Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 August 1892 — CAST UP BY THE SEA. [ARTICLE]

CAST UP BY THE SEA.

BY SIR SAMUEL W. BAKER.

sCHAPTER XVl—Continued. In the evening the hunters re--14 turned, having completed their task, and upon hearing of the fresh supply, they immediately set to work upon the hippopotamus. In the mean while, Tim, ever / mindful of the cooking department, dug a hole in the ground, about four feet deep andthree in diameter, like a well with perpendicular sides, and, having collected a large quantity of fuel, he lighted a fire within the hole, jWhich he fed with logs of dry wood, so that it burnt fiercely for four hours; by the expiration of this time, the sides of the pit were red hot, and the bottom was a mass of glowing embers.' Into this natural oven he placed the two fore feet of an elephant with a portion of the trunk, and the four feet of the hippopotamus. He then covered th.e whole with bars of green wood, upon which he piled a few armsful of green and well-wetted flags, that he procured from the lake. He then plastered the whole surface thickly with mud, upon which he pt piled earth and sods firmly beaten / down until it resembled a grave; this was to retain the heat within the oven. This supply of meat would be / thoroughly roasted in about thirty- / six hours, j , f | Having dined sumptuously of hippopotamus liver cut into steaks and grilled, with slices of the fiph fried in hippopotamus fat, Ned and Tim threw themselves upon their mats close to a blazing fire and slept dur’ng the night.

.On waking on the foliowi 11 g morning, Ned found the camp- already astir; the natives had made numerous fires, upon which large earthenware pots were arranged, and the whole party was occupied in boiling down the fat of both elephants and hippopotamus. The residue of the meat, after boiling, was carefully stored in goatskin was considered, a great delicacy. No fat can equal that of the hippopotamus in mildness of flavor; this was placed while warm into and allowed to harden. The bladders of the elephants were also filled with fat, aqd not Oven the smallest portion of the numerous large animals was wasted. Another day was passed in drying and packing their harvest of meat. ,On the next day Ned opened the subterranean oven. Upon removing the earth, the coating of mud was found to be perfectly hard like a thick crust; beneath this the flags had retained sufficient moisture to prevent them from being burnt, although the oven was still hot-afid steaming. With some difficulty the men now lifted out the immense feet of the elephant, together with the other baked meats, all of which were laid upon a mat strewn with green reeds. The elephant's feet were extremely curious, as the sdles became detached from the foot upon a gentle pressure, and exposed a white and inviting surface beneath; this was a firm but fatty substance, 'that was extremely rich and gelatinous. Having taken off the elephant’s shoes, the feet were divided among the party, and Ned thought that he had never eaten anything more’delicious. As the labor of preparing the store of meat was completed the natives wished to return home, as the canoes would be nearly filled; they accordingly launched their vessels and loaded them with dried flesh, fat and elephants’ tusks, together* with pieces of giraffe hide cut into oblong shapes that were to be manufacturedHmto shields. Everything was ready for a start on the morrow, and Ned strolled about half a mile from the camp before sunset, and climbed a 'high rock to enjoy a more extended ..view of the landscape. From this position he looked down upon the camp, and at the same time he commanded a view of the pass in which lie had killed so many eleptiirntsT 'As, 'his eyes instinctively wandered to the scene of his first night’s sport, 'he was astonished to. see issuing stealthily from the gorge into the ilow ground a long string of blacks in single file, all armed with bows and spears, For about ten minutes he watched them attentively. Some were painted a bright red; these Ned ■supposed to be chiefs, ps they were at regular intervals in the file of men which still continued to pour from the ravine. Marching directly for a small thicket that was near the edge of the lake, the entire party of about five hundred men was suddenly concealed. This, had taken place so suddenly and quietly that Ned could hardly believe his eyes; there could be no doubt that the large armed force was lying in ambush for some hostile purpose, and as Ned would be forced to pass within a few > hundred .yards of the thicket to regain the camp, he felt that his position was extremely hazardous It Was necessary to give an immediate alarm to his party, but the great difficulty lay in effecting a junction. There was a small dry water course that led from the hill to. the lake, and Ned immediately determined to crawl along the bottom until he •hjHJld gain the rushes that bordered the water, after which he would have no difficulty in reaching the canoes, where the men were still engajzzd. There was no time to lose; seeing upon his back down the ste/fo hillside, Ned reached the watercourse; this was tolerably deep in parts, so that he could cover his advance by simply stooping; but in the .more rocky portions of the “trench it was w, and* he was forced to crawl upon his hand& and knees. He had gained one of these exposed positions when he turned hi* knin

ward the thicket, and he distinctly observed two, natives peering out from the place of ambush. Ned lay flat upon the ground and did nOt stir for several minutes. Again he raised his head; he could see no one, and once more he crawled j along the ground until he arrived in a deeper part of the watercourse; he then hurried along in a stooping position, and at length gained the reeds at the water’s edge. Under cover of the reeds he splashed through mud and water until he at length reached the cahoes. Tim was the first person whom he met, as he had been fishing in the, lake and had just returned with several natives. Upon hearing Ned’s account rapidly delivered, Tim immediately informed his native companions. They immediately rushed to the camp for their arms, followed by Ned and Tim. Upon arrival the entire party would have been seized with a panic had not Ned at once assumed the command.

Upon order being restored, the natives explained that the people whom Ned had seen must be men of a hostile tribe who had, upon a former occasion, massacred a hunting party similar to the present expedition; they had no doubt been informed by spies of their presence, and they would attack from their ambush during the night. It would be impossi/ ble to resist them, as they were warriors renowned for the impetuosity of their onset; thus a force of five hundred men would annihilate a small party at the first rush. As the canoes were loaded, Ned proposedthat they should embark at once and push off from the shore. It was growing dusk, and they would avoid the confusion df a night attack should they be assailed when the enemy perceived theiq retreat to the boats. Not a m6men’b.was lost. Ned ordered the natives to march in a compact body to the canoes, while he and Tim would bring up the rear. Drawing the bullets from their guns, the two lads recharged them with buckshot, which, in the event of a fight, would thke a greater effect upon a mass of men. Ned had thb.brace of pistols in hi\ belt that he had found in Stevens’ chest, and he felt no doubt that the report and effect of firearms would paralyze the attack sufficiently to allow them to push off in their He gave the word ‘‘forward,” and’~his little body of fifty men, with their arrows ready fixed upon their bows, advanbed steadily but quickly forward,- while he and Tim followed a few paces in therear. Hardly had they quitted the screen of jungle which protected their camp, than their retreat was observed by the party in ambush in the thicket some hundred-yards on their right. In an instant a wild yell was raised by an invisible enemy, who almost at the same moment burst from the wood, and with savage screams and shouts came rushing across the open ground to intercept the route and to cutoff the canoes. “ Steady7 Tr c'ried"Ned”;'" t keep together, mj men ; ” which Tim interpreted immediately, and the party continued their course'at a quick walk. ’

They were much nearer to the canoes than the enemy,, and Ned, With cool judgment, calculated that they would reach them at a walk before the hostile party could gain them at full speed. They would accordingly have time to push off from shore, provided that the embarkation was conducted without confusion. They were within a hundred yards of the boats that were afloat in the little bay among the rushes, while the enemy was about three times that distance from them, advancing at full speed, in a confused mass of yelling, naked savageS. Ned quickly gave the order that every man should run to his own boat in which he had arrived. In an instant his fifty blacks rushed forward, and dividing into - tens, the individual crews of the five canoes leaped on board and took their places with the paddles in their hands by the time that Ned and Tim had reached the bank. A flight of arrows now fell around them as the enemy, already within eighty yards of their expected prey, shot wildly at full speed and happily misseij all but the canoes, in the sides of which several arrows remained fixed. Ned and Tim now jumped on board two canoes, and as the paddles struck the water with the powerful stroke of teamen, both opened fire from the stern upon the crowd of savages at about fifty paces distant. Thirty buckshot rdttled among them like hail, and five or six men fell, while others were wounded. This unexpected volley for the instant checked their advance, and before they could recover from their confusion, the left hand barrels opened and scattered destruction among their ranks. Ned now loaded with ball as the canoes increased the distance between them, and two or three shots fired into the baffled crowd sent them scampering off in all directions, leaving several dead and wounded upon the ground, A loud cheer was now raised by the crews of the canoes who ceased paddling and waved their paddles in the air in defiance of their beaten enemy. So Excited had they become, and so thoroughly confident in their leader, that they besought Ned to allow them to return to shore for the purpose of attacking their crest-fallen antagonists. Ned was unwilling to shed blood except in self-defense, therefore he restrained their exuberant valor- and desired them to pull steadily along the coast toward their own home, where they wsuid be received with a

hearty Welcome, as they were heavily laden with hunting spoils. ’Tor some hours rhey ’paddled in silence, as the night Was dark and they were obliged to keep a good lookout ahead; but when at length' the moon rose and shone brilliantly „over the calm surface of the lake they burst out into songs that lasted until sunrise, the substance of their minstrelsy was a description of all that had taken place during their expedition; this was generally improvised by one man, who sang in a kind of recitative. and at the end of each verse a wild chorus was joined in by the entire crew. Thus were Ned’s praises sung; neither was Tim nor even Nero omitted from the ode, but all the principal performers introduced and the various scenes described, even to the yells and shouts of the attacking enemy and the reports of the firearms in the defense.

In spite of ,the savagery of the music there was an indescribable enthusiasm and energy in the chorus that was contagious, and in the pale moonlight, with the regular splash of the paddles that kept an even accompaniment, Ned found himself joining with the wild voices around him; while Tim, not content with forming one of the chorus, improvised several verses in his native tongue in honor of “Massa Ned” that produced roars of applause. The rowers had worked well during the night and at about ten o’clock canoes were in sight of the vjjlage to which they belonged. Their approach was quickly observed and crowds of people assembled on the shore to welcome them on landing. Hardly had the canoes touched the sandy beach than they were dragged in triumph to the land, while the women yelled in honor of their arrival. The cargo was discharged with great rapidity by a numerous band and was. transported to the village, where INed was quickly brought into the presence of the king. Drums were beaten, horns blown and great rejoicing accompanied their return. The king was seated upon his leopard skins and he received Ned with great courtesy, while the principal man of the hunting party recounted the incidents of the expedition. Loud shouts of applause were raised at various portions of. the narrative when Ned’s hunting exploits were described, but when the attack and defeat of their old enemies were told with extreme energy tfie crowd could no longer restrain their enthusiasm, but into wild yells of approbation and crowded around'Ned to kiss his harjds after their peculiar fashion, by touching the palms with the tip of their tongues. From that day Ned was almost as great a man as the to whom he acted as counselor and guide in all the affairs of his territory. He thus was enabled to materially improve the condition of the people. They, in common with all negroes, were exceedingly improvident and neglected the cultivation of their fields, rather depending upon the precarious success of their hunting expeditions than upon a system of steady industry. Thus they were liable to periodical famines. Ned-advised the king to insist upon the reg-, ular cultivation certain area of ground in prbportion to the number of the population, which should ensure a supply of corn that would render them independent of a bad harvest on the following season. Although this law was at first extremely unpopular, it was rigidly obeyed, and in the course of a few months a large tract of land was cleared and brought into cultivation. Various improvements were gradually effected, and Ned, having almost supreme power, considered it to be his duty to engraft, if possible, in the native mind a belief in a Supreme Being; at present they were utterly devoid of a religious sentiment; they had neither an idea of God nor of a future existence. The task of conversion that Ned contemplated, with the sanguine hopes of youth, was far more difficult than he had conceived; there was a com plete void in the native mind of all spiritual belief; they had neither idols nor temples, but their ideas were concentrated upon things temporal, and they could understand nothing concerning a future state, unless the God of tne future should grant them the desires of the present. Thus Ned labored in vain; his descriptions of spiritual blessings were listened to with apathy, or encountered with practical remarks that entirely paralyzed Ned’s attempts at theological explanations. “If your God is good,” replied his hearers, “why does He kill us? why do mothers die and leave their children helpless? If you say that He willhear yOur prayers, call upon Him, that our cows shall give more milk, and that the locusts shall disappear from oqr crops.” ' i ' Ned could make no impression upon their obtuse intellects; they were too selfishly practical to understand the theory of religion; their only idea of a God was a temporal benefit that could be derived from the object of worship; to pray was to solicit a favor, to ask for a reward, to beg for some special thing. Should this demand not be granted, where was the use of prayer? They did not requtre a God unless He would grant tnem all they desired. When Ned endeavored to convince them of a future existence, they flatly denied the fact, and moreover, they did not wish to live again when they once should die. “To live twice is to die twice! nothing can last for eyer; we die, and all is ended like a fire that is burnt out,” declared one of the king’s sorcerers with whom Ned attempted to argue. It was simply impossible to make the slightest impression upon their feelings; their belief did not extend beyond the sor-

cery, which had no connection with spiritual agencies; this faculty was supposed to bo possessed by particular individuals, who could produce rain, foretell events and create spells and charms th st would preserve the wearer from evih

Ned was always curiously watched whenever he referred to the “Nautical Almanac;” as he turned over each leaf, the king’s sorcerers would gaze*tijtently at the mysterious characters on the page, and’wonder at the hidden meaning. One day as Ned was examining the book for a declination of a star, he happened to observe that an eclipse of the sun would take place on a certain day, and that it would be visible from the position of the earth which he then occupied; he at once seized upon an idea by which he hoped to explain to his obtuse hearers the existence of a God. The sun was bright and the sky without a cloud when the king and his chief people, together with his sorcerers, were sitting beneath the shade of a huge sycamore, while Ned with his sextant took a meridian altitude;sas usual, his proceedings were watched with great curiosity. Ned had by this time learned sufficient of the native language to converse with tolerable ease, but upon difficult occasions he obtained Tim’s assistance, who was now his interpreter. Ned had just noted down his observation when the king asked why he regarded the sun and the stars so frequently. “Because,” replied Ned. “they are the most wonderful works of God; each star is a world, many are far larger than this globe; some revolve around certain suns, as our earth revolves round our glorious sun, which is the mainspring of all life.” (TO BE CONTINUED. )