I recently came across something I photocopied years ago from the Royal Zoological Society of NSW publication 'Koolewong'. I copied it to fax to some friends overseas, and thought that the members of this site might be interested to read it too. And to try and identify some of the creatures described.
The extract is from a book called "The Beauties of Nature and Art Displayed in a Tour Through the World", and was published in 1774. The author is unidentified. The excerpt below is titled "African Record", and from the text, I assume this is the retelling of the tales of a Mr Moore, who was probably some English explorer back then.
The spelling is reproduced as it was in the original text. Back in the 1700's, the letter 'f' was used to replace the letter 's', except when the 's' appeared as the last letter in the word. It makes for some entertaining reading.
...............................AFRICAN RECORD
?Negroland and guinea abound with elephants, lions, and many other wild beafts already defcribed. The river-horfe, crocodile, and alligator, are frequent in the river Gambia, together with a fifh refembling a fmall alligator, called Guana, which is eaten by the inhabitants bordering upon the river, and is efteemed a delicious fifh.
In thefe parts of Africa, as in moft hot fandy countries, there are a great many fnakes and other venomous reptiles. Mr.Moore tells us, that the natives are much afraid of the black fnakes, which he himfelf has feen three yards long, and as big as the fmall of his leg. He was alfo told of feveral other venomous fnakes, particularly fome with a comb upon their heads, which they pofitively affirm to crow like a cock. This perhaps is what we call a bafilifk, or cockatrice, concerning which many ftrange things have been reported, that are now generally looked upon as fabulous. There are likewife fnakes with two heads growing out of one neck; but thofe our author fays he never faw. He fhot a green fnake about two yards long, but in the thickeft part not above three inches in circumference. This kind of fnake, he was informed by the natives, is not at all venomous; but they have fo many that are fo, that they feldom go without a remedy about them, in caf? they fhould be hit by any of thefe poifonous animals.
At a town about a mile from Brucoe, Mr. Moore found a very large fcorpion, being full twelve inches long. Thefe creatures are reckoned very venomous; and were a perfon to be ftung by fo large a one as this, our author believes it would be immediate death. He has known feveral people ftung by fmall fcorpions, which wound is fo extremely painful, that for at leaft twelve hours the perfon ftung cannot fleep; but about that time the pain abates, and foon after is quite over. It is remarkable, that notwithftanding the violence of the pain, the fwelling is very little.
Guinea hens and partridges abound in thefe countries; and it is obfervable, that the latter have often two large fpurs upon each leg. There are likewife plenty of wild geefe and ducks, the former of which are larger than ours, and have long fpurs growing out of the middle joint of the wings, with which they will beat a dog. The ducks are nearly as large as the geefe, and the feathers of both are black and white.
About Joar a remarkable bird is found, about the fize of a pigeon, having four wings. It never flies but in the evening, and may therefore be properly ranked among the bat kind. Another extraordinary bird, called Gabbon by the Mundingoes, and Gofsreal by the Portuguefe, is very frequent there. They meafure upwards of fix feet from the toes to the extremity of the breaft, and are efteemed delicious eating.
The mufquetoes, fays our author, are the greateft plague to a perfon of any vermin on the river. They are even worfe than fome fmall flies, and from their minutnefs called fand-flies, which are fo little as hardly to be difcerned. Thefe, if any wind be ftirring, are not able to bite; but the mufquetoes mind neither wind nor anything elfe, giving a perfon continual difturbance, efpecially in the night-time. They may be compared to our Englifh gnats, but are much more troublefome; when they bite, the part itches very much; and if you fcratch it till it bleeds, you run the rifk of having a fore; and when it is healed, the place always appears of a blackfifh colour.
The buggabuggs, as the natives call them, are a pernicious and deftructive vermin where-ever they get an entrance. There way of travelling is to make a hollow pipe or tube of dirt, much like an arch of a vault, under which they march without being feen. They are a fort of white ants, and are very expeditious at their work; for in twelve hours they will make their tube, and travel eight or nine yards to get to a cheft, box, or barrell. Wherever they get, they make ftrange havoc, efpecially in woollen cloathes. In fhort, nothing comes amifs to them, for they feed as hartily upon wood as anything elfe; and what is moft remarkable, fays our author, is, that they eat the infide only of a cheft or table, fo that when they have entirely deftroyed it by eating the very heart and fubftance of the wood, it appears to the eye to be ftill found. They cannot bear the fun, which feems to kill them for a time, but after fun-fet they are obferved to recover their ftrength and vigour. People are obliged to watch thefe creatures very carefully, and to take meafures to prevent their coming to their chefts, which is done by putting them on ftands with the legs of them well daubed with tar; and if the tar be not fpread over anew at leaft once a week, it is ten to one but thefe infects pay them a vifit.?
Hope you enjoyed it.
Hix
The extract is from a book called "The Beauties of Nature and Art Displayed in a Tour Through the World", and was published in 1774. The author is unidentified. The excerpt below is titled "African Record", and from the text, I assume this is the retelling of the tales of a Mr Moore, who was probably some English explorer back then.
The spelling is reproduced as it was in the original text. Back in the 1700's, the letter 'f' was used to replace the letter 's', except when the 's' appeared as the last letter in the word. It makes for some entertaining reading.
...............................AFRICAN RECORD
?Negroland and guinea abound with elephants, lions, and many other wild beafts already defcribed. The river-horfe, crocodile, and alligator, are frequent in the river Gambia, together with a fifh refembling a fmall alligator, called Guana, which is eaten by the inhabitants bordering upon the river, and is efteemed a delicious fifh.
In thefe parts of Africa, as in moft hot fandy countries, there are a great many fnakes and other venomous reptiles. Mr.Moore tells us, that the natives are much afraid of the black fnakes, which he himfelf has feen three yards long, and as big as the fmall of his leg. He was alfo told of feveral other venomous fnakes, particularly fome with a comb upon their heads, which they pofitively affirm to crow like a cock. This perhaps is what we call a bafilifk, or cockatrice, concerning which many ftrange things have been reported, that are now generally looked upon as fabulous. There are likewife fnakes with two heads growing out of one neck; but thofe our author fays he never faw. He fhot a green fnake about two yards long, but in the thickeft part not above three inches in circumference. This kind of fnake, he was informed by the natives, is not at all venomous; but they have fo many that are fo, that they feldom go without a remedy about them, in caf? they fhould be hit by any of thefe poifonous animals.
At a town about a mile from Brucoe, Mr. Moore found a very large fcorpion, being full twelve inches long. Thefe creatures are reckoned very venomous; and were a perfon to be ftung by fo large a one as this, our author believes it would be immediate death. He has known feveral people ftung by fmall fcorpions, which wound is fo extremely painful, that for at leaft twelve hours the perfon ftung cannot fleep; but about that time the pain abates, and foon after is quite over. It is remarkable, that notwithftanding the violence of the pain, the fwelling is very little.
Guinea hens and partridges abound in thefe countries; and it is obfervable, that the latter have often two large fpurs upon each leg. There are likewife plenty of wild geefe and ducks, the former of which are larger than ours, and have long fpurs growing out of the middle joint of the wings, with which they will beat a dog. The ducks are nearly as large as the geefe, and the feathers of both are black and white.
About Joar a remarkable bird is found, about the fize of a pigeon, having four wings. It never flies but in the evening, and may therefore be properly ranked among the bat kind. Another extraordinary bird, called Gabbon by the Mundingoes, and Gofsreal by the Portuguefe, is very frequent there. They meafure upwards of fix feet from the toes to the extremity of the breaft, and are efteemed delicious eating.
The mufquetoes, fays our author, are the greateft plague to a perfon of any vermin on the river. They are even worfe than fome fmall flies, and from their minutnefs called fand-flies, which are fo little as hardly to be difcerned. Thefe, if any wind be ftirring, are not able to bite; but the mufquetoes mind neither wind nor anything elfe, giving a perfon continual difturbance, efpecially in the night-time. They may be compared to our Englifh gnats, but are much more troublefome; when they bite, the part itches very much; and if you fcratch it till it bleeds, you run the rifk of having a fore; and when it is healed, the place always appears of a blackfifh colour.
The buggabuggs, as the natives call them, are a pernicious and deftructive vermin where-ever they get an entrance. There way of travelling is to make a hollow pipe or tube of dirt, much like an arch of a vault, under which they march without being feen. They are a fort of white ants, and are very expeditious at their work; for in twelve hours they will make their tube, and travel eight or nine yards to get to a cheft, box, or barrell. Wherever they get, they make ftrange havoc, efpecially in woollen cloathes. In fhort, nothing comes amifs to them, for they feed as hartily upon wood as anything elfe; and what is moft remarkable, fays our author, is, that they eat the infide only of a cheft or table, fo that when they have entirely deftroyed it by eating the very heart and fubftance of the wood, it appears to the eye to be ftill found. They cannot bear the fun, which feems to kill them for a time, but after fun-fet they are obferved to recover their ftrength and vigour. People are obliged to watch thefe creatures very carefully, and to take meafures to prevent their coming to their chefts, which is done by putting them on ftands with the legs of them well daubed with tar; and if the tar be not fpread over anew at leaft once a week, it is ten to one but thefe infects pay them a vifit.?
Hope you enjoyed it.
Hix
