Adventures in the Great Deserts;

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Adventures in the Great Deserts; ■r Vi.. ^ ^ T. *''''”"^ ^ \ "VO'' ^ '' c ® ^ 4- ^O 0)*>‘ V ^ ‘ m/r/7-Ay * A ^ = i:, o\ , k'" o »• V Vt. ^ V. V ., V' -V ^ .0‘ ?- -P .Vi / - \'^ ?- - '^0> \'^ ■%/ *4 ^ %■ - -rVv ■'% '. ^ \ YT-^ ^ ® i. 'V, ^ .0^ ^o '' V^v O,^’ ^ ff \ ^ . -'f^ ^ 9 \ ^ \V ^ 0 , \> S ^ C. ^ ^ \ C> -4 y ^ 0 , ,V 'V '' ' 0 V c ° ^ '■V '^O ^ 4T' r >> r-VT^.^r-C'^>C\ lV«.W .#. : O .vO ✓< ^ilv ^r y ^ s 0 / '^- A ^■<-0, "c- \'\'iii'"// ,v .'X*' '■ - e.^'S » '.. ■^- ,v. » -aK®^ ' * •>V c* ^ "5^ .%C!LA- V.# - 5^ . V **o ' „. ,..j "VT''V ,,.. ^ V' c 0 ~ ‘, V o 0^ .0 O... ' /'% ‘ , — o' 0«-'‘ '' V / :MK^ \ . .* 'V % i / V. ' ' *. ♦ V' “'• c 0 , V^''/ . '■■.■- > oKJiii ^:> <» v^_ .^1 ^ c^^vAii^iv ^ Ji^t{f//P^ ^ •5.A ' V ^ ^ O 0 1J> iS K 0 ’ . °t. » • I ' \V ^9' <?- ° /• C^ V’ s ^ o 1'^ 0 , . ^ X . s, ^ ' ^0' ^ 0 , V. ■* -\ ^ * .4> <• V. ' « « (\\ 0 v*^ aV '<-> 'K^ A' A' ° / >. ''oo 7 xO^w. •/' «^UVvVNS" ■’» ^ ' «<• 0 M 0 ■ '*' 8 1 * // ^ . Sf ^ t O '^<<' A'- ' ♦ aVa*' . A\W/A o ° ^/> -' ■,y/- -i. _' ,^;x^l-R^ •y' P o %'/ A -oo' / r'-: -r-^ " . *" ^ / ^ '*=-.0 >'^0^ % ‘' *.7, >•'\«'^’ ,o> »'*",/■%. V\x-”x^ </> .^> [/h A- ^'y>. , ^ S?.'^ * '■'* ■ 1*' " -i ' » o A ^ ^ s '' ' ■* 0 ^ k'^ a c 0 ^ o' ' ® « .A .. 0 ‘ ='yy^^: -^oo' -"ass . - y/i;^ ~ 4 ° ^ > - A % vL" <>* y <* ^ 8 1 A " \^'' s ^ A ^ ^ ^ ^ o’ V- ^ <t ^ ^ y ^ A^ ^ n r* ^ Yj ^ =■ '^-y * / '% ' y V " V •/„■ /1 z ^ ’ ^ C y>- y '5>, ® Vy '%'■ V> - ^ ^ ^ C o' i I » I • I ADVENTURES IN THE GREAT DESERTS r* ADVENTURES IN THE GREAT DESERTS ROMANTIC INCIDENTS ^ PERILS OF TRAVEL, SPORT AND EXPLORATION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD BY H. W. G. HYRST AUTHOR OF ‘‘CHAS.VJA,” UTC, WITH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS PHILADELPHIA J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY LONDON: SEELEY ^ CO. LIMITED I Q..I I PREFACE Though the experiences of almost all the twenty-four travellers and explorers whose adventures fill the fol¬ lowing pages fall within the last hundred years, their journeys were undertaken at a time when scientific development had not yet made travelling compara¬ tively easy. There were more romantic possibilities in a world which had no railways across Canada or Siberia, and had not even dreamed of an iron road from Cairo to the Cape. The decay of Indian tribes and the reclamation of deserts had not yet made travel less exciting, and adventurers were not yet armed with modern weapons of precision. The narra¬ tives of these explorers have consequently something of an old-world flavour, and though their times are not remote, they have a touch of romance about them which is scarcely to be looked for in travels of the present day, while their perils and escapes are not less exciting than the very well-known adventures of more recent travellers. PREFACE Deserts are here taken to mean waterless places, and the ice-wastes of the Arctic and Antarctic regions, though commonly included among the deserts of the world, are of so different a character that it has been thought best not to touch upon them in the present volume. VI CONTENTS CHAPTER I IN A DESERT OF PRECIOUS STONE PAGES James Bruce, the father of modern African exploration—The Thebaid Desert—A loyal servant—“ The most barren mountain region in the world ”—Wells of bitter water— Bruce’s “ fellow-countrymen ”—An antelope hunt—Com¬ motion in the camp—The thief—Sidi Hassan’s message and the reply to it—A critical situation—A Scotchman and an Atouni against two dozen Arabs—Bruce’s method of bringing the enemy to reason—Jasper and porphyry— Sad news of Abdel Gin—Bruce’s heroic venture—Timely and unlooked-for aid—Ibrahim—The last of Sidi Hassan 1-17 CHAPTER II WITH HUMBOLDT ON THE LLANOS The llanos—Humboldt and Bonpland—A blow from behind— A death-struggle with a Zambo—A red fog—The earth¬ quake—The eclipse—The meteor shower—Crossing the desert—A jaguar and several monkeys—The guide’s lesson in zoology—Taking the wrong direction—A two days’ hunt for the right one—An interrupted swim—Lost again 18-30 CHAPTER III IN THE COLORADO DESERT American exploration—The Lewis-Clarke expedition—The Platte River—A hunt—The hunters hunted—Racing for dear life—“ Prepare to receive buffaloes !”—A new battle vii CONTENTS PAGES ' —The wolves—A gallant resistance—Enemies turned allies —The Indian ambassadors—The conference—A rebuke— The prairie-fire—A mother’s presence of mind—The “ great medicine ”—The sergeant alarmed—The aurora borealis—Winter in the desert—Famine—The sand-clouds —Discovery of the Missouri Rapids—Indian spies— (Getting ready for the enemy—The storm—The alarm— The battle—Turning the tables on the savages—Victory 31-46 CHAPTER IV A STATUE AT THEBES The Young Memnon—Giovanni Belzoni—Introduction to Mehemet Ali and Burckhardt—Up the Nile to Luxor— The artful Cacheff—Difficulties thrown in the way—The labourers—The help of the Evil One—A lesson in dynamics —Getting out of the Memnonium—Fever—Desertion of the labourers—Fight with the Albanian foreman—More difficulties—The Kamsin—The Piedmontese expedition— Jealousy — The attempted assassination — Belzoni the conqueror—The embarkation .... 47-57 CHAPTER V CHASED BY BEDAWIN The Holy Land—Dr. Clarke’s expedition—Nazareth—The Druses — The wilderness — Arab inquisitiveness — A timorous escort—The poHte guard—Alone in a perilous pass—The Bedawin—Flight and pursuit—A mad ride— A respite—Followed by increased danger—Without hope —The saving bullet—The traitor still at large—Clarke’s disciphnary measures, and their unfortunate result— Culverhouse again to the rescue—Suspense—The enemy thrown—Not safe yet—Mutiny—How Bertocino saved the party 58-72 CHAPTER VI WITH A PILGRIM CARAVAN A Mohammedan pilgrimage—Sir R. K. Porter, artist and traveller—A caravanserai and its inmates—The pilgrim viii CONTENTS PAGES band and the loafers—The artist’s attempt at escape— A hot morning in the desert—Another caravanserai—The chawosh—His proposal and conversation—Through the enemy’s country—The attack—Behaviour of the chawosh and pilgrims—Dispersal of the enemy—Kerbela and the shrine of Houssein . 73-85 CHAPTER VII IN THE REGION OF DEATH The Thar—Colonel Tod—A terrible descent—Carey’s fate— Lost—The native soldiers—Good news—Alive again !—A native squabble—Frost—The see-kote—Accident to Cap¬ tain Waugh—A magnanimous tiger and his nephews— Cholera !—Treachery—The bear-hunt—Saved hy a native —Another accident to the Colonel - - - 86-99 CHAPTER VIII A RIDE TO BOKHARA William Moorcroft, the first Englishman to cross the Hima¬ layas—A five years’ journey—A visit from the robbers— How to deal with spies—The alarm—Preparing for attack —The plot and the counterplot—Fate of the second spy—A terrible night-watch—To arms !—Capture of the robber chief—The Pass of Ah Masjid—Dismissal of the guides—The storm, and Moorcroft’s escape—Desertions at Cabul—Arrested at Kunduz—Moorcroft’s successful ruse —Izzet Ullah gives up—The pass carpeted with jewels— The frozen desert—The desert of Turkestan—A village of dead men—The Kirghiz—A delusion - - 100-114 CHAPTER IX A SLAVE RAID IN THE SAHARA The Denham-Clapperton expedition—An African merchant- prince—Sahara tribes—Result of a sand-storm—The Tibboos at the oasis—Robberies and reprisals—Dis¬ covery of Lake Tchad—Escort or custody ?—Kuka—The ix CONTENTS PAGES Sultan of Bornu—Diplomacy and music—Boo Kiialloom’s raid—The Fellata—The battle in the desert—An un¬ expected reverse—Heroism of Major Denham—Fighting for life—The end of the battle—Death of Boo Khalloom— Another campaign—Fireworks—Sad news—The expedi¬ tion abandoned - - - - - 115-127 CHAPTER X IN A PERSIAN DESERT George Keppel, Earl of Albemarle—Overland from India— The muleteer’s warning—The three Bedawin—“ Peace !” —Mountain scenery—A desert of stones—The caravan¬ serai and its host—Robbers—The Shurgee—A false alarm—Ruins of Kisra Shereen—The real attack— Narrow escape of Lieutenant Hamilton - - 128-138 CHAPTER XI PRISONERS IN THE CASPIAN DESERT The Turanian desert—Lieutenant Conolly—Syud Karaumut Allee—Perwullee—A Turcoman’s idea of water and of horse-rearing—Break-down of the camels—A Russian spy !—The mirage—Four mysterious horsemen—A Turco pipe—Treachery and betrayal—Taken to the camp—The baggage “ inspected ”—Abdullah’s dismal tidings—The Syud angry—Carried coastwards—When rogues fall out! - .139-152 CHAPTER XII AMONG TURCOMAN BRIGANDS Sir Alexander Burnes—Successful entry into Bokhara— Journey thence—The desert of the Oxus—A returning caravan, and a warning—The usual false alarm—The Persian prisoners—The Turco slave-traffic—Intolerable heat—Refuge among honest Turcomans—More warnings as to the “ Allamans ”—A whirlwind and a mirage— Offers of shelter—The real robbers—Getting out of the difficulty—The real Allamans—A tarantula—Possessed by “ Shaitan ” - - - - . 153-163 X CONTENTS CHAPTER XIII ACROSS THE PAMPAS The Hon. Peter Campbell Scarlett—From Buenos Ayres to Valparaiso—The Argentine horse—The hospitable post¬ hut—Mate—Short of water—Another hut—Killing the supper, and getting nearly killed in so doing—A faithful guide and a lasso—Mosquitoes—Thistles ten feet high— South American deserts—The biscacha and his ways—At¬ tacked by the teru-tero—“ Indians !”—The gaucho garrison —Mistaken—Cheering information!—The heat—The pam¬ pero—Gauchos and cattle-taming—The Andes ?—A swarm of benchucas—Dangers of dreaming in the desert - 164-180 CHAPTER XIV A MAMELUKE ESCORT Major Sir Grenville Temple—Tunis—First experiences of Arab hospitahty — The Tunisian desert — Incidents — Unpopularity of the guard — Reasons therefor — The horse-stealer—Arab pets—A Tunisian town—Reception accorded to the Mamelukes—The fight - - 181-189 CHAPTER XV IN THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN DESERT Thirst!—Dew gathering—Digging for water and fife, with the thermometer at 130° F.
Recommended publications
  • Recollections of William Finaughty, Elephant Hunter 1864-1875
    Recollections of WILLIAM FINAUGHTY ELEPHANT HUNTER, 1864-1875 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/recollectionsofw1916will THE RECOLLECTIONS OF WILLIAM FINAUGHTY ELEPHANT HUNTER 1864-1875 PRESS OP J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY EAST WASHINGTON SQUARE PHILADELPHIA TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY COPIES OF THIS BOOK HAVE BEEN PRINTED PREFACE In 1908 I had in my employ in Northwestern Rhodesia, William Finaughty, a son of William Finaughty who was one of the first white men to hunt elephants in Matabeleland. Mr. Selous says in one of his books that Finaughty stopped hunting because elephants were becoming too scarce, before he—Selous—first went to Africa. In 1913 I hap- pened to be in Bulawayo and, having a day to spare, I visited Finaughty on a farm nearby. He gave me the numbers of the Rhodesian Journal contain- ing his hunting experiences. One or two of the numbers are missing and as the journal has gone out of existence, I cannot replace them. His son had told me of his wonderful memory, and this I found confirmed by all who knew him. I found him a very slight old man with very white hair, much weakened by many attacks of fever. The value, if any, in the following pages, lies in the fact that they give a picture of a time now past which will never return. G. L. H. Poplar House St. Davids' Pennsylvania May, 1916 — INTRODUCTION [Just one word of introduction and explana- tion. The Editor of this paper was some months ago asked if he would undertake the task of inter- viewing and writing up for publication the remi- niscences of the famous South African big-game hunter, " Bill " Finaughty.
    [Show full text]
  • In the Lands of the Romanovs: an Annotated Bibliography of First-Hand English-Language Accounts of the Russian Empire
    ANTHONY CROSS In the Lands of the Romanovs An Annotated Bibliography of First-hand English-language Accounts of The Russian Empire (1613-1917) OpenBook Publishers To access digital resources including: blog posts videos online appendices and to purchase copies of this book in: hardback paperback ebook editions Go to: https://www.openbookpublishers.com/product/268 Open Book Publishers is a non-profit independent initiative. We rely on sales and donations to continue publishing high-quality academic works. In the Lands of the Romanovs An Annotated Bibliography of First-hand English-language Accounts of the Russian Empire (1613-1917) Anthony Cross http://www.openbookpublishers.com © 2014 Anthony Cross The text of this book is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (CC BY 4.0). This license allows you to share, copy, distribute and transmit the text; to adapt it and to make commercial use of it providing that attribution is made to the author (but not in any way that suggests that he endorses you or your use of the work). Attribution should include the following information: Cross, Anthony, In the Land of the Romanovs: An Annotated Bibliography of First-hand English-language Accounts of the Russian Empire (1613-1917), Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers, 2014. http://dx.doi.org/10.11647/ OBP.0042 Please see the list of illustrations for attribution relating to individual images. Every effort has been made to identify and contact copyright holders and any omissions or errors will be corrected if notification is made to the publisher. As for the rights of the images from Wikimedia Commons, please refer to the Wikimedia website (for each image, the link to the relevant page can be found in the list of illustrations).
    [Show full text]
  • Thomas Witlam Atkinson (Bap. 1799–1861) – on the Edge 29
    Thomas Witlam Atkinson 27 (bap. 1799–1861) – On the Edge “mr atkinson i presume?” In 1858 Thomas W. Atkinson shared the platform with Dr David Livingstone at a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society, Burlington House, London. The report of the meeting in the Illustrated London News of 16th January is headed: ‘The Travellers Livingstone and Atkinson’. By 1858 Livingstone had crossed Africa and Thomas had travelled 39,000 miles across Central Asia to territory no European had set foot on. Both had named their children after rivers in the countries they had explored. Both travelled with their wives. Now Thomas is the forgotten man, with a tarnished reputation. How much does luck, strength of character and influence ultimately decide lasting fame? Baptised in March 1799 at Cawthorne, Barnsley, Thomas Atkinson was the son of William, a stone mason at Cannon Hall, Cawthorne, home of the Spencer Stanhope family, and Martha Whitlam, a housemaid at Cannon Hall. Martha was William’s second wife and they had married on 19th August 1798 in Cawthorne. There were two more children of the marriage: Ellen, born 1801, and Ann, born 1804. When William died in 1827, he left the tenancy in the house he lived in to his daughter Ellen and the residue of his estate to the two girls. The house was on a 42-year lease from the late John Beatson of Cinder Hill Farm Cawthorne, commencing December 1822. Thomas is not mentioned in the will. Worthies of Barnsley records that Thomas was born in a house next to the Old Wesleyan chapel and went to school in Cawthorne.
    [Show full text]
  • As Guest, Some Pages Are Restricted
    O Y GH 7 B C P RI T, 1 9 3 , Y CHA R LES SCR IBNER ’S SONS Printed in the United States of A m eric a ll o a t o th book A rights reserved . N p r f is m ay be reproduced in any f orm without ’ the perm ission of Cha rles S c ribner s S ons PR EFA C E This kind of book—and it is a rare kind—is the best bo o k television we have yet discovered . It is scarcely a f at all . Never did print have such di ficulty in remain in g black or paper so nearly dissolve into a clear an d I u ndian air . It would be abs rd to discuss the writing u to as writing , as it wo ld be talk ofthe brushwork of a smile seen in the street . In short , these letters are not works of art , but n i n works of ature . Nature has certa n adva tages n n A n d n natural ess amo g others . for authe ticity there n hin i who is ot g to beat it , as those artists adm t marry their models . So here we have India as one person saw it ; the right sort of India and the right sort of person . No u politics or ologies intrude ; there are palaces , j ngles , k n mon eys , elepha ts . That is the India I was brought A lo t w up upon . ofpeople have been tinkering ith it i ever since , and I am to learn that it is st ll there beyond I fa cing T H E E L EP H A NTS A R E G ON E BA C K T O ' T H EI R J UNG L E Photograph by Barba ra Flaherty va r: Ingen an an d the tropic oce , I am glad to have a piece of it n here in my ha d .
    [Show full text]
  • Mammoths, Woolly Rhino, Giant Elk >
    QUATERNARY GEOLOGY 75 b6 Extinct Stone Age animals < mammoths, woolly rhino, giant elk > This is what we have come to: ash and shivered glass. Memorialized dead-centres without focus. Atrocious glamour / grime plastered corrosive, corroded; road salts, metals. —Geoffrey Hill, Speech! Speech! 1 Common folk have long been intrigued by the remains frozen in the tundra of animals that are no more. For millennia before the invention of elephant gun, mammoth tusks were a source of entrepreneurial ivory. Naturalists have attempted to explain the Nordic mythology of frost giants in terms of the bones of extinct mammoths and beached whales that the cold of northern lands has preserved. Unicorn horns (purported to detect and eliminate poison in food, and so valued by kings and tyrants) were brought to Medieval Europe by Vikings who kept secret for 300 years the source— the ‘mythical beast’ is the Narwhal (Monodon monoceros).6 These rarest of whales live in the frigid Arctic seas north of 70E latitude and favor Baffin Bay between Canada and Greenland.7 The spectacular spiraling tooth (length to 10 feet and weight to 22 pounds) grows on the left-hand side of the upper jaw of males (some grow a double tusk and sometimes females grow a single thin horn).8 Giant deer Megaloceros giganteus, “Irish elk” (sic: moose with broad palmate antlers; elk have thin, many branched, pointy antlers), now extinct, left their horns, which deer (family Cervidae) males characteristically grow anew each spring, strewn in Ireland and elsewhere across Eurasia.9 Neolithic people did not write (or did so on perishables) but some did leave cave paintings and rock etchings of animals.2 The antiquity of these is evident from the animals shown, some far outside their present geographic zones and some extinct and not known to have lived in historical times.
    [Show full text]
  • History of the Knysna Elephants: the Southernmost Free Roaming Elephants in the World
    History of the Knysna Elephants: The Southernmost Free Roaming Elephants in the World By Ryno Joubert Email: [email protected] (2018) 1 CONTENTS History (Pre-colonial – 2017): 3 Acknowledgements: 20 Bibliography: 21 Appendices: A: Photos of the Major Pretorius hunt in 1920 24 B: Knysna bull elephant photographed by F.W. Newdigate in 1940 25 C: Elephants photographed by Alan Roberts in 1962 26 D: Photos taken from the farm, Die Kop, by Johan Nel in 1968 27 E: One of the Knysna elephants photographed in 1968 by Graham Kepping 29 F: Elephant photographed by Dave Reynell (6 December 1968) in Harkerville 30 G: Aftand crossing the N2 near the Garden of Eden in May 1969 32 H: Photos of Aftand 34 I: Male calf of approximately 6 months old killed by a falling tree in the Harkerville forest in 1968 38 J: Elephant Dossiers from the 1969-1970 survey conducted by Nick Carter 40 K: Profile of Hairy Ears, animal number seven on Carter’s Elephant Dossiers 43 L: Map indicating the general boundary of the Knysna elephants in 1970 44 M: Two elephants digging at the turf near the cliff edge in Harkerville on 1 May 1969 45 N: Elephants roaming in the forest near the Garden of Eden photographed by E.M. Williams in 1977 46 O: The skeleton of an old bull found by fern-harvesters in the winter of 1983 48 P: The skeleton of the bull found in the winter of 1983 standing in the Forest Legends Museum 49 Q: Photo of a mature cow seen by a group of hikers in 1987 50 R: The skull and tusks of an old cow found dead in 1989 51 S: The ‘Matriarch’ photographed by Johan Huisamen in 1994 52 T: The imported Kruger elephants 53 U: Knysna elephant cow photographed by Hylton Herd in Nov/Dec 2008 59 V: Knysna elephant photographed by one of the Landmark Foundation’s camera traps in 2014 61 W: Maps indicating where the Knysna elephants could be found in 1983 and 1996 62 2 Pre-Colonial History Based on an estimated 3 000 elephants that may have roamed the Cape Floristic Region in pre-colonial times, it is assumed that about 1 000 elephants occupied the Outeniqua-Tsitsikamma (southern Cape) area.
    [Show full text]
  • Nick Fielding
    Travellers in the Great Steppe FROM THE PAPAL ENVOYS TO THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION NICK FIELDING “In writing this book I have tried to explain some of the historical events that have affected those living in the Great Steppe – not an easy task, as there is little study of this subject in the English language. And the disputes between the Russians and their neighbours and between the Bashkirs, the Kazakhs, the Turkomans, the Kyrgyz and the Kalmyks – not to mention the Djungars, the Dungans, the Nogai, the Mongols, the Uighurs and countless others – means that this is not a subject for the faint-hearted. Nonetheless, I hope that the writings referred to in this book have been put into the right historical context. The reasons why outsiders travelled to the Great Steppe varied over time and in themselves provide a different kind of history. Some of these travellers, particularly the women, have been forgotten by modern readers. Hopefully this book will stimulate you the reader to track down some of the long- forgotten classics mentioned within. Personally, I do not think the steppe culture described so vividly by travellers in these pages will ever fully disappear. The steppe is truly vast and can swallow whole cities with ease. Landscape has a close relationship with culture – and the former usually dominates the latter. Whatever happens, it will be many years before the Great Steppe finally gives up all its secrets. This book aims to provide just a glimpse of some of them.” From the author’s introduction. TRAVELLERS IN THE GREAT STEPPE For my fair Rosamund TRAVELLERS IN THE GREAT STEPPE From the Papal Envoys to the Russian Revolution NICK FIELDING SIGNAL BOOKS .
    [Show full text]
  • First and Second Eras (To 1700 Ad) the First and Second Eras of Firearms Were Discussed in “Keep Your Powder Dry!: Unusual Firearms, Part 1.”
    First and Second Eras (to 1700 ad) The first and second eras of firearms were discussed in “Keep Your Powder Dry!: Unusual Firearms, Part 1.” Third Era (1700–1860 ad) The third era of firearms saw the creation of many weapons with unbelievable destructive capacity, completely altering the way wars were fought. the weight of a pepperbox. Musket versions have Traditional fantasy weapons like the sword and been made, but the tendency of chain fire to rend spear were all but entirely obsoleted by this the hand holding the barrel grip has made the new technology. As such, use caution when larger version quite unpopular. introducing these weapons to your campaign Grapeshot Revolver. This cap & ball revolver world in large quantities. has a 9-shot cylinder that revolves around a Barrel Chain Rifle.This rifle has a barrel that single-shot smoothbore shotgun barrel. A lever is fed by chambers attached to a belt wrapped on the hammer enables the shooter to switch around the outside the gun, like a machine gun between firing bullets or the shotgun shell. belt. Where it differs from the later belt-fed The grapeshot revolver is also available as a machine guns is that the chain rifle must be carbine, which greatly increases its range. manually loaded and the chamber locked in place Gun Cane. Created as a “surprise weapon” before the bullet is fired. for self-defense, this walking cane conceals a Elephant Gun. The elephant gun is simply smoothbore single-shot carbine within its length. a large caliber rifle that was designed to bring The handle is weighted so that it can also be used down large game.
    [Show full text]
  • Elephant Meat Trade in Central Africa Central African Republic Case Study Ezra Neale and Daniel Stiles 2011
    Elephant Meat Trade in Central Africa Central African Republic Case Study Ezra Neale and Daniel Stiles 2011 Supplement to the Occasional Paper of the IUCN Species Survival Commission No 45 About IUCN The group meets approximately every one to two years to IUCN, International Union for Conservation of Nature, review status and trends of elephant populations and to helps the world find pragmatic solutions to our most discuss progress in specific areas related to conservation pressing environment and development challenges. of the species. Since it was first convened in the mid 1970’s, the AfESG has considerably grown in size and IUCN works on biodiversity, climate change, energy, complexity. The AfESG Secretariat, based in Nairobi human livelihoods and greening the world economy by (Kenya), houses full-time staff to facilitate the work of the supporting scientific research, managing field projects all group and to better serve the members’ needs. over the world, and bringing governments, NGOs, the UN and companies together to develop policy, laws and best The challenge of the group is to find workable solutions practice. to country and regional problems in an open-minded atmosphere devoid of deliberate controversies. To meet IUCN is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental this challenge, the AfESG has provided technical expertise organization, with more than 1,200 government and NGO and advice by helping to facilitate the development of members and almost 11,000 volunteer experts in some national and sub-regional conservation strategies.The 160 countries. IUCN’s work is supported by over 1,000 group has helped in the development of the Convention staff in 45 offices and hundreds of partners in public, NGO on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and private sectors around the world.Web: www.iucn.org system for monitoring the illegal killing of elephants (MIKE).
    [Show full text]
  • Elephants in Captivity-Canada
    The Sad State of Captive Elephants in Canada by Winnie Kiiru January 2007 The Sad State of Captive Elephants in Canada by Winnie Kiiru About the Author 1 Introduction 2 – 3 Elephants in Canada 4 – 5 Toronto Zoo 6 – 7 Calgary Zoo 8 - 9 Parc Safari 10 - 11 Granby Zoo 12 - 13 African Lion Safari 14 - 16 Bowmanville Zoo 17 - 18 Edmonton Valley Zoo 19 - 20 Summary of Observations 21 - 22 Recommendations 23 1 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Winnie Kiiru has been working to protect the wildlife of Kenya for more than 15 years and currently serves as a consultant to numerous local and international wildlife organizations. Most recently, Ms. Kiiru served as Project Manager for the Amboseli Human-Elephant Conflict Project where she worked with engineers and technicians to develop and test humane deterrents to prevent human- elephant conflict situations. From 2000 until 2004, Ms. Kiiru served as the East Africa Representative for the Born Free Foundation (BFF), an international wildlife protection charity based in the United Kingdom. As the BFF representative, Kiiru represented the foundation in regional and international conservation forums and in the delivery of their African field projects. During that time Ms. Kiiru also served as Regional Representative of the Species Survival Network, a coalition of 67 non-governmental wildlife protection organizations from around the world. From 1992 until 1997, Winnie Kiiru was employed by the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). For several years, she served as a Research Scientist for the KWS Elephant Management Program where she designed and supervised nationwide surveys of Kenya's elephant populations.
    [Show full text]
  • Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle Or Daring Adventures in Elephant Land
    Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle or Daring Adventures in Elephant Land by Victor Appleton 1911 2 Contents 1 TOM WANTS EXCITEMENT 5 2 TRYING THE NEW GUN 9 3 A DIFFICULT TEST 15 4 BIG TUSKS WANTED 19 5 RUSH WORK 23 6 NEWS FROM ANDY 27 7 THE BLACK HAWK FLIES 31 8 OFF FOR AFRICA 35 9 ATTACKED BY A WHALE 39 10 OFF IN THE AIRSHIP 45 11 ANCHORED TO EARTH 49 12 AMONG THE NATIVES 53 13 ON AN ELEPHANT TRAIL 57 14 A STAMPEDE 61 15 LIONS IN THE NIGHT 65 16 SEEKING THE MISSIONARIES 69 17 SHOTS FROM ABOVE 73 18 NEWS OF THE RED PYGMIES 77 19 AN APPEAL FOR HELP 83 3 4 CONTENTS 20 THE FIGHT 87 21 DRIVEN BACK 91 22 A NIGHT ATTACK 93 23 THE RESCUE 97 24 TWO OTHER CAPTIVES 101 25 THE ROGUE ELEPHANT—CONCLUSION 105 Chapter 1 TOM WANTS EXCITEMENT “Have you anything special to do to-night, Ned?” asked Tom Swift, the well- known inventor, as he paused in front of his chum’s window, in the Shopton National Bank. “No, nothing in particular,” replied the bank clerk, as he stacked up some bundles of bills. “Why do you ask?” “I wanted you to come over to the house for a while.” “Going to have a surprise party, or something like that?” “No, only I’ve got something I’d like to show you.” “A new invention?” “Well, not exactly new. You’ve seen it before, but not since I’ve improved it.
    [Show full text]
  • HISTORICAL FIREARMS - DESIGNED - DATA SHEET Firearms FILENAME DESCRIPTION Cannon 24 Gauge Brass Close Hills.Wav CANNON STEEL 24 Gauge
    Historical HISTORICAL FIREARMS - DESIGNED - DATA SHEET Firearms FILENAME DESCRIPTION Cannon 24 Gauge Brass Close Hills.wav CANNON STEEL 24 gauge. Fired in open, hilly landscape. Close perspective, high character, medium tail. Cannon 24 Gauge Brass Crisp Hills.wav CANNON STEEL 24 gauge. Fired in open, hilly landscape. Close perspective, sharp, short and transient oriented. Short tail. Cannon 24 Gauge Brass Distant Hills.wav CANNON STEEL 24 gauge. Fired in open, hilly landscape. Distant perspective, long tail. Cannon 24 Gauge Brass Huge Hills.wav CANNON STEEL 24 gauge. Fired in open, hilly landscape. Medium perspective, large, cinematic sound. Cannon 4 Gauge Steel Close Stone Pit.wav CANNON STEEL 4 gauge. Fired in stone pit into open landscape. Close perspective, high character, medium tail. Cannon 4 Gauge Steel Crisp Stone Pit.wav CANNON STEEL 4 gauge. Fired in stone pit into open landscape. Close perspective, sharp, short and transient oriented. Short tail. Cannon 4 Gauge Steel Distant Stone Pit.wav CANNON STEEL 4 gauge. Fired in stone pit into open landscape. Distant perspective, long tail. Cannon 4 Gauge Steel Huge Stone Pit.wav CANNON STEEL 4 gauge. Fired in stone pit into open landscape. Medium perspective, large, cinematic sound. Pistol Muzzleloader Close Stone Pit.wav PISTOL 18th century Muzzleloader, 50 calibre. Fired in stone pit into open landscape. Close perspective, high character, medium tail. Pistol Muzzleloader Crisp Stone Pit.wav PISTOL 18th century Muzzleloader, 50 calibre. Fired in stone pit into open landscape. Close perspective, sharp, short and transient oriented. Short tail. Pistol Muzzleloader Distant Stone Pit.wav PISTOL 18th century Muzzleloader, 50 calibre.
    [Show full text]