File:Through unknown African countries; the first expedition from Somaliland to Lake Lamu (1897) (14592398438).jpg

Identifier: throughunknownaf00smit (find matches)
Title: Through unknown African countries; the first expedition from Somaliland to Lake Lamu
Year: 1897 (1890s)
Authors: Smith, Arthur Donaldson, 1866-1939 Günther, Albert C. L. G. (Albert Carl Ludwig Gotthilf), 1830-1914 Simon, Eugène, 1848-1924 Pocock, R. I. (Reginald Innes), 1863-1947 Holland, W. J. (William Jacob), 1848-1932 Gregory, J. W. (John Walter), 1864-1932 Crick, G. C. (George Charles), 1856-1917 Culin, Stewart, 1858-1929 Jordan, Karl, 1861-1959
Subjects: Smith, Arthur Donaldson, 1866-1939 Natural history
Publisher: London, New York : E. Arnold, 1897
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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s. This news of war was not promising, althoughwe were glad to have had the chance, accorded to fewforeigners, of being present at a solemn council of war. We might easily have a bad time of it if we marched atonce down the river, as we might be mistaken by the at-tacking party for their enemies; and it appeared that thisforce, which was composed of Rer Hammer, Adones,Ogadens from the south, and people from across theWebi, was very large. We therefore did not march thenext day, but awaited events. There were many rare birdsabout the river, such as the yellow-breasted shrike (Lania-rius poliocephalos), the beautiful tiny blue kingfisher witha scarlet beak (Halcyon scmicmtika), little red-breastedfinches (Pyromelana franciscana) that flitted like beesamong the waving durrha, besides many Egyptian geese,ibises, herons, and egrets. On July II we marched thirteen miles, entirely throughcorn and durrha fields, among which were many villages.There had been a big fight, and the Rer Hammer had
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ASTONISHING THP: NATIVES. 129 retreated. We met a large war party returning to the vil-lages we had just left, who told us that their enemies hadall been scattered. Besides the ordinary Somali spear,the people along the river use a cruel weapon with a barbedpoint, which is poisoned, and remains in the flesh after theshaft is detached. The war party now flourished theseabout boastingly, and told me they were better for killingcrocodiles than our rifles. In order to q-ive them a soodlesson, therefore, I walked to the bank of the river, andpointing out a huge crocodile lying on the opposite shore,about fifty yards away, took a steady aim at the brutejust behind the shoulder, and fired. The animal nevermoved, but a great stream of blood pouring from his sideshowed the assembled natives that his day was ended.Loud were the shouts of astonishment at this evidence ofthe white mans power, as there was scarcely one amongthese natives who had ever seen a European beforewe came among them, altho

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