/ / ! r / LX LIBRIS ERNEST ALAN VAN VLECK ^.'^^j^^L^ LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY WITH FLASHLIGHT AND RIFLE VOL. I cXJ-e^. c WITH FLASHLIGHT AND RIFLE A RECORD OF HUNTING ADVENTURES ^ AND OF STUDIES IN WILD LIFE IN EQUATORIAL EAST AFRICA BY C. G. SCHILLINGS TRANSLATED BY FREDERIC WHYTE WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY SIR H. H. JOHNSTON, G.C.M.G., K.C.B. ILLUSTRATED WITH 302 OF THE AUTHORS UNTOUCHED" PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN BY DAY AND NIGHT VOL. I London : HLTCHINSON AND CO. PATERNOSTER ROW 1906 3i<-i"i'l-'U- e'i-- ou^ "V- i^^^ [Cj / TO M V F R I E N D HERNY SUERMONDT I DEDICATE THIS BOOK ■i*5 '' A HULL GIRAFFE OX THE ',"/ Virii Author^s Preface THI'^, illustnitions in this book, with a very few exceptions, which are indicated, have been repro- duced from the oricrinal photographs taken by myself. Dr. LudwiL;- Heck, in the course of his appreciative introduction to the German edition, refers to these photooTa})hs as Natururkuudcii — certificated records, as it were, of the scenes trom wild life therein depicted. And the fact that they are absolutely free from "re- touching" of any kind will be held to justify him in the use of that term. Absolutely the only photograph that has been worked up in any way is the one (on p. 393) of two lions attacking an ox. The negatix'e of this was damaged while I was developing it. I have described elsewhere the feeling of satisfaction with which, six months afterwards, I received a telegram fVom the Fatherland to announce that it was o-crettct — restored ! My pictures may be classified as (i) ordinary photo- graphs taken by daylight at varying ranges; (2) those taken with a telephoto-lens ; (3) those taken at night time by flashlight. ix b Author's Prcfcicc -»; 'J he /c/c/if/o/o f^ui lives shall III not he held loo close la Ihe eye. To v,el ihei/i iiilo foeiis, so lo s/^eah, Ihe reader shoii/d hold Iheiii al cirm s lem^lh. ■h- * * * * Conspicuous anionu^ th()S{! to whom I owe u;rat<-lul ackiKnvlcdL^niL'iUs tor (^ncoura^cincnl and assislaiu (^ in connection with my work arc! thc-" lollowiiiL;" : I )uke [oliami y\ll)rcchl ot MccklcnljurL;' ; the I )uk(; of l\aiiljor ; Prnice kailcnlxr^ ; Prince I'ran/ Arcnljcri^ ; I'rcihcrr von Richthotcn ; 1 )r. Staled; Count (j()t/.cn; IIcit \-on Sodcn; I'rcihcrr \'on \'arnl)ulcr. Count xon llohdithal imd Dcr^cn ; I'rcihcrr xon Ixcischach ; llcrr \(in Plato; Count 1>) landt- Khcndt ; my uncle P ield-Marshal Ritter von l\eil ; 1 )r. MocPius; Dr. 'I hid ; Major Ihicl ; Prolessor l.am|)ert; Pi'olessor von Sicmdachncr ; lion. Walter koihschild ; I )r. IC Ilarlert; Mr. Pitler Porenz \'()n JaPurnau; Prolessor \ OIkens ; Prolosor 1 ornier ; I )r. ( d imleld ; i'rofcssor L. C. Neumann-'l (nilouse ; and I P'l'r ( )scar Neumann. Dr. A. Peiclicnow and i'rofcssor i\Pitschi(! have su|)|)orted m<: in the kindest and most Iriendly wa}- lor yeai"s past, and I must single them out tor special thanks. Herr ( ioerz has also keen inlimatcK' conn('ctc(l w a h my enter|)rise thnju^h his ^cmerosity in ^iviiiL;' me lacililies lor pciiectiiiLj mv photoLjraphic (!(|uipm<'nt m his optical estaPlishnu lit. I .\\\\ indcPlcd also in an extreme dcLiTce to m\ friends IPrr lleiir\ .Suermondi, \)v. Pudwij^ Meek, I )r. Kmistler (who went dn'ouL;h some Pail tiiiU'S with me (111 in\- expeditions), and, lm,ill\-, < aplain Merker, who lurlhered m\ plans and assisted me in every way. -^ A III hoi's Preface Without C;i|)l;iln Mcrkcr's \aliial)l(' " CxiktI " adx'Icc; I should hardly h.ivc hccMi ahK; to cavvv out my journeys; and (hii'iuL;' my s('vcro ilhicss in i<)()2 he look some c'apital photographs with my tclcpholo-hais, live, ol which arc inchidcd in diis work. \)y. I^-L^vk Dr. C.roolhutcu, and \)r. Phihips, I Icrr Warnholl/ and I Icrr Meyer, I'rolessor Schwcmlurlh, I )r. kichard Kant, and Messrs. Louis l)raemann, hClix Schiill, Allrcd Kaiser, C_ . W. Ilohlcy, and Tomkins (to whose L;'real kmdness I hav<; relcrrcd on p. 672), and Captain von d This is the sportsmanship of the future. The present writer does not mean to say that he or any other exi)lorer, when and if they visited Africa, would not still use every opjjortunity of ol)taining good specimens of rare wild beasts, birds, and reptiles for our museums, and most of all for the information of zoologists, who must perforce carr)- on many of their studies within the pale of civilisation. Neither does the writer ot this Introduction condemn the killing of leopards, lions, hyaenas, jackals, hipp()j)otamuses, or elephants — at any rate in moderation — where they become really dangerous to human beings, to the keeping of domestic animals, or to the maintenance of cLiltivated crops. Rut these concessions do not cover, excuse, or indem- nify the ravages of Iuiroi)ean and American sportsmen, which are still one of the greatest blots on our twentieth- century civilisation. Herr Schillings refers to the case of the late I )r. Kolb, a German who came out to I)ritish East Africa in con- nection with a Utopian undertaking called " hreeland," and who, when his jjolitical scheme Ijecame impossible, ai)plied himself to the reckless slaughter of the big game of British East Africa. In the course of two or three years he had slain —f)r no useful ])urposc whatcxcr — one hundred and ti(l\- rhinoceroses (a companion killed one hundred and foi't) more), c-ach on(; being a tar more- interesting mammal than himself .\t the <-nd ot this career of slaughter, a rhinoceros killed him — pc;rhaps approj)riately. X i \- '♦ Introduction In spite of game regulations and the creation of game-reserves (to which admission can generally be obtained through the; exercise of special influence, some- times rightly exercised in the cause of science), one has only to look through the cokmins of "Society" infor- mation in the London weekly and daily press to realise that this work of wanton destruction of the big game of tropical Africa is still going on at a considerable rate. It seems to be still the accepted panacea in British or Continental society that a young or a middle-aged man, who has been crossed in love, or has fiorured in the Divorce Court, or in some way requires to fairc peau iiciii'e, must go out to Africa and kill big game. Make ii note of the names mentioned it you will, and inquire twelve months afterwards what has become of the creatures thus destroyed. Many of the trophies, after the carriers of the expedition had feasted on the flesh of the slain, were ultimately abandoned on the line of march as being too heavy to carry. Even those that reached the home of the sportsman were ultimately relegated to obscurity, and did not add to our zoological information. In short, there is very little set-oft' in gain to the world's knowledge for the destruction of one of Africa's most valuable assets — its marvellous Mammalian fauna. A Schillings, a Lord Delamere, a Major Powell Cotton, a Delme Radclifte, a Sydney Hinde, or a Carlos d'Erlanger may kill a relatively large number of beasts and birds in their sporting ad- ventures ; but — -if one may put it thus — every shot tells. All the persons named — to say nothing of Mr. E. N. XV Introduction -^ Buxton and others recently at work in Northern Nigeria — have killed with discretion and strict moderation, and with the definite object of increasing our store of know- ledge and enriching the national collections, while they have accompanied their cautious toll of the African fauna by valuable studies — generally photographic — of the animals' life-habits. It is not against the actons of such men as these that Herr Schillings or the writer of this Introduction raises any protest ; it is against the idea that the destruction of the African fiuna is part of a fashionable man's education, against the damage done by a hundred obscure shooters that the protest is necessary. For this reason public opinion should strengthen as far as possible the wise action of Governments in protecting the world's fauna all the world over, wherever the creatures thus protected do not come into too dangerous competition with the welfare of human Ijeings. Moreover, it is for the welfare of humanity in general that this plea is entered. The world will become very uninteresting if man and his few domestic animals, together with the rat, mouse, and sparrow, are its only inhabitants amongst the land vertebrates. Man's interests must come first, but those very interests demand food for the intellect. .EstheticalU', the egret, toucan, bird of paradise, grebe, sal)l(', chinchilla, and fur-seal are as important as the well-dressed woman, d he vipc-r, lion, tiger, croccjclile, wolf \-ulture, and rhinoceros ha\-e all their j)laces to till in our world-picture. Ihey are amaziniJ^lv interesting", and therefore their destruction xvi Introduction should only be carried out to the degree of keeping them in their proper sphere. I his lesson that we are learning in Atrica ai)plies also at home, where we should learn to value the natural beauties ot our home scenery, especially its own ni- dk'idita/ity. It should be made illegal t(j carry on the worship of the pheasant (a toothsome and a beautiful bird, but not a true native) at the expense of the lives of owls and stoats and weasels that are true British subjects, and without which our landscapes lose part ot their national character. The otter is cjuite as valuable as the salmon ; the fox is not more worthy ot encourage- ment than the wild swan. A nice bahmce must be struck ; and our clergy must inveigh against the national sin of scattering greasy paper over the loveliest nooks ot English scenery. We have not yet reached the greasy-paper outrage in the African wilderness ; but, as Herr .Schillings })()ints out, the Atrican tauna is rapidly tlisapijearing betore the uncontrolled attacks of man. Me is quite right to lay stress on this important fict, that all the wrong-doing does not rest with the white man. The Negro or the Negroid, armed with the white man's weapons, is carrying- on an even more senseless work ot de\astation. I he present writer has witnessed in East Atrica troops ot uncontrolled Somali adventurers, and .Svvahilis trom the coast, led by Goanese, in\ading the wilder districts ot East AtVica, and slaughtering be^ists bv hundreds and even thousands tor their meat, horns, tusks, and, above all, their hides. It is an irony which has entered into xvii Introduction -♦) the soul of Major Powell Cotton, that, while the institu- tion of the game-reser\e rigidly excludes the cautious European naturalist from the killing of one " protected " bird or beast, in and out of that reserve At'riccUi natives or half-castes apparently pursue their game-destruction unchecked. 7 he reason ot this is want of money to pay for close supervision and gamekeeping. These African Protectorates and Colonies, under no matter what Bag, are poor. They yield as yet a local revenue which leaves ii considerable gap when compared with their narrowest expenditure. To maintain an efficient control over these vast game-reserves needs the expenditure, not of a few hundreds of pounds annually, but of a few thousands. Yet this control over these future National Parks could be maintained efficiently for a relatively small sum of money. Will not the growth of education, the dawning aesthetic sense amongst the (>overninc{ authorities in Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, P^gypt, Spain, and Liberia bring about the pro\ision ot sufficient funds to preserve for the delight and wonderment of our descendants the vestiges of the Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene faima of Alrica ? It may be said without exaggeration that only one other such work of real African natural history, as that in which Ilerr Schillings describes the wild lite ot h.astcrn I^quatorial Atrica, has hitherto been prcs('nted to the stay-at-home reatler, and that is Mr. ]. G. Millais' Jh-ealk froDi the W'ldl. 'Phe writer ot this Introduction subscribes with pleasure to the remarkable accuracy of X \' i i i -^ Introduction Herr Schillings' observations on the habits of the birds and beasts he mentions and illustrates. With Herr Schillings it is an illustration of the old nursery story of Eyes and No Jiycs. It gives one somewhat of a feeling of shame to think that this quite young man .should in some seven years have learnt and recorded more that was true and new about the wild life of East Africa than has been accomplished by officials, traders, and explorers, both German and British, of twenty, ■fifteen, and ten years' actjuaintance with this part of Africa. His book is a real " Natural History," in the true sense of the words. What we require nowadays is the work of the biologist, the anatomist who can examine and describe niinutely and accurately the physical characteristics of living forms. Then, in addition, we want the natural historian, the individual who can as taithtully and minutely record the lite-habits of the same creatures — a study quite as im})ortant as that of their anatomy, and a study in which there is an enormous leeway to make up. As Herr Schillings points out, until, say, ten years ago, there was a great inaccuracy and sparsity in the information given (very often copied by one author from another) of the lifediabits of wild beasts and birds in Africa. Either these were not thought worth studying, or the writer, the explorer, deemed it sufficient to repeat stories told him l)y the natives, or rash conclusions at which he had himself arrived after very little evidence. It is interesting to listen to all that natives can record of the habits of birds and beasts ; and yet, although xix Introduction -^ they can tell one many a true detail, they will mix up the true and the false, the mythical and the labulous> ^s readily as did our forefathers in these British Islands, who could repeat in one natural-history book after another the ridiculous story that barnacle-geese were produced bv bivalve molluscs, or that swallows hibernated at the bottoms of ponds, or that toads were found alive after bein^' embedded in the rocks for countless centuries. The natural historian of to-day must be an educated man, not jumpini^- too rashly at conclusions, and not even trusting" his own (;yes and ears too imi)licitlv, but checkinof his information over and over aoain before he gives it to the world. The writer of this Introduction has travelled niore widely and extensively in Africa — even in b.ast Africa than Herr Schillings ; Ijut his time and attention have often been occupied by many other matters than natural history. In his observations, therefore, on the lifediabits of these East African birds and beasts he willingly retires into the background, and would in almost all cases subscribe without cavil to the correctness and \aluc; of Schillings'" descriptions. He has. however, here and thcrt- \('nturedi to correct his sijelling of Kast African words, where this, through oversight or mishearing, has been incorrectly rendered. I lerr Schillings has not been aljle to exccd in every brcUich of African research, and has evideiuh' not studied to any extent the; structure of' the Masai language (a Nilotic Xegro tongue), or he woultl attach no im- portanc-e to th(; theory of Captain Merker that the Masai are a branch of" the Hebrew race. The writer of this XX -* Introduction Introduction had hoped that at last the lost ten tribes of Israel had been allowed to rest in peace, and it is a matter (to him) ot much regret that Captain Merker, who has written such valuable studies on the tolklore and customs of the Masai, should have again revived this hobby of th.e nineteenth century l)y deducing from his observations that the Masai — an ancient mixture of Negro and Gala — are a people of Seniitic origin. The linguistic evidence to support this theory is valueless, if a careful study is made ot the other idioms ot the Nilotic Negro peoples. 'I'he slight non- Negro element in the Masai tongue is us ]))' any writer. This book is equivalent, in the case of the stay-at-home reader, to a sojourn of six months amongst the wild animals of the Ethiopian region ; while it is bound to produce nosfa/gia in the minds of returned veterans. H. H. JOHNSTON. xxn Contents of VoL I III. THE MINDS OF ANIMALS lY. MASAI- N VI KA ..... V. TO KILIMANJARO WITH rRINCE LOWENSTEIN VI. BY THE NJIRI LAKES .... VII. EVENING ON THE MARSHES . VIII. I;Y the STREAM ..... IX. THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT X. ELEPHANT-HUNTING .... XL RHINOCEROSES ..... XII. CATCHING A YOUNG RHINOCEROS . xxiii PAGE I I. THE TRAGEDY OF CIVILISATION II. INSTANTANEOUS PHOTOGRAPHS OF WILD LIFE 1 6 42 59 9a I 12 I 20 . 141 . i6cS 204 • 244 •Contents of \\)\. I CHAP. XIII. THE HIPPOPOTAMUS XIV. BUFFALOES AND CROCODILES XV. GIRAFFES . . . . XVI. ZEliRAS • . . . X\TI. LIONS . . XVIII. A LION-HUNT PAGE o ,26 355 X X 1 \- List of Illustrations in Vol. I Froii/ispiciC : Portrait of tlie Anthiir A Bull Girafie on the (jiii vive . Euphorl)ia-tree .... Gnus roaming over the \'elt Candelabra Euphorbia-trees Skeleton of a Rhinoceros . Sonie Reniarkal^le .Specimens of Ele phant-tusks and Rhinoceros-horns Elephant Skull and Bones . Egyptian Geese on the Wing One of my Cameras . Orgeich setting the Men to Work Lioness stealing upon an Ox . 2 My Photographic Equipment The Effect of the Flashlight Storks wintering in Masai-Nyika "Fatima,"' a Young Rhinoceros, anc her Messmate, the Goat . Marabous with the Cook . Tame Birds wandering about the Camj Marabous and Vultures A Long Line of Waterspouts Scene on the Rufu River . Look-out over Nyika . Drinking-places in the Rocky District: of the Velt .... Typical Bit of Succulent ^'elt Vegeta tion in the Rainy Season VOL. L x.wm I 34 36 38 40 42 43 45 47 49 X Kilimanjaro, with the Kaiser Wilhelm Peak Bit of the Succulent W-lt with Pyrcii- aiantha iiialz'ifoli,i .... P)it of the so-called Thorny "Fruit (larden'' Velt .... ^^'hite-ant Mill on the \'elt near the Coast ...... Thorn-l)Ush on the \'elt Arab Dho\\> ..... Cape Guardafui ..... Askaris being put through their Exer- cises at Tanga ..... Prince Johannes Liiwenstein and the Author ...... A Flock of White Storks . .Storks taking to Flight Mire-drums and Black-headed Herons A Pair of Thomson's Gazelles . Darters ...... Herons ...... A Big Haul of Fish .... Oryx Antelopes ..... Vultures on the ^^'ing .... Tantulus Ibises in a Swamp The Military Station at Moshi . Egyptian Geese on the Swamps . The Velt in the Rainy Season . . XV c 51 53 55 56 57 59 60 61 64 67 69 71 73 75 77 79 Si 83 85 87 90 91 List of Illustrations in Vol. I PAGE Flamingoes on the Wing . . -9^ A Pelican 94 The Caravan on the Marcli . • 95 Cormorants . . . • -97 Egyptian Geese 99 Wiltuies ...... 103 Tropical Vegetation near the Coast . 105 Two Huge Pythons .... 106 Marching through Inundated Swamps 107 Vultures 108 Zebras drinking at Night . . .109 Vultures and Marabous fraternising . 112 Kingfishers looking out for Small Fish 113 Marabous and White Storks . -US A Large Flock of Guinea-fowl . • 1 1 7 Crested Cranes in Flight . . .118 Old Bulls acting as Sentries to Herds of Gnus . . . . . .120 The Author in his Tent . . .121 Bustard in Flight . . . -125 \'ultures . . . • . .127 Waterbuck grazing in the Open . .129 A Pair of Large Vultures . . • iji Zebras . . . . . -135 \'elt \'egetation in the Rainy Season . 138 A Lioness and her Prey . . -139 Candelabra Euphorbia-trees . .141 Two Large Bull Elephants. . .143 A Wonderful Elephant-tusk . -145 Armed Natives (" Fundi '') . . 151 A Caravan Load of Elephant-tusks . 157 Removing the Skin of an Elephant . 165 Distant View of Kilimanjaro . .168 Orgeich and the Carriers preparing an Elephant-skin . . . -171 Herd of Fleiihants .... 175 Mimosa-trees broken duwn by F,lc- phants . . . . . -177 Another Instance of a lirnken Mimosa- tree iSl A l)iicd-up .Sireani .... 183 X Elephant Skull and Bones . A Huge Dead Elephant Scraping the Bel of a Dried-up Stream for Water ..... Elephant-tusks ..... Voung Elephant ..... Two Bull Elephants and a Bull Giraffe Skull of an Elephant .... \^iew on the Njiri Swamps during the Inundations ..... Rhinoceroses bathing . . . 206. Remains of a Rhinoceros . Rhinoceros photographed at a Distance of 120 Paces ..... Rhinoceros settling down . Rhinoceros with ISirds on its Back Rhinoceroses charging Two Dead Rhinoceroses Rhinoceros throwing up its Head Cow Rhinoceros with her Young l'"our Photographs of Rhinoceroses under a Tree .... 234. Dead Cow Rhinoceros Dead Bull Rhinoceros Acacia Velt . . . . . Stormy Weather in the Xyika Country Voung Rhinoceros chinking in a .Swamp Dead Bull Rhinoceros Voung Rhinoceros taking his Milk Another Photograph of the Above \"oung Rhinoceros, with Goats and Mbega Monkey . . . . Dead Cow Rhinoceros with her \'oung ( )ne beside her . . . . Snow-white Herons and Black-and- White Ibises Old Bull Hipi)opotamus Mawenzi Mountain and Kilimanjaro . N'oung Cow Hii)popotamus Dragging the Body of a Hippopotamus out of a Pond . . . . . xvi AGE IS7 189 193 197 '99 201 203 204 207 211 215 219 219. 229 2;i 239 241 244 245 249 251 255 257 259 261 263 205 269 273 List of Illustrations in Vol. I Hippopotamuses at Home . A Newly Discovered Vultuie on tlie Skull of a Hippopotamus A Crocodile-infested Stream Buffaloes The Rufu River .... A Flock of Flamingoes Vultures on a Dead Buffalo Skull of a Buffalo Flocks of Marabous on the Merk Lakes ..... Giraffes amliling away Schillings' Giraffe Bull and Cow Giraffe . Giraffes taking to flight among Flat Acacia Trees .... Bull Giraffe .... Giraffes taken with Telephoto I>ens A Wounded Bull Giraffe at Close Quarters ..... P'emale Zeliras and a Foal . A Halt on the Waterless Velt 'ACE -75 277 2S2 283 287 291 295 301 305 307 309 3^3 315 317 319 3-3 323 326 PA The Tragedy of Civiliscitioii all parts of the world. The Indians of North America and many branches of the Polynesian race may be instanced : their scattered remnants are hastening towards complete disappearance. For centuries past civilised THE CANDELABRA ELMT IiiklU A TREES ARE A lU- TINCTIVE FEATURE OF THE NVIKA COUNTRY colonists have been waging a war ot extinction in the Arctic regions against those animals which provide us with turs and blubber. The Hudson Bay Company has made heavy inroads on the number ot fur-bearino; aninials in its own reyion. With Mashlight aiul Ritic ^ The fur of a sea-otter is now worth over ,/i"iOo; but a complete skin of this animal, such as could \)(- (exhibited in a museum, has tor years past been unobtainabk; ! War to the knife was long declared against whales — the largest mammals of our time. (The popular notion that they are hsh seems, by the way, almost ineradicable.) But for long they were able to escajje complete annihila- tion in Arctic regions, their capture invoKdng the death of so many determined men engaged in the struggle. Now, howev^er, that the harpoon is no longer slung by the experienced whaler, but is shot into the whale's body out of a cannon ; now that whaling has become a science, carried out with the most elaborate and highly finished im|)lements, the last whale will very soon have dis- appeared. " Very soon " ; for what are a few centuries, when we think of the long ages which were needed tor the evolution of the whale to its present tbrm ? Large "schools" of whales are still to be seen in the Arctic regions, and still redden the waters, year in, \ ear out. with their blood, shed in a tlitiU' conflict with an over- powering enemy. ]>ut soon all this will belong to the realm of legend and tradition, and in luturc; times man will stand in wonder before the scanty specimens to be t"()und in the muscaims, [)reserved tJKTcin thanks t(_) the t(jresight of a tew. It is shocking and distressing to realise the niimlier of instances of the same- kind of slaughter among horned animals. A lew decades ago millions of .Xmerlcan bisons i^Bisoii diroii) roamed over their wide prairies. 4 -»■ The Tra^'cdx- of Cj'\ ilisation To-dciy these milh'ons h^ive gone the same way as the \anish(Ml Indian trilx-s that once Hved side by side with them. It was feared that the buffaloes, as they are called in Atnerica, would damage the Pacific Railway, as Heck has pointed out in his book Das Tjcrreich. So buffaloes in their myriads had to make wa\' for the st('am-engine. 'rh(^ number of buflakj-skins d('a]t in by traders during A SKELEION Ol- ,. , ,., -■■' l,KO>, rKUllAIil.Y KILLED BY THE " 1- f NlJlS " — NATIVES LICENSED TO CARRY FIREARMS AND HUNT BIG GAME the last seventy years of the preceding century is almost beyond belief. Only a few hundreds are now in e.xistence ! Soon a long list of other noble specimens of the American fauna will follow them. President Roosevelt himself is not blind t(j this prospect, and he favours everything which seems calculated to stave off this inevit- able calamitv. Throucrh the introduction of barbed-wire With Fhishli-ht and Rifle ^ fencing- many kinds of deer, for instance, have been ex- terminated in America. In Australia the kangaroos fall victims to the snares of the farmers. In Asia the annihila- tion of many kinds of wild beasts proceeds apace. The Indian rhinoceros, wild goats, wild horses, and wild sheep of the Asiatic hill countries of the interior are being recklessly exterminated. In Germany the aurochs, which figures so largely in our old legends, has long disappeared. It is scarcely possible now to form a clear idea of this splendid animal, so scanty is the material at hand tor the purpose. The bison (Bison />o//ass//s), its power- ful cousin, only exists now in small herds, which are degenerating through breedini^-in. The steinbock has been exterminated in the Alps, only a small number surviving in the valleys of the Aosta, and that under royal protection. The elk [A Ices a Ices) disappeared from Germany long ago, and is now to be found only in small numbers under royal jjrotection, like the bison, and like the beaver also in the Elbe district. But the way in which wild lite is annihilated nowadays in South Atrica is simply terrible. A short time ago there were countless herds ot splendid animals in Cape Colony. The Boers, trekking into the interior, had to light their way step by step by slaughtering the animals they found grazing in their path. Cixilisation l)rought aljout only the checking of the growth ot the native races, not their extermination like the American Indians. And the nalixcs applied them- selves to the work of destroying tlu; wild lite with the help of the arms brought in b}' the luiropeans, and on 6 ^. ■> z o H 2 -^ The Tni^^ccl)' of Cixilisation behalf of the white tratlers who ecjuipped them for the purpose. Thus disappeared the whitc'-tailed gnu {Couuoclurtes gnu), the bontebok [Danmliscus pygcirous), the blesbok {Danialiscus albif rous), the true quagga {luj/ins quagga), the mountain zebra {lujinis zebra), the splendid roan antelope {Hippotragus Icucoplunis), the Cape buffalo {Bubalus cafjcr), the elejjhant, the so-called white rhino- ceros {Rhinoceros sinius), the black rhinoceros {R. bi- cornis), the giraffe, the hippopotamus, and the ostrich — except tor a tew preserved indi\iduals in the case of the first three ; completely in the case ot all the others. The number ot animals still to be tound there in the last third of the previous century was immense, but it is hard to realise the dense crowds of them that must have existed there a hundred years betore that. And side by side with them from earliest times lived the coloured races. Like the American Indians, they levied their toll upon the animal kingdom without im- pairing it. It was lelt to the reckless and purposeless slaughtering indulged in by civilised man to achieve the seemmgly impossible, and turn this thickly inhabited region into a desert. To my mind there is a groundwork ot truth under- lying the myth of a Paradise, in which the animal world lived all together in harmony. Trustworthy observers have told us that in the Arctic regions the sea-lions — creatures of exceptional intelligence — and seals and rein- deer and birds do not budge an inch on the approach of men, and show no trace of tear. 1 his must have 9 With l"lashli-lii aiul Ritlc ^^ bcjcii tru(; of th(' ciilirc world Ijcforc the beginning- ol the suj)rr:iTi;icy ol I loiiio sapiens. What was IouikI, inchtcd in those i)olar rcf^ions uninhabited by man, I niysell have; otten observed in that land of blindino^ sunshine vvhich ij^oes by the name of the Dark Continent. l^normous herds of harmless animals, as well as bc^asts of prey, forminL( one j^-eneral community, are to be; found to_L;(;ther at certain times in desert places. Where the natives do not hunt, wild animals are to b(; found on almost as friendU' terms with them as sin^in^^ birds and other such p(;ts are with us, or as storks, swans, sfjuirrels, and all the; oth(;r naturally wild animals that have come under our protection, ami have come; to trust us. Thus it is that in the wild regions ol Ecjuatorial Africa we fmd the; animal kingdom flourishing almost to the same extent as was once the case; in th(.' south. I say " almost," because it must be alle)weil that the herds of el(;phants in the interior have; l)e;(;n thinned and the; herels of buiralo<;s decimateel by the rinderpest intr()duc-(;d bv I'airopeans into Africa. At certain times ot the; \e:ar, how(;\c;", lor wcjeks anel months at a time;, I have seen such numbers and such a \ariety of animals as simpK' e'amiol b(; imagine;d, and 1 am able; thus to form a notion ot what things must have been like; in the s(juth. 1 can gi\e; no adequate notion of the extraordinary prolusion ol wild life; there is still in h.(|ualorial Africa, and 1 would lain raise my voice in e)i-eler to induce lO -♦) The Tragedy of Civilisation all those who hcivc influence in the matter to save and maintain what can still be saved. By this I mean, not merely the maintenance so far as is possible of the prest^nt state ot thinj^s, l)iit also the getting together of an immediate and ccjmprehensive col- lection of specimens of all the different species for our museums. To-dav Ihcrc is still tunc iii flic case ol many species, hi a few years it 7l'iII he too late. I could bring forward the names of many men, famous in the world of geograph)^ and natural history, such as those of von Richthol(,'n. Schweinturth, Ludwig Heck, Paul Matschi(', Wdlhelm Bolsche, and Professor Lami)ert, who agree with me on this point. It is a regrettabl(' fa.ct that we Germans know very little o[ the animal life ot our colonial possessions. Py means ot comprehensive collections ot large series of skins, skulls, skeletons, etc., 1 myself have d(jne some- thing towards pro\iding our museums with zoological specimens, many of which were hitherto unfamiliar. As I had to do this out of my private; means, and without any help from the State-, this meant very considerable personal sacrifice's. I maintained rigc^rously the principle ot keeping my caravan (in which 1 hail never less than 130 nien) upon a vegetable diet for the most part, allowing them meat only to a v(;ry small extent, and then merely as an adjunct to their meals. In the fmiine year of 1899 my provisions cost me more than 20,000 marks, which miafht have been brought down to a trifling sum had I taken heavier toll of the game, as the natives were A\'ith I'hishlight :uul Rifle ^ alwciys ready to barter vegetables for animals I had killed. In addition to pecuniary sacrifices, I had, more- over, to face the en\y and disfavour with which all prixate travellers are apt to be regarded in our German colonies. Where an unexplored region full of wild life is in question, the interests ot the explorer and collector should always be put bef )re those of the sportsman. It is infinitely easier to shiughter whole hosts of big game with the help of Askaris than it is to prepare a single giraffe-skin and conxev it in safety to Europe. This is a laborious task, needing much personal supervision and involving several days' work — work that at times goes on all night. The lack of careful handling and expert knovv^ledge in the preparatiori of skins is the reason why serviceable zoological specimens hardly ever reach us in Europe. The recognition I have been accorded by the authorities in the field of zoology enal)les me to treat the slanderous reports of some of our colonial traders with the contempt they deserve. It has been a great satisfaction to mc- to tnul " m\- animals" restored l^y expert taxidermists in German museums — from the smallest dwart antelope to the girafie, from the rock l)adger to the rhinoceros and the elcpiiant. These stufled specimens are the only possiljje substitute for the reality for those who can never see with their own eyes the life and growth of the animal kingdom in foreign climes. 14 -^ The Tragedy of Civilisation Already a great number of the inmates of our zoological museums have been struck out of the book ot hving things, though they existed in miUions in the time ot our fathers. The work of destruction entered upon by civilised man goes on with terrible swiftness. May this cry of warning be of some use ! ^ EGYPTIAN GEESE OX THE WING II Instantaneous Photographs of Wild Life INSTANTANEOUS photographs of hving wild animals! An every-day matter, surely! And yet I venture to maintain that until the recent successful photo- graphing of American wild lite/ and a tew similar photographs taken subsequently by Englishmen, all the ostensible pictures of this kind we have seen have been ot animals not in absolute freedom and not in their natural surroundings. Photographs taken in zoological gardens and closed preserves, or ))hotographs of animals in capti\it\-, sur- round(,'d by stage [)roperties specially arranged tor the purpose — photographs which, in addition, have been more or less retouched afterwards — pass current, and are oftcji taken for representations ot actual wild life. Anschi'itz rendered great services in German\- in the field ot aiu'mal ])hotogra])h\-, and prnckic-cd some beautiful pictures Zoological works continued, however, to be illustrated ' Civ/ura S//i)/s (1/ /)'/V (ia/zic, l)y A (1. Wallihan, contains a numl)cr of very successfuf pliotograplis of different ]n^lish writers, th(! illustra- tions to which arc rcinarkabh; ])olh lor their artistic merit and h)i' their accuracy Irom a naturahst's point ot \ie\v. 1 may instance especially I^ord Delamere's photographs of ele])hants. e'irafies, and /.ebi'as in The (irciil aiicl Siiial/ (raiuc 0/ .1 Inca. Ok(;i,I(;il, .MV TAXIDKKMISI', setting our MK.N — "lUNUl"' -TO WORK. AT TlIK I'KKI'ARATION OF SOME SKINS President Roosevelt remarks ver\ rie^htly, in his j)reface to Wallihan's Camera S//o/s at lU^ (,'a;/n\ that it would l)(; e.xtremcK ridiculous il p(M)pl(' who could not themscK'es face; the hardships and tatij^ue of shootinn expctlitions, or who lack('(l the training' essential, were to decorate their rooms with rare trophic^s not securetl b\' themselves. iManv p(;()ple, howe\er, would seem not to realise this. 20 ^ Z. Z r 2 w o o > s [w^Ubmim,'.- kswestttk. -^ Instantaneous Photographs of Wild Life limiting by proxy — in the persons of guides or Askaris — unfortunately plays too big a role in Kast Africa. The " sportsman " then describes his own adventures, relying on information supplied by the natives and adducing the trophies in his possession cis documentary evidence. We are still very much in the dark over many biological questions regarding our own wild animals, and we lack really good photographs ot most of the animals of our country in their natural surroundings. Here is a wide field tor artistic endeavour, and it would be a matter for great satisfaction it it were cultivated as soon as possible. The same is true still more ot wild beasts in foreign lands. Even the slightest item of original observation is really valuable. Photographs taken in complete freedom, how- ever, are biological documents ot the highest importance in the opinion of my friends Professor Matschie and Dr. Luclwig Heck, and in that of Wilhelm Bolsche, who has referred to my pictures in most gratifying terms in his work M'eltblick. I am tempted here (if only to encourage other sportsmen to combine photography with shooting in the same way) to quote the words in which yet another zoological authority. Professor Lambert, of Stuttgart, has alluded to my work in this field. " These pictures," he declares. " are of the greatest importance. In them, the wild animals of Africa will live on long after they have been sacrificed to the needs of advancing civilisation." t> It was in 1896 that I had my first opportunity of getting to know the velt of the interior of AfVica ; and it was 25 W^ith I'lashlight and Ritic ^ then the great desire arose in me in some manner or other to seize on all these wonderful phenomena from the animal workl, and to make them common propertx and accessible to all. This desire orrew in me side bv side with the conviction that there was here a wide field for valuable work to be accomplished without delay ; ior the East African fauna was rapidly disappearing" before the continued MV rilOlOUKAl'lUC EiMir.Ml.M advance; of civilisation. lUit good adxice was hard to get. The facultv ot depicting the; animal world with the artist's pencil was denied me ; 1 ])ossessed, oiiK- in a small measure, the abilitv to tk'scribe in tolerable clearnt;ss this beautitul, \irgin, prime\al world. .Since the (la\"s when the untorlunate Richard kxihin was seized wah a malignant lever on llie tar I'pemb.i Lake in 1SS4, ami 26 -^ Instantaneous Photographs of Wild Life since those of Kuhncrt, who was for a short time at Kih'manjaro, no artist has had an oi)portunity of famiharising himself with the animal world of West Africa. The artist or painter, however, who attempts to put l)efore the eyes of the public the wonders of the animal kingdom of inmost Africa would undoubtedly be received with incredulity. How could those accustomed to the zooloi^ical conditions of over-populated Europe believe such an animal kingdom possible ? The only feasible and desirable records seemed to be trustworthy photographs, which could not deceive. Here were, however, many difficulties lo be overcome with l)ut limited means. In the mutual exchange of my ideas with Ludwig Heck, who was never tired of strengthening me in my resolutions, we always came back to this point. We always said to ourselves that a way must be found to render the highly developed technique of photography serviceable for the object I had in view — for work in the wilderness. What a seductive aim — to put on a photographic plate thcjse wikl herds in such marvellously picturesque assemblage — unique and rare inhabitants ot the jungle, little known, if known at all ! The only way to achieve this object was to work hard for long and weary years. We always seemed to be encountering new difficulties. Occasionally our flashlight experiments f died ; the explosive compound smashed our apparatus, so much so that the iron parts of it, which were nearly a third of an inch thick, were torn and bent. Some hindrance always seemed to be cropping up and thwarting our plans. vSo we studied 27 With Flash] io-ht and Rifle ^ and planned, and after a vast amount of preparatory IIIK Kl'l i;i 1 ()|- rilK FLASHLIGHT lahour I started out a second time, extensixely ('([uipped, for K(|uatorial Africa. 28 *^ Instantaneous Photographs of Wild Life I spent a whole year there acquiring experience, and failures and trials taught me daily something new. Again, on my return to Europe, lengthy experiments were made. This time Kommerzienrat Goerz, proprietor of the well-known optician's establishment in Friedenau, placed at our disposal one of his laboratories to further this scientific work. Owing to his kindness we found it possible to devise more suitable apparatus for photograph- ing by night, and thus I was enabled to reproduce on the plate the most secret haljits of animal life. After this I started afresh for Africa with an extensive equipment. This time 1 was accompanied by my triend Dr. Kiinster, and set out from Tanga for the interior with a party of 130 people. Things proved very different in practice from what we had worked out in theory. Hard days of disillusionment, aggravated by the difficulties of the climate, fell to our lot. Afier three months' suffering from acute heart disease and from malaria, 1 was obliged to throw up the whole expedition and to find my way home. At that time the doctors thought it more than questionable whether I should ever reach home alive, so much had the malaria, in conjunction with the heart trouble, pulled me down. But these troubles also were overcome : my tough constitution withstood all assaults. Afterwards I recommenced my studies, turning my experiences to account, and for the fourth time, after experiencing many disappointments, I started out to try to achieve, at least partially, the purpose on which I had set my heart. In a tropical country that is constantly 29 With Mashli-ht and Rifle *^ l)ein^- tabooed tor private individuals — in a country where the climate is so unfavourable to the European — there are many hindrances and difficulties to overcome. A naturalist travelling- on his own account encounters almost insu|)erable obstacles. A passport which would have ensured th(^ holder thereof respectful treatm(;nt in any other part of the world was of no avail here on German territory U) save us trom Ioul;- hours of Customs vexations in the hot rays ot a l)urning sun. I exj)erienced later in the year i H99 a still greater annoyance. With infinite trouble I had secreth' made my plans to explore on English territory the distant and \'irgin land Korromoeyo, lying round about RudoU Lake. I had obtained the permission from the P^n^lish Government by means of the kind intercession of inlluential friends ; and I had provided the necessary credentials. Then suddenly, just as I was aboLit to start from Kilimanjaro, the permission, aftt-r all my long })reparations, was withheld. .According to rumour, some influential iMiglish gentlemen had been refused permission to travel in German East Africa. What wonder, then, that like to like should be repaid ! All my pkms were nipped in the bud. I)Ut, in spite of all, [ would not have missed all th('se hardships and difficulties! — not e\en the hours, the days, and th(; weeks which Dr. Kiinster — who had accompanied me on m\' third expedition as friend and physician — and 1 passed during my illness on the borders ol the 30 Instantaneous Pli()t();^nn)lis of Wild IJfe silent Riifu Ri\LT. Were it not for his zealous nursing, and that of the staff-physician, Dr. Groothuten, as well as of my friend Captain Merker, I should have died. But I look upon those days of suffering- and strenuous work, in that fir-oH' wilderness as the right inauguration for my project. OUR FRIENDS THK STORKS WINTERING IN MASAI-NYIKA W III The Minds of Animals II A r Jjrc'hm has ])Ut on record so admirably in t(dlin|4' of his sojourn in the Sudan, concerning' the way in which his ieatherc^d and lour-footed friends there (hs|)la\ed their trust in him and teehuL;' ot comrade- ship with liim in times of ihness or chstress, 1 also am able to n'ive as my experience durini^- my sojourn in Equatorial Africa. An\- oik; who makes his wa\- through that unexplored and unfamiliar reast (experiences like men, who inherit these intell(;ctual treasures fVom remote ages, transmitted in an enriched form from one generation to another by means of the gift of speech. Ikit, on the other hand, if a century ago every rhinoceros had been endowed m(-rtdy with the intelligence of an average civilised man, and thus endowed had been the pr(;y of reckless unsparing sportsmen, not a single one of ih.em would now be; ali\'e. in just the same way must it be accounted for something that elephants have mastered so important a piece of knowledge during th<; last few decades as how to save themselves from the deadly fire of modern rifles. It is a great mistake t<; 35 With Flashlic-ht aiul Rifle attempt t(^ j'^'tlg(? animjils' l^raiiis by our own. We h.ive to remember that maiu' animals haxe senses which we are without, and that other senses which we ha\e in common are much mort: liighly developed in them than in ourselves. I can only say that this young rhinoceros attached himsell to me in a xcrv tew weeks, and got to dis- MV AlAK. MIDI'S MADE <;RKA1' KKIENDS WITH OUR COOK tiiiguish (juite clc^arK' l)etween th(; large number ol men who came into toucli with him, Ix-aring himsell (juite difl(M'entl\ with diflcrciu indixitluals, just as Ik; still singles me out Irom all the thousands who approach him nc^w in the (jardens. It a zoologist wer(^ to ask me to explain the incredible toj)ographical instinct ot rhinoceroses, 1 should leplv that these animals are enabled, out ot the; treasure ot expt'rience ;6 '-•^ TliL' Minds of Aniinals and knowledcre stored up in llicir brains, to recofrnise in detail tlic topography of tlie \('lt. and to find their way with ease al)Out the surronnchn!^" country. Herein H('s the explanation of thf- tact that I was abl(! very frequently to take up a rliinoceros track which l(;d me in the driest S(;ason in a direct easterly- course after t'our hoin's to a dried-up ditch which led due south to a small pool which still held water. I ha\e noticed this kind of thing hundnuls ot times in the \icinit\- of th(; velt, where only intermittent showers of rain fill th(,' pools temporarilv with water. How helpk-ssK' and hopelessly lost does the educated man h-el himself to he in that wilderness! In what a masterl\- and wonderful manner does the rhinoceros lind his wa\' ! \ he friendship between my rhinoceros and the two goats was founded on an absoIuteK' unselfish basis. It arose from purely spiritual needs. Ol this 1 am positive. Many other animals in this distant Idack countr\- were to us a real source ot enjcjyment and consolation. Take, for example, my young elephant, who lox'ed me with child- like simplicit), till I untortunatelx' lost him for want of a foster-mother : also my tamci l^aboon, who used to be alm(jst mad with joy when he saw me, a mere speck on the horizon, returning to the CcUiip from one of my excursions — his sight is infinitely keener than ours. From earliest times we have heard tell of an unusually wise bird that our ancestors nicknamed the " philosopher." This is the marabou-stork, specimens ol which I have come across whose wisd(jm and fondness tor human companionship would scarcely be credited. 37 \Vith Fla.shli-ht ;iiul RiHc -* Storks and maral^oiits, which pcrhajis have li\-ed a man's litctimc or more in ihe distant \-elt, ha\e attached themselv(.;s to me in the triendHest manner, albeit cauc^ht after many chtticuhies and l)y strategy. A specimen, well on in \ears, which I brou'-ht with me to Herlin still singles MY lAME )iIRI)S USED TO WANDER IN AND OUT ALL OVER THE CAMP me out from all the other visitors by peculiar marks of affection ! Ot course it means manv a hard struggle, and it is not easy to win th(^ triendship ot such old and peculiarly obstinate birds. I'Or wc(;ks and months one; luust irv.d them b\- force with ])i(:c(s of mc:at bc'tore thc\' make up their minds to feed thems(;lves. One must teiul them oneself, wait on them constantK", and occup\' oiK^sell with their needs. '1 hen. one da)', (|Liilc suddenl}-, all mistrust -^ The Minds of Animals and fear are overcome, and one is rejjaid a thousandfold for all one's trouble by making a genuine friend of the bird. It must be remembered that I am not speaking of young birds reared by men from infancy, but of birds caught perhaps at the age of thirt\' or forty years, or even older. For marabous attain a very ''reat aofe, like lar"-e ravens or vultures, one of which liv^ed in captivity under favourable conditions for a hundred years. My marabous moved about in the camj) tree and unrestrained. They built their nests, and did not try to fly away. They greeted me on my return with joytul cacklings ; they planted them- selves close to my tent as sentinels, and caressed me with their powerful and dangerous bills. For a long time my black cook had taken on the duty of feeding them, and their aftcction tor me was not at all the result of my giving them dainties, but of my just and intelligent conc(,'ption of their habits. I could write a great deal more about the sagacious deeds of these birds. I must, however, restrict myself, and will only mention that Dr. Ludwig Heck, to whom thousands of wild animals were attached, could not help remarking, on the steamer near Naples, the aftection my marabous showed me. " There are more things in heaven and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy," Dr. Heck wrote at that time in an essay on his own observations. Hamlet's phrase often recurs to me, also, in this connection. I am convinced by what I have myself seen ot animals that their minds are highly developed, though we have been unable to discover how they work. 39 With Flashlieht and Rifle i -^ Is it, then, so ciithcLilt to watch with SNiiipathctlc e\cs th(' tracxccly that is to-day htMni; untoldcd ? I speak of the annihilation of a powcrkil and niij^hty race that has clone hurt to no man — of the African elephant, an animal that, \vhene\er and wherever tam(;d, evinces tor man the most li\-eh' s\mpath\\ ilere, as in many oth(-r realms ot" natur.il science, there are tintortuncael)- great difticulties that can onh' ije over- come with much labour. Wdien we hecome fulU- alive to th(,' importance ot the matter, it ma\ I)e too l,it<; to subject man)- ot th( hi^hl\- dexdoped kinds of animals to careful stud\' ; lor they ma\ ha\'e been e.\t<-rminated on om- planet and struck otV the roll ot' life. I am alluding now to the intmite ditti(ailt\' that every man will (-ntounter when he undertakes the stud\ of foreign races and their 40 "») The Minds of Aninials peculiar habits, if he wishes thoroui^hlv to investigate in a truly critical s|)irit their |)s\ cholouical emotions. Only he who has tcjr many, many years li\-e(l in the midst of a foreign people and has given himself up to his task with heartf(dt zeal, and who possesses an innate aptitude for the sul)ject, can undertake such a work, '• •••-•• It appears that certain kinds ot animals remain, as a whole, unchanged tor long pericjds of tim('. It also seems to me that the mind acts according to certain inherit(,'d tendencies ; this is calk-d instinct. When carefully ex- amined, however, it will he found that these so-called instincts resolve themselves often into more or less deliberate actions, although it may be that th(;se actions are committed within very narrow limits and in accordance with sharply defined rul(;s. I call as witnesses those thousands and thcjusands of dog-o\\n(^rs and sportsmen who are convinced ot the tact that their own animals, which have been with them in man\ a tight corner, under- stand them and love them. This may seem to others, in niany cases, hard to untlerstand, and ajjpear at times exaggerated. These lack the long and sympathetic study of the finest differences of the anima! minds in question — - 'I'liere are more tilings in lieaven and eartti . . . F.ITA MOKC.IX.I : A STRANGE EFFECT AS OF A T.ONG TINE OF lil.UISl! WATEK-Sl'OUTS ON THE HORIZON IV Masai-Nyika WITH what an ever chanoinL; Ijcaiity did the Masai- Nyika break upon our view ! J lie mountain ranges as \iewed from the \elt seemed ahiiost near enough to be touchetb in spite of their distance and vastness. The clear, dustless atmosi)here deceived our eyesight. In tlie old days this never-ending \'elt, with its inhabitants, seemed to the newcomer to Ix? an ins()lul)le conundrum. But to-day. alter millions and millions of footsteps have been imprinted on \elt antl on mountain, in swamp and m forest, the wanderer has mastered its speech, thus Imding new .md rich plcasui'es in iIk; illimitabU; solitude. The; velt does not indeed betraN' its secrets wholesale. Those who wouUl uni'axcl them must be prepared to search and studw The\' will succeed onl\' b\- the sweat ot their brow ; and the\' must, abo\"e all. be (earless ol consc(|U(MUX'S. Thirst, hunger, and th'- dread ot malai'ia ha\e to be taceci in the long run, whether willmglx' or not. 42 C. G. Schillings, phot. SCENE ON THE RUFU RIVER -^ Masai-Nyikci So it is not ])rcsumption when the sportsman or the explorer, who has tlone all this, says to hinis('ir that Ik; has acquired a certain rii^ht to interpret what he has se'-n and strue^gled with. No one c(juld possibly do this without takini^ v\\Y^\\ hiinsell endless labour and trouble. The velt is a book ditficult to deci|die-r ; actually we find the various tracks and trails of the animal world I LOOK OUT OVER NVIKA recorded as though with a pencil in the loose, moving sand of the vc^lt, in clammy clay, and in swamps : a book which is always full c^f charm, and in the study of which not a single weary hour w(juld be sjxmu. And there, where the giants of the animal kingdom have left imprints of their tremendous strength on trees and brushwood, in swanijjs and marshes, we Imd, as it were, [junctuation-marks to its pages. 45 With Flashlight and Rifle ^w^ Right and left on our path, trees of vast strength are to be seen broken like l)its of straw, showing where a herd of elephants ha\-e made their way. Large holes in the ground are come upon, which have been made by the elephants in the wet season, and whicli remain visible tor a vear or more. There is not a little danger ot tailing into these, l^ecause of the thick grass. Wherever the explorer sets his foot he always finds something new, something tull of meaning. Idle rhinoceros, too, leaves his mark. Vov many miles long tracks, which cross and recross, are tbund leading to watering-places. These tracks are especially noticeable in the vicinity of the pools and streams, and gradually get lost in the distance. And like the elephant, the rhinoceros levies toll upon the- shrubs and thorn- bushes. The East African wilderness varies in its tormation. It is sometimes Ikit, sometimes undulating, or sharply broken by more or less high hills, steep rocks, mounds, and inclines. In the volcanic region of the great mountain Kilimanjaro a whole range of mountains rises troni the plateau. The highest point of Kilimanjaro, the Kibo peak, reaches over 6,000 metres. This peak is perpetually covered with snow and ice, whilst Mawenzi, which comes next to it in height, is only covered intermittentlw Its summit, which rises sharpl\- in the air, is connected with Kibo i)\- a ridge 5,000 metres high. Less than sixty years ago, when the missionary Rebmann brought the tirst news of this glacier-world under the e(juatorial sun, the learned declared it to be a product of his imagination. Ice and 46 .'/ -Tl Masai-Nyika snow at the Equator ! Nowadays we are more exactly intormecl about the "genesis" ot" these great volcanoes IVotessor Hans IMe\er has done much 1)\- his wonderful explorations to o|)en up the matter. It is chielly from his works that we derive our inh)rmation as to the L^eolo^rical conditions ot this district. The formation (jt the district is the outcome of volcanic A 'IVriCAI. KIT OK SUCCULENT VELT VEGETATION IN 'ITIE KAIiN'V SEASON. C.lK.I/J.rM.I COIH/'XO/niiS IN THE lOKECROUNU causes, and my friend Merker justly observes that this is peculiarly remarkable on Kilimanjaro, Meru, and OI Doinyo I'Eng ai. In the neighbourhood of the last, which is an active volcano, hill after hill is fountl between the steep descent of the Mutic-k Plateau and the Gilei and Timbati Moimtains. each of which has the remains of a crater. The whole scenery is of the kind we are familiar with in photographs of the moon. VOL. I, 49 4 With Flashlight and Rifle ^ Some two days' journey distant froni Kilimanjaro rises the neighbourinL;- sinister-looking- Mount Meru, nearly 5,000 metres hioh, and still turthctr awa\', in the direction of the X'ictoria Xyanza, several separate hills and volcanoes are ranged. In the midst ot this world of mountains there extends betore us in the bright sunshine an immeasurable plateau, the " High Velts," at an elevation of some thousands ot feet above the level ot the sea. According to the season- — whether in the JMasika, the season of hea\'y rain, or the drought — -Nyika is to be seen garbed in a green shimmer of young grass and adorned tor miles by separate rain-water streams like silver threads, or looking brown and grim under a desert ot decayed vegetation. In the latter case our eyes find resting-places here and there in the valleys in which acacias, the ever-green I erminalia, or other tlowers and shruljs, tind moist ground wherel)\' to preserve their treshness. It would be difhcult toi' any but a botanist to describe the character ot this plant world. Professor Volkens has done so, in his work on Kilimanjaro, in a masterly manner. Later we come across vast open spaces tlooded in rainv seasons, Ijut in the time ot drought covered with a white, salt\' incrustation which onl\- permits ot the sparsest vegetable lite-, with now and again patches ot green or sun-scorched grass. We may tmd acacia-bushes, which stretch for immeasurable? distances, or thorn-trees that look like fruit-trees, and indeed cause the name ot " truit gardens " to be gi\c-n to the \elt where they grow. The acacia sometimes has the appearance ot a tree, sometimes, especiall\' when \'oung, ot a bush. Other dO .^ -») Masai-Nyika bushes and shrubs of various kinds spring up amidst the grass which, after the rainy season, grows as high as a man ; and there is often an undergrowth of thorny plants of all kinds. Many kinds of euphorbias give the whole a tropical aspect. P)Ut shrul^s and thorn-bushes of rare kinds — grey-green A BIT OF THli SUCCULENT VELT W 11 H ft KI-\ .IL .[\TH A MALVIFOLIA — GREAT HEAVY BOULDERS UPON WHICH WILD GROWTHS SPRING Ul' IN THE RAINY SEASON clumps many feet across, seemingly lying loose on the ground — go to form another style of velt vegetation. During the rainy season they shoot out prickles and creepers, whilst during the drought they appear absolutely dead. A certain group of plants called succulents, peculiarly adapted to the climate of the velt, which live through 53 With Mashli*'ht and Ritic •^ several years of c]roui{ht, is to be foiiiicl in oreat abuntlance. In the \\ika one constantly comes across large white- ant lieaps, s(;\cral teet high and of considerable width. During the night the tin\ l)iiilders arc; untiringly acti\e in raising and Ijuilding their fortresses, which are very strongly put together. At th(; approac-h of the rain\- season the ants, which 1)\ this time are wingc 1, arisen from the ground in sw