the Colonel again demurred, declar- ing that while he had the record for lion-slaying in the province, he wanted to clinch it and make it safe for all time to come by finding a few more, if possible. " Let the giraffe wait," he said. " They are not likely to bite anyone in the meantime, while the lions are. I want to clean out the neighborhood if I can. The lion is too dangerous an animal to be allowed at large." So, with this understanding, the party retired to their tents, keen for the morrow's hunt. CHAPTER VIII. Battling with Desperate Lions — American Adds to His Remarkable Record — Kermit Kills Magnificent Zebra — Habits oe this Beautiful Beast — Other Game Baggfd — Kermit Rides Beside Lioness — Spares Her — Wants to Slay Full-Maned Lion — Natives Give Roosevelt New Name, Bwana Tumbo. EST was added to the next day's sport by the thoughts that all records already had been broken. All that now remained was for the daring American to bring down one or two more lions and there would be little danger that any hunter who might come after him would do better, especially since big game rapidly is van- ishing before the march of civilization. On the trip out towards the haunts of the lions, a magnificent male zebra was sighted and, although the party was after bigger game, he presented such a commanding aspect that the former President could not resist. Turning to Kermit, who was riding by his father's side, he suggested that he add it to his game list. A hint was enough. Kermit's rifle cracked. Ten minutes later half a dozen natives were busily engaged in skinning the beast, in order to carry the beautifully marked pelt back to camp. Several other specimens of small game also were secured while the party was scouring the plains in search of the King of Beasts. Kermit, however, was especially proud of the zebra he had killed, for zebras may be said to be the rivals of the giraffe in attractive features. This animal, which is sometimes called the horse-tiger, is generally esteemed not only the most beautiful of the equine family, but one of the most beautiful of quadrupeds, on account of the markings of its skin. The ground color is white, or *133 134* THE CONONEL PREFERS LIONS TO GIRAFFES. yellowish-white, but the head, body, and legs to the hoofs are regu- larly striped, mostly crosswise, with deep brown-black bands, lighter in the middle. From this form of marking we have the word " zebraed," significant of a regular banding of the skin of an animal. The ears of the zebra are long, the neck short and deep, with a sort of dewlap under the throat, produced by a loose fold of the skin; the mane is short, and the tail sparsely clad with long hair. The form resembles that of the ass, but the size nearly equals that of the horse. Wild and swift, this species live in troops in the bold ranges of craggy mountains remote from the abode of man. Its disposition is savage and intractable, and it is by no means easily obtained, not only from its fleetness, but from the nature of the localities it frequents, where, like the wild ass of Thibet, in the "wilderness and the barren land is his dwelling; he scorneth the multitude of the city." MANY ATTEMPTS TO TRAIN THE ZEBRA HAVE FAILED. Most attempts to domesticate them, or to train them to the service of man, have failed; about a century ago, however, the King of Portugal had four of them, which he sometimes drove harnessed to his carriage. The zebra is larger than the wild ass, sometimes attaining the size of a mature Arab horse. The elegant animal is a native of the Cape of Good Hope, the whole of southern, and a part of eastern Africa. It delights in mountainous countries, and, although it is less rapid than the wild ass, its paces are so good that best horses alone are able to overtake it. The zebra, as a rule, lives in droves, but is very shy in its nature; it is endowed with powers of sight that enable it to perceive from great distances the approach of hunters. The zebra was not unknown to the ancients, who called it hippo-tigris. A historian relates that the Emperor Caracalla killed on a certain day, in one of the circus combats, an elephant, a rhino- ceros, a tiger, and a hippo-tigris. Diodorus of Sicily speaks of the hippo-tigris, although in rather obscure terms. The Kings of ZEBRA ATTACKED BY A LEOPARD. 136* THE COLONEL RREFERS LIONS TO GIRAFFES. Persia, during certain religious festivals, were accustomed to sacri- fice zebras to the sun, a stock of which were kept by these poten- tates in some of the islands of the Red Sea. The mouth of the zebra is very hard; his ears so sensitive, that he winces whenever any person goes to touch him. He is restive, like a vicious horse, and obstinate as a mule; but there is reason to believe, that if the zebra were accustomed to obedience and tameness from his earliest years he would become as mild as the horse, and might be substituted in his place. A female zebra was brought from the Cape of Good Hope, and deposited in the Tower of London. It there showed more than the usual impatience of subordination. The person who had accom- panied her and attended her there, would sometimes spring on her back, and proceed thus for about two hundred yards, when she would become restive and oblige him to dismount. She was very irritable, and would kick at her keeper. A VICIOUS ANIMAL. One day she seized him with her teeth, threw him down, and showed an intention to destroy him, which he disappointed by rap- idly extricating himself. She generally kicked in all directions with her feet, and had a propensity to seize with her teeth whatever offended her. Strangers she would not allow to approach her, unless the keeper held her fast by the head, and even then she was very prone to kick. The fact that Kermit had bagged a lone zebra made the veteran hunters sure that lions were near, for, as previously stated, zebra almost always are found in droves, and it is only when a company of them is attacked by a lion that one allows itself to be separated from its fellows. Thus encouraged, the search for the lairs of the great animals was pursued with renewed and redoubled ardor. Soon the spoor of what appeared to be five lions was struck. This the trackers followed till the giant beasts' footprints led toward a small clump of trees on the otherwise open prairie. Care- fully skirting the bush to be sure that the game was there, the THE COLONEL PREFERS LIONS TO GIRAFFES. *137 natives finally returned to where the white hunters were waiting for their report. Having: satisfied themselves that the quarry was indeed in the ZEBRAS OP EASTERN AFRICA. clump, all stalked carefully towards a big thorn tree rising above the bush This was where the lions were said to be. The bush was very open, and when they came in sight of the tree the lions were just decamping. 138* THE COLONEL PREFERS LIONS TO GIRAFFES. There were four of them, not five — an old lioness and three lions, perhaps not quite full grown, and with very little mane. Ker- mit had followed close behind on his pony, so the Colonel shouted to him to try and keep his eye on the lioness, and ran on himself with Selous after one of the lions. This one did not seem much inclined to run, and after a short burst he managed to get a bullet into him somewhere just as he disappeared into some thick bushes. At that moment they caught sight of another lion trotting along parallel about 200 yards off. The wounded one was keeping up a continuous low growling in the bushes, so, thinking he would not get far away, the Colonel ran to cut off the other. He turned off when he caught sight of the hunter, and he had a long, stern chase after him, as a result of which he was so blown he could not hit him, although he was lobbing along not more than 100 yards ahead. ROOSEVELT SHOOTS ANOTHER LION. At last the American did get a bullet into his flank. He at once turned, and growling fiercely, came bounding a few yards towards him, as if trying to make up his mind to charge. Whether he would have done so or not is uncertain, as the Colonel's second shot caught him on the point of the shoulder, bringing him on to his nose, and before he could recover himself Colonel Roosevelt put in another bullet and finished him. While this was going on all could hear Sir Alfred shouting in the distance, so now they ran off towards the sound. When they started the shouts seemed to be almost stationary, but as the party ran they got further, and further off, till at last they could hear nothing. The Colonel then turned to go back for the wounded lion. As he got near the place he could hear a tremendous row going on, men shouting, dogs barking, and the unmistakable grunts of an angry lion. Running up, he found the lion, with his shoulder broken, stand- ing in a bush surrounded at a respectful distance by the little dogs. They kept up an incessant yapping, and every now and then the lion would make a drive at them, but they were much too quick for ,*139 140* THE COLONEL PREFERS LIONS TO GIRAFFES. him with his broken shoulder, and were at him again; directly he retreated to the bush. Midgari and another of the men were close by, yelling with excitement. Just as Colonel Roosevelt appeared, Mr. Selous, who had come up from the other direction, fired at the wounded beast, but missed. In an instant the angry lion turned from the Englishman as if in contempt and bounded, on three legs, toward the ex-President. Roosevelt stood stock-still for an instant, and with a single well- directed bullet ended the beast's suffering. KERMIT CHARGED BY A LION. In the meantime, they met the chief of the trackers, Hassan, together with Kermit, looking rather sorry for themselves. Ker- mit said that the lioness had trotted quite quietly at first, and he had brought her round in a circle towards the place where he had left his father, riding alongside of her, and shouting to let the others know where he was. Unluckily she crossed the track of the wounded lion, and after smelling at the blood she became per- fectly unmanageable, making off at a gallop and charging him whenever he got in front to try to turn her. At last she had gone into the thick bush on some hills, where he had lost her. When they had skinned the other lions they made a cast to try to pick up the fourth, but could make nothing of him — they never got this lion, although he killed one of their donkeys the next day. Kermit declared that the only reason he did not shoot the lioness was that he already had bagged one and that the next time he wanted a full-maned lion. Nothing else would satisfy him. Besides, he said, his father had said: " Keep your eye on her." If he had said " Kill her," the lad remarked, it would have been a different matter. With a record of five lions and a lioness slain in three days, Colonel Roosevelt now directed that the party return to camp, pre- paratory to shifting the scene of their operations in the hope that some other species of big game would be encountered. In appreciation of his prowess as a hunter and of his skill as a marksman, " Bwana Tumbo " is the name under which Theo- *141 142* THE COLONEL PREFERS LIONS TO GIRAFFES. dore Roosevelt now became known by the African natives. In accordance with custom this name was given the mighty hunter by the chiefs of the party accompanying him. It means, literally trans- lated, Portly Master, and is a term of endearment. Colonel Roose- velt now had become the idol of the natives, who referred to him with superstitious awe as his continued mastery of the rifle was shown. Two more cases of small-pox meanwhile had been discovered among the native porters, but as they were immediately segregated, little apprehension was felt, although a close watch was kept over natives and white alike for any suspicious symptoms. There was a perfect pest of ticks at Kapiti Plairs. While all members of the expedition had been bitten, none had yet shown signs of the dreaded fever. Meanwhile the Sleeping Sickness Commission was hoping that Roosevelt will pay a visit to the expedition's camp at Sesse, Uganda, where Sir David and Lady Bruce were in charge of the segrega- tion hospitals. Altogether seven European doctors have succumbed to the fatal disease since the attempts to cope with the evil were commenced. Governor Sir Hesketh Bell had just appealed to the millionaires of the world and others benevolently disposed for money to relieve the sufferings due to the bites of the tsetse fly. It is generally accepted that one variety of the tsetse fly is the only agent for the transmission of the disease. This fly exists in enormous numbers on the shores of Victoria Nyanza, and also on the borders of some other lakes and rivers of Uganda. Its habitat, however, is restricted to a narrow belt of forest growth adjoining water, and a width of two miles is believed to be the limit of the infested zones. The extermination of the tsetse appears to be a hopeless task, and it had therefore been decided to remove all the surviving popu- lation out of the reach of the fatal fly. CHAPTER IX. Facing a 'Rhino's Charge— HeeeER Teles o-e Coming Scenes- Daring Death Amid CrocodieES— Saved by Lucky Shot- Slaying Giant Hippopotamus — Natives to the Scene- Rhinoceros More Dangerous than Lion — Armor-Peated Destruction. ESTLESS, not one of the party felt that he could compose himself to sleep. So again, as they had two nights before, the white men gath- ered about the fire— for its light, rather than because warmth was necessary. Again the older hunters of the party began to nar- rate past experiences. Heller, who was of the original party, had the floor. He had been in Africa before and knew every inch of the country the party were to traverse. _ He began by telling of the jungle beyond Nairobi, which the party soon were to visit. For this reason, if for no other, he was listened to with breathless interest. " Immediately after passing the Nandi hills the descent of the plateau of the Victoria region commences," he said. " The coun- try rapidly sinks in level from this point to the Nyanza. We leave the train at Port Florence, at the head of the Gulf or Bay of Kavi- rondo. There are only about one hundred white people there and three thousand natives, mostly from the village of Kisumu. " These Kavirondos are a peaceful agricultural race. Theii villages are surrounded by a deep ditch and a clay wall, and consist of little circular huts with walls only four feet high, with grass, roofs. Their clothing is conspicuous by its absence, but, as is always the case in scantily clothed races, they are peculiarly moral compared with the tribes who have adopted a certain amount of clothing. " Whenever we passed close to a village, the men and women *143 '- ' l8§$ '' l fttln iiiii 144* THRILLING STORIES OF DANGEROUS EXPERIENCES. *145 came outside of the village hedge in groups, quite naked, to see us go by. The more inquisitive of the young men and women ran down to the very path, and when we had camped for the day our tents were instantly surrounded by laughing crowds of these merry people. They had not the remotest idea that they were quite naked. When they saw our porters in trousers or sorts some of the girls made a string of a few blades of grass and, putting it around their waists, suspended a leaf of a weed or tree in front. HOUSE BUILDING AMONG THE KAN1R0ND0S. ' While camped at Kitoto's village I called up a few of the men and began making vocabularies and getting what information I could about the country. We were not long thus engaged when a batch of naked young women came up to see what we were doing or talking about. I gave the girls pieces of American sheeting to wrap around their loins. They had no idea what was meant when 10— R. Ex. 146* THRILLING STORIES OF DANGEROUS EXPERIENCES. the cloth was handed to them until I tied it around one of them. Then the others fastened their pieces around their waists, but directly they left my tent they threw them away. " Ferguson, my companion, had some business to attend to at Port Florence in connection with the shipment of some goods across the lake to Entebbe, the port of Uganda. " We will put up here for the night," said he, " and in the morning we will start up the coast on a real big game hunt. Better get all the rest you can, for to-morrow we will start on the trail of the rhino — the fiercest and maddest beast in all Africa. Lion? Bah! Hunting the ' king of beasts ' is child's play compared with tackling a rhinoceros. " A lion will only fight when he is driven into a corner and his escape is cut off, but a rhino! He's got a chip on his shoulder all the blessed time. One minute he will turn on steam and go crashing through the bushes after a jackal, and an hour later he will charge recklessly into a herd of elephants, or scatter a family of lions. There isn't a scrap of fear in his leathery carcass. A RHINOCEROS VISION IS DEAD AHEAD. " There are only two things that stop him from exterminating all the other animals in Africa — his range of vision is dead ahead, and he is so bulky that he can't turn except in a considerable circle. With a sense of hearing as keen as a fox, a bulletproof hide and a supernatural sense of smell, he is the most formidable brute a hunter will behold over his gunsights, and God help a man if he has not got the hardest steel in his bullets and in his nerves when one of these 3,000-pound brutes comes charging down on him with his ugly horn advanced. " A dozen bullets from the most powerful express rifle made will no more stop the rush of a rhino than a popgun could stop a battleship, unless they pierce the brain. The heaviest bullet will not reach a vital spot after going through that great bone snout. " Having wounded a rhino, there will be but one thing for a hunter to do — to take aim at the centre of his forehead for a second shot. If he misses he will never fire another shot. If I did not know that I was a dead shot and that the boys were to be relied *147 148* THRILLING STORIES OF DANGEROUS EXPERIENCES. upon I wouldn't dream of taking you along. You've hunted grizz- lies? So have I, but to-morrow's sport will be something entirely different. " " And it was. The four of us started out at 6 a. m., after a substantial breakfast, along the wooded shores and swamps of the Kavirondo. The country was an overflowing chaos of vegetable life. We skirt dense forests, where the ground is covered with a tossing welter of luxuriant undergrowth, vivid with many tints of green. But it isn't all beautiful. We come on patches of swamp where we flounder knee deep along patches of slimy evil-smelling mud winding between high walls of tangled reeds. " But most dreaded of all is the glossina papalis, a fly of the tsetse specie, which haunts these beautiful wilds, and whose bite means a lingering and agonizing death. We have protected our- selves from its attacks by smearing our faces, necks and hands with vaseline and icthyol. EXCEEDINGLY SHY AFTER A FEW SHOTS. " We occasionally saw the uncouth head of a hippopotamus protrude from the water, and we decided to shoot one. They were exceedingly shy after a few shots, exhibiting the snout only to draw breath, and instantly withdrawing it. Ferguson managed to hit one behind the ear, which is a vulnerable spot, and it spun around in a huge circle like a great top, emitting horrifying sounds, until it died, and the body floated on the water. " A large number of Kavirondos had gathered around us, attracted by the shots and the prospects of hippo meat. Well, there was two tons of it lying on the water, but the intervening distance was alive with crocodiles. Ferguson suggested to the natives that one of them should swim out with a rope so that we could drag the hippo in, but no amount of eloquence would induce them to enter the water. " Without further ado Ferguson, to my horror, pulled off his boots, and, seizing the end of the rope, jumped into the river. Al- most instantly the dark form of a crocodile glided in his direction. Sick with fear, I raised my rifle and fired at its head. Thank God ! *149 150* THRILLING STORIES OF DANGEROUS EXPERIENCES. My shot had stopped the loathsome maneater, and a few moments later Ferguson clambered onto the slippery carcass of the hippo and fastened the rope around its legs. By this time there were more than a hundred men and women gathered on the shore, and Ferguson and the enormous seacow were dragged high and dry onto the grass bank. ' The scene that followed beggars description. The news of the killing of the hippo spread like wildfire, and fully 300 nake^l Kavirondos fell upon the carcass like vultures, fighting for a piece of the meat. Occasionally cutting one another's feet and legs in mistake for the hippo, they hacked away until the huge body was totally cut up and carried off in all directions. Only the Kavirondo men eat hippo meat, the women abstaining from it through a cur- ious fear of being childless. They will, however, fight like wild- cats to secure a piece of hippo meat for their lords and masters. FIGHTING FGR A PIECE OF HIPPOPOTAMUS MEAT. ' The landscape soon resembled a meat market, where bushes were converted into shambles and their branches were bending to the ground overloaded with meat. The natives formed themselves into parties, each carrying portions to their respective huts as fast as they could. Some being more expeditious than others excited jealousy, and soon caused a frightful uproar. ' The legs and feet were cooked by a singular process. Sev- eral ants' nests, which are composed of hard clay, were dug up near by. and their occupants destroyed. The space thus obtained was filled with lighted fuel till the bottom and sides within became red hot. The embers were then removed, the leg or foot of the hippo introduced and the door closed up with heated clay and embers. " Fire was also made on the outside over the nests and the flesh allowed to remain for several hours, when it was delicious, resem- bling pork in flavor. We soon tired, however, of this scene of broil- ing, gnawing and chewing and proceeded on our way, for the hippo after all is tame sport, and nothing less than a rhino would satisfy us this day. ' We started off in the direction of a thicket which extended *151 152* THRILLING STORIES OF DANGEROUS EXPERIENCES. almost down to the river, where we felt pretty sure of finding our game. We forced our way for several miles through thorny creep- ers and bushes, the " wait-a-bit " thorn catching in our clothes and justifying its name by compelling us to halt every now and then to extricate ourselves. Emerging onto an open space, we sighted a herd of water-buck. " I quickly knelt down and raised my rifle. Crack ! and one was on his back battling the air with his legs, and then the rest bounded off like lightning. I soon put the unfortunate creature out of his misery, and the boys were engaged in cutting it up when we heard a crashing sound from the thicket, and the next moment a vicious looking rhinoceros was charging down on us. With a shout of warning Wakuncli sprang behind a bush and I followed suit. Ferguson, with his usual magnificent nerve, stood firm as a rock, rifle in hand, ready to fire, and knowing full well that if he missed he would be gored to death. CLOSE CALL FOR THE HUNTERS. " Flight was out of the question. As the infuriated brute — the only one in all Africa which will relentlessly pursue a man directly it catches sight of him — came rushing on. Ferguson raised his rifle and fired, and almost at the same moment Wakundi's rifle and my own spoke. Before the smoke had cleared away Ferguson had leaped to one side, as the rhino sank to the ground uttering a loud scream of pain and anger. In vain it attempted to rise as Wakundi and Chumah sank their hunting knives into its breast. " The rhino, by the way, always charges in a straight line, trampling down underbrush and small trees as if he were making a trail through a flower garden. Caught in the whirlwind rush, a native will sometimes stand stock still, hoping the animal will mis- take him for a tree and pass on, which he occasionally does. " Until I knew the rhinoceros I supposed the elephant to be the boss of the forest and plain," said Ferguson, as the boys were cutting out the horn and part of the flesh of the rhino. " I hadn't been very long in Africa when I found out that the elephant played second fiddle. We were hiding at a water hole one day to watch *153 154* THRILLING STORIES OF DANGEROUS EXPERIENCES. the direction taken by a troop of nine elephants who were loafing about. " They were not yet ready to go when a bull rhinoceros appeared on a path about twenty rods away. He stood in the open and took a long survey of the elephants. As they caught sight of him they crowded together, as if alarmed, but it never occurred to me that they would shirk a fight. The rhino got ready after a bit, and with a loud snort he came charging down. Among the nine was a colossal elephant — about as big as Jumbo. " The rhino made directly for the big fellow, and he struck him on the left shoulder, knocking him clean into the pool, and then fell over him. The sight of those two huge beasts floundering about in the water was the funniest thing I ever saw. All the other ele- phants bolted, and the big one managed to scramble out of the water and ran bellowing away, with the rhino digging him in the rear with his horn." RHINOCEROS "BUTTED INTO" AN ELEPHANT HUNT. Mr. Cuninghame then related an adventure where a rhinoceros " butted into " an elephant hunt. After giving some of the earlier details, in which he told of being hurt, he went on as follows : " Once more," he sa} r s, " the trumpeting burst forth, the sounds echoing through the forest. A minute afterwards I heard the crashing of boughs and brushwood some way off. I guessed, as I listened, that the animal was coming towards where I lay. The sounds increased in loudness. Should it discover me it would prob- ably revenge itself by crushing me to death, or tossing me in the air with its trunk. I had my rifle ready to fire. There was a chance that I might kill it or make it turn aside. The ground where I lay sloped gradually downwards to a more open spot. I expected the next instant that the elephant would appear. It did so, but further off than I thought it would, and I thus began to hope that I should escape its notice. It was moving slowly, though trumpeting with pain and rage. ' The instant I caught sight of it another huge creature rushed out of the thicket on the opposite side of the glade. It was a huge THRILLING STORIES OF DANGEROUS EXPERIENCES. *155 bull rhinoceros with a couple of sharp-pointed horns, one behind the other. " The elephant on seeing it stopped still, as if wishing to avoid a contest with so powerful an antagonist. I fully expected to wit- ness a long and terrible fight, and feared that, in the struggle, the animals might move towards where I lay and crush me. That the " THE RHINOCEROS DROVE ITS HORNS INTO ITS BODY elephant was wounded I could see by the blood streaming down its neck. " This probably made it less inclined to engage in a battle with the rhinoceros. Instead of advancing, it stood whisking its trunk about and trumpeting. The rhinoceros, on the contrary, after regarding it for a moment, rushed fearlessly forward and drove its sharp-pointed horns into its body while it in vain attempted to defend itself with its trunk. " The two creatures were now locked together in a way which made it seem impossible for them to separate, unless the horns of the rhinoceros were broken off. Never did I witness a more furious 156* THRILLING STORIES OF DANGEROUS EXPERIENCES. fight. The elephant attempted to throw itself down on the head of its antagonist, and thereby only drove the horns deeper into its own body. So interested was I, that I forgot the pain I was suffer- ing, while I could hear no other sounds than those produced by the two huge combatants. While I was watching them, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and saw one of our party standing over me. ' I am sorry you have met with this accident ! ' he exclaimed. ' The sooner you get away from this the better. There is a safer spot a little higher up the bank. We will carry you there.' ' I willingly consenting, my friends did as they proposed, as from thence I could watch the fight with greater security. They, having placed me in safety, hurried towards the combatants, hop- ing to kill both of them before they separated. ' The elephant, already wounded, appeared likely to succumb without our further interference. There was indeed little chance of its attempting to defend itself against them. One of the men sprang forward until he got close up to the animals, and firing he sent a bullet right through the elephant's heart. The huge creature fell over, pressing the rhinoceros to the ground. As the great beast was now pinned fast and unable to escape, it was not difficult to dispatch him, and this was quickly done." Throughout these recitals both Colonel Roosevelt and Kermit sat, breathlessly listening. If anyone of their companions imagined for an instant that these tragic escapes filled either one of the two Americans with terror, he was sadly mistaken. All the Colonel said was : " Kermit, we must make sure of our aim. Then all will be well." And, after all, that remark is characteristic of the whole career of the man, whether he was sitting in the White House or was fac- ing the raging beasts in the heart of the Dark Continent. CHAPTER X. Hunters' Tales Inspire American — Refuses to Break Camp till He Captures Rhinoceros — Loring Bags Leopard — Saves Life oe a Native — The Colonel's Story oe Rhino- ceros Hunt — Two Big Ones Seain — Daring Scenes in Hunt — Habits oe the " Battleship oe the Plains." ARLY the next morning the camp was astir. k When Colonel Roosevelt emerged from his tent, after a hasty toilet, he was astonished to find the porters busy in their prepara- tions to break camp and to return to the ranch of Sir Alfred Pease. "What's this? what's this?" he de- manded. " You had ordered that camp be broken, Excellency," replied Hassan, the head porter, humbly. "So I had; so I had," laughed the distinguished American, " but second thoughts are always better, as the poor widower remarked when he married a rich woman." ' You see," he continued to Selous, who had joined the group, " those rhinoceros stories have set my blood to tingling. If Sir Alfred has no objections, I should like to stay here till I had had a trial at this ' battleship of the jungle.' Maybe he will not give quite so good an account of himself as our American armor-clads are accustomed to doing." Then, recollecting that his auditor was a Briton, he hastily added with his usual tact: " Or your British battleships, either, for the matter of that." "A continued stay in the hills was, of course, perfectly agreeable to Sir Alfred, and it was so arranged. The first day, however, failed to reveal a rhinoceros, although a large variety of smaller game was shot, mostly by Kermit, whose aim and coolness daily were becoming more perfect. *157 158* THE BATTLESHIP OF THE JUNGLE. One incident of the hunt, however, came very near to resulting fatally to one of the native trackers, who, armed with spear alone, had ventured into a small copse of wood, in the hope of arousing a rhino. Had it not been for a fine shot from Loring's rifle he would have paid the penalty of his rashness with his life, for scarcely had he entered the clump than he was seized by an immense leopard. As it was, he was badly clawed before Loring's bullet laid him low. The second day, however, was more productive of results, as the following account, told as if in the Colonel's own words, will attest: I had been observing the country for some time from my high station, when I suddenly perceived two rhinoceroses emerge from a ravine; they walked slowly through a patch of high grass, and skirted the base of the hill upon which we were standing; presently they winded something, and they trotted back and stood concealed in the patch of grass. * SENDS FOR HIS HORSES. Although I had a good view of them from my present position, I knew that I should not be able to see them in their covert if on the same level; I therefore determined to send to the tent for my other horses, and to ride them down if I could not shoot them on foot ; accordingly, I sent a man off, directing him to lead the horse I had been riding from the peak and to secure him to a tree at the foot of the hill, as I was afraid the rhinoceros might observe the horse upon the sky line. This he did, and we saw him tie the horse by the bridle to the branch of a tree below us, while he ran quickly towards the camp. In the meantime I watched the rhinoceroses ; both animals laid down in the yellow grass, resembling masses of stone. They had not been long in this position before we noticed two wart hogs wandering through the grass directly to windward, toward the sleeping rhinoceroses; in an instant these animals winded the intruders, and starting up they looked in all directions but could not see them, as they were concealed by the high grass. *159 160* THE BATTLESHIP OF THE JUNGLE. Having been thus disturbed, the rhinoceroses moved their quarters and walked slowly forward, occasionally halting and list- ening; one was about a hundred yards in advance of the other. They were taking a direction at the base of the hill that would lead them directly upon the spot where my horse was tied to the tree. I observed this to Cummings, who was with me, as I feared they would kill the horse. " 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." THE RHINOCEROS ATTACKS THE HORSE. However, they still continued their advance, and upon reach- ing some rising ground, the leading rhinoceros halted, and I felt sure that he had a clear view of the horse, that was now about five hundred yards distant, tied to the tree. A ridge descended to the hill, parallel with the course the animals were taking; upon this I ran as quickly as the stony slope permitted, keeping my eye fixed upon the leading rhinoceros, which, with his head raised, was advancing directly towards the horse. I now felt convinced that he intended to attack it. The horse did not observe the rhinoceros, but was quietly stand- ing beneath the tree. I ran as fast as I was able, and reached the bottom of the hill just as the willful brute was within fifty yards of the horse, which now for the first time saw the approaching danger ; the rhinoceros had been advancing steadily at a walk, but he now lowered his head and 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 I fired my rifle and the bul- let, 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 into the unfortunate horse. 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, threw up his head, turned round, and trotted back upon the track by which he had arrived. He passed me about a hundred yards dis- THE BATTLESHIP OF THE TUNGLE. *161 tant, as I had run forward to a bush, by which he trotted with his head raised, seeking for the cause of his discomfiture. Crack! went a bullet against his hide, as I fired at his shoulder; he cocked his tail, and for a few yards charged towards the shot; but he suddenly changed his course and ran round several times " CRACK ! WENT A BULLET AGAINST HIS HIDE." in a small circle; he then halted, and reeling to and fro, retreated very slowly, and laid down about a hundred yards off. I knew that he had his quietus, but I was determined to bag his compainon which in alarm had now joined him, and stood looking in all quar- ters for the scent of danger ; but we were well concealed behind the bush. 11— R. Ex. *1 6 2 THE BATTLESHIP OF THE JUNGLE. Presently the wounded rhinoceros stood up, and, walking very slowly, followed by his comrade, he crossed a portion of rising ground at the base of the hill, and both animals disappeared. I at once started off one of my native porters, who could run like an antelope, in search of the horse, while I despatched another man to the summit of the peak to see if the rhinoceroses were in view ; if not, I knew they must be among the small trees and bushes at the foot of the hill. I thus waited for a long time, until at length horses arrived with my messenger from the camp. I had just mounted, when my eyes were gladdened by the sight of my favorite animal cantering towards me, but from the exact direction the rhinoceroses had taken. " Quick! quick! " cried the rider, " come along! One rhino- ceros is lying dead close by, and the other is standing beneath a tree not far off." THE RHINOCEROS LAY KICKING ON THE GROUND. I immediately started, found the rhinoceros lying dead about two hundred yards from the spot where he had received the shot, and I immediately perceived the companion standing beneath a small tree. The ground was firm and stony, and all the grass had been burned off except in a few small patches; the trees were not so thick together as to form a regular jungle. The rhinoceros saw us directly, and valiantly stood and faced me as I rode up within fifty yards of him. I was unable to take a shot in this position, therefore I ordered the men to ride round a half-circle, as I knew the rhinoceros would turn towards the white horses and thus expose his flank; this he did immediately, and firing well, exactly at the shoulder, I dropped him as though stone dead. The rhinoceros lay kicking upon the ground, and I thought he was bagged. Not a bit of it! the bullet had not force to break the massive shoulder-bone, but had merely paralyzed it for the moment; up he jumped and started off in full gallop. Now for a hunt! up the hill he started, then obliquely; choosing a regular rhinoceros path, he scudded away, my horse answering to the spur and closing with him; through the trees, now down the hill over THE BATTLESHIP OF THE JUNGLE. 463 the loose rocks, where he gained considerably upon the horse. I took a pull at the reins until I reached the level ground beneath, which was firm and first-rate. This gave me just the advantage I needed for successful operations. I saw the rhinoceros pelting away about a hundred and twenty yards ahead, and spurring hard, I shot up to him at full speed until Hi BR! «» vp^^^^^^^^^^ A DESPERATE RACE. within twenty yards, when round he came with astonishing quick- ness and charged straight at the horse. I was prepared for this, as was my horse also; we avoided him by a quick turn, and again renewed the chase, and regained our position within a few yards of the game. Thus the hunt continued for about a mile and a half, the rhino- ceros occasionally charging, but always cleverly avoided by the 164* THE BATTLESHIP OF THE JUNGLE. horse, which seemed to enjoy the fun, and hunted like a greyhound. Nevertheless I had not been able to pass the rhinoceros; he had thundered along at a tremendous pace whenever I had attempted to close; however, the pace began to tell upon his wounded shoul- der; he evidently went lame, and as I 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 crum- bling soil, he turned sharp around, made a clumsy charge that I easily avoided, and stood panting at bay. Cummings was riding a very timid horse which was utterly useless as a hunter, but, as it reared and plunged upon seeing the rhinoceros, that animal imme- diately turned towards it with the intention of charging. Riding close to his flank, I fired both barrels of my rifle into the shoulder; he fell at the shots, and stretching out his legs convulsively he died immediately. LOST A GOOD HORSE. This was a capital termination to the hunt, as I had expected the death of my good horse, when the first rhinoceros had so nearly horned him. The sun was like a furnace, therefore I rode straight to camp and sent for the hides and flesh. As I passed the body of the first rhinoceros, I found a regiment of vultures already col- lected around it. The following description of the rhinoceros may appropriately be given here: Both varieties of the' African black rhinoceros are extremely fierce and dangerous, and rush headlong and unprovoked at any object which attracts their attention. They never attain much fat, and their flesh is tough, and not much esteemed. Their food con- sists almost entirely of the thorny branches of the " wait-a-bit " thorns. Their horns are much shorter than those of the other varieties, seldom exceeding eighteen inches in length. They are finely polished by constant rubbing against the trees. The skull is remarkably formed, its most striking feature being the tremendous, thick ossification in which it ends above the nostrils. It is on this mass that the horn is supported. THE BATTLESHIP OF THE JUNGLE. *165 The horns are not connected with the skull, being attached merely by the skin, and they may thus be separated from the head by means of a sharp knife. They are hard, and perfectly solid throughout, and are a fine material for various articles, such as drinking-cups, mallets for rifles, and handles for turners' tools. The horn is capable of a very high polish. The eyes of the rhinoceros are small and sparkling, but do not readily observe the hunter, provided he keep to leeward of them. The skin is extremely thick, and only to be penetrated with hard- ened bullets. During the day, the rhinoceros will be found lying asleep, or standing indolently in some retired part of the forest, or under the base of the mountains, sheltered from the power of the sun by some friendly grove of umbrella-topped mimosas. TRAVEL MOSTLY AT NIGHT. In the evening they commence their nightly ramble, and wander over a great extent of country. They usually visit the fountains between the hours of nine and twelve o'clock at night, and it is on these occasions that they may be most successfully hunted, and with the least danger. The black rhinoceros is subject to paroxysms of unprovoked fury, often plowing up the ground for several yards with its horn, and assaulting large bushes in the most violent manner. On these bushes they work for hours with their horns, at the same time snorting and blowing loudly, nor do they leave them in general until they have broken them into pieces. All the four varieties delight to roll and wallow in the mud, with which their rugged hides are generally encrusted. Both varieties of the black rhinoceros are much smaller and more active than the white, and are so swift that a horse with a rider on its back can rarely overtake them, yet they are often hunted with horses. Both attain an enormous size, being the animals next in magnitude to the elephant. They feed solely on grass, carry much fat, and their flesh is excellent, being preferable to beef. They are of a much milder and more inoffensive disposition than 166* THE BATTLESHIP OF THE JUNGLE. the black rhinoceros, rarely charging their pursuer. Their speed is very inferior to that of the other varieties. If we examine the skull of a rhinoceros, we shall find that just under the place where the root of the horn lies, there is a peculiar development of the bone on which the weight of the horn rests. CAMP ATTACKED BY A RHINOCEROS. Now, it is well known that of all forms intended to support great weight, the arch is the strongest. Such, then, is the form of the bone which supports the horn; and in order to prevent the jar on the brain which would probably injure the animal when making violent strokes with the horn, one side of the arch is left unsupported by its pillar ; so that the whole apparatus presents the appearance of a strong bony spring, which, although very powerful, would yield sufficiently, on receiving a THE BATTLESHIP OF THE JUNGLE. *167 blow, to guard the animal from the shock which would occur were the horn to be placed directly on the skull. Such a structure as this is not needed in the case of the elephant, as that animal never strikes violently with its tusks, as the rhinoceros does with its horn. Figner tells how the most daring natives sometimes slay the rhino. Two men ride on the same horse. The one is dressed, and armed with javelins ; the other is naked, and has nothing but a long sword in his hand. The first sits on the saddle, the second rides behind him on the horse's rump. Directly they have got on the track of the quarry, they start off in pursuit of it, taking care to keep at a great distance from the rhinoceros when it plunges into the thickets, in the midst of which it opens for itself a broad passage, which closes as the animal passes on, but the moment it arrives in an open spot they pass it, and place themselves opposite to it. HOW TO AVOID ITS FURIOUS ASSAULT. The animal, in a rage, hesitates for a moment, then rushes furiously upon the horse and its riders. These avoid the assault by a quick movement to the right or the left, and the man who car- ries the long sword lets himself slide off on to the ground without being perceived by the rhinoceros, which alone takes notice of the horse. Then the courageous hunter, with one blow of his formi- dable Durandal, cuts through the tendon of the ham or hock of one of the monster's hind legs, which causes it to fall to the ground, when it is despatched with arrows and the sword. On the whole we think the reader will agree with us that Col- onel Roosevelt's way, though dangerous in the extreme, is decidedly the preferable one. But hunting " big game," of course, could not be pursued all the while. In order to assist in the support of the large party, and at the same time to see the adjacent country, the white hunters went several times, during their stay, to the north of the camp for game. The country is covered with clumps of beautiful trees, among which fine open glades stretch away in every direction; when the river is in flood these are inundated, but the tree-covered elevated 168* THE BATTLESHIP OF THE JUNGLE. spots are much more numerous here than in the country further back. The soil is dark loam, as it is everywhere on spots reached by the inundation, while among the trees it is sandy, and not cov- ered so densely with grass as elsewhere. A sandy ridge covered with trees, running parallel to and about eight miles from the river, is the limit of the inundation on the north; there are large tracts of this sandy forest in that direction, till you come to other districts of alluvial soil and fewer trees. The latter soil is always found in the vicinity of rivers which either now overflow their banks annually or formerly did so. Great numbers of zebras, tsessebes, tahaetsi, and eland, or pohu, grazed undisturbed on the plains, so that very little exertion was required to secure a fair supply of meat for the party during the necessary delay. HUNTING ON FOOT HARD WORK. Hunting on foot, as all those who have engaged in it in this country, will at once admit, is very hard work indeed. The heat of the sun by day is so great, had there been any one on whom the white men could have thrown the task, the toil is supposed to im- part. But the natives shot so badly, that, in order to save their powder, the whites were obliged to go. Kermit shot a beautiful cow-eland, standing in the shade of a fine tree. It was evident that she had lately had her calf killed by a lion, for there were long deep scratches on both sides of her hind-quarters, as if she had run to the rescue of her calf, and the lion, leaving it, had attacked herself, but was unable to pull her down. When lying on the ground, the milk flowing from the large udder showed that she must have been seeking the shade, from the distress its non-removal in the natural manner caused. She was a beautiful creature, and one of the Christianized natives, speaking in reference to its size and beauty, said, " Jesus ought to have given us these instead of cattle." It was a new variety of this splendid antelope. It was marked with narrow white bands across the body, exactly like those of the THE BATTLESHIP OF THE JUNGLE. *169 koodoo, and had a black patch of more than a hand-breadth on the outer side of the forearm. Except for the heat, it was not unpleasant work for Kermit especially, for most of his shots at big game had been with the camera. Among the smaller mammalia he slaughtered at will. The most unpleasant experience Kermit had was one day when, in company with a score of native bearers and guides, he was obliged to wade waist-deep through a wide morass in order to get back to camp by nightfall. It was not dangerous, of course, but the slimy ooze made it decidedly disagreeable. The naturalists of the party were kept busy preparing the trophies which Colonel Roosevelt and his son Kermit were bring- ing in daily. Forty-five skins already had been prepared for the Smithsonian Institution at Washington. CHAPTER XL Captures Mysterious Okapi Aeive — Hopes That It May Live to Reach America — Oney Fragments oe Body Found Hitherto — Two Giraefes Seain — Kermit Kites Buee Giraffe in Run — Rooseveet Luck Lasts. N the region about Machokos, where the Mau hills' camp was located, there now remained but few species of really large game which Colonel Roosevelt had not bagged. Indeed, not only the large beasts had fallen before his rifle, but many species of small animals, besides numerous curious fowls, had been shot. Kermit had been especially active and was rapidly acquiring a most remarkable facility with the rifle. It now came to be a rare thing for him to make a complete miss when he aimed at any game within a reasonable distance, and it was but seldom that his first bullet failed to reach a vital spot. Colonel Roosevelt's interest in his son's prowess and progress was not second to his desire to himself secure game, and not a few hours were spent at his son's side, giving such advice as to the best means of capturing the quarry. So, taken all in all, the hunt progressed with the most lively satisfaction on the part of the Americans. The next two days, however, were to see big additions to their game bag. On the first day two giraffes, one leopard, a monster of elands and several buffalo were secured, and on the next another rhinoceros, while Kermit's cup of joy was overflowing over his success in killing a big bull giraffe. Besides, two leopard cubs and a living okapi were captured. The okapi was only in fairly good condition physically, but hopes were entertained that it would be sent to America alive. Before going further, it will be desirable to tell something of 170* ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. *171 the latter animal, one of the rarest and most remarkable beasts in the whole dark continent. Ex-President Roosevelt's capture is the first one ever found alive, or, for the matter of that, dead with its body complete. Eight or ten years ago the whole zoological world was startled by the reported discovery in Central Africa of a large mammal quite unknown up to that time. The discovery of unclassified fossil remains has become of almost daily occurrence, but that any exist- torn HEADLONG CHASE OF TFKEE ELANDS. ing beast of the size reported should have escaped detection until the twentieth century seemed incredible. Sir Harry Johnston brought to the coast a part of the dried skin of an animal that one of the wild tribes of the interior called okapi, which they reported existed in their country in some num- bers. Since then various attempts had been made to introduce to the scientific world an entire specimen, with but small success. In European museums a patched-up hide or two is mounted in a glass case, but the entire skin of an adult okapi is yet to be exhib- 172* ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. ited. Of course, the perfect skeleton is still more difficult to pro- cure, and it will probably be some time before the osteologists have a good chance to examine a specimen, unless the ex-President's capture dies. In this country there are no fragments of okapi worth mentioning. The okapi is extremely timid, seems to be without curiosity, is very fleet, and is persistently hunted by the natives of its locality, hence a part of the difficulty of a sight and capture of the animal. To add to the okapi's diffident nature, there is the hardship of hunt- ing in its favorite resorts. So far as known, unlike most antelope and the giraffe, it rarely takes to the open, but lives and breeds in the densest jungles. These lie principally to the west of Tangan- yika, and are of the impassable variety fully equaling the best examples of those along the Amazon, though decidedly dryer. A MYSTERIOUS ANIMAL. The okapi itself may be briefly described as a cross between the giraffe and the zebra, though every amateur naturalist knows that such hybridization does not occur. It has a grayish-tan skin, rather longer front legs than hind legs, a neck somewhat longer than a zebra's, a small head without horns, and on each side of the hind quarters three dark stripes running nearly vertically. The upper outline of the animal when in motion resembles the sloping neck and back of the giraffe, but shorter. If no other objects had been obtained, the expedition would have been considered an immense success from the capture of this mysterious beast alone. It was a specimen all the scientific world had been seeking, and the ex-President was doubly happy that it fell to his lot to bring the first specimen to the hands of the world's naturalists. One of the giraffes was shot at a distance of four hundred yards and while galloping at full speed. Those in the party declared that it was the best shot Bwana Tumbo has yet made, not except- ing his feat when he dropped a charging rhinoceros bull when it was almost upon him. THE GIRAFFE — COL. ROOSEVELT KILLED A FINE SPECIMEN OF THI£ BEAUTIFUL ANIMAL AT A DISTANCE OF 400 YARDS. 174* ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. This beast, which had not hitherto been encountered, is another interesting one, well worth more than a brief description. Giraffes are not only the tallest of all animals but they are among the most beautiful. Although the neck is singularly long they are wonderfully graceful in shape and are marked more ele- gantly than any other creature known to man. The color of the coat is slightly different in the specimens which inhabit the northern and the southern portions of Africa, the southern animal being darker than its northern relative. The height of a full-grown giraffe is from eighteen to twenty feet, the female being somewhat less in her dimensions. The greater part of his enormous stature is obtained by the extraordinary long neck, which is nevertheless possessed of only seven vertebrae, as in ordinary animals. Those bones are, however, extremely elongated, and their articulation is admirably adapted to the purpose which they are called upon to fulfil. THE LEGS OF THE GIRAFFE ARE OF EQUAL LENGTH. The back of the giraffe slopes considerably from the shoul- ders to the tail, and at first sight the forelegs of the animal appear to be longer than the hinder limbs. The legs themselves are, how- ever, of equal length, and the elevation of the shoulders is due to the great elongation of shoulder-blades. Upon the head are two excrescences which resemble horns, and are properly called by that name. They are merely growths or developments of certain bones of the skull, somewhat similar to the bony cores on which the hollow horns of the oxen and antelopes are set. These quasi horns are covered with skin, and have on their summits a tuft of dark hair. On the forehead, and nearly between the eyes, a third bony projection is seen, occupying the same posi- tion that was traditionally accredited to the horn of the unicorn. The singular height of this animal is entirely in accordance with its habits and its mode of acquiring food. As the creature is accustomed to feed upon the leaves of trees, it must necessarily be of very considerable stature to be able to reach the leaves on which it browses, and must also be possessed of organs by means of which ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE *175 it can select and gather such portions of the foliage as may suit its palate. The former object is gained by the great length of the neck and legs, and the latter by the wonderful development of the tongue, which is so marvellously formed that it is capable of a considerable amount of prehensile power, and can be elongated or contracted in a very wonderful manner. Large as is the animal, it can contract the tip of its tongue into so small a compass that it can pass into the small bowl of an ordi- nary pipe, while its prehensile powers enable its owner to pluck any selected leaf with perfect ease. In captivity the giraffe is rather apt to make too free a use of its tongue, such as twitching the arti- ficial flowers and foliage from ladies' bonnets, or any similar freak. UNFITTED FOR GRAZING ON LEVEL GROUND. For grazing upon level ground the giraffe is peculiarly unfitted, and never attempts that feat excepting when urged by hunger or some very pressing cause. It is, however, perfectly capable of bringing its mouth to the ground, although with considerable effort and straddling of the fore-legs. By placing a lump of sugar on the ground, the giraffe may be induced to lower its head to the earth, and to exhibit some of that curious mixture of grace and awkward- ness which characterizes this animal. In its native country its usual food consists of the leaves of a kind of acacia, named the kameel-dorn, or camel-thorn. The ani- mal is exceedingly fastidious in its appetite, and carefully rejects every thorn, scrupulously plucking only the freshest and greenest leaves. When supplied with cut grass, the giraffe takes each blade daintily between its lips, and nibbles gradually from the top to the stem, after the manner in which we eat asparagus. As soon as it has eaten the tender and green portion of the grass, it rejects the remainder as unfit for camelopardine consumption. Hay, carrots, onions, and different vegetables form its principal diet while it is kept in a state of captivity. The giraffe is a gentle and playful animal, readily attaching itself to its companions or its keepers, and trying to attract atten- tion by sundry little coquetries. It is full of curiosity, and seems *17« ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. to be greatly gratified by the advent of many visitors, whose cos- tume and general appearance it investigates with an air of great interest. There is something peculiarly mild and pleasant in the full, round, dark eye of the giraffe, whose gaze is really fascinating to those who feel attracted by a mild and gentle expression of soul. Even the hunter has felt himself overcome by the glances of the giraffe's dark. expressive eye, as the poor animal lay unresistingly and silently on the ground, watching its destroyer with reproach- ful but not vengeful gaze. As far as known, the giraffe is a silent animal, like the eland and the kangaroo, and has never been heard to utter a sound, even when struggling in the agonies of death. When in its native land it is so strongly perfumed with the foliage on which it chiefly feeds, that it exhales a powerful odor, which is compared to the scent of a scent of a hive of heather honey. HEELS FOR SELF DEFENCE. Although an inoffensive and most gentle creature, it is not des- titute of aggressive capabilities, and can defend itself against ordi- nary foes, such as the predaceous carnivora which inhabit the same land. In defending itself it does not bring its head within reach of its enemy, but delivers a shower of kicks with such lightness and celerity, that it has been known even to daunt the lion from the attack. When, however, the lion can steal unobserved upon the giraffe, and especially when it unites with others of its own race in the pursuit of the huge prey, it brings down the giraffe by dint of sheer bodily strength and sharpness of tooth and claw. To man it falls an easy prey, especially if it can be kept upon level ground, where a horse can run without danger. On rough soil, however, the giraffe has by far the advantage, as it leaps easily over the various obstacles that lie in its way, and gets over the ground in a curiously agile manner. It is not a very swift ani- mal, as it can easily be overtaken by a horse of ordinary speed, and is frequently run down by native hunters on foot. When running, it progresses in a very awkward and almost ludicrous manner, by a series of frog-like leaps, its tail switching ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. *177 and twisting about at regular intervals, and its long neck rocking stiffly up and down in a manner that irresistibly reminds the observer of those toy birds whose heads and tails perform alter- nate obeisances by the swinging of a weight below. As the tail is switched sharply hither and thither, the tuft of bristly hairs at the extremity makes a hissing sound as it passes through the air. The giraffe is easily traced by its " spoor," or footmarks, which are eleven inches in length, pointed at the toe and rounded at the heel. The pace at which the animal has gone is ascertained by the depth of the impression, and by the scattering of disturbed soil along the path. HAS A WIDE STRADDLE. The giraffe — which has been humorously described as "an antelope run to seed " — is fond of a wooded country. The leaves of trees are its principal food, and especially a species of mimosa. Green herbs are also very agreeable to it ; but its structure does not admit of its feeding on them in the same manner as our domestic animals, the ox or the horse. It is obliged to straddle widely; its two fore feet are gradually stretched widely apart from each other, and its neck, being bent in a semi-circular form, the giraffe is thus enabled to collect the grass. The tongue, also, has the power of motion to an extraordinary degree, and, at the same time, one of extension, so as to perform, in miniature, the office of an elephant's proboscis. Coiling this member round the branches of trees, it draws them down between its very movable and flexible lips, and thus nips off the tender por- tions. The tongue can taper to a point, and is capable of being formed into a ring. This remarkable animal is distinguished from all the other ruminants or cud-chewing animals, by several important character- istics. The body is short and supported upon very long legs; the dorsal line slopes downward toward the rump, the withers being greatly elevated, and from this it was long confidently asserted that the fore-legs were much longer than the hinder pair, although this is not the case. 12— R. Ex, *178 ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. When pursued its gallop is described as exceedingly ludicrous, the hind-legs being brought forward at each step completely in advance of the anterior ones, apparently a foot or two on the out- side of them; in this fashion the giraffes contrive to get over the ground pretty rapidly, with a curious, springing motion. A very swift horse may possibly overtake them, and the rider may then select his victim from the herd, cut it off from his companions, and .shoot it at his leisure. THE GIRAFFE IS A GREAT KICKER. When going at full speed the heels of the giraffe constantly throw up dirt, sticks and stones in the faces of its nearest pursuers, but it never appears to attempt to defend itself unless brought to bay ; in this case its weapons are its hoofs, with which it kicks out so rapidly and vigorously that dogs will not venture to attack it, and it is even said it can beat off the lion in the same manner. The flesh of these animals, when young, is considered very good; that of the old ones is coarse. The skin is very thick and highly valued by the natives of Africa, who consider the leather formed from it to be the best material for sandal soles. They also use the skin in the formation of vessels to hold water, and sometimes as a covering for their huts. Gumming gives us the following lively description of the giraffe, at liberty in his native regions : ' These gigantic and exquisitely beautiful animals, which are admirably formed by nature to adorn the forest that clothe the boundless plains of the interior, are widely distributed throughout the interior of Africa, but are nowhere to be met with in great numbers. In countries unmolested by the intrusive foot of man, the giraffe is found generally in herds varying from twelve to sixteen ; but I have not unfrequently met with herds containing thirty indi- viduals, and on one occasion I counted forty together; this, how- ever, was owing to chance, and about sixteen may be reckoned as the average number of a herd. ' These herds are composed of giraffes of various sizes, from the young giraffe of nine or ten feet in height, to the dark chest- ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. *179 nut-colored old bull of the herd, whose exalted head towers above his companions. Some writers have discovered ugliness and want of grace in the giraffe, but I consider that he is one of the most KEllMIT BROUGHT DOWN A BIG BULL GIRAFFE. strikingly beautiful animals in the creation; and when a herd of them is seen scattered through a grove of the picturesque parasol- topped acacias which adorn their native plains, and on whose upper- 180* ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. most shoots they are enabled to browse by the colossal height with which nature has so admirably endowed them, he must indeed be slow of conception who fails to discover both grace and dignity in all their movements. " It is very difficult, almost impossible, to take a mature giraffe alive; for they run with such speed and with a succession of such wonderful bounds, that the swiftest horses can scarcely overtake them. In order to capture them, the period when the young are suckling is selected, when, if the captor is fortunate enough to keep the youngster alive for a few days, it becomes quiet, and even tame ; but very often the poor captive refuses all nourishment, and dies." THE LION AND LEOPARD ITS CHIEF ENEMIES. The chief enemies of the giraffe are the lion and leopard. In the open plain it distances them with ease; but if it is surprised from ambush, it exhibits both courage and strength in resisting its assailant, striking with its forefeet with such force as to prove occasionally fatal to the foe; but too frequently its efforts are unavailing. The giraffe must number man also among its enemies. The Hottentots hold its flesh in high esteem. By lying in wait for it at a favorite feeding or watering-place they shoot it with poisoned arrows. The more frequent use of firearms in hunting this beauti- ful animal will certainly before long lead to a complete annihilation of these wonderful and docile creatures. The ancients were acquainted with the giraffe. In the Egyp- tian paintings or bas-reliefs which have been handed down to us, there are figures which represent it ; Pliny, Oppian, and Heliodorus also make mention of it. The Romans possessed living specimens of this animal, which they exhibited in their circuses, and it appeared in the procession of the " Triumph." In the giraffe, the three bony appendages, one medium and the other lateral, all covered with skin, instead of being produced as outgrowths from any portion of the skull, are separate and inde- pendent conical bony " process " which stand upon the skull, capping roughened conical prominences destined to support them. Neither are horns, like those of sheep or oxen, nor antlers like ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. *181 those of the deer, ever found upon these processes, a tuft of hair alone surmounting the lateral pair. As may be judged from the foregoing, the bagging of the giraffe was not a dangerous feat. Not so, however, the hunt for the buffalo. It is agreed upon all hands by experienced hunters in Africa that the buffalo is one of the three most dangerous four-footed foes that man can attack. Most men class this animal with elephants and lions, as game that requires the highest attributes of skill, courage PURSUING A GIRAFFE. and caution to bring to bag. As a matter of fact, it may be laid down that more deaths and dangerous accidents happen annually in Africa in hunting the buffalo than in the chase of any other spe- cies of heavy game. In regions where large numbers of these splendid beasts still wander, in troops of three hundred, four hundred and even more, and where they have been little disturbed, the hunter has no great difficulty in shooting as many as he requires. In fairly open country, where scattered covert exists, and where they can be readily approached — for they are by no means 182* ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. keen- sighted creatures — a man may, he begins to think, shoot buf- faloes as easily as he can shoot oxen. But, directly a buffalo is wounded and his blood-spoor has to be taken up, and the hunter has to follow him into the dense coverts to which he retreats, the business is entirely changed. Then you may prepare to look out for yourself, to take up your heaviest and most reliable weapon, and to follow the track of your game with every sense alert, and your rifle handy for an instant and most deadly charge. You will find, too, that the native spoorer, who trotted in front of you readily enough on the blood spoor of elephant, and even lion, will now greatly prefer to follow in your rear, and leave you to take upon your own person the first and dangerous risk in the dark and shadowy thickets into which you are advancing. He knows — none better — the dark, evil fury and the lurking, noiseless ways of the beast of which you are in search. MOST DANGEROUS GAME IN AFRICA. The buffalo, so soon as he is wounded, seems, indeed, to think of little else than a bloody revenge. Unlike most other game, which, when wounded, will almost invariably betake themselves in flight as far from the pursuer as possible, he usually retreats some dis- tance into the densest bush, and then either hides up in some dark corner, where the shadows are deep and deilse, or, turning upon his line, takes a parallel path back and so waits for his foe; or he will even follow back upon his own spoor and conceal himself. Sometimes he will stand lurking amid the dark thickets; at another time, if badly wounded, he will lie down; in either case pre- pared and determined to inflict a bloody revenge for the hurts under which he is smarting. Year after year fatal accidents happen in African buffalo hunt- ing, year after year men, if not killed outright, are terribly mauled; and until the buffalo is completely exterminated, he will be found as savage and as dangerous as the lion himself, and, withal, far more revengeful. The account of the hunt follows. 184* ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. Before sun-up the party were again stirring. In less than two hours' time the natives had led the way to a broad, marshy lagoon, or " vlei," as the native-born whites call it, surrounded by drier ground, upon which grew bush, acacia trees, and a few tall palms. Part of this lagoon was shallow, open water, the remainder con- sists of a dense bed of tall reeds, which led to further swamps and lagoons beyond. The sight that met the American's eyes, as he and the natives crept cautiously towards the edge of the " vlei," and surveyed the scene from behind a screen of bush, was a wonderful one. In and about the " vlei " stood a troop of not less than two hundred buf- faloes, some rolling in the shallow, some drinking, some standing bellv-deep in water, dark and motionless. The buffalo birds (a species of starling-Buphaya Africana), those watchful allies of these animals and rhinoceroses, were flying hither and thither, many of them picking and feeding on the ticks and parasites which infest the buffalo. ATTACKED BY ENRAGED BUFFALO. A number of small white herons, too, were about the " vlei," some of which were also to be seen actually perching on the broad backs of the great game. In any case the stalk required caution, and, with these watchful " buffel-vogel " about, extreme care was, as the Colonel saw, essential. Concealed behind a thick mass of bush, to which he and the trackers had crept, the hunter waited patiently till the troop moved and a fair shot offered. At last several fat cows, for which he had been waiting, came, together with a tremendous old bull, within thirty yards. Selecting the best cow, the Colonel aimed behind the point of the shoulder, and brought her down. She fell instantly to the shot, struggled a little further, and soon lay dead. The American had hoped and expected to bring down another cow. His intentions were frustrated, however, by the bull, which charged upon the instant directly toward the rifle smoke. Within ten yards the Colonel, who was kneeling, fired again, hitting the ADVENTURES OF THE CHASE. *185 grim beast in front of the chest, and turning it. Meanwhile at the sound of the firing the whole herd floundered out of the " vlei," and went off crashing through an angle of the reed beds and thence far into the bush. As they fled the hunter took aim at a retreating cow eighty yards off, and by a lucky shot, broke her back. She fell bellowing, and was quickly despatched. Leaving the natives to skin and cut up these carcasses, the ex- President now took up the pursuit of the wounded bull, which he had marked in his flight through a dense patch of reeds to the right of the lagoon. The beast had turned off alone, and the greatest care had to be taken in following it through such covert. But the Colonel w r as determined to finish off his task. As soon as the reeds were reached, the blood spoor was easily to be followed. The heavy bullet had evidently raked the lungs, the bull was bleeding freely, and large patches of crimson marked its path. The reeds were very tall — twelve or fourteen feet — and thick, and the spooring seemed so dangerous an operation that the native, who was carrying a second gun, fell behind, leaving his master to take the first risk. At every step — they were wading knee-deep in water — the hunters stopped to listen. They had not penetrated fifty yards through the avenue of broken reeds, afforded by the passing of the bull, when in an instant, and without warning, the beast was upon them. Death hovered above them for one brief instant. Then a per- fect shot put it beyond the possibility of doing damage, and a sec- ond bullet mercifully ended its career. That night a wild war dance was given, at Sir Alfred's sug- gestion, by the Somali servants, in honor of the distinguished visitors. But one member of the party did not see this fantastic revival of the days before the white man had conquerred the Dark Con- tinent. The missing one w r as Kermit, as will be detailed in the next chapter. CHAPTER XII. Kermit Lost All Night in Jungle — Wanders Forty Miles Through Impenetrable Gloom — Has to Dodge Native Camps — Roaring Beasts Do Not Daunt Him — Wild and Savage Country — Caught in Tropical Storm — Finally Finds Railway and Saeety. * ERMIT is not likely to forget his terrifying experiences on that memorable night until his dying day. Not that they terrified him at the time, for he is a lad of too bold a nature to give way until danger is past. The hardiest then are apt to break down. But an account of his wanderings is well worth a chapter in itself. The party was slowly wending its way back to camp when a herd of Harrisbucks crossed his path. Urged by some fatal im- pulse, he turned his pony aside and started in pursuit. The sun still was an hour high, but for the moment Kermit forgot that in the tropics there is practically no twilight and that darkness follows, seemingly, in an instant, once the sun has set. He followed the herd for some little distance before he realized that his pony, after its hard day's work, was far too tired to over- take the fleet-footed creatures. Then, with a sigh, he turned back to rejoin his companions. But he counted without his host. Scarcely had he given up the chase than darkness fell and Kermit was alone, absolutely alone, save for an already tired pony, in the heart of an African jungle. It was a situation to try the nerve of the stoutest-hearted man, yet the lad, resolutely keeping up his spirits, struck out in the direc- tion in which he figured the camp to lay. But alas! as so frequently is the case with a novice in the 186* m HI ' i ' i 1 ";!: f. 1 if fi pq — I - c Q PS f 187 188* KERMIT ROOSEVELT LOST IN THE JUNGLE. woods, he was soon completely turned around and in a few min- utes was hopelessly lost. From the jungle on all sides came the roar of wild beasts. The shrill cries of the night birds chilled his blood, the roar of a lion could be heard a little way off his track, while ever and anon the crashing of bushes all about him told of the presence of — what? EVERY MOMENT EXPECTED TO MEET A LION. Fearing that possibly he might meet with a lion or a leopard in that dark belt of tall trees, under whose impenetrable shade grew the dense thicket that formed such admirable coverts for the car- nivorous species, Kermit crept cautiously along, looking keenly into the deep dark dens, the entrances of which were revealed as he journeyed, expectant every moment to behold the reputed monarch of the brake and thicket bound upon him. He peered closely into every dark opening, fearing to see the deadly glitter of the great angry eyes, and the glowering menacing front of a lion. After an hour's trepidation he had encountered nothing, and accordingly waxed courageous, crept into one of these leafy, thorny caverns, and found himself shortly standing under a canopy of foliage that was held above his head fully a hundred feet by the shapely and towering stems of the royal mvule. Who can imagine the position ? A smooth lawn-like glade; a dense and awful growth of impene- trable jungle around him; those stately natural pillars — a glorious phalanx of royal trees, bearing at such sublime heights vivid green masses of foliage, through which no single star-ray penetrated, while at his feet babbled the primeval brook, over smooth pebbles, in soft tones befitting the terrible and awe-inspiring quiet of the scene. A deep darkness enveloped the forest, now and then streaked by blue lightning, and, whipped by a rising south-east wind, hail and rain came beating down, the hailstones as large as horse-beans. After continuing for half an hour, the hail gave place to a true deluge of rain, and until late in the night it still continued raining steadily. AN OPEN GLADE BY DAY, AN ALMOST IMPASSABLE MORASS ON A RAINY NIGHT, *189 190* KERMIT ROOSEVELT LOST IN THE JUNGLE. Meanwhile the lad boldly continued his plunge into the recesses of the jungle. Try and imagine some of these dangers. Take a thick copse, dripping with rain; imagine this copse to be a mere undergrowth, nourished under the impenetrable shades of ancient trees, ranging from one hundred to one hundred and eighty feet high ; briers and thorns abundant; lazy creeks, meandering through the depths of the jungle, and sometimes a deep affluent of a great river. Imagine this forest and jungle in all stages of decay and growth — old trees falling, leaning perilously over, fallen prostrate; ants and insects of all kinds, sizes, and colors murmuring around; monkeys and chimpanzes above, queer noises of birds and animals, crashes in the jungle as troops of elephants rush away; possibly hostile sav- ages securely hidden behind some buttress or in some dark recess; strong brown-bodied aborigines with terribly sharp spears, stand- ing poised, still as dead stumps; rain pattering down on you; dark- ness almost palpable throughout the night; and then, if you will imagine such a forest extending for miles, you will have a fair idea of what Kermit underwent as he slipped, slid and stumbled along, now riding, now leading his tired pony, now stopping to regain his breath or to nurse his bruises and scratches. Alone ! A VERY TRYING SITUATION. And yet every instant fearing that some ferocious beast would bound from behind a copse and pounce upon him. Every bush held potential death from beast or venomous serpent. It was a situation to try a stouter heart than ever throbbed in the breast of a youth. Yet Kermit faced it as boldly as a boy could face danger. Ever and anon he would give a shrill cry in the hope of attract- ing help. But he soon tired of this. Besides the danger of thus attracting either savage enemies or even more savage beasts dawned upon him. Still he plunged on ! Once, towards midnight, his eyes were gladdened by the sight of a fire gleaming through the woods. KERMIT ROOSEVELT LOST IN THE JUNGLE. *191 On approaching nearer, however, he discovered that it came from a Wakamba village, and while these natives are usually peace- ful, the lad only too fully realized that the savage who is peaceful in the face of a large and heavily armed escort may not be so well disposed toward a lonely lad, lost in the wilderness. AFRICAN HOUSES WITH THATCHED ROOFS. So carefully skirting the village, as he was again to skirt still another before morning, he plunged on, sometimes in the recesses of the thickest forest, sometimes in an open glade, occasionally in a bit of tree-free land. He breathed freer when a bit of open land was reached, but after a short distance was traversed a dense jungle was entered, the path serpentining in and out of it; again open tracts of grass 192* KERMIT ROOSEVELT LOST IN THE JUNGLE. bleached white were passed, faintly showing in the dim star-light; now his way led through thickets of gums and thorns, producing an odor as rank as a stable; now through clumps of wide-spread- ing mimosa and colonies of baobab-trees across a country teeming EXTRAORDINARY FOREST GROWTHS IN AFRICA. with wild beasts, as the roars with which the jungle reverberated amply testified. Very characteristic of the country were the patches of prime- val forests through which Kermit struggled, at last almost panic- KERMIT ROOSEVELT LOST IN THE JUNGLE. '193 stricken. The way became very damp, the forest being watered by running streams, and known by the name of galleries. The soil was unusually rich in springs of water, which kept up a perpetual overflow of the brooks; and while in places the rivers have to find their way across open lowlands where the volume of water soon diminishes, and is lost in the parched earth, the country here was like a well-filled sponge. The result of this abundant moisture is LATER KERMIT CAREFULLY SKIRTED ANOTHER VILLAGE. that the valleys and fissures of the earth through which the water flows, whether in the form of little brooks and streamlets, or of great rivers, were clothed with all the majesty of a tropical forest ; while an open park-like glade, the chief feature of which appears at the first glance to be the amazing size of its foliage, fills up the higher- lying spaces between the water courses and the galleries. All this was beautiful by day, but terrifying at night. The number of distinct types of trees, and the variety of forms 13— R. Ex, 194* KERMIT ROOSEVELT LOST IN THE JUNGLE. among the undergrowth, is very great. Trees with large trunks, whose height throws 'into the shade all the previously seen speci- A \\ mm wnmw I 8' GIGANTIC BOABAB TREE. mens of the Nile flora, not excluding the palms of Egypt, are here found in serried ranks, without a break, and beneath their shelter KERMIT RQOSLYELl LOST IN THE JUNGLE *19S the less imposing platforms are arranged in terraces, now clothed in densest darkness. In the interior of these virgin forests, leafy corridors, rivaling the temple walls of Egypt, lie veiled in deep perpetual shadow, and are spanned by a triple roof of foliage, rising vault above vault. Seen from without, the galleries appear like an impenetrable wall of the densest leafage, while from within corridors of foliage open out in every direction beneath the columns of the tree stems, and are filled with the murmuring voice of springs and water-courses. But of this Kermit saw nothing but blackness. MAGNIFICENT FORESTS. The average height of the roof of leaves measures from seventy-five to ninety feet ; but very often these galleries, seen from without, by no means produce the imposing effect which is felt from within in looking up from the depth of the valley or the water- side ; because in many places the depression of land or water which makes up the gallery or tunnel-like character of the scene scarcely allows half of the forest to rise above the level ground, many gal- leries being entirely sunk in the depression. Great tree trunks, thickly overgrown with wild pepper, rise from the depths, and sup- port wide-spreading branches draped with lichens and mosses, above which towers the remarkably fine tree called the elephant's ear, which grows in rich abundance. In daylight all this might have appealed to the eye. At night, it confused and terrified the wanderer. Other tree stems, long since dead, serve as supports for colos- sal vines, and with their impenetrable festoons form bowers as large as houses, in which perpetual darkness reigns. At night, and alone, they seemed more terrible than ever. From the depths of the brushwood gleam flame-red blossoms, and rivalling them in splendor are seen tall shrubs bearing large orange bell flowers. In daylight the eyes may roam in every direction, and meet with noth- ing but this unbroken impenetrable greenery. There where the narrow pathways wind along, partly through and partly under the tangle of shrub and bush ascending the valley wall, bare roots of MONKEYS CHATTERED AT KERMIT FROM THE TREES. 196* KERMIT ROOSEVELT LOST IN THE JUNGLE. *197 trees form the supports which hold the loose friable earth together. Mouldering trunks, covered with thick mosses, are met with at every step, and make the advance through these waves of massive greenery anything but easy. What must it have been in the stygian darkness? The air is the heavy, humid atmosphere of green-houses. There prevails a constant moisture, produced by the breath of the woods itself, and which it is impossible to escape. But Kermit struggled on. Monkeys chattered at him from the trees, serpents rustled the bushes at his very feet, fiery eyes gleamed at him from the thickets, the shrill cries of the night birds chilled his blood, but still he kept on his way, undaunted. It was early dawn when finally he struck the railway line. Fol- lowing this for some miles he came to the tiny town of Kiu, forty miles from the camp near Machakos, where his father and com- panions were — forty miles through gloom and tangled jungle, with death in a thousand forms lurking at every step. ga&nm « HERD OF AFRICAN ELEPHANTS 198* CHAPTER XIII. Roosevelt Slays Big Bull Elephant — Kermit Reaches Camp About Noon — Too Late for Much oe a Hunt — Pair oe Lemurs Killed — Wounded Lion Leads to Elephants — Roosevelt too Impulsive — Selous Warns Colonel — Shot from Tree — Baby Elephant Captured — About These Giant Beasts — On to Ju-Ja Ranch. jVERYONE'S anxiety was relieved, and the Colonel, of course, was overjoyed, about noon that day, when Kermit, tired and sad- dle-sore, rode into camp, but as it was too late then to do more than hunt small game in the neighborhood of the camp, only a few * minor animals were bagged, among them a couple of lemurs, an animal closely allied to the monkey tribe. The next day, however, Theodore Roosevelt killed his first elephant. It was a big " tusker," and the former President picked it out of a herd of about a dozen. A baby elephant about two months old was roped and taken alive, and it will go as a gift from Colonel Roosevelt to the New York Zoological Gardens. The little captive was taken to Nairobi by a band of natives and shipped down to Mombasa by rail. Colonel Roosevelt, his son Kermit, and F. C. Selous had a narrow escape from the elephant which fell a prize. The men were out before daybreak for lions near Machakos, and there had been no report of elephants in the district. They wounded a lion return- ing to its lair, and the animal led them on a chase of several miles. Selous advised against following the lion into a thicket, but Roosevelt went in, taking the lead, and at times moving on hands and knees, with his rifle stuck out in front of him. Selous insisted *199 200 GROUP OF LEMURS, ALLIED WITH THE MONKEY TRIBE. A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT.' *201 on following- close behind Colonel Roosevelt, Kermit bringing up the rear. Colonel Roosevelt reached a fringe of grass at an open spot, and instantly brought his rifle to his shoulder. Selous rose until he was almost standing upright, and saw that the former President was aiming at the leader in a herd of elephants. His whispered command came just in time to keep Colonel Roosevelt from firing at a range of about 20 feet. Selous insisted upon a retreat, and warned Colonel Roosevelt that to fire on the herd would be to invite death in a charge. SHOT FROM AMBUSH. Roosevelt reluctantly moved back along the trail, and followed Selous in a wide detour. The Englishman had marked down the herd. He kept safely to leeward, and finally directed Roosevelt and Kermit to climb a tree. All three men went into the branches, and were able to make out the backs of the elephants through the towering undergrowth. Roosevelt's elephant gun, firing explosive shells, was in the camp. Selous advised him in aiming and he sent half a dozen bullets into the " tusker." The elephant charged the fire, and went down on its knees close to the tree. Then at a distance of about forty feet Roosevelt struck the heart, and it went over dead. The rest of the herd tore wildly through the thicket in retreat, Kermit trying several shots, but without effect. The baby elephant was captured an hour afterward by the natives in Roosevelt's caravan. But the elephant is worth a bit of study before we accompany the happy hunters back to camp. The elephants are the largest of terrestrial animals, as the whales are the largest of aquatic animals. If size and strength conferred the right of dominion, these two crea- tures would be able to divide between them the empire of the world. The proportions of the elephant are clumsy, its body is thick and bulky, its gait heavy and awkward; but its face is imposing and noble. These giants of creation have a head which is remarkable for its enormous development of skull. Of all the lower animals, 202* A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT. the elephant is the one whose head has the greatest vertical height in proportion to its horizontal length. However, the enormous rising produced at the upper, temporal, and posterior part of the skull, is not the result of great develop- ment of the brain; it arises simply from there being a quantity of broad cells, hollowed out in the substance of the bone. The volume of the brain is thus much inferior to that of the skull. On the lateral and upper portion of this enormous head are two immense thin ears, which extend upwards, backwards, and downwards. These the animal moves and flaps about at will ; they HUNTER ATTACKED BY A BULL ELEPHANT. also serve as a fan against the heat. The eye is small, for its globe is not a third of the size of the bull's eye, in comparison to the mag- nitude of the two animals. The mouth is also small, and almost entirely hidden behind the tusks and the base of the trunk. This trunk, an organ peculiar to the elephants, is merely the nose prolonged in an immoderate length, in the shape of a tube, and terminating in the openings of the nos- trils. This prodigious nasal organ performs the duties of arm and A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT. *203 hand. The elephant's trunk is, at the same time, an organ of touch, of smell, of prehension, and likewise a formidable weapon. In the ordinary actions of life, it is an instrument that performs all the functions of a hand. It seizes and picks up the smallest objects, as, for instance, a piece of money or a straw; it can uncork a bottle, or fire off a pistol. In the natural state, the elephant makes use of it for conveying food to its mouth; for lifting heavy weights, and putting them on its back; for drinking, by filling it with water, and then letting the water pour down its throat. With this instrument it defends itself, and attacks others ; it seizes its enemies, entwines them in its folds, squeezes them, crushes them, and tosses them into the air, or hurls them to the ground, afterwards to be trampled under its broad feet. THE TRUNK A VERY REMARKABLE ORGAN. The structure of this marvellous organ (the trunk) is very remarkable. It is a conical tube, of an irregular form, very elon- gated, truncated and funnel-shaped at the end. The upper side of this trunk is convex, and fluted along its breadth ; the lower side is flat. It is provided with two longitudinal rows of little eminences, which resemble the feet [or, rather, not the feet, but the pro-legs] of silkworms. The first portion of the trunk is situated at the point which forms the extremity of the nose in other animals ; it serves it in lieu of a nose, since the interior side serves as a lip, and the nostrils are placed within; in fact, this organ is hollow in the interior, and a partition divides it into two channels. At the point at which these channels or pipes touch the bony walls which terminate them, and which contain the organ of scent, they are provided with a little cartilaginous and elastic valve, which the animal can open and shut at will. This arrangement prevents the liquids used as drink from entering into the organ specially intended for the sense of smelling. Between the internal channels of the trunk and its external membrane are implanted numerous longitudinal, transversal, and radiating muscles, the contraction or dilation of which bring about 204 * A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT. or cause the quickest, strongest, and most varied movements and inflections. The trunk is terminated in a concavity, in the indentation of which are the orifices of the nostrils. The upper part of the border is prolonged into a sort of finger, which is about five inches long. This extremity seizes hold of objects with so much delicacy, that it can pick up a grain of wheat. NATIVES OF AFRICA CAPTURING AN ELEPHANT. The elephant's tusks are nothing but the incisive teeth pro- digiously elongated. Turned obliquely downwards, forwards, out- wards, and ultimately upwards. They are sometimes more than two metres and a half in length, and weigh as many as from fifty to sixty kilogrammes. In the females they are sometimes very slightly elongated, and do not project beyond the lips. The tusks serve the elephant for defensive and offensive 206* A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT. weapons. They protect the trunk, which curls up between them, when the animal traverses woods in which there are many thorns, prickles, and thick brushwood. The elephant also uses them for putting aside and holding down the branches, when, with its trunk, it is about to pluck off the tops of leafy boughs. The ivory, which is so much used in trade, and which is so remarkable for the fineness of its grain, whiteness, hardness, and for the beautiful polish that can be given to it, is principally obtained from the elephant. Elephant ivory is easily recognized by its peculiar structure. On the transverse section of it, one remarks streaks going in a circle, from the centre towards the circumference, and forming lozenges in crossing each other. IVORY IN DEMAND SINCE ANCIENT TIMES. Ivory has been employed by man as an ornament since the most ancient times. Solomon had a throne of ivory covered with gold, and the interiors of many opulent houses in Jerusalem were adorned with it. Homer speaks of ivory being employed as an object of ornament. The statue of the Olympian Jupiter, made by the Greek sculptor, * Phidias, was of ivory and gold. Ivory was, among the ancients, of a very great price ; and the elephant's tusks figured only in the most important public ceremonies. The elephant has no canine teeth. Its molar teeth are com- posed of a certain number of plates of a bony substance, covered with enamel, and bound together by a cortical or barky matter. The manner in which the teeth succeed each other in the ele- phant is well worthy of attention. In other mammalia, it is ver- tically that the second teeth succeed to the milk teeth. But in ele- phants they come forward from behind, in such a way that, as a molar is worn out, it is pushed forward by the one which is to replace it. The same molar can thus be replaced as many as eight times. The tusks, however, are only renewed once. The enormous head, the different parts of which we have just examined, joins on to a neck so short that its movements are very circumscribed and very difficult. The back is arched or bowed, and A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT, Hoi the rump depressed. The tail is short and thin. The fore legs have no collar-bone, and seem to be massive pillars placed under the body- to support its heavy mass. As with the hind legs also, their bones are placed in a position perpendicular to the body and to the ground, which gives the animal a clumsy and awkward appearance. The fore legs are moreover longer than the hind legs, which are very short, and of which the leg properly so called, and perhaps the knee, are alone disengaged from the body. Under the feet is a sort of callous sole, thick enough to prevent the hoofs from touch- ing the ground. The hoofs, to the number of from three to five, are shapeless, and do not even show the number of the toes (five on each foot), which remain encrusted and hidden under the skin. GENERALLY FOLLOW A LEADER. This shapeless, colossal, and heavy body is covered with a skin, callous, full of cracks and crevices, very thick, of a dirty blackish grey color, having a few hairs sprinkled over it here and there, and which are almost invisible, except on the back, on the eyelids, and on the tail, which is terminated by a tuft. Revelling in forests and swamps, they keep together in troops more or less numerous, which are either led by an old male, or very commonly by an old female. Well might Colonel Roosevelt have been elated at the unex- pected results of the day's hunt, for it now left him only the hippo- potamus, among the really big game, yet to conquer. It may well be supposed, therefore, that they rode back to camp, more than satisfied and ready, at last, for the trip to the famous Ju-Ja ranch, where the former President and his party were to be the guests of William McMillan, a nephew of former United States Senator McMillan, of Michigan. The Roosevelt party were to remain with Mr. McMillan for two weeks, hunting daily in the vicinity of the ranch. Years ago Mr. McMillan went to British East Africa in search of big game and was so well pleased with the country that he acquired an immense reservation for his private use. He has also 208* A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT. led exploring expeditions that accomplished work of considerable importance. Mr. and Mrs. McMillan have a wide reputation for generous hospitality. She has shared life in Africa with her husband and delights in the experience. The McMillan farm gets its name from the Ju and Ja rivers, between which it lies. It covers 20,000 acres of land, and is about thirty-five miles from Nairobi, one of the largest towns of the plateau which is included in the British East Africa. It is fenced in on three sides by wire netting, while on the fourth the River Athi forms a sufficient protection to its boundaries. Immediately north of Ju-Ja, in majestic view from the veranda, Mount Kenia pushes its snow-cap nineteen thousand feet high across the exact line of the equator. Between the ranch and Mount Kenia lie the swells of the big game wilderness, which runs on in a northwesterly direction toward the great volcanic escarpment that shields Lake Victoria Nyanza. A MODERN HOUSE NEXT TO THE WILDERNESS. Ju-Ja House is one story high and of great extent, surrounded on all sides by a veranda. Hallways running across the house from every side give entrance to the rooms, which open through French windows upon the veranda. At one corner, looking out upon the plains and the mountains, is a kiosk where midday refreshment and afternoon tea are served. Each guest has his own Somali servant who responds to his call and attends to his needs. Conveniences abound which might well make one forget that he is next door to the wilderness. There is a telephone service connecting the house with every part of the farm. Electric lights are furnished from a power plant operated by turbine on the river, and there are storage batteries for a resource in case the dynamo " goes dead." An arti- ficial ice plant cools the atmosphere of the house and supplies plenty of ice for beverages. Pianos, talking machines, and the magazines are at hand. Thorough open house hospitality is the custom of a new coun- try. At Ju-Ja hunting parties help themselves, if they arrive in the *210 A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT. absence of the master. The house is like a hotel on the road to the great northern game fields, and the great sportsmen of the world are pretty sure to drift in there sooner or later. The temperature at this altitude of fifty-four hundred feet is agreeable throughout the year. Torrential rains for six weeks in the spring leave the air damp, but at other seasons the heat is dry. White men wear a pith helmet and covering for the neck as a pro- tection against the sun. The native carriers go bare-headed and smear their skin with a preparation of red earth and castor oil. Acres of gardens cover the hillsides that drop away to the river boundaries of the farm. Flowers that in this country blossom at different seasons bloom all together in the violet sunshine. The pansy, a spring flower in temperate climes, grows beside the fall chrysanthemum. Peas, potatoes, lettuce, and beets mature week after week the whole year round, according to the time of planting. PROHIBITS THE CAPTURE OF THE OSTRICH. The government is deeply interested in McMillan's experiments in the domestication of native animals. No other individual is so well equipped to attempt the work on a scale that will yield imme- diate results. When he first bought Ju-Ja, McMillan intended to raise ostriches, but the colonial government has since then pro- hibited the capture of the ostrich for breeding. The result of this restriction, which is severely criticised by the settlers, is that the birds lay their eggs anywhere on the open veldt, where they are eagerly sought by other game. This is the reason given by the settlers for the failure of the ostrich to multiply, as against the claim of the colonial office that confinement threatens them with extinction. The birds run wild, but when rounded up, driven into the corral, fed, and then liberated, they return for food and become easily domesticated. Many are the stories of the safari (hunt) that are told at Ju- Ja. Only two years ago two bosom friends who were hunting lions separated better to beat the game. The lion surprised one of the hunters and tore his body until it hung together by the sinews. When his friend found him, he saw that he was past all surgery. A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT. *211 But the man's mind was alive, and he begged his comrade to end his sufferings. That friend found the courage to place his pistol to the sufferer's head and fire the shot that gave him release. McMillan is the son of the late William McMillan whose great estate holds the controlling interest in the American Car and Foun- NATIVES OF THE NILE REGION. dry Company of St. Louis and other investments that have largely increased a fortune of many millions. Like Roosevelt, young McMillan had his first experience with big game in the American West. Shooting from the hip at close range he learned in New Mexico, when as a fragile boy he was sent there to rough it on his father's ranch. He won health and hardi- hood hunting in the Rockies. McMillan is thirty-six years of age, 212* A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT. six feet and three inches tall, and when in hunting trim, weighs two hundred and fifty pounds. Africa beckoned McMillan ten years ago while he was in Algiers. Learning of the opportunities for big sport in British Somaliland, he sailed down the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. At Berbera he equipped his hunting party of natives and soon found himself in the Singali Mountains among the antelope. In pursuit of lions the party wandered into the country of the Mad Mullah during the last outbreak of that fanatic, and only escaped capture by remaining in hiding for more than a week. WON THE FRIENDSHIP OF THE NATIVES. Hearing of a rare species of antelope in Abyssinia, McMillan sailed up the coast to a landing. Although warned of perils in the interior from hostile natives, he marched straight to Menelik's capi- tal, hunting on the way and winning the friendship of the natives by killing game for them. Menelik was pleased with the boldness and good nature of the young man. The monarch made him prom- ise to return, after giving him permission to explore the Blue Nile into Abyssinian territory. McMillan returned to Cairo by way of Suez. The expedition for the Blue Nile was fitted out at Cairo. Mrs. McMillan accompanied the expedition as far as the steamer got above Khartoum. She climbed the great cliffs leading from the Nile Valley to the vast tableland of Abyssinia, parted with the explorer, and descended the river to Khartoum to await him. Up to the point where the boats were brought into service, the river flowed broadly through heavy growth. As the string of boats entered a gorge, however, the stream contracted until, two hundred miles above Khartoum, the boats were broken in a series of rapids. The party retraced their route on foot, beset by every sort of hardship. None of them except McMillan were armed with guns. He killed all the game on which the Somalis subsisted. In shooting he was compelled to exercise rare sportsmanship to avoid killing the quarry— generally antelope and hippopotami — outright. The Mo- 214* A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT. hammedan Somalis refused -to partake of meat slain by an infidel. As the beast fell, they would dash upon the wounded game, and " Allah " the prey — that is, slit the throat and mumble the Moham- medan prayer as the blood flowed. It was while engaged in this exploration that the French heard of McMillan and began diplomatic inquiries about his business. The feeling in France at the time was still so intense over the Marchand disaster at Fashoda, that McMillan's presence, then, on the Abyssinian waters of the Blue Nile, was regarded as a breach WAZARAMO VILLAGE. of the entente cordiale. The British embassy gave satisfactory assurances that the expedition was the private venture of a wealthy American. The effect of the exploration was to disabuse the British mind of attempting to divert the commerce of Abyssinia inland by way of the river to Cairo, thus wresting a great trade from the French protectorate on the coast. McMillan found that the river in Abys- sinia was not navigable. Four years ago, when McMillan entered the " wild strip," accompanied only by his Somalis, it was without firing a shot A FULL DAY'S SUCCESSFUL HUNT. *215 against a savage in a region from which numerous expeditions had been turned back with records of resistance and massacre. All his friends had tried to dissuade him from an experiment in which several powerful expeditions had failed. But he was firm in his purpose to solve the enigma of the strip lying directly north of Uganda and forming the shortest route for the " Cape-to-Cairo " railway between all the British possessions in South Africa and those in the Soudan. A British expedition had been turned back into Uganda by the hostiies of savage tribes. An Italian expedition had been mas- sacred by the natives only a few years before McMillan started up the Nile from Cairo. Passing Fashoda where Marchand met his fate, the American entered the Sobat River at its mouth and floated into the territory. He traversed the entire strip, encountering a tribe of gigantic blacks, and returned through the same region after penetrating Masailand, now a part of British East Africa, and hunting around Lake Rudolph. With his usual good nature he placated the savages by shooting scores of lions, buffalo, and antelope as presents for the native chiefs. He learned from one of the most northerly tribes that the commander of the ill-fated Italian expedition had been taken a prisoner into this tribe, but was tracked there and mur- dered by natives of a southern tribe whose chief had been mis- treated by the expedition. McMillan found the country an easy one for the railway to penetrate, but filled with volcanic drift, making it unprofitable for agriculture. His expedition opened the " wild strip " and proved its adaptability for constructing the last link in Cecil Rhodes' dream of Cape-to-Cairo supremacy. CHAPTER XIV. At the Famous Ju-Ja Ranch — Thirty-Six Hours of Leisure — Exploring the Blue Nile — Game Furnished Wide Variety of Food — In thf Lion Country — Battling With i Hippopotami — Shooting Crocodiles — Natives Feast on Turtle — Review of Hunting Success. OLONEL ROOSEVELT'S first thirty-six iff hours at the world-famous Ju-Ja ranch were spent in quietly resting from the strenuous hunts while he was a guest at the ranch of Sir Alfred Pease, who, by the way, he had previously met while hunting big game in the Rockies. Added to these muscle-wearying and nerve-wrecking experiences, too, there had been the long and arduous journey across a broken country to Ju-Ja. Small wonder, then, that even so energetic a hunter as the former President should be content to sit quietly on the broad ver- anda of the McMillan house and listen to the experiences of as famous a band of big-game slayers as, probably, ever were gath- ered together. Many, too, were the local dignitaries who had journeyed from Mombasa, Nairobi and a score of lesser places to shake hands with the hero of San Juan hill and the man who had surpassed all pre- vious East African records as a lion slayer. A part of the day was spent in writing up his adventures to date and a few hours' wandering over the spacious game preserve with his host and Mr. Selous, whom, Colonel Roosevelt insisted, should still regard himself as a member of the party. The most of his time, however, was spent under the trees that shaded the McMillan bungalow, listening to talks of wild beasts slain and even more savage men conquered. 21'P 218* A LONG REST AND RECEPTION AT JU JA RANCH. One account he listened to with far more interest than most, inasmuch as it described a trip over country and amid scenes he soon was to traverse. It was told by one of two Frenchmen who lately had traversed the Blue Nile region. Here is, in substance, their remarkable experience: Having collected a caravan, consisting of twenty men and twenty-five camels for carrying baggage, food and apparatus, they started for the Blue Nile. There, having engaged extra porters and beaters and completed their store of provisions, they moved toward the valley of the Dinder river. GAME IN ABUNDANCE. Gradually they came into a more desolate region and the game began to appear. Gazelles put in an appearance, and then a large herd of antelopes came into view. The channel of the Dinder was entirely dry, save here and there pools in which fought hideous crocodiles and that were also the watering places of flocks of aquatic birds. The country between Abou, Hashim and Durraba is the favor- ite resort of leopards, which there run down the crowds of monkeys that inhabit the section. In the same place are numerous elephants. From this on there was plenty of variety in the food furnished the expedition. A guinea fowl, crocodile steak, a leg of antelope, roasted buffalo or broiled wild boar helped vary the menu provided from day to day. Ariels — a species of large gazelle which feed in bands of a hundred or more — were frequently met with. Then would come the bachmats, an antelope quite as big as a doe. The hoodoo was also a common animal, with twisted horns more than a yard long. Of these the hunters may only kill two. i Others that traversed the pathway of the expedition were the abouroofs and tetels, in shape like small horses and remarkably difficult of approach. The travelers had now arrived in the region of lions. The first night a lion's long roar was heard. The entire camp was awake in an instant. The lion was on his way to the river for a drink, *219 220* A LONG REST AND RECEPTION AT JU JA RANCH. but the sight of the camp disconcerted him and, growling, he turned tail and fled. As a rule, this animal is very cunning and hard to surprise. The grunting of the hippopotamus as it browsed along the river also soon became a familiar sound. One night the noise these ani- mals made showed that they were abroad in great numbers. The following day the party started in search of them. Suddenly there w r as a violent commotion in the water. One after another three hippopotami thrust up their heads. They snorted like porpoises and splashed around joyously. A well-directed bullet struck one squarely in the forehead, and it sank, emitting a great jet of blood- stained water. Three or four hours afterward the vast body floated to the sur- face, to the great joy of the natives. What luck for them — food at least for a month and a skin to serve twenty useful purposes. OBJECT OF FRENZIED INTEREST. Utterly regardless of crocodiles, the whole band rushed into the water. They dragged to the shore the body, which became the object of frenzied interest. An hour, and it is cut into pieces. Some naked bones and a few fragments of flesh remained to tell the tale. The numerous animals killed had drawn many hyenas about the camp. The noise they make was very disagreeable. Like the lion, they disappeared at dawn. According to the natives, their place of refuge was a little mountain visible, about an hour's march away from the camp. It was visited by the hunters. Rocky and steep, it was marked all over by holes like those of a sponge, forming so many dens. As many hyenas could have been killed as the hunters chose if they had been worth killing. The hunting brought many surprises. One day while watch- ing for crocodile a small head like that of a serpent bobbed up. As often as it was fired at it simply dodged under, to appear again at another point in the stream. Finally one shot hit, and an enormous A LONG REST AND RECEPTION AT JU JA RANCH. *22l turtle floated on the surface. The natives made it the centre of a great feast. More variety was given the hunting by an immense boa caught in a wood. No lead was wasted on it. A dexterous throw of the lance nailed its head to the ground and other lance thrusts finished it. It measured twenty feet long. More material for a joyous native festival. Near the island of Omrouk, on the Dinder, there are certain marshes that even in the heat of summer are fresh and grassy. When the rest of the country dries up the larger ruminants resort there. In the early morning herds of buffalo may be seen feeding, but it is not wise to attack unless under special conditions. In this herbage, which is often eight feet high, it is almost impossible to move. DISCOVERED MARKS OF A BUFFALO. The hunters camped on the island. At dawn the shore was reached and marks of the buffalo discovered. On the way they climbed an ant hill about ten feet high as a post of observation. The sixth of a mile distant a herd of sixty head was seen feeding. Resting his gun on a branch, the hunter fired. A splendid male dropped. Indescribable confusion in the troupe. The females, fearful, called their little ones about them, the males stamping the ground vigorously. Suddenly a panic seized the herd and it fled at full speed. The hunter and his assistants now made their way to where the wounded buffalo was lying. Raising himself by a desperate effort, he charged on them. But his paw having been broken retarded his speed. The hunters hastily retired, when the buffalo turned and, with what speed he could, limped toward his late com- panions. Following his bloody tracks they found him further on exhausted, a second buffalo keeping him company. The hunters felt a measure of uneasiness. M. Machin, one of the hunters, had only three bullets left. Therefore no shooting must be done unless it told. At twenty paces the animals scented the men and set up a A LONG REST AND RECEPTION AT JU jA RANCH, tremendous bellowing". Two balls were fired into the unharmed beast and one into the other. Nothing more could be done in the darkness than return to camp and wait for morning. All rose at an early hour. They reached the spot where they had left the bodies. Imagine their sur- prise. The other buffalo was there, but the one wounded in the first place had absolutely disappeared. His tracks were followed, but he soon caught sight of his pursuers and fled. But fate was against him. Compelled to rest, a ball put him out of his misery for good. The elephant incident was less brilliant. A native came one morning to announce that in a clearing at some distance wandered a dozen elephants. M. Machin set out immediately with his blacks in the direction indicated. After weary hours of marching suddenly a heavy shadow broke across the trail they were following. It was caused by an immense elephant. Fixed solidly- on the earth, he faced the enemy, threw forward his long ears, brandished his trum- pet and with a strident bellow advanced. ELEPHANT ONLY STUNNED. It was no time to hesitate. Aiming at one of the little black eyes in the huge head, the hunter pulled the trigger. Fortunately his aim was good. The huge beast tumbled down like a falling tree. The rest of the band, hidden at some distance, began to trumpet and add wildly to the uproar. But the huge beast was not dead. The ball, too small, had only stunned him. His rage was something fearful — trees pulled up, shrubs torn up and tossed in the air, a crushing and roaring like the roll of thunder in the midst of the forest, a moment before so quiet. No courage could well prevail against such a cyclone, a hurricane of madness. It was not difficult to feel the chill of death in the presence of such a monster of strength and fury. The men retired in good order. Naturally, big game in Africa is not as plentiful now as it was a quarter of a century or more ago. In course of time the ele- phants, lions and other large beasts of the Dark Continent will probably be as scarce as the American buffalo. A LONG REST AND RECEPTION AT JU JA RANCH. *223 Think of the game that fell before the gun of the original of Allan Quatermain during five months of 1874: Elephants, 14; rhinoceri, 9; hippopotamus, 1; buffaloes, 10; giraffes, 2; zebras, 7; lion, 1 ; eland, 1 ; wart-hogs, 4 ; other large animals, 24. During the three* years 1877- 1880 Mr. Selous killed 348 animals, including elephants, rhinoceri, buffaloes and antelopes. Another sportsman a few years ago brought down, within EXCITING CHASE OF THE WILD 'OSTRICH. four months, 197 animals, among them rhinoceri, hippopotami, lions, hartbeests and water bucks. Africa is undoubtedly the sportsman's paradise. In comparison with these exploits, the American had not done badly. No wonder he sat back and reviewed the past strenuous weeks with pleasure. Of the one hundred and one species of East African game Colonel Roosevelt had thus far bagged specimens of fifty. In order to make his collection complete it would be necessary for him to kill or take alive, as he did the okapi and several lion cubs, 224* A LONG REST AND RECEPTION AT JU JA RANCH. ten species of quadrumana, which included monkeys, gorillas, baboons and mandrils. Of the carnivora Colonel Roosevelt had brought down several fine species, but he had yet to shoot a jackal, hyena, wolf, fox, caracal, civet cat, chaus, a species of lynx, and a herpeses, a prowling beast that destroys crocodile eggs. X Secretary bird. Of the ungulata species the former President had bagged a zebra, several buffaloes and antelope and giraffe. If he wanted to complete his specimens of this species he must try for the onager, or wild ass; the fleet-footed quagga, the single-humped camel and a wild horse. There were two specimens of the edentata species that Colonel Roosevelt must get. One of these was the aardwark, a species of A LONG REST AND RECEPTION AT JU JA RANCH. *225 an ant eater. If he was going to include small game in his bag he would have to shoot a gilded mole, a hedge hog and a porcupine. Colonel Roosevelt was especially after feathered game, but if he should devote a part of the trip to this sport he would perhaps land an ostrich, a messenger or secretary bird and some water fowl of gay plumage. He had already cut the reptilian population of the jungle down by shooting some big snakes, but if he desired more of this kind of game there were yet for him the python, purple naja, the horned viper, the ringed naja and the darting viper, all of which are venomous. The crocodile, too, had thus far escaped the attention of Colonel Roosevelt. But, taken all in all, his record thus far truly was a wonderful one. 15— R. Ex. CHAPTER XV. Bagging Big Game at Ju-Ja — Python Victim of ex-President's Prowess — Kermit Stays Leopard — Wounded Rhinoceros Puts Up Strong Fight — Kitted by Seventh Shot — Natives Christen Kermit Bwana Htoto or Littte Master — Calt Each Other by New Nicknames. URING his stay at the McMillan ranch Colonel Roosevelt had as strenuous a time as he had had even on the great hunt on Sir Alfred Pease's ranch. After his first brief period of rest every moment seemed fairly crowded with excitement. He and Kermit knew scarcely a dull moment. Their first bag included a waterbuck, an impalla and other varieties of antelopes. All the skins were being saved entire, and the expedition had now a total of sixty specimens, representing many different species. Kermit Roosevelt, on one trip, dispatched a leopard at a dis- tance of six paces. The animal already had mauled a beater, and was charging Kermit when he fired the fatal shot. A python of immense size was a victim of the father's prowess. Colonel Roosevelt got the biggest female rhinoceros killed in that vicinity in years, but only after he had taken his life in his hands to get the big game. He went out on McMillan's ranch from the camp on horse- back in search of hippopotami and while riding at full speed sighted the female rhino. He took a snapshot at it from the saddle, but his aim was high, and he only wounded it in the shoulder. The big animal took refuge in the bushes and the Colonel dismounted and crawled after it. He fired five shots without seeming effect, then it tried to 226* SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. *227 charge him. Dropping on one knee he took careful aim and bowled it over with his seventh shot. It was of exceptional size, the hide and head weighing four hundred pounds. They were sent to Nairobi to be cured with the other specimens. The porters nicknamed Kermit Roosevelt Bwana Htoto, or Little Master, and this made a hit with the Colonel, who as Bwana Tombo or portly master, had made a new shooting record. The father and son constantly used the native nicknames in addressing each other and managed to get much amusement out of it. Meantime a new source of anxiety had arisen elsewhere, though it disturbed the Roosevelts little, if at all. It was that a campaign had been begun against the Mad Mullah, with the suggestion that Theodore Roosevelt was incurring danger at the hands of the wild Somalis, who are the Mad Mullah's most dangerous followers. ON THE ALERT FOR TREACHERY. An impression prevailed in Mombasa that the former Presi- dent had better keep an eye open for these treacherous tribesmen, of whom several bands of from twenty to fifty each were lurking about the northern boundary of the Somaliland Protectorate. Their very presence in the neighborhood, said one report, was suspicious, for at the most they only had a ten days' journey from Nairobi. But, despite these rumors, the hunt continued, a great hippo- potami filling out the former President's bag of big beasts. Edmund Heller, the zoologist of the expedition, returned to camp that day after bringing about fifty specimen of animal and bird life to be cured and preserved. But the famous American was not yet satisfied. On the next day he started on the most hazardous hunt of his trip. He and Kermit and their party left the Ju-Ja ranch to bag another hippo- potamus. This time they decided to hunt the big game in the thick swamps where the hunters must hide perhaps for many hours before the chance to get a shot arises. 228* SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. On the way to the lair of the " hippo " Colonel Roosevelt and Kermit shot two bull buffaloes. One, the bigger of the two, was brought down by Colonel Roosevelt alone, while the other was bagged by Colonel Roosevelt and Kermit together. The python killed by Colonel Roosevelt was the largest taken in British East Africa in many years. The former President and F. C. Selous, his guide, stumbled across the python at the edge of a swamp, where it was quietly making a meal of an antelope, horns and all. Roosevelt was more excited over the killing of the serpent, measuring twenty-three feet, than over his first lion, although there was slight danger to himself. The bullet that killed, how- ever, was one back from the head, which cut a vertebra. THE HIPPOPOTAMUS AN ANIMAL OF GREAT INTEREST. When not occupied in searching for specimens or writing he spent his time practicing shooting. When particularly delighted with the result of his day's hunting he spent the evening at the campnre, pointing out how East Africa could be made a great countrv. But the slaying of the great hippopotamus cannot be dismissed in a sentence. Indeed, this great beast is too interesting a subject to let mention of it pass without a closer investigation of its char- acter and habits. This enormous quadruped is a native of various parts of Africa, and is always found either in water or in its near vicinity. In absolute height it is not very remarkable, as its legs are ex- tremely short, but the actual bulk of its body is very great indeed. The average height of a full-grown hippopotamus is about five feet. Its naked skin is dark brown, curiously marked with innumerable lines like those on " crackle " china or old oil-paintings, and is also dappled with a number of sooty black spots, which cannot be seen except on r a 'close inspection. A vast number of pores penetrate the skin, and exude a thick, oily liquid, which effectually seems to protect the animal from the injurious effects of the water in which it is so constantly immersed. SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. *229 The mouth is enormous and its size is greatly increased by the odd manner in which the jaw is set in the head. Within the mouth is an array of white, gleaming tusks, which have a terrific appearance, but are solely intended for cutting grass < tn o o 1— * UJ — . U-. < S |J 0. < < fjj 2 A & & H < SZ3 hJ w- o and other vegetable substances and are seldom employed as weapons of offence, except when the animal is wounded or otherwise irri- tated. The entire tooth, when it has been removed from the animal and thoroughly dried, is covered with a series of fine, super- 230* SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. iicial cracks, which intersect each other diagonally with much regu- larity, being a veritable example of nature's " cross-hatching." The tooth is very solid in its substance and close in its grain, and as it retains its color under very trying circumstances, is ad- mirably adapted for the manufacture of artificial teeth. Through- out, the greater part of its length it is quite solid, but bears a conical hollow about three or four inches deep at the extremity which enters the socket. The extreme whiteness of the ivory obtained from the hippopo- tamus' teeth renders it peculiarly valuable for the delicate scales of various philosophical instruments, and its natural curve adapts it admirably for the verniers of ship sextants. The weight of a large tooth is from five to eight pounds, and the value of the ivory is from four to five dollars a pound. With these apparently combined teeth the hippopotamus can cut the grass as neatly as if it were mown with a scythe, and is able to sever, as if with shears, a tolerably stout and thick stem. ITS ENORMOUS APPETITE. Possessed of an enormous appetite, having a stomach that is capable of containing five or six bushels of nutriment, and furnished with such powerful instruments, the hippopotamus is a terrible nuisance to the owners of cultivated lands that happen to be near the river in which the animal has taken up his abode. During the day it is comfortably asleep in its chosen hiding-place, but as soon as the shades of night deepen, the hippopotamus issues from its den, and treading its way into the cultivated lands, makes sad de- vastation among the growing crops. Were the mischief confined to the amount which is eaten by the voracious brute, it would be bad enough, but the worst of the matter is, that the hippopotamus damages more than it eats by the clumsy manner of its progress. The body is so large and heavy, and the legs are so short, that the animal is forced to make a double track as he walks, and in the grass-grown plain can be readily traced by the peculiar character of the track. It may therefore be easily imagined that when a number of these hungry, SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. *231 awkward, waddling, splay-footed beasts come blundering among the standing crops, trampling and devouring indiscriminately, they will do no slight damage before they think fit to retire. The hippopotamus is, as the import of its name, River Horse, implies, most aquatic in its habits. It generally prefers fresh water, but it is not at all averse to the sea, and will sometimes prefer salt water to fresh. It is an admirable swimmer and diver, and is able to remain below the surface for a considerable length of time. In common with the elephant, it possesses the power of sinking at will, which is the more extraordinary when the huge size of the animal is taken into consideration. Perhaps it may be enabled to contract itself by an exertion of the muscles whenever it desires to sink, and to return to its former dimensions when it wishes to return to the surface. It mostly affects the stillest reaches of the river, as it is less exposed to the current, and not so liable to be swept down the stream while asleep. IS CAREFUL OF ITS YOUNG. The young hippopotamus is not able to bear submersion so long as its parent, and is therefore carefully brought to the surface at short intervals for the purpose of breathing. During the first few months of the little animal's life, it takes its stand on its mother's neck, and is borne by her above or through the water as experience may dictate or necessity require. There are various modes of hunting this mischievous but valu- able animal, each of which is in vogue in its own peculiar region. The pitfalls are universal throughout the whole hippopotamus country, and lure many an animal to its destruction without needing any care or superintendence on the part of the men who set the snare. There is also the " down-fall,'' a trap which consists of a log of wood, weighted heavily at one end, to which extremity is loosely fixed a spear-head, well treated with poison. This terrible log is suspended over some hippopotamus path, and is kept in its place by a slight cord which crosses the path and is connected with a catch or trigger. As soon as the animal presses the cord, the catch is 232* SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. *233 liberated, and down comes the armed log, striking the poisoned spear deep into the poor beast's back, and speedily killing it by the poison, if not from the immediate effects of the wound. The white hunter of course employs his rifle and finds that the huge animal affords no easy mark, as unless it is hit in a mortal spot it dives below the surface and makes good its escape. Mortal spots, moreover, are not easy to find, or when found, to hit ; for the animal soon gets cunning after it has been alarmed, and remains deeply immersed in the water as long as it is able, and when it at last comes to the surface to breathe, it only just pushes its nostrils above the surface, takes in the required amount of air, and sinks back again to the river bed. ITS PRECAUTION IN THE HOUR OF DANGER. Moreover, it will often be so extremely wary, that it will not protrude even its mouth in the open water, and looks out for some reeds or floating substances which may cover its movements while breathing. As a general rule; it is found that the most deadly wound that can be given to a hippopotamus is on the nose, for the animal is then unable to remain below the surface, and consequently presents an easy mark to the hunter. A heavy ball just below the shoulder always gives a mortal wound, and in default of such a mark being presented, the eye or ear is a good place to aim at. The most exciting manner of hunting the hippopotamus is by fairly chasing and harpooning it, as if it were a whale or a walrus. This mode of sport is described very vividly by Mr. Anderson. The harpoon is a very ingenious instrument, being composed of two portions, a shaft measuring three or four inches in thickness and ten or twelve feet in length, and a barbed iron point, which fits loosely into a socket in the head of the shaft, and is connected with it by means of a rope composed of a number of separate strands. This peculiar rope is employed to prevent the animal from severing it, which he would soon manage were it to be composed of a single strand. To the other end of the shaft a strong line is fastened, and to the other end of the line a float or buoy is attached. As this composite harpoon is very weighty it is not thrown at the animal, Ell"" ■"" iT Up., 1 i T ^■iilil *234 SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. • 235» but is urged by the force of the harpooner's arm. The manner of employing it shall be told in Mr. Anderson's own words : " As soon as the position of the hippopotami is ascertained, one or more of the most skillful and intrepid of the hunters stand prepared with the harpoons; whilst the rest make ready to launch the canoes, should the attack prove successful. The bustle and noise caused by these preparations gradually subside. Conversa- tion is carried on in a whisper, and every one is on the alert. The snorting and plunging become every moment more distinct; but a bend in the stream still hides the animals from view. The angle being passed, several dark objects are seen floating listlessly on the water, looking more like the crests of sunken rocks than living creatures. ITS PURSUIT AND CAPTURE BY NATIVES. " Ever and anon, one or other of the shapeless masses is sub- merged, but soon again makes its appearance on the surface. On, on, glides the raft with its sable crew, who are now worked up to the highest state of excitement. At last, the raft is in the midst of the herd, who appear quite unconscious of danger. Presently one of the animals is in immediate contact with the raft. Now is the critical moment. The foremost harpooner raises himself to his full height, to give the greater force to the blow, and the next instant the fatal iron descends with unerring accuracy in the body of the hippopotamus. " The wounded animal plunges violently, and dives to the bottom ; but all his efforts to escape are unavailing. The line or the shaft of the harpoon may break; but the cruel barb once imbedded in the flesh, the weapon (owing to the toughness and thickness of the beast's hide) cannot be withdrawn. "As soon as the hippopotamus is struck, one or more of the men launch a canoe from off the raft, and hasten to the shore with the harpoon-line, and take a round turn 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 ' (to liken small things to great) in the same manner as the salmon by the 236* SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. fisherman. But if time should not admit of the line being passed round a tree, or the like, both line and ' buoy ' are thrown into the water, and the animal goes wherever 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. Pre- sently — and perhaps at some little distance — he once more appears on the surface, when, as before, missiles of all kinds are hurled at his devoted head. " When thus beset, the 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 grasp of his liorrid jaws either terribly mutilates the poor fellow, or, it may be, cuts his body fairly in two. IT IS FINALLY LANDED. " 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 whereabout. At length, from loss of blood or exhaustion, Behemoth succumbs to his pursuers and is then dragged ashore." A hippopotamus which had been touched accidentally by a boat has turned upon it and torn out several of the planks, so that it was with difficulty the crew got to shore. A hippopotamus has also been known to kill some cattle which were tied up near his haunts, without the slightest provocation. Mr. Harris gives the following account of the habits of the hippopotamus : " This animal abounds in the Limpopo, dividing the empire with its amphibious neighbor the crocodile. Throughout the night the unwieldy monsters might be heard snorting and blowing during their acquatic gambols, and we not unfrequently detected them in the act of sallying from their reed-grown coverts, to graze by the serene light of the moon: never, however, venturing to any SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. *237 distance from the river, the stronghold to which they betake them- selves on the smallest alarm. " Occasionally during the day, they were to be seen basking on the shore, amid ooze and mud ; but shots were most constantly to be had at their uncouth heads, when protruded from the water to draw breath; and if killed, the body rose to the surface. Vulnerable only behind the ear, however, or the eye, which is placed in a promi- nence, so as to resemble the garret window of a Dutch house, they require the perfection of rifle practice, and after a few shots become exceedingly shy, exhibiting the snout only, and as instantly with- drawing it. '' The flesh is delicious, resembling pork in flavor, and abound- ing in fat, which in the colony is deservedly esteemed the greatest of delicacies. The hide is upward of an inch and a half in thick- ness, and being scarcely flexible, may be dragged from the ribs like planks from the ship's side." HOW ITS TRACK IS DISTINGUISHABLE. Cumming says that the track of the hippopotamus may be dis- tinguished from any other animal by a line of unbroken herbage which is left between the marks of the feet of each side, as the width of the space between the right and left legs causes the animal to place its feet so considerably apart as to make a distinct double track. It may be remarked that the hippopotamus, as well as the elephant and rhinoceros, is fast disappearing in all the countries where it exists, before the incessant and destructive war made upon it by firearms. It could resist, and for ages did resist, the rude and ineffective weapons of savages and barbarians, living and multiply- ing in spite of them ; but the species must soon yield to the destruc- tive propensity and power of civilized men. After seeing the animal plunging about in his bath, diving with ease, and traversing the bottom of the tank as if it were dry land, one can the better appreciate the difficulties attending a struggle such as is related by Cumming in the following lines : " There were four of them, three cows and an old bull. They 238* SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. stood in the middle of the river, and, although alarmed, did not appear aware of the extent of the impending danger. " I took the sea-cow next me, and with my first ball I gave her a mortal wound, knocking loose a great plate on the top of her skull. HIPPOPOTAMUS IN ITS NATIVE HAUNTS. She at once commenced plunging round and round, and occasionally remained still, sitting for a few moments on the same spot. On hearing the report of my rifle, two of the others took up stream, and the fourth dashed down the river. They rolled along like oxen, at a smart pace, as long as the water was shallow. SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. *239 " I was now in a state of great anxiety about my wounded sea- cow, for I feared she would get down into deep water, and be lost, like the last one. Her struggles were still bearing her down stream, and the water was becoming deeper. To settle the matter, I accord- ingly fired another shot from the bank, which, entering the roof of her skull, passed out through her eye. She then kept continually splashing round and round in a circle in the middle of the river. " I had great fear of the crocodiles, and I did not know that the sea-cow might not attack me; my anxiety to secure her, how- ever, overcame all hesitation. So divesting myself of my leathers, and armed with a sharp knife, I dashed into the river, which at first took me up to my arm-pits, but in the middle was shallower. HER THREATENING ASPECT. " As I approached Behemoth, her eye looked very wicked at me, but she was stunned, and did not know what she was doing ; so running in upon her, and seizing her short tail, I attempted to incline her course to land. It was extraordinary what enormous strength she still had in the water. I could not guide her in the least, and she continued to splash, and plunge, and blow, and make her circular course, carrying me along with her as if I was a fly on her tail. " Finding her tail gave me but a poor hold, as the only means of securing my prey, I took out my knife, and cutting two deep parallel incisions through the skin on her rump, and lifting this skin from the flesh, so that I could get in my two hands, I made use of this as a handle, and after some desperate hard work, sometimes pushing, sometimes pulling, the sea-cow continuing her circular course all the time, and I holding on her rump like grim death, eventually I succeeded in bringing this gigantic and most powerful animal to the bank. " Here the Bushman quickly brought me a stout buffalo-rein from my horse's neck, which I passed through the opening in the thick skin, and moored Behemoth to a tree. I then took my rifle, and sent a shot through her head, and she was numbered with the dead." SUCCESSFUL BAGGING OF BIG GAME. *241 In explanation of one part of this description, the difficulty experienced by Mr. dimming in holding by her tail will be easily understood by those who have examined the member in question. The tail of the hippopotamus is a flattened, naked affair, about two feet long, as thick as a man's wrist, and slightly fringed at the extremity with a few long bristles. If we imagine this tail flung about in the death-agony of a full-grown hippopotamus, it will not be difficult to conceive the almost impossibility of holding on by the hands, especially in the water, which is the natural element of the brute. Lander relates a thrilling experience that befell some of his companions on one of their explorations. A hippopotamus hap- pened to rise under their boat, and struck her back against its keel. Irritated by the unexpected resistance, she dashed at the boat with open jaws, seized the side between her teeth, and tore out seven planks. She then sank for a few seconds, but immediately resumed the attack, and if one of the crew had not fired a musket in her face, would probably have worked still more harm. As it was, too much mischief had been already done, for the loss of so much planking had caused the boat to fill rapidly, and it was only by severe exertion that the crew succeeded in getting the boat to shore before it sank. The boat was providentially not more than an oar's length from the bank when the attack took place ; but had it been in the centre of the river, few, if any of the crew, would have escaped to tell the tale. The shock from beneath was so violent, that the steersman was thrown completely out of the boat into the water, but was seized and drawn in again before the hippopotamus could get at him. 16— R. Ex. CHAPTER XVI. Roosevelt Resumes March — Another Buffalo Falls — Kermit Slays Big Bull Wildebeeste — Over Four Hundred Speci- mens — Guest of Lieutenant Governor — Given a Recep- tion — Naturalists Busy Preparing Specimens — Visits African Mission — Former President's Impressive Ad- dress. ife* ET the days pass never so pleasantly, yet all visits finally must come to an end. So, after one of the happiest and most successful hunts he yet had experienced/ the former President and his party moved on to Nairobi, ""* the capital of British East Africa. All were sunburned by the tropical blaze and in the best of health and spirits. In the last hunting Colonel Roosevelt bagged another buffalo, and a big bull wildebeeste fell before the rifle of his son, Kermit. The naturalists of the expedition had collected two pythons and four hundred odd birds and mammals. They were especially delighted with some unexpected specimens. For the next two days Colonel Roosevelt was the guest of F. J. Jackson, acting Governor of the Protectorate. For the remainder of his stay he occupied George McMillan's town house, loaned for the occasion. The party left the next week for the Sotik district, via Rijabe, not to return before the end of July. A public banquet was tendered Colonel Roosevelt in Nairobi about the first of August. Governor Jackson promptly issued invitations to a reception to meet Colonel Roosevelt and he entertained the former President of the United States at dinner. After this dinner Colonel Roosevelt attended an amateur theatrical entertainment. 242* ON THE MARCH AGAIN TO NAIROBI. *24c The result of the expedition's hunting trips had been assembled. Colonel Roosevelt secured eighty-six specimens of game of many different varieties; with the exception of six specimens they were all for the National Museum at Washington. The naturalists of the party obtained about one thousand specimens of birds, mammals and snakes. The naturalists of the expedition were engaged in packing up NARROW ESCAPE FROM A WILD BUFFALO. the specimens already secured, to be shipped out on the next steam- ship. But finally, after one continuous round of that kind of gayety a British provincial capital affords, the party again got under way, this time moving on to Kijabe, taking special train and camping near the railway station. R. J. Cuninghame, the manager of the expedition, and L. A. Tarlton, of Nairobi, stayed at camp completing the preparations to start on the trip into the Sotik country. To reach this territory the 244* ON THE MARCH AGAIN TO NAIROBI. party was destined to travel two whole days without meeting water. Kijabe is forty-four miles from Nairobi, in a northwesterly direction. The country between Nairobi and Kijabe is for the most part thickly wooded and high. The greatest elevation of the Kikuyu Escarpment is 7,832 feet. The Sotik district is in the southern part of Kisuru province and consists, broadly speaking, of a series of meadows with numer- ous streams and strips of forests. The district is about seventy-five miles east of Lake Victoria Nyanza. The Kisii people inhabit this territory, but they are little known to Europeans. They are brave and warlike, amiable, intelligent and good cultivators of the soil. COL. ROOSEVELT VISITS THE AFRICAN INLAND MISSION. Ex-President Roosevelt and party the next day visited the local station of the African Inland Mission, an American organization. Colonel Roosevelt made a thorough inspection of the institution and afterwards had luncheon with forty of the missionaries and their wives and settlers in the country. The Rev. Mr. Hurlburt, in a speech, welcomed Colonel Roosevelt to the mission. In replying the former President expressed his pleasure in being able to see the Africa Inland Mission and recalled the fact that his visit was the fulfillment of a promise made to Mr. Hurlburt at Washington some time ago, when the missionary was introducing to Colonel Roosevelt, at the White House, the delegates of a Chris- tian organization. " I am glad to have seen the work personally," Colonel Roose- velt continued. " I am pleased to see the settlers and to find you working together, as it would be no credit to the missionary, the settler or the official to do otherwise. I have a peculiar feeling for the settlers working in this new country, as they remind me of my own people working in the Western States, where they know no difference between Easterner, Westerner, Northerner or Southerner and pay no heed to creed or birthplace. " There is ample work to be done and all had best work shoulder to shoulder. I believe with all my heart that large parts of East ON THE MARCH AGAIN TO NAIROBI. *245 Africa will form the white man's country. Make every effort to build up a prosperous and numerous population. Hence I am asking the settlers to co-operate with the missionaries and treat the native justly and bring him to a higher level. " I particularly appreciate the way your interdenominational industrial mission is striving to teach the African to help himself by industrial education, which is a prerequisite to his permanent eleva- tion. It seems to me that you are doing your work in a spirit of disinterested devotion to an ideal." That morning Colonel Roosevelt spent some time shooting monkeys, particularly the Colobus. Edmund Heller bagged three of the Colobus species and a green-faced monkey and Kermit Roosevelt killed two large specimens of the former. FIGHTING IN THE DARK. Colonel Roosevelt's visit to the Mission showed him that the heroes of the Dark Continent are not all mighty hunters and ex- plorers. The hardest fight that is waged for the opening of the continent is not a fight in the open with wild beasts or howling- savages while the world looks on and applauds. Rather it is a grappling in the dark with shadows, the shadows of spiritual gloom that loom so black and yet are so elusive to the grasp. It is a fight for the spread of light in dark places waged by men and women unused to physical hardships and with a breeding that renders them peculiarly sensitive to the spiritual wear and tear of their work. It is a fight without fanfare, without an audience, and too often without immediate results. The missionaries long had felt that in the same way as the President's declamations against race suicide unquestionably have helped domestic life, so perhaps he can throw some light on a phase of civilizing work peculiarly misunderstood by the majority of white people at home and abroad. It requires no great stretch of the imagination to get a vision of the President preaching a common-sense religion to a black audi- ence, just as he has preached domesticity, fearlessness, strenuous- riess'and a great many kindred virtues to the people in America. 246* ON THE MARCH AGAIN TO NAIROBI. But it requires an intimate knowledge of the African character, its keen sense of authority and position, its veneration for " big chiefs " of whatever country, to gauge the tremendous influence his words would carry. That was the feeling of the missionary element, who hoped that Colonel Roosevelt would take the largest possible interest and even part in their work. Missionaries have opened the country to white men, and the chief highways penetrating the African continent still are called " missionary roads." When Livingstone's house was sacked, his books torn and scattered to the winds and his medicine bottles broken in revenge for his championship of the natives against the aggres- sions of the border ruffians, this disaster was the impetus that drove him to his real work as an explorer. No one ever has accomplished more with fewer resources. To the last he remained always the missionary, traveling among the natives as one who sought only their good and had nothing to fear from them. All the world knows how Livingstone's work became the inspiration of Stanley's career and resulted ultimately in the real opening of the Dark Continent. Even before Livingstone's time his father-in-law, Robert Moffat, traveled with his wife and babies through South Africa when no one else dared venture outside of the white settlements, and no one thought of molesting him. He was the only man who had any influence over Moselikatse, the most bloodthirsty chief in South Africa. * O