In Wildest Africa -^ 



with pleasure certain strong and good characters among 

 my followers. 



Nomadic hunters — shy and suspicious as the animals 

 they hunted — sometimes paid us passing visits, whilst 

 the whole world of beasts and birds thronged around 

 our " outpost of civilisation," so suddenly planted in 

 their midst. 



My goods and chattels were stowed away in a hut 

 which I had put up myself, and which was protected from 

 wind, rain, and sun by masses of reeds and velt grasses. 

 This hut was of the simplest construction, but I was very 

 proud of it. It was useful not only for protecting zoological 

 collections from the all-pervading rays of the sun, and 

 from rain and cold, but also from the numerous little 

 fiends of insects against which continual warfare has to 

 be waged. The destructive activity of ants is a constant 

 source of annoyance to travellers and collectors ; I 

 remember how my one-time fellow-traveller Prince 

 Johannes Lowenstein had "the flag on his tent destroyed 

 by them in a single night. In one night also these ants 

 bit through the ticket-threads by which my specimens 

 were classified ; in one night, again, the tiny fiends 

 destroyed the bottoms of several trunks which had been 

 carelessly put away ! 



One has to wage constant warfare against destroyers of 

 every kind. 



My cow, which was very valuable to me, not only as 

 giving milk to my people, but also for nourishing young 

 wild animals, was penned at night-time within a thick 

 thorn hedge. My people made themselves more or less 



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