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BEASTS AND MEN

BEING CARL HAGENBECK'S EXPERIENCES

FOR HALF A CENTURY AMONG

WILD ANIMALS

AN ABRIDGED TRANSLATION

BY

HUGH S. R. ELLIOT

AND

A. G. THACKER, A.R.C.S. (Lond.)

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WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY

P. CHALMERS MITCHELL, M.A., D.Sc, LL.D., F.R.S.

SECRETARY OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON

WITH PHOTOGRAVURE PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR AND NINETY-NINE OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS

NEW IMPRESSION

LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

39 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON NEW YORK, BOMBAY, AND CALCUTTA

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1912

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BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

First printed

Reprinted

Reissued in Cheaper Form

Reprinted

November, 1909

April, 1910

July, 1911

September, 1912

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INTRODUCTION.

Soon after I became Secretary of the Zoological Society of London, there called on me a tall, lean man, with a bony weather-beaten face, shaven lips and a short, grizzled beard of the kind known as a "chin-fringe". His shrewd and kindly face, slow speech with nasal intonations and general air of confident but watchful friendliness made the impression of an individuality very unlike the composite photograph I have in my mind of the Germans I know. But for the presence of a German accent and the absence of the tobacco habit, Carl Hagenbeck might pass for a New England ship captain. He is in the first place a business man with a, strong spirit of adventure that must have led him into many losses, and as he has none the less built up a great and successful business, it must be supposed that he also knows how to make profits. But those who deal with him soon learn that they may rely implicitly on his directness and candour in arranging a purchase or sale, and on his scrupulous carefulness in carrying out his share of the bargain. On one occasion, for instance, I had to arrange with him for the purchase of a pair of hippopotamus which neither of us had seen. The price was to depend partly on the age of the animals, but as that could not be proved, we agreed on a standard of size. When the animals arrived, although in every other respect equally suitable, they were a little smaller than Hagenbeck had been led to expect by his

vi INTRODUCTION

agents, but without demur he at once agreed to the corre- sponding reduction in price. Mr. Hagenbeck, however, takes much more than a business interest in his business, and I am glad to have the opportunity of acknowledging with all gratitude his readiness to place the results of his long ex- perience at the service of the Zoological Society of London. Aeain and aeain he has oriven me information of great value on questions relating to the transport and housing of animals and on their feeding and treatment. It is a pleasure to me to introduce to English readers a book in which is displayed so many of the strange experiences and so much of the remarkable personality of this most interesting man.

Every one has seen something of the business of a dealer in animals in its primitive form. Near the London Docks, and on the quays of great shipping ports like Havre and Marseilles, there are to be found untidy and generally evil smelling little shops crowded with parrots and monkeys, and similar casual acquisitions from sailors. The proprietors tend to become importers in a small way. They find out what creatures they can sell most readily, and give orders to sailors or petty officers, sometimes on speculation and sometimes at the request of customers. With a few notable exceptions, however, such small dealers never learn their trade. The birds and mammals they obtain have in many cases been improperly fed and very badly packed, with the result that the mortality is great and the stamina of the survivors is at a low ebb. There can be no doubt but that in many cases the reputation for delicacy acquired by many exotic birds and mammals is due merely to the senseless fashion in which they are brought home. They are captured in some tropical forest and rushed down to the coast with a minimum supply of what is supposed to be their natural food. The transition

INTRODUCTION vii

to strange food is made under the worst conditions, on board ship or in the dealer's shop, or in the unfamiliar surroundings of a new home, A golden rule in the purchase of animals with which one is not fully acquainted, is to refuse them unless they feed readily on a kind of food which the pur- chaser can supply in future. Such a condition may be ful- filled most easily when the animals, immediately after they are caught, are accustomed gradually to a new diet and to take their food from human beings. In the vast majority of cases it is change of food and not change of climate that is the difficulty in what is called acclimatisation. Walruses are brought to a European city with an appetite for nothing but whales' blubber, or monkeys who refuse everything ex- cept fresh sugar-cane, and the usual tragedies result.

Carl Hagenbeck's business is conducted on very differ- ent lines, and the animals he imports and distributes have been treated so as to have the best chance of survivingf. He has been a notable pioneer in the proper handling of wild animals. He is an able man, and sees that the crude methods do not pay ; he is a naturalist with a genuine affection and sympathy for animals, and in all his handling of them he sees to it that their health and general condition is the first care. In the many expeditions he has organised to Africa and Asia for the capture of wild animals, the highest qualities of a naturalist have been necessary. It is the fashion to claim that the big game sportsman and col- lector of trophies must be a naturalist of a high order ; I have heard defenders of these forms of sport speak as if the poet Coleridge had written : —

He killeth best who loveth best. All things botti great and small.

There was perhaps the beginning of a defence for such a

viii INTRODUCTION

point of view before rifles were so perfect and deadly as they are now and when the hunter had to -wage his own life against that of his quarry, and could have small hope of success without the most intimate knowledge of the habits of wild animals. The modern hunters who must be genuine naturalists are those who attempt to photograph big game in their native resorts and those who wish to catch them alive and uninjured. English readers interested in Zoological Gardens will turn with avidity to the account Carl Hagenbeck gives of the Zoological Park at Stellingen. The fundamental conception which for longf dominated the minds of those who had to do with the exhibition of living animals was a compromise be- tween the idea of a travelling menagerie and the idea of a museum. The specimens were rano^ed in narrow and small cages so that they might be easily seen and compared. Iron bars and wire-work were everywhere in evidence, and so far as possible all draught and fresh air were excluded, and elaborate heating-systems were provided. In Hagenbeck's Park, which is the result of his long experience, these old ideas are discarded. The animals are given shelters to which they can retreat, and in these some amount of artificial heat is supplied in severe weather, but in every case room for exer- cise, abundant fresh air, and free exposure to rain and sun are provided for. I do not think that there is any doubt as to these being the right lines, and all the more progressive Zoological Gardens have been trying to act on them. No doubt the ideal condition is the right temperature as well as relative freedom and exposure to fresh air, but if the choice has to be made, and it must be made in the cities of Europe and North America, then fresh air is enormously more im- portant than temperature, and animals that we are accustomed to think of as tropical thrive well and freely disport them-

INTRODUCTION ix

selves in snow and rain. I am not so certain that I aeree with some of the other characteristic features of the Park at Stellingen, but they are at the least extremely interesting. The grouping of incongruous animals in "happy families " is perhaps more the work of the showman than of the naturalist. It is always subject to very serious risks, and success can be obtained only in the case of young animals specially trained to disregard their natural instincts. It is a curious and interesting spectacle, but not one that I should like to see repeated in ordinary menageries and Zoological Gardens.

On the other hand, the devices by which bars and railings are replaced by ditches and undercut ledges of rockwork are extremely attractive, and to my mind pleasing, although I do not much care for the more exuberant forms of such artificial scenery with painted backgrounds. Where the necessary space can be obtained, it is delightful to see animals across ditches instead of through bars. But there is another side to the question. If visitors are to be protected, the arrange- ments must be such that the animals are seen from a con- siderably greater distance, and it is doubtful, especially in the case of the larger Carnivora, if the arrangement is practicable except with trained animals. Diversifying the ground with artificial rockwork on which the animals may climb certainly adds very much to the beauty of the display, and the ad- ditional exercise given to the animals must be a great advan- tage. But here again there is another side to the question. Rockwork, natural or artificial, is extremely difficult to keep in the state of sanitary cleanliness which is essential in a menagerie, and it provides a cover most attractive to rats and from which it is almost impossible to dislodge them. The abundant supplies of food always attract rats to Zoological Gardens, of which they are the most troublesome pest, and

X INTRODUCTION

the only way of keeping them down is to afford them the least opportunity of finding cover. The various difficulties and objections that I suggest, however, although they may pre- vent other gardens from following the example set by Carl Hagenbeck, do not detract from the extreme interest of his description of Stellingen.

For many years Hagenbeck has been the greatest trainer of animals, and his own troupes or those which he has supplied have appeared in every part of the world. Lovers of animals will follow with a close attention his method of selecting and training them. For my own part, and I know of many who share my views, I seldom lose an opportunity of seeing exhibitions of performing animals, and equally seldom do I enjoy the performance for long except perhaps in the case of sea-lions, who appear to me to enjoy what they are doing. In all other cases I gradually become convinced that abject terror of the trainer lies behind the tricks, a conviction that is not disturbed by the rewards of food that are given. This, however, is not Mr. Hagen- beck's opinion, and his love of animals, ability and experience entitle him to the fullest consideration. He begins with the proposition, long ago set out by Darwin, that the first busi- ness of the trainer is to select his animals. Individuals have very different dispositions, and it is only one or two out of many that have the power of attention, ability and docility required by the trainer. Thereafter the method is little more than constant patience, firmness and kindness on the part of the trainer. I accept readily Mr. Hagenbeck's statements as to his personal control over wild animals, and I have myself seen many instances of their friendly recognition of their old master. But with regard to public performances, when the animals have to go through their tricks at stated

INTRODUCTION xi

times, I continue to doubt ; in all those that I have seen the trainer displays some kind of whip, and the animals seem to have a very full appreciation that it is more than a symbol of authority.

Although I can take no credit, and have no responsibility for the form in which this edition is presented to English readers, I have had some opportunity of comparing it with the German text, and believe it to be a very accurate rendering of the substance of a remarkable book.

P. CHALMERS MITCHELL.

CHAPTER I.

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE.

The great zoological park at Stellingen, and the huge trade in living animals of which that park is the headquarters, had a very humble and almost accidental origin. My father was a fishmono-er tradino- in St. Pauli. a suburb of Hamburp', and one day in March, 1848, it happened that some of the fisher- men, whom my father employed, and who were under con- tract to deliver over to him their entire haul, captured in their nets no fewer than six seals. My father was very fond of animals and greatly interested in natural history, and thus it occurred to him that the curiosity with which he him- self examined the animals might, perhaps, be shared by his fellow-citizens of Hamburg, and that the interest which the seals would probably arouse could be made profitable to their owner. He therefore exhibited the creatures in two huge wooden tubs at our house in Spielbudenplatz, St. Pauli, charorincr an entrance fee of one Hamburg shillino- (= about a penny) per head. A considerable number of people came to inspect the beasts, and my father was so delighted at the success of his idea that he decided to follow up this new line of business and take the seals to Berlin. To those who know the twentieth-century Berlin the idea of taking a few common seals to be exhibited in that city will no doubt appear extremely ludicrous ; but the Berliners of those days were very much less sophisticated than their modern representatives, and flocked with great interest to see my father's show. Owing to the revolutionary movement which was at that time daily growing in force, my father did

2 BEASTS AND MEN

not remain for long in the Prussian capital, but sold his seals and returned home to Hamburg. Unfortunately the animals were not sold for hard cash, but were handed over on the strength of a promise of future payment — a promise which completely slipped the memory of the purchaser — but in spite of this there was, owing to the great success of the exhibitions both in Hamburg and in Berlin, a considerable profit on the whole transaction, and my father was far from dissatisfied with his new venture.

From the time of this seal incident onwards my father commenced to carry on a trade in living animals, in addi- tion to his work as a purveyor of food-fish. Indeed, although he had never before thought of making any money out of it, he already possessed a small menagerie, including goats, a cow, a monkey, a talking parrot, fowls, geese, etc., to which some more common seals, a polar bear, hysenas, and other mammals and birds were presently added. The little menagerie was set up in Spielbudenplatz, and visitors were charged an entrance fee of four Hamburg shillings. My father did not again travel about exhibiting his seals, but sold them to the owners of itinerant circuses and menageries, by whom they used to be shown to a credulous and unscien- tific public as walruses, or even as mermaids !

Thus from my earliest childhood I was accustomed to dealing with living animals. I was born on the loth of June, 1844, and had two brothers and three sisters. My mother died in 1865, and, my father marrying a second time, I sub- sequently had two half-brothers, John Hagenbeck of Col- ombo, Ceylon, and Gustav Hagenbeck, who still resides in Hamburg. My early education was somewhat meagre, for I only went to school when I could spare the time from my work with the fish and live beasts, and this did not amount to more than three months in the year. It was not that my father failed to appreciate the benefits of a good education ; on the contrary, he deemed a great part of the customary instruction thoroughly necessary. But he was an eminently practical

XI

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MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE 5

man, and whilst he impressed upon us the urgency of learn- ing well the "Three R's," he used to tell us that we "were not expected to become parsons ". Later on, too, when our business began to extend to France and England, he saw that it would be desirable for me to acquire the languages of those countries. Thus, although my elementary education may have left something to be desired, from my twelfth year onwards I attended school with greater regularity, and in my later boyhood gained a considerable knowledge of lan- guages and other more advanced subjects.

As the business gradually developed, it became necessary to undertake journeys for the purpose of buying and selling our living wares, and I soon discovered that the transport of wild beasts is apt to be rich in incident. I well remember my first expedition of the kind. One day when I was eleven years old we heard that there was a small collection of animals to be sold at Bremerhaven. At that time a journey to Bre- merhaven was quite an undertaking, for there was then no direct railway connection between that town and Hamburo-, and it was therefore necessary either to go a long journey round by Hanover, or else to drive across country to Bre- men, a distance of about fifty miles. Notwithstanding this difficulty, however, my father, being anxious to acquire the animals, decided to go to Bremerhaven, and he took me with him. We found that the little menagerie consisted of a laroe racoon, two American opossums, and a varied assortment of monkeys and parrots. My father purchased the lot, and after they had been brought up to Bremen by steamer they were duly ensconced upon the roof of the diligence which was to convey us back to Hamburo-.

We drove all through the night, our route lying across the Luneburger Heath, a wild stretch of country in the north of Hanover, and daybreak found us in Harburg, a place not far from Hamburg. Naturally, our first thought was to inspect our property and see that all was safe. Great was our dismay when we found the racoon's cage broken open

6 BEASTS AND MEN

and its erstwhile occupant completely vanished ! During the night the racoon must have made his way out through the bars, and have jumped off the top of the coach.

We dared not give the alarm, for, unless the fugitive had been speedily recaptured, we should have had the authorities down on us for letting loose wild beasts in the heart of Germany. So we all kept our own counsel, and nobody knew of the occurrence save my father, the driver of the diligence, and myself Two years later, however, it was noised abroad that a racoon had been killed on Liineburger Heath, and there was great excitement in the newspapers and much speculation as to how that carnivore came to be living wild in Germany. We might have been able to suggest a not improbable solution of the mystery, but we judged it more discreet to hold our tongues.

In our early days we had many similar mishaps, most of them taking place at home, however. On one occasion we were aroused in the middle of the night by a terrified night- watchman, who informed us that an enormous seal was perambulating the streets of Hamburg. We rushed out with nets, and just succeeded in securing the creature as it was about to return to its native element. On another occasion a hysena escaped from its cage, and was only recaptured after a long, and decidedly dangerous, nocturnal hunt.

Such episodes as these, however, only formed occasional diversions. My chief recollection of the first ten years of the business is that it was a ceaseless round of very hard, and not over-profitable, work. We had to buy our experience dearly, and almost every mistake that we made in the treat- ment of the beasts, or in the methods of transporting them, would cost us the lives of some of the creatures. Indeed, for part of the time, my father ran the business at a loss, and if his success as a fishmonger had not enabled him to pass through this black period, it is highly probable that he would have given up the animal trade altogether. This, however,

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE 7

together with his fondness of the animals for their own sake, induced him to persevere ; and as by our repeated failures we gradually came to understand better the requirements of our pets, the death rate in the menagerie steadily diminished, and the profits on the business rose accordingly.

It was not until nine years after the foundation of the business, in 1857 that is, that my father purchased his first large collection of animals. This consisted of five lions, a number of panthers and cheetahs, several hyaenas and various antelopes, gazelles and monkeys, all of which the African explorer, Dr. Natterer, had brought back to Vienna from the Egyptian Sudan, a region which was at that time extraordinarily rich in animal life. In the following year my father one day asked me seriously, whether I would choose as my future calling to be a fishmonger or an animal dealer, and, after placing all the pros and cons before me, he finally advised me to take up fishmongering as being the less speculative trade. I am sure, however, that he did this with a heavy heart, for we all loved our menagerie; and when I decided in favour of the animal business he showed no displeasure, but immediately gave his consent to this course of action. It was arranged, therefore, that I should take over responsibility for the business, and that my father's liability in the event of any future loss should not exceed ^100. I left school in March, 1859— before I turned fifteen — and from that day to this I have devoted all my energies to the care and development of the business which my father founded. The latter, however, remained until his death my most trusted adviser, and if in my life's work I have attained to some measure of success, it is to him that much of the credit is due. From our earliest years he taught us to love animals and helped us to understand their needs and their instincts. This has assuredly been the corner- stone of all our success, for without a genuine love for animals a business such as ours must have inevitably failed.

BEASTS AND AlEN

During the latter half of the nineteenth century Africa was being- vigorously explored, and large consignments of animals- — especially elephants, giraffes and rhinoceroses — began to arrive in Europe from that continent. In the early sixties we began to deal on a larger scale, and I frequently had to undertake journeys for business purposes, my first visit to England being in 1864. The trade became m :)re flourishing, necessitating an extension of our premises in Spielbudenplatz, and in this same year of 1864 an important development occurred. Late one evening we received a teleeram from a friend in Vienna, sayino- that the African traveller, Lorenzo Cassanova, had arrived in the Austrian capital en 7^oute for Dresden, whither he was taking a number of animals which he had collected in Nubia. About a year and a half earlier Cassanova had brought home an enormous consignment of wild beasts from the Egyptian Sudan, includ- ing the first African elephant which had ever been seen in Europe, several giraffes, and numerous smaller creatures.

On that occasion we could not afford to buy his collection, and the animals were eventually acquired by the famous old menagerie owner, Gottlieb Kreutzberg ; but this time the collec- tion was much smaller, and on the morning after the receipt of the tele- oram I set out for Dresden. I found Cassanova in the Zoological Gardens, where he had housed his animals, and before long the whole collection had

Gottlieb Kreutzberg. ^^^^ j^^^^ ^^ pOSSeSsion. This, how-

ever, was not the only or the most important result of my meeting with the Italian ; for after some discussion we con- cluded an agreement to the effect that all the animals which Cassanova succeeded in bringing to Europe from his future expeditions should be sold to us at definite prices named in

the contract.

Cassanova was thus the first of that long list

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MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE ii

of travellers who have explored the wilder portions of every continent in the interests of my firm.

The first lot of animals which Cassanova brought us from Nubia arrived in the July of the following year, and consisted of two elephants, several young lions, and a number of hyaenas, panthers, antelopes, gazelles and ostriches. It will be seen from this that during the decade which had elapsed since the purchase of the little menagerie at Bremerhaven — quite an important event to us in its time — the scope of our business had considerably enlarged. The demand for wild beasts was continually growing. Zoological Gardens were springing up on all sides, and public interest in exotic animals was stimu- lated by the circuses and travelling menageries, which were now becoming numerous both in Europe and in America, Although we now began to send out travellers to all parts of the world — adventurous men who frequently explored regions where no European had ever been before — it was sometimes impossible for me to satisfy all the demands which I received. For instance, one of my chief customers was Phineas T. Barnum, the famous American circus owner, Barnum paid us his first visit in November, 1872, and on that occasion purchased animals from us to the value of about ^3,000. He was touring Europe, he told me, in search of new ideas, and as I was able to supply him with some such (among other things I told him about the racing elephants of India, and of the use of ostriches as saddle animals) he paid me the compliment of inviting me to join him in his enterprise, with a one-third share of the profits. I preferred, however, to remain in Hamburg and develop my own business. After this, Barnum obtained his animals exclusively from me, and his successor, Mr, Bailey, continued this arrangement until 1907, when he disposed of his business.

The largest consignment of African animals which I ever received arrived in 1870. On Whit-Monday of that year I heard from Cassanova and from another of my travellers, by name Migoletti, that they were both making their way out of the interior of Nubia with huge caravans of captured animals,

12 BEASTS AND MEN

and expected to arrive together at Suez. Cassanova stated that he was dangerously ill, and that it was therefore imperative that I should come to Suez, in order to take char^re of the animals on the journey to Europe. Under the circumstances this appeared to be unavoidable ; and so, the next day, ac- companied by my youngest brother, I departed for Egypt. We travelled via Trieste, and arrived at our destination after an uneventful journey lasting eight days. On entering the station at Suez we were greeted by some of our prospective pets, for in another train opposite we saw several elephants and giraffes, who pushed out their heads to welcome us. This, however, scarcely prepared us for what met our gaze when we reached the Suez Hotel. I shall never forget the sight which the courtyard presented. Elephants, giraffes, antelopes and buffalo were tethered to the palms ; sixteen great ostriches were strolling about loose ; and in addition there were no fewer than sixtv lar^e eagres containino- a rhinoceros, lions, panthers, cheetahs, hyaenas, jackals, civets, caracals, monkeys, and many kinds of birds.

It was naturally no easy matter to transport this immense collection of wild beasts to Europe. The amount of food required was enormous. Besides the hay, bread, and sundry other vegetable foods which were needed for the elephants and other herbivores, we also took along with us about a hundred nanny-goats in order to provide the young giraffes and other baby animals with milk. When these goats were no longer able to supply us with milk they were slaughtered and given to the young carnivores to devour.

The journey to Alexandria, where we were to embark for Trieste, was by no means uneventful. On the way to the station the ostriches escaped, and were only recovered after considerable delay. Then one of the railway trucks caught fire, endangering the entire menagerie ; and finally we were furnished for the last part of the journey with a drunken engine-driver who nearly burst his boiler. More- over, the poor creatures were so closely packed together that

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE

13

it was impossible to feed them. We travelled all through the night, and arrived in Alexandria at 6 a.m. Here we joined forces with Migoletti's caravan. The whole of the next day was occupied in feeding and in general attend- ance upon my unfortunate beasts, which had suffered con- siderably from their long train journey. Thus it was not until the evening that I was able to visit Cassanova, who

Embarking an elephant.

had preceded me to Alexandria. Much to my regret I found him sinking rapidly, and during the following night the poor man died. There was no time to mourn, however, for on the next day the steamer was to be loaded with the living cargo. It will be readily believed that I suffered no little anxiety when I saw my valuable animals, cumbrous elephants and long-legged giraffes, hanging from the crane betwixt sky and sea. However, at last they were all safely deposited on deck, and the passage to Trieste was accomplished without

14 BEASTS AND MEN

serious mishap. Our arrival at that port caused great excitement among the townsfolk. And small wonder ! No such collection of wild beasts had ever before been seen in Europe. The united caravans of Cassanova and Migoletti included, apart from the smaller creatures, five elephants, fourteen giraffes, four Nubian buffaloes, a rhinoceros, twelve antelopes and gazelles, two wart-hogs, four aard-varks, and no fewer than sixty carnivores. Among the latter there were seven young lions, eight panthers and cheetahs, thirty hysenas, and many smaller representatives of the cat tribe. There were also twenty-six ostriches, of which sixteen were full-grown birds. One of these, a female, was the largest specimen I have ever seen. This hen could easily reach a cabbage which I placed eleven feet from the ground.

Pretty nearly the whole population of Trieste must have turned out to watch us unload. And w^henever an elephant or a giraffe came sprawling across in the crane a roar of delight would go up from the multitude on shore. It was truly marvellous that we ever reached the railway station without an accident, for the crowd in the streets was enormous, and we had the greatest possible difficulty in making our way throuo^h. We travelled to Hamburg' via Vienna, Dresden and Berlin, and as some of our possessions found new homes in the Zoological Gardens in each of those cities, our numbers were greatly reduced by the time we finally arrived at our destination. This, as I have said, was the largest collection of the African fauna that I have ever received. It had been preceded, however, by several other successful expeditions (under the command of Cassanova and others) to the same region, and in a later chapter I shall describe the methods adopted for capturing the animals, and the difficulties which the expeditions had to overcome during the arduous marches out of the interior of Nubia.

At this time I was doino- a roarino- trade in African wild beasts, and splendid prices were paid for my wares, especially for elephants. I recollect one occasion when I sold three young elephants to an American animal dealer for the sum

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE

15

of ^1,000. The reader may think that I had made a good bargain in this, and at the time I was under a like impres- sion. But it seems I was wrong. For my American friend took the animals across to his own country and sold them for ^1,700, ^1,600 and ^1,500 respectively.

I was married in March, 1871, and am blessed with five children and thirteen grandchildren, my two sons now being partners with me in the business. With the growth of the trade during the sixties and early seventies it became im- perative to find a larger site for my menagerie ; in spite of extensions, we had completely outgrown our old quarters in Spielbudenplatz. After a long search I found a suitable

Reindeer.

spot at Neuer Pferdemarkt, in Hamburg. This consisted of a dwelling-house, having a large garden behind — nearly two acres in extent — in which it would be possible to erect the necessary buildings, stables, etc. I therefore bought the place, and in April, 1874, we took up our abode in our new home.

The transference of the menagerie to Neuer Pferdemarkt brings us to the end of the first period in the history of the business. Hitherto we had been merely animal dealers ; henceforth we were to initiate and develop other, though related, branches of trade. About the middle of the seven- ties the supply of wild beasts began to exceed the demand,

1 6 BEASTS AND MEN

and the profits on my business somewhat decreased. Some remedy for this state of affairs had to be found, and the said remedy eventually came through the chance suggestion of a friend. In 1874 I happened to be importing some reindeer, and my friend, Heinrich Leutemann, the animal painter, remarked that it would be most picturesque if I could import a family of Lapps along with them. This seemed to me a brilliant idea, and I therefore at once gave orders that my reindeer were to be accompanied by their native masters.

The Lapps, conducted by a Norwegian, arrived at Ham- burg in the middle of September, and Leutemann and myself went on board to welcome the little expedition. The first glance sufficed to convince me that the experiment would prove a success. Here was a truly interesting sight. On deck three little men dressed in skins were walking about among the deer, and down below we found to our great delight a mother with a tiny infant in her arms and a dainty little maiden about four years old, standing shyly by her side. Our guests, it is true, would not have shone in a beauty show, but they were so wholly unsophisticated and so totally unspoiled by civilisation that they seemed like beings from another world. I felt sure that the little strangers would arouse great interest in Germany.

The reindeer and the Lapps were safely disembarked, but on the way up to Neuer Pferdemarkt a rather fortunate accident occurred. The deer were, of course, unaccustomed to crowds, and two of them took fright and galloped away through the town, finally taking refuge — not inappropriately — in the Zoological Gardens. My Lappic exhibition could scarcely have had a better advertisement than was afforded by this escapade.

My optimistic expectations were fully realised ; this first of my ethnographic exhibitions was from every point of view a huge success. I attribute this mainly to the simplicity with which the whole thinof was org^anised, and to the com- plete absence of all vulgar accessories. There was nothing in the way of a performance. The Laplanders themselves

0) •73

•?/

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE 19

had no conception of the commercial side of the venture, and knew nothing of exhibitions. They were merely paying a short visit to the hustling- civilisation which they saw around them, and it never occurred to them to alter their own primi- tive habits of life. The result was that they behaved just as though they were in their native land, and the interest and value of the exhibition were therefore greatly enhanced. They took up their abode in the grounds behind my house at Neuer Pferdemarkt, and lived entirely out of doors. All Hamburg came to see this genuine " Lapland in miniature ". The Lapps, as is well known, inhabit the north of Nor- way, Sweden and Russia, and, in accordance with their occupations, are divided into the Fishing-, Forest-, and Up- land-Lapps. The latter are the least civilised of the three divisions, and it was to them that my little party belonged. They consist of tribes of primitive nomads, almost wholly dependent upon the reindeer for their subsistence. As I have already mentioned, they could not be described as beautiful. Their skin was a dirty yellow colour, their heads very round, their hair black, nose small and flat, and their eyes set somewhat obliquely. On the other hand their limbs were very finely moulded, and only Eskimos have smaller hands and feet than the Lapps. They reached a height of from four and a quarter to five and a quarter feet. It was most interesting to see the little people at work. They would set up and strike their tents as in their own country. No great labour is involved in this performance ; their tents consist of poles covered over in summer with canvas and in winter with tanned hides, a hole being left at the top for the smoke to pass through. The Fishing- and the Forest- Lapps have become to a great extent Europeanised, for in- stance, in the matter of dress. But not so our little friends. They supply all their own needs, and by means of sinews they sew together the tanned hides of deer in a most dexter- ous manner. They make all their own snowshoes, sledges,

etc. Men and women were dressed much alike, both sexes

2*

20 BEASTS AND MEN

wearing long skin coats, pointed fur caps and leather shoes. It was most interesting- to watch them catchingr the deer with lassoes, and to see the wonderful skill with which they drove their sledges. The reindeer is verily their all in all, and takes the place of cattle, sheep, horse and dogs. The milking of the deer was one of the chief attractions in this Lappic exhibition. Our visitors were unspoiled children of Nature, and they no doubt wondered what we could see in their simple household goods, and in themselves, to arouse so much curiosity.

My experience with the Laplanders taught me that ethnographic exhibitions would prove lucrative ; and no sooner had my little friends departed than I followed up their visit by that of other wild men. Our next guests came from the Sudan — as was only natural, having regard to the extensive intercourse I then had with that region. The attractions of this Nubian caravan were greatly increased by the number of domestic animals which the people brought with them, their great black dromedaries, for instance, arous- ing much interest among the visitors to my Gardens.

Being desirous of carrying on my new anthropological enterprise all the year round — in winter, as well as in summer — I bethought me of the Eskimos, those dwellers in the Arctic of whom we had all heard so much in connection with polar expeditions, but who had never yet been seen in the heart of Europe. It might be possible, I thought, to bring a small party of these people to Hamburg, where they would indubitably cause a great sensation. In the spring of 1877, therefore, I engaged a young Norwegian, by name Adrian Jacobsen, and despatched him to Greenland for the purpose of inducing a few Eskimos to accompany him back to Europe. The Danish Government were most obliging, and not only at once gave their permission, but also conveyed Jacobsen to their Arctic colony in a State steamer. They voyaged up the west coast of Greenland for a considerable distance to a bay known as Jacobshavn, in lat. 69°. Here my traveller succeeded in persuading half a dozen natives to

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE

21

pay a visit to the land of white men. The party was com- posed of a family of four persons, and two young bachelors. The paterfamilias, a gentleman of about thirty, rejoicing in the name of Ukubak, not only brought with him his obedient spouse and his two little daughters, but also the totality of his worldly goods. These consisted of dogs, sledges, tents, weapons, household implements, two canoes, and so forth. The Green- land Eskimos, who have been well described by Nansen, are more ad- vanced in civilisation than their kindred of the Far North, these latter beinor in an extremely primitive stage of evolution, being unacquainted even with the " Kayaks," or canoes,

which play such a promi- Ukubak and his family.

nent part in the life of the South Greenland natives. The Greenlanders are, of course, under the protection of the Danish Government, and they have adopted the Christian religion. Nevertheless, their mode of life is not really very different from that of their ancestors when Greenland was first recolon- ised by the Scandinavians in the eighteenth century. They have not been greatly altered through contact with Europeans. They are still expert and, enthusiastic hunters, pursuing with great zest the numerous species of seals which inhabit the Arctic regions. For this purpose they make use of curious and highly characteristic boats, which they term "Kayaks". The kayak is a canoe constructed of skins, and is completely

BEASTS AND MEN

decked over except for a small hole amidships. The canoe- man, who propels his little vessel with a double-bladed paddle, sits himself in this hole, which he exactly fits and completely fills up, his legs being- hidden beneath the foreward decking. In this position the Eskimos are able to execute a most remarkable manceuvre. If the canoe be upset, the man is, of course, still firmly fixed in his hole, and is then hanging head downwards from the upturned boat. But so skilful are they that, when this accident occurs and they find themselves immersed, they are able by means of the paddle to right the canoe and in this way save themselves from drown- ing. As may be well imagined, the ability to perform this feat

is an absolute necessity to the Greenlanders in their native haunts, for in rough weather the small kayaks are naturally very liable to capsize, and any one who is less adept than his fellows will pay the penalty with his life. Ukubak was a wonderfully expert canoeman, and used fre- quently to upset and then right his kayak for the edification of the visitors to my Gardens. He re- garded it as a joke, and never grew tired of re- peating the performance. The proceeding did not even cause him any dis- comfort, for, like all his Ukubak's wife. ^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ dressed in

waterproof clothing which, as I have said, completely filled

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE 25

the hole and thereby prevented the water from leaking into the boat.

Ukubak was a man of moderate stature and prepossessing" countenance. His better-half, too, was far from ugly, even from the European's standpoint. She was above the middle height, her figure was slim and elegant, and she dressed her hair most tastefully in a tower on the crown of her head. The Greenlanders made themselves at home on the spot where the Lapps had sojourned three years earlier, and built them- selves a hut after the true Eskimo fashion, namely, half under- ground. I should perhaps mention incidentally that the Lapps are not, as might be supposed, close relatives of the Eskimos.

After the little party had been exhibited in Hamburg I took them to Paris, Berlin and Dresden. In Berlin the Emperor William I. came to see them and was greatly interested in Ukubak's aquatic tricks. On that occasion Ukubak remained so long under the water that the Emperor became quite alarmed for his safety, until I told His Majesty the facility with which the Eskimo could always recover him- self when he so desired. In April of the following year, 1878, the Eskimos returned to their native land, greatly enriched by their travels.

From this time onwards I organised frequent ethnographic exhibitions, and I now have some show of this kind every year in my Zoological Park at Stellingen. Lapps, Nubians, and Eskimos have been followed by Somalis, Indians, Kalmucks, Cingalese, Patagonians, Hottentots and so forth. Towards the end of the seventies, especially in 1879, the animal trade itself was in an exceedingly bad way, so that the anthropological side of my business became more and more important. The outbreak of the war with the Mahdi, which occurred at about this time, closed what had hitherto been our chief source of supply, viz., the Sudan ; for it was now death to any European who was intrepid enough to enter that country. Even when the war was over, and the co-operating British and Egyptian Governments reopened the country, the

26

BEASTS AND MEN

Sudan was found to have lost its glory, for the destruction of

animal life in the interval had been terrible. But more of this anon. The end of the year 1880 brought me some relief from my financial anxiety. My faithful friend Barnum sent me huge orders for elephants. Barnum and another American named Forepaugh were at this time strenuous competitors in the circus world, and the Ameri- can public seem to have had an especial predilection for elephants. At all events, elephants were the chief at- traction, and the fact was The only difficulty was to find I therefore sent one of my most famous travellers, Joseph Menges, to Ceylon in order to ascertain the prices of elephants in that island, and to find out whether large numbers of the creatures could be obtained there. Menges' reports were most satisfactory, and before long both he and certain other of my travellers were hard at work exporting a continuous stream of elephants from Ceylon. I was perpetually receiving fresh orders not only from Barnum but

Joseph Menges. i r -n- l. c .U

also irom r'orepaugh, tor the rivals were continually endeavouring to overtrump each other

A king and his two wives.

very fortunate for me. enough of the quadrupeds.

2

-5

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE 29

in this matter, and in the year 1883 I exported from Ceylon no fewer than sixty-seven elephants.

In this place I ought to say a few words about Joseph Menges. He assuredly deserves a short biog'raphical notice in this history of my business, for of all the fellow-workers with whom it has been my fate to labour, none has been more able and efficient. When this traveller joined my firm in 1876 he had already had considerable experience as an explorer. In the early seventies he had gone up the White Nile with Gordon, and few, if any, Europeans knew the Sudan better than he. He had become intimately ac- quainted with the peoples, the geography, the fauna and the flora of Nubia. He was, moreover, thoroughly accustomed to the climate. In those regions Europeans almost invariably suffer severely from fever, but Menges seems to have been immune — at all events, by the time he began to travel in my interests. On one occasion he brought to Europe for one of my ethnographic, exhibitions some representatives of the famous Nubian tribe, the Hamran hunters, of whose man- ners and customs I shall have much to relate in Chapter III. Then he paid a visit to Somaliland, where he explored a district where no white man had hitherto been, and dis- covered a new race of wild ass. He succeeded in trans- porting to Europe a living specimen of this quadruped. Menges continued to lead hunting expeditions on my behalf until quite recently, and at the moment of writing there are still animals in my menagerie which have come into my pos- session through the energy of this trusty friend.

One of the largest of all my ethnographic exhibitions was the great Cingalese exhibition of 1884. This great caravan, which consisted of sixty-seven persons with twenty-five elephants and a multitude of cattle of various breeds, caused a great sensation in Europe. I travelled about with this show all over Germany and Austria, and made a very good thing out of it.

When this Cinoalese exhibition had come to an end

30

BEASTS AND MEN

I thought the public might, perhaps, have had enough of ethnology for the time being, and I therefore set to work to devise some new form of entertainment. The result of my meditations was a revolution in the methods of training wild beasts for the circus. For many years, indeed ever

since I could remem- ber, I had been greatly distressed at the cruel methods of teachinor ani- mals to perform, which were then in vogue. My enthusiasm for my own calling originated more, if I may say so, in a love for all livingf creatures than in any mere com- mercial instincts. I had no doubt inherited this passion from my father, and under the circum- stances in which I found myself there was, of Patagonian. course, every opportun-

ity of cultivating the taste. I do not intend to imply that I have not also had an eye to the main chance ; but I can, I think, say with perfect truth that I am, and always have been, a naturalist first and a trader afterwards. This being the case, it was only natural that I, in common I am sure with all other lovers of animals, should be greatly distressed at the wicked ill-treatment to which "tamed" beasts were in those days subjected. In a later chapter I shall relate some tales about this barbarous method of training — now happily a thing of the past — and I will only say here that the poor brutes were driven to perform their "tricks" by being thrashed with whips and burned with red-hot irons.

For many years I had been pondering over this subject,

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE

31

and I had come to the conclusion that the prevalent mode of procedure was not only cruel, but also stupid and ineffectual. Brutes, after all, are beings akin to ourselves. Their minds are formed on the same plan as our minds ; the differences are differences of degree only, not of kind. They will repay cruelty with hatred, and kindness with trust. What, there- fore, could be more foolish than the senseless manner in which every spark of intelligence was driven out of the hapless pupils ? I knew full well from long and intimate association with the lower animals that their understanding develops wonderfully by close friendship with man, and I was convinced that far more could be achieved by gentleness and sympathy than was ever accomplished by tyrannical cruelty. This, however, was not my only discovery. I had also found from experience that animals of the same species differed most remarkably in character, and from this I inferred that if the talents of each animal were to be fully developed, individual tuition during training would be absolutely essential. Here again we have a point of similarity to ourselves. These, then, were my ideas upon this not unimportant subject, and about twenty years ago I proceeded to put them into practice. I established a circus in Hamburg in 1887, and before long I found a trainer whom I induced to adopt my new methods of educatino- the animals. I met this man (whose name was Deyer- ling) in England, and as he happened to be unemployed I engaged him on the un- derstanding that he should work on my system only.

I at first showed him what Hagenbeck's first circus.

I proposed to do by training dogs and cats to perform tricks without ever resorting to force (except in cases of gross disobedience), and I then expressed to him my opinion that if

32 BEASTS AND MEN

this could be done with these small carnivores, a like result could be achieved with lions and tigers.

The first experiment in this "gentle" training, as I will call it, was made with lions during the years 1887-89. For my purpose I used no fewer than twenty-one lions, but so variable are the characters of animals, that only four turned out to have the necessary talent for the work. I will not go into details of the training in this place, but will only say that the success with the remaining four lions was nothing- short of astounding. They carried out all manner of tricks, the climax of the performance coming when the trainer harnessed three of the mighty carnivores to a chariot and drove triumph- antly around the cage- This troupe first appeared in the Nouveau Cirque in Paris in 1889, and during the next few years they were exhibited in many other towns, bringing me, I may mention incidentally, a very large profit.

At that time all the world was looking forward to the great exhibition at Chicago, which was to take place in 1893, and it occurred to me that it would be a grand thing if I could exhibit there a huge troupe of performing animals, trained on my new humane system. I therefore commenced to get together a large collection of wild beasts for this purpose- My troupe consisted of twelve lions, two tigers, several cheetahs and three bears. These performers were first exhibited in 1891, at the Crystal Palace, in London, where they were in charge of my brother-in-law, Heinrich Mehrmann, who in the meantime had become my most distinguished animal tamer. At the Crystal Palace they were an immense success, and two Americans offered me 50,000 dollars for the troupe — -a handsome sum. This offer I refused, little knowing that I was thereby throwing ^10,000 into the gutter.

I was now in for a bad time. One day in September I heard from Mehrmann that the animals were sick, and that he was unable to diagnose the ailment. As the beasts were to be brought back to Hamburg in October, and as the trouble did not sound serious, I thought it unnecessary to take any

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE

35

steps until after I had been able to inspect them on their return home. So nothing- was done. When, however, a few weeks later, the animals arrived in Germany, we discovered to our dismay that they were all suffering from glanders. In spite of our care, the disease proved fatal in every case ; all the creatures either died or had to be put out of their misery. The cause of the illness seems to have been the bad meat which was supplied by the unscrupulous contractor in England. Here was a pretty mess ! All the hopes I had founded upon the now famous achievements of my magnificent troupe

Fuegian family.

were in the space of a few days dashed to the ground. Yet I was only at the beginning of my troubles. I set to work to make up new troupes, but death, though in a different form, overtook these also. During the first part of 1892 numberless inmates of my menagerie were seized with an extraordinary illness. They began by being afflicted with vomiting and diarrhoea, and later fell into convulsions, usually dying within a few days. Both young animals and adults were attacked by this inexplicable ailment, though the latter for the most part recovered. The most expert veterinary authorities were as completely mystified as myself Only later did the correct explanation of this grievous pestilence become clear. In

36 BEASTS AND MEN

August the cholera broke out in Hamburg. Now my pets had perished with all the symptoms of cholera, and if the correct diagnosis had occurred to us, it is conceivable that the dire disaster which overtook Hamburg that autumn might have been prevented. It would seem that the delicate con- stitutions of the exotic animals were very susceptible to this plague, for, as I have explained, the cholera attacked the beasts for some months before any human beings suffered from its ravages. How true it is that cholera is spread through the agency of foul drinking water, was clearly de- monstrated by the fact that after the veterinary surgeon had ordered the animals to be given boiled water only, no more of them were attacked by the disease.

In spite of these great losses I still had a few animals left which I hoped to exhibit at Chicago. Then a further diffi- culty arose. One day towards the end of 1892 I suddenly received a cablegram from a gentleman who was my partner in this American enterprise, in which I was informed that I must send my animals over to England immediately, for if I failed to do this the United States Government would not permit me to bring them to Chicago in the following year. The American authorities feared that the beasts might spread the cholera in the United States, and they insisted upon this period of quarantine in England. To England therefore the whole collection went, regardless of expense, and there the creatures sojourned for the whole of that winter. Luckily for me, the British Government did not meddle in the affair, and raised no objection to England being utilised as an asylum for the beasts. Next year the menagerie was shipped across the Atlantic and duly established in Chicago. Just before the opening of the exhibition, Mehr- mann fell ill, and I was compelled to put the chief troupe of performing animals through their tricks myself, although I had had nothing to do with them for five months previously. However, the show went off quite well.

Since that time I have sent out many troupes of perform-

MY LIFE IN THE ANIMAL TRADE

37

ing animals into all parts of the world, notably to the great exhibition of St. Louis in 1904, and all these are trained on my own humane system, which is, indeed, now adopted by all respectable animal tamers. In my park at Stellingen, the establishment of which I am about to describe in the next chapter, an excellent troupe of lions and polar bears is to be seen. These are in charge of the expert trainer Fritz Schilling, who appears in the accompanying photograph.

Schilling with lion-tiger hybrids.

CHAPTER 11.

MY PARK AT STELLINGEN.

In the previous chapter I have related the earlier history of my business, I still have to give a record of its subsequent development into the great animal park now existing at Stellingen.

As the years rolled by, my business gradually increased until its branches extended to all parts of the world. To its original purpose, viz., the buying and selling of live animals, many new purposes came to be added. I had ethnographic exhibitions ; I was interested in the propaganda of the new humane method of training wild animals ; I had breeding experiments ; and there were many other ideas which I was only awaiting an opportunity to carry out. For the execution of all these projects the space now at my disposal was wholly insufficient. It became therefore a matter of the first im- portance to acquire an extensive tract of country, where I should be free from the handicap of a confined space. Especially was this necessary for my experiments in acclima- tisation. These it had now become essential for me to undertake, seeing that a large portion of my business was in the importation of game from foreign countries for sporting purposes, and trading in the many kinds of domesticated animals. I was, moreover, receiving orders to supply animals for the new Zoological Gardens which were springing up in Morocco, China, Japan, Argentina and elsewhere. This alone required a good deal of room, and a removal had clearly become a necessity.

I found, much to my regret, that my additional require-

38

MY PARK AT STELLINGEN 39

ments could not be met in my native town of Hamburg. I had indeed acquired in 1888 an additional piece of ground in that city larger than my grounds at Neuer Pferdemarkt, but it was not laree enough ; and the neicrhbourinof lands, which all belono-ed to the State, were withheld from me in the most rigid manner by the authorities. I was thus driven to look elsewhere. It so happened that I was one day recounting my troubles to a friend living at Stellingen, a place in Prussia not very far from Hamburg. Scarcely had I finished speaking, than my friend took me by the arm and led me to a hedge opposite his house over which he showed me a piece of land having an area of about four and a half acres, which he said was to be had very cheap. I lost no time in settling the matter. Within two days the land was my property. Immediately afterwards I found that two neighbouring estates were to be sold, and within twenty-four hours these also had passed into my possession.

Thus it was that I became the owner, after years of searching, of a splendid estate on elevated ground, admirably suited to the foundation of a park for wild animals. Plans were drawn, and men set to work without delay, and in five months' time twelve large enclosures and five animal houses were ready to receive their inmates.

Although the locality which I had selected was in itself admirably suited to the purpose that I had in view, it had the defect of being somewhat distant from the remainder of my establishment in Hamburg. The communication be- tween Hamburgr and Stellinofen also was bad ; and I set to work to consider the possibility of buying up more country between the two places, and of establishing a direct means of communication between them. In this way the area of my animal park would have scope for unlimited expansion as the business grew, and I should be in no danger of being shut in, as I was at Hamburg. The undertakincr was a laree one, and I had to find other capitalists to co-operate with me. This, after some delay, I succeeded in doing. Two brothers

40

BEASTS AND MEN

contributed each ^5,000. I myself put in ^7,500 and gave an undertaking to transfer my establishment completely to Stellingen.

Now at last I was in a position to carry out my long- nursed project of founding a Zoological Park of a totally different kind from anything that had been before attempted. I need not here go into the details of my plan : they will appear in subsequent chapters. I will content myself with stating the fundamental principle. I desired, above all things, to give the animals the maximum of liberty. I wished to

^^	fe
^^^^^^^^^m
J^^H
IJM^^^^^^^
HII^Hk>^r^^«nii	,-.-^»'WIS!|

Framework of artificial mountains.

exhibit them not as captives, confined within narrow spaces, and looked at between bars, but as free to wander from place to place within as large limits as possible, and with no bars to obstruct the view and serve as a reminder of the captivity. I wished also to show what could be accomplished in the way of acclimatisation. I desired to refute the prevailing notion that luxurious and expensive houses with complicated heating apparatus were necessary for keeping wild animals alive and healthy. I hoped to show that far better results could be obtained when they were kept in the fresh air and allowed to grow accustomed to the climate. I wished my new park to be a great and enduring example of the benefits that can be wrought by giving the animals as much freedom and placing

MY PARK AT STELLINGEN 41

them in as natural an environment as possible. A certain point must be fixed in the garden from which might be seen every kind of animal moving about in apparent freedom and in an environment which bore a close resemblance to its own native haunts.

For the chamois, the wild sheep, and the ibex, artificial mountains had to be thrown up ; for animals of the plains, wide commons had to be set apart. For the carnivores, glens had to be established, not confined within railings, but separated from the public only by deep trenches, large enough to prevent the animals from getting out, but not in any way interfering with the view. In the midst there must be a central building with a large arena for performing purposes ; while, close by, it was necessary to establish large areas for accommodating animals who were not permanent residents but only there in transit. Of these I now have a very laro-e number. Whereas ten years ago I scarcely sold twenty head of game for sporting purposes, I now sell many hundreds yearly. In old days I considered that I had done well if I sold six or eight camels in a year. I now think little of selling one hundred. In zebras, also, my trade has grown from three or four specimens a year to fifty specimens. All these animals have to be housed while in transit. Seeing that the trade in many other kinds of animals has increased in a similar pro- portion, it is obvious that a very large area is needed for this purpose. Even among elephants, which I used to keep up to the number of twenty in my old establishment at Neuer Pferdemarkt, the numbers are now greatly increased, and in 1904 I had no less than forty-three of these great creatures at the same time.

The work of transformingf this virofin land into a pleasure park was immense. From its original waste condition it had to be altered in a great variety of ways. Moun- tains had to be thrown up, and valleys and streams had to

42

BEASTS AND MEN

be dug out. Stables and luxurious buildings also had to be erected. Moreover, as opportunity afforded, I was continually- adding to the extent of my territory ; and by watching for occasions of picking up neighbouring estates at a cheap price, I gradually increased the area of my park. I succeeded after considerable difficulty in selling my land in Hamburg, some of it to the Hamburger Vereinsbank, and the remainder to the State, after having overcome every difficulty put in my way by the worthy Town Councillors of Hamburg. Thus at last we were finally planted at Stellingen.

Thfe acquisition of the land and the remainder of the preliminary preparations were completed in October, 1902, and in that month we were able to commence operations in transforming the land and building the houses, etc. The estate itself consisted at first of nothing but wide fields upon which grew half a dozen trees. To carry out my plans no

less than 40,000 cubic metres of earth had to be shifted, before the surface of the land alone was prepared. A large army of work- men were turned on to the job, and day by day I saw the work develop, as one after another of the ideas, which I had so long dreamt of, were realised before my eyes. At last on 7th May, 1907, the opening ceremony took place — the crowning triumph of many years of strenuous labour.

Since the establishment of this oreat park my business has continued to increase without intermission. As an instance of the large scale on which my trading transactions are conducted I may mention that in 1906 I supplied no fewer than 2,000 dromedaries to South West Africa for the German Government. In the variety as well as in the magnitude of my business development has taken place. Many experiments have been carried out in housing animals and acclimatisation ; in breeding and the crossing of different

*r.

c <u

m

I

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"'i»

* I ^;

MY PARK AT STELLINGEN 45

races with one another ; and finally, in the course of the last year I succeeded in the final achievement of establishing an ostrich farm. Since my park is a wholly new kind of menagerie it has, of course, attracted much attention, and I have received visits from various distinguished persons, in- cluding one or two from the German Emperor himself.

CHAPTER III.

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT.

I MUST now proceed to describe the manner in which the various denizens of my animal park are captured in their native haunts, and must relate, in particular, the interesting experiences which my travellers have had in the Sudan, in Rhodesia, and elsewhere.

There is no business or profession in existence in which the science of travel, and all the difficulties connected there- with, play such a prominent part as in the animal trade. In the exercise of his business the animal trader has to search the uttermost parts of the earth. In the primeval forests of Africa, in the deep jungles of India and Ceylon, on the vast steppes of Mongolia and Siberia, the traveller wanders for weeks, nay for months at a time, in search of the strange dwellers in the wild.

Unlike the hunter, who is attracted only by the love of sport, the animal trader goes to work. He goes, not to destroy his game, but to take it alive ; and consequently not the least of the difficulties with which he is beset is the discovery of some practicable way of bringing back his booty to civilisation. As a rule, every foot of the arduous journey is attained only at the expense of some loss to the caravan.

Books and maps dealing with the countries where we carry on our work are few and far between, for naturally the localities where wild animals are to be caught are very remote from all the more civilised parts of the world. Nor are these the only obstacles ; for uncivilised peoples, no less wild than the beasts, have to be secured and made friends with — a

40

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT

47

matter of no small difficulty. Moreover, travellers' tales about wonderful animals which are to be causfht — but which never yet have been caught — send many expeditions upon fruitless errands.

The Egyptian Sudan is one of the richest and most inexhaustible sources of animal life. This reofion is of enor- mous extent. One of those best acquainted with it, my old friend and faithful fellow- worker, Joseph Menges, the world- wide traveller, speaking of it, says: "Speaking widely, one can include in this area the whole of the North Abyssinian plain, which stretches from Massowah to the upper Blue Nile. The main hunting region consists, however, of the district of Taka, beginning in the east with the upper Chor Baraka, and ending in the west with the upper courses of the Rahad, a tributary of the Blue Nile." This country consists largely of steppes, interspersed with bush, from which rise picturesque rocky hills, which in Abyssinia begin to assume the character of wild higfh- lands. The fauna of the country is wonderfully rich : the African elephant, the black rhinoceros, the hippopotamus, the giraffe, the lion, the panther, the hysena, the hysena-dog, the aard-wolf, the jackal, wild-asses, the Kaffir- buffalo, and many kinds of antelopes ; also the wart-hog, the aard-vark, the porcupine, baboons, and other monkeys. The avifauna is also very rich : the swift-footed ostrich, the mara- bou, the secretary-bird, various kinds of vultures, the rhino- ceros-hornbill, francolins and others. Crocodiles, snakes, etc., make up the list of animals which can be hunted in this fruit- ful district.

It is only natural that this wealth of fine animals, including most of the ofiants of the animal kino^dom, should for a loner time have attracted the attention of Europeans ; and the

At work.

48 BEASTS AND MEN

region may be described as one of the classical countries for capturing animals.

For many years this animal paradise was closed, and the anof-el with the flaminor sword who ouarded the orate was Ab- dullahi Kalifat el Mahdi, the false follower of a false prophet. None of the animals inhabiting the country could be brought to Europe ; and for this reason, that to meet with the Mahdi meant both for Europeans and for Egyptians almost certain death, or at the very least long captivity. Nevertheless it would be a mistake to suppose that these regions are inhabited by a fanatical, bloodthirsty population ; for the savage barbarity which prevailed was entirely confined to the rulers. Although the country is so rich in game, the inhabitants are for the most part not hunters ; much more often they are either resi- dent peasants, eking out their livelihood by the additional pur- suit of some trade in the country villages near by ; or else nomads, leading their herds from pasture to pasture and carry- ing their tents and household goods upon the backs of their camels.

In spite of their peaceable disposition, such of the Nubians who do adopt the pursuit make bold huntsmen. For people born in a land so richly stocked with game, hunting is the most natural of callings. On the banks of the rivers, in the almost impenetrable forests, and on the plains, which in the rainy season are covered by grass ten to fifteen feet high, the elephant wanders in herds of from fifty to a hundred head, the black double-horned rhinoceros feeds in pairs, and gentle giraffes, wild Kaffir-buffaloes, and fieet antelopes are to be found in hundreds. And the great carnivores follow in their tracks. The native hunter knows the favourite resorts of his quarry, and follows their trail with those remark- able powers of tracking which characterise savages. He pits his cunning against the timidity of the animals. Entire families and villages devote themselves to the dangerous but attractive occupation of hunting, and in this way regular hunting castes have been built up.

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 51

The most eminent of these castes is that of the sword- hunters or "Agaghir," who consider themselves the aristo- cracy of their profession ; and not without reason, for the method of hunting adopted by them, and which is almost peculiar to Taka, needs courage, activity and skill.

The method of the sword-hunter is peculiar, and, with certain kinds of game, dangerous. In all cases the object of the huntsman is to sever the Achilles tendon of his quarry. Where giraffes, antelopes, ostriches or similar harmless creatures are concerned, the sport calls for no greater skill than is required to ride over uneven and treacherous ground. But where rhinoceros, lions or elephants are being pursued, the case is different ; and it then often happens that the positions of hunter and hunted are reversed. The ponies used for this purpose are of Abyssinian breed ; and, like their riders, they are small, strong and fiery.

On the whole, the most dangerous game to hunt with the sword are elephants. The chase is usually carried out by a band of four or five experienced men, united by so strong a bond of fellow-feeling that, when the life of any one is in danger, each of the others will unhesitatingly risk his own in attempting a rescue. Menges, who is an old hand at this work, describes the course of events somewhat as follows : The streams and drinking-places are first searched for signs of elephant-trails. When once these are hit upon, they are followed up till the great beast is reached. This is no easy matter, for the African elephant is a great wanderer, travelling often for a whole day and night without a halt. More fre- quently, however, the herd wanders during the cooler part of the day through the forest and steppes, and stops to rest during the hotter hours of noon. At this time the herd is usually very compact, and almost invisible in the thick foliage ; so that the chances of a successful assault are small. The most suitable moment for attack is when the herd is much scattered ; it is then comparatively easy to select a bull with good tusks and isolate him from the rest. Once isolated, his first impulse

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52 BEASTS AND MEN

is flight ; but the huntsmen surround him, and no loophole of escape remains. Then with a loud trumpeting, which strikes terror into the breasts of the unfortunate ponies, he launches himself furiously against the nearest of his enemies.

Now it is generally arranged that all the huntsmen should be mounted on dark-coloured ponies, with the exception of one, who rides a grey. The attention of the elephant, whose sight is not good, is attracted by the colour. Upon the grey pony, therefore, the mighty creature usually directs his attack. It is the business of the rider, at the first onset, to turn and flee. The elephant promptly gives chase ; and the flying hunts- man, ignoring the fact that the slightest slip means death, en- deavours to keep just out of reach, though near enough to hold the animal's attention concentrated upon him. In the meantime his comrades follow the elephant from behind, and whoever reaches him first springs from his pony, and delivers a dexterous blow with his sword on the left hind leg of the animal, which cuts the Achilles tendon, and lames him on one side. As the elephant hastily turns to avenge himself upon this new enemy, it becomes the turn of the rider who was formerly being chased to stop, dismount, and with a similar blow on the rio-ht hind leo" to lame the animal on the other side, so that he is totally disabled. If the blows have been delivered with sufficient skill and force, the arteries of the hind legs have been cut, and the elephant bleeds slowly but almost painlessly to death. If there is a gun at hand, his sufferings are more quickly terminated. Once he is dead, hours of arduous labour commence. The tusks are broken off; the hide also is removed, to be used for shields or sword- scabbards, or for harness for ploughs. The flesh is left for vultures and wild beasts, unless, indeed, there should happen to be in the vicinity a camp of the nomads. In that case the carcase is appropriated by them. They cut the meat into strips and dry it in the sun (like the South American charqiii) ; it is then put aside for use in the rainy season.

For the European, armed with weapons both accurate

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 53

and deadly, big-game hunting is attended with little danger. In the Arctic Regions the polar bear, once so formidable, now excites scarcely more fear than the musk-ox ; while in Africa the sportsman approaches to within a few paces of lions or elephants, to photograph them before he despatches them. But for the natives big-game hunting is a very differ- ent matter. Then the fray is far from one-sided ; the weapons of the man are little, if at all, superior to those of the brute ; and the " hunting" is more of the nature of a hand-to-hand encounter, requiring the utmost skill and courage on the part of the human combatant. Should a horse stumble — an accident which, on that uneven ground, intersected by under- ground streams, is only too likely to happen — death either to the animal or its rider is the probable result. We need not be surprised that the Sudanese assert that the professional elephant-hunter never dies at home, but ends sooner or later under the tusks and feet of a hunted elephant.

The rhinoceros, buffalo and lion are also killed by swords- men in the same way as elephants. The giraffe, antelope and ostrich are chased until fatiufue overcomes them. In their case, although there is no danger, the strain both upon man and horse is severe, on account of the length and swiftness of the pursuit. We might go at much greater length into the mode of killing wild animals in this interesting country, from the skilful ostrich-hunting of the Bedouins, to the wholesale slaughter of the European "sportsman". Our special con- cern, however, is not with the killing of animals, but with the methods of catching them alive; let us therefore follow the career of one of my hunters, who has been sent on this errand.

Daybreak at Atbara. A gentle breeze stirs the grassy steppes ; the trees are suffiised with the bright glare of a ris- ing African sun. In the thick woods on either side of the river there is the twittering of countless swarms of birds, from the gigantic marabou to the little swallow which flits over the

54 ' BEASTS AND MEN

water. Away in the distance there rises from the glassy water the uncouth head of a crocodile- — or is it only a sand- bank ? It is already becoming hot, and the air is humming with myriads of insects. In our station, situated not far from the river-bank, life is beginning to stir.

The enclosure or seriba in which our station is settled is surrounded by a large fence made of branches of trees, and has only one entrance, which is carefully stopped by thorn branches. Within the enclosure are huts, built of straw, for the Europeans and their black servants, as also stalls for the animals that are captured, and some stores of food-supply. The fires which were lighted in various parts of the seriba to frighten away wild animals have long ago gone out, and now the working-day is about to begin in earnest.

My hunters had arrived only the day before, and every- thing was pleasure and excitement. The whites, who knew the laneuaee, greeted their black friends with heartfelt warmth ; and on both sides presents were liberally exchanged. Those given by the blacks consisted of fatted sheep, fowls, eggs, honey and other forms of delicacies, which the whites amply repaid by goods dear to the black man's heart. So a great feast had to take place, at which such of the presents as were edible were eaten — for the most part by the donors themselves. This was followed by war-dances and sham- fights with lances, swords and shields, accompanied by drums and shrieks ; while the women indulged in graceful group- dances, amid much clapping of hands and beating of drums. Camel- and horse-racing were the most important items of the entertainment ; and conviviality was carried far into the night, by the light of the laager fire.

By the next morning everything has settled down, and business commences in earnest. Crowds of curious natives collect around the camp, many of them in search of employ- ment as hunters. Hunting cavalcades are engaged, receive their directions, are equipped with arms and ammunition, and sent off in various directions.

J'» i :i

c8

o

e o

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 57

The method which these cavalcades generally pursue in the capture of young animals is to chase the herd, until the young, lagging behind, can be isolated from their parents. They are then easily seized and made secure. Among giraffes and antelopes this procedure is attended with but little danger ; and even among buffaloes, which have no qualms about deserting their young, the work is compara- tively safe. But in the case of rhinoceros and elephants, for which the demand is much greater, the capture is not so simple. These great creatures turn vigorously to defend their young ; and the latter cannot as a rule be secured without first killing the old ones. This is done by the swordsmen of Taka in the manner already described. The catching of young giraffes by the expedient of chasing the herds until the young can no longer keep up was first practised in Kordofan during the thirties of last century. I need hardly mention that the utmost care has to be taken of the captured animals. A herd of goats is taken along, in order to keep up a constant supply of fresh milk ; but even with this precaution a large number of the captives die soon after they have been made prisoners, and scarcely half of them arrive safely in Europe.

The Takruris — Mohammedan negroes who have emigrated from Darfur — are especially skilful in hunting and trapping. They are equally adept in catching hyaenas, panthers and baboons in carefully constructed traps, or in digging out porcu- pines, or in securing birds, such as secretary-birds, francolins, etc., in snares and nets of ingenious patterns. This versatility renders them invaluable to us as assistants.

The Havati, or water-hunters, carry on a very special- ised trade. Their particular quarry is crocodiles and hippo- potami ; and, being very expert swimmers, they actually attack these creatures in their own element. The weapon employed is the harpoon. A long cord is attached to it, so that the harpoon, after it has been cast, can be drawn back again by the thrower. The time usually selected for this sport is the hot hours of noon, when the crocodiles are lazily sunning

58 BEASTS AND MEN

themselves on the sand-banks, and the hippopotami are floating dreamily at the surface of the water. Once the animal has been harpooned, it is surrounded by swimmers and pushed ashore, where it is quickly despatched by lances. When it is desired to take the beasts alive a slight variation on this procedure is adopted. The young, of course, are alone selected ; and the harpoons are hurled so as to inflict as small a wound as possible. With constant attention this will prob- ably soon heal up. Although this mode of harpooning calls for much skill and experience, no less than three-quarters of the hippopotami formerly brought to Europe used to be caught in this fashion.

If one is to believe the comic journals, all that has to be done to catch a lion is to throw a bag of pepper in his face, and then proceed to chain him up in safety. To catch a monkey they suggest that one need only leave a pair of boots, well smeared with lime, in the grass, when the creature will come of his own accord and pull them on, and remain stuck fast till the hunter arrives to take him home. Very different from these facile methods is the reality.

In one of our regular huntinsf-afrounds, in the neisfhbour- hood of the Mareb or Gash, lives the great brown baboon, known as the Atbara baboon {Cynocephahts doguerd). The rugged and barren rocks of this picturesque region resound with the cries and grunts of these baboons, who wander about in herds of a hundred or more. They often come down for food to the palm-woods which border the banks of the river, or pay a highly unwelcome visit to the natives' doura^ plantations. Our station here was situated on the Gash, a rain-stream which contains water during the rainy season, while during the rest of the year its course is marked by a streak of glistening sand. Our camp lay just beneath the Sahanei mountains, and close to a great cluster of rocks which swarmed with baboons. Here and there pools of water were

"^ KVxndi oizom^S or ghmn vulgar e.

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 59

left in the dry river-bed, in places where the subsoil prevented the water from trickling away ; and close to our station were several such pools which the baboons used as drinking-places. All day long we used to hear them fighting and chattering as they came to drink, and even by night there was little quiet. On the narrow ledge of rock above the pools whole families ■ — or perhaps I should say harems— used to collect. We could hear plainly the low grunts and squeaks with which the mother lulls her baby to rest ; we could hear the grumbling of the father, who has been disturbed by the noise. Suddenly there would be a yell ; and thereupon the whole herd would break into frantic screaming. The baboon's arch-enemy, the slinking panther, has tried to make an assault. It was im- possible to help admiring the fine old males, full of courage and self-reliance. It was to make their nearer acquaint- ance that we had come here ; and since they were not suffi- ciently versed in European politeness to accept an invitation, more active measures must be taken to secure their attend- ance.

In the success of these more active measures we were greatly aided by the arrival at our station of our old friend Abdulla Okutt — a member of the half-savage tribe of Basas and a well-known ostrich-hunter. All the apparatus required consisted of cords and a few axes, together with a number of assistants, who of course expected to be liberally re- warded with "backsheesh" for each animal captured. Ah! poor monkeys, look out for yourselves now ; the mighty Abdulla is on your tracks !

The first thing to be done was to stop up all the drinking- pools, save one, with thorn-bushes. The baboons were thus all compelled to use this one. They took to it the more readily, in that, the whole time we were there, we had been careful not to interfere with or frighten them in any way, so that they were quite unsuspicious of any trap. We encouraged them still further by scattering doura about the pool — a pro- ceeding which was so much appreciated that the older

6o BEASTS AND MEN

animals would often keep away the young until they had devoured it.

When, by these treacherous means, thorough confidence had been established with the baboons, the time came for set- ting the traps, which were to make them still more our guests, and eventually also emigrants. The trap is a fairly simple contrivance. The base is circular, about two and a half yards in diameter, and is composed of tough rods twisted together. Round the outer edge of this base, at intervals of about a foot, are fixed stout stakes, leaning inwards so as to meet together at the top. The framework thus constructed is inter- laced with branches of trees, tied together with cord ; and the whole structure then makes a solid cage, of considerable weight, and somewhat resembling a native's hut in appear- ance. When it has been completed it has to be conveyed to its proper situation in the neighbourhood of the drinking-pool. Here one side of it is left open, being propped up with a strong stick, and the baboons are gradually inveigled into it by leaving doura inside. When they have become thoroughly accustomed to the trap, the final stage in the proceedings commences. In the darkness of night a long cord is at- tached to the pole which holds the trap open. It is carried along, buried loosely in the sand, until the other end reaches a hiding-place, whence a good view of the cage can be obtained. Then comes the tragedy. A blazing noonday sun drives the thirsty baboons chattering down to their drink- ing-hole. Some of the biggest males, who have already secured a monopoly of the doura, enter the trap, and com- mence their feast. The hunter awaits his opportunity : it soon comes ; a tug on the cord, the trap closes with a bang, and three great baboons are fairly caught.

Then there follows a scene, both comical and painful, which baffles description. For a moment the astounded prisoners sit benumbed with terror and unable to move ; then they anxiously begin to seek an exit. The herd outside, no less surprised, flee at the first alarm ; but they soon return

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 6i

and congregate round the trap, urging the captives with ear- splitting yells and grunts to find their way out. Some of the boldest jump right on to the top of the trap, and appear to carry on an excited conversation with their friends inside. At least that is what the American Professor Garner would say, who, by dint of much imagination and little science, has for years past been laboriously constructing a monkey-language.

The hunters, however, cannot afford to wait while this scene is going on, for baboons are endowed with great strength, and would soon break throug-h the walls of their cage. On the approach of their captors they show all the signs of extreme terror, and endeavour to force their heads through the walls. And now, as may easily be imagined, comes the really critical and dangerous part of the performance, namely, to take the animals out of the cage and secure them. The hunters are provided with long stakes, forked at the end, which they push through the branches forming the cage- wall. With the forked ends they catch the baboon's neck, and pin him to the ground. When all the baboons have been thus secured the upper part of the cage is removed, and the creatures are firmly bound. First their jaws are muzzled with strong cord, made of palm-strips ; then hands and feet are tied ; and lastly, to make assurance doubly sure, the animal's whole body is wrapped up in cloth, so that the captive has the appearance of a great smoked sausage ! The parcel is then suspended from a pole carried by two persons, and conveyed triumphantly to the station.

These great baboons have strong nerves — no wonder, they neither smoke, drink, nor do any work, and always live in the fresh summer air ! So, after a brief period of exhaustion, followed by a day or two of quiet, they recover their normal spirits. The large males must, however, be carefully watched. They are very angry and jealous, and will probably kill any other of their kind put in to keep them company. Even females are likely to have a poor time of it ; for the males keep all the food to themselves, and allow their women to go

62 BEASTS AND MEN

hungry. It is on account of the selfishness of the males that females and young baboons are so rarely caught in the cages by means of bait. When by chance one does get in, it is usually allowed to escape again.

Menges, who has worked much on these baboon-stations, and whose account I here follow, has a low opinion of the intelligence of the animals. This he has derived from the circumstance that the same individual, when allowed to escape, is so often caught again in the same trap. There is no doubt that this is the case ; and, since the traps are large and easily recognisable, it seems to argue no great intelligence on the part of the creatures. Abdulla relates how he caught one young female, which he could recognise by a scar on the mouth, no less than three times — each time, I regret to say, with a differ- ent husband. On the third occasion he orave her a orood hiding with his sjambok, and sent her about her business. But another explanation of their falling so frequently into the same trap is possible. For, among baboons, domestic dis- cipline is very severe ; a female has to do exactly what her husband wants, or else there is a row. In the case mentioned above it is very probable that the female, having been twice widowed and then appropriated by a third husband, was compelled to follow him, however unwillingly, into the trap.

However entertaining baboon-catching may be to read about, it is a very serious business for the actors. The beasts have very powerful teeth and prodigious muscular strength ; and if one of them should happen to escape, he might inflict severe injury upon his captors.

Our station soon fills up with our four-handed guests. In eight days we have caught no less than twenty-two of them, all from the rocky wastes lying near the camp. They take kindly to their captivity, however ; and, from the very first day, have taken the food provided for them. Their com- rades, still at large, do not forget them ; and often after the midday drink will come close up to the seriba, and, climbing up the tall palm-trees, howl out unintelligible words, which

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 63

are answered with mournful voices by the prisoners within. What a real tragedy for, these poor baboons ! The conversa- tion finally degenerates into an ear-splitting chorus. On one occasion a baboon, bolder than the rest, jumped the thorn barrier of the seriba and dashed up to one of the cages, in which, maybe, he saw his brother, or father, or uncle sitting. But he was speedily driven away by the attendants, amidst the most appalling yells from the herd watching outside.

Sometimes baboon-catching is a much more sanguinary business than this, especially in the case of the large silver-grey " Tartarin " or " Arabian baboon " {Cy^iocephalus haniadryas). This is a very pugnacious species, and, moving as it always does in large herds, very dangerous to encounter. One of my younger travellers tells a story of a baboon-fight in Abyssinia, in which nearly three thousand baboons took part. They are certainly very savage animals to look at. When fighting they erect their manes and show their teeth and strike the ground furiously with their hands, as they advance to within a few feet of their enemy.

The capture of these "Arabian baboons" differs very little from that already described. A trap is put out at the drinking-pool in the same way as before ; but, instead of having one trap-door, it has two, one on each side. The use of this second door is as follows : On arriving at the trap one baboon chief stands at the door to guard it, while only a few are admitted within. But those that are excluded slink round to the back ; and, finding another entrance there, the cage soon fills. Then, as before, the cord is pulled, the trap closes, and a terrified cry breaks from a thousand throats. It was on such an occasion as this that the fight, already alluded to, and in which 3,000 baboons joined, took place. The whole army hurled themselves savagely upon the hunters, who defended themselves as best they could with firearms and cudgels. They were driven back, however, by sheer force of numbers ; and the victorious baboons made short work of the cage and released their imprisoned friends.

64

BEASTS AND MEN

Many touching scenes were witnessed in this battle. One little baboon, who had been injured by a blow from a cudo-el,

Hagenbeck coming

was picked up and safely carried off by a great male from the very midst of the enemy. In another instance, a female,

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 65

who already had one infant on her back, picked up and went off with another whose mother had been shot.

It is not often, however, that the hunters fail in their task, as on this occasion. When once the animals are enclosed in the trap their fate is sealed. The method of removing them from the trap is somewhat different from that already de- scribed. The old ones are shot ; a small hole is then cut in the side of the trap, and to this is applied the mouth of a small cage. However they may clamber about the walls of the trap, the baboons inside are at last compelled to enter these small cages, in which they are sately carried oft.

The natives catch baboons in the same way as other animals, namely, by pursuing them, when they come down into the plains to rob the doura fields, until they are thoroughly worn out. The young ones, and the mothers carrying babies, lag behind the rest, and are then easily isolated and secured.

To return to the seriba at Atbara. The day of our de- parture is drawing near. The stalls and yard are filled with captive animals — young elephants, giraffes, hippopotami, and buffalo. Our primitive wooden cages are also well stocked with panthers, pigs, and baboons ; so that the first part of our work — that of catching the animals — is completed. But now comes the second part, which is attended with even greater dif^culty than the first, namely, the transport of the animals across the desert to the port of embarkation on the Red Sea. In order that the transport may be successful it has to be organised with the most detailed thorousfhness and foresight. The work before us is that of conveying across the waterless desert a party consisting of 150 head of cattle and over 100 heavily-laden camels, together with the whole menagerie of captured animals. Ours, however, is a very orderly caravan, as it creeps along in the silence of the night, like a great snake, across the wide expanse of glistening sands. The moonlight throws long shadows behind the dunes ; and the solitude is only broken now and again by the wild laugh of a

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66 BEASTS AND MEN

hysena. The night is usually chosen for travelling, on ac- count of the comparative coolness which is then enjoyed. In the daytime all the countries surrounding the Red Sea are scorched with heat, the thermometer often rising nearly to 45° C. ( 1 1 3° F.) in the shade. At night, although the temperature does not fall so very much, yet one does at least enjoy im- munity from the fierce glare of the sunlight. Of the two fundamental difficulties of travelling, the great heat and the scarcity of water, the former is overcome by journeying only at night, and the latter by careful preparations.

The caravan commences its march shortly before sunset ; each man falling into his proper position at the appointed time. The larger animals are driven along by one or more attendants — a giraffe taking three persons, an elephant from two to four, an antelope two, and an ostrich, if large, also two. The smaller animals, such as young lions, panthers, baboons, pigs or birds, are carried in cages roughly constructed on the spot ; and these cages are placed on the backs of camels. Right in the midst of our procession there marches a group of camels harnessed in pairs. Over the pack-saddles of each pair are laid two stout poles, and from these poles, between the two animals, hangs a large cage, made of strong rods bound together with strips of hide. Each cage contains a young hippopotamus, who, in spite of his youth, weighs with his cage well over a quarter of a ton. Each of these dis- tinguished travellers requires a large party to wait upon him ; for, in addition to the two camels which convey him along, six or eight others are required for carrying the water which he demands continuously throughout the journey, as also for the bath — made of tanned ox-hide — which he enjoys every day during the long halt. Hundreds of head of sheep and goats are driven along with the procession ; the nanny-goats providing a constant supply of milk for the young animals, and the remainder being used as food for the carnivores.

The speed of the caravan, being the speed of the slow-

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT ey

est animal, is not great. We march during the earlier part of the nieht ; then there is a halt to feed and water the animals ; after which we push on again till about an hour after sunrise. During the day we get what protection we can from the fierce rays of the sun, by sheltering under mimosas and acacias, or by making a rough covering of mats. The drinking-places in the desert are few and far between ; and, when we come upon one of these welcome oases, a special day of rest is granted. But even then it is not always easy to take possession of them. For they are often occupied by nomad tribes, who are only too ready to resort to arms in de- fence of them, and can only be appeased by a liberal use of "backsheesh". The drinking-places are often as much as sixty miles apart ; and since this means a three- or four-day journey for our slow-moving caravan, it may easily be im- agined how great a quantity of water has to be carried with us. It is kept in leather bottles made of goat- or ox-hide ; and so precious is this fluid, upon which hang all our lives, that it is difficult to think that it is nothing more remarkable than plain water.

However carefully we organise our expedition, it is inevitable that many of our captives should succumb before we reach our journey's end. The terrible heat kills even those animals whose natural home is in the country. The powerful male baboons are very liable to sunstroke, which kills them in half an hour ; and any weak point in their con- stitution is sure to become aggravated during the journey. Whether this is due to the terror and strain which they under- went at their capture, or to being confined in cramped cages, I cannot say. But the fact remains that not more than half of them arrive safely at their destination, despite our utmost care.

The long anxiety of these weary journeys is seldom wholly unrelieved by amusing incidents. One such incident occurred one day as we were passing through a valley in Northern Abyssinia. As the caravan was drawing up at a well,

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BEASTS AND MEN

it fell in with an immense herd of "Arabian" baboons, whose grunting and yelling drew answering cries from our captive baboons. We were soon surrounded by these great monkeys ; and even when we resumed our march they refused to leave us, running along on either side of us, keeping up an incessant conversation with their imprisoned relatives. Now and again one would advance to within twenty paces of the cages, and

Disembarking a camel.

Disembarking an elephant.

with violent a-esticulation and screaminof would seem to be adjuring the captives to break loose and come to join them. But these brave champions of liberty soon had to retire be- fore the volleys of stones hurled at them by our camel-drivers ; and after a time they disappeared in the darkness of the night.

At last the laborious journey, which has lasted from five to six weeks, comes to an end ; and the caravan, or such of it as still remains, reaches the port of embarkation on the Red Sea. The motley crew take up a camping-ground close to the

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 69

town, to await the arrival of one of the steamers, which periodically call there, to take them to Suez. At Suez they are either transhipped to a steamer coming from India or the Far East ; or preferably they are sent by train to Alexandria, and shipped from there to one of the Mediterranean ports — Trieste, Genoa, or Marseilles. When they arrive there another railway journey still lies before them, and it is usually another ten days before the animals and their keepers are safely lodged at Hamburg. The entire journey from the camp at Atbara or on the Gash occupies nearly three months.

During the long period of the Mahdi's regime, when the whole country was closed, many changes were wrought in this paradise of animals. Under the joint government of Egypt and Great Britain order has been slowly restored, but alas ! the country is not what it was. There is scarcely a tenth of the game now that there was thirty years ago. The elephants, formerly so abundant, are only found in small herds ; the rhinoceros is almost extinct ; the giraffe is rare ; antelopes have altogether vanished from many localities ; while thousands of buffalo have fallen victims to the rinder- pest.

The war against the Mahdi is both the direct and indirect cause of this sad destruction of animal life. When the Egyptian Government was overthrown, the natives came into possession of large stores of modern breech-loaders ; which, in the intervals between killing each other, they used for killing animals of all kinds. It must be admitted that they had a strong incentive to this slaughter. For, while the treasury of the Mahdi was filled to bursting, the people of his kingdom were being decimated by starvation. When the Sudan had been utterly ravaged, and nothing was left to plunder, the wild game was the only means of sustenance that remained to them ; and a fierce rush for meat took place. Whole armies set up their camps in the midst of our hunting-ground and slaughtered game e7t masse; especially

70 BEASTS AND MEN

the Baeeara- Arabs of the White Nile, hunters no less famous than the swordsmen of the Taka district. The Abyssinians, too, who suffered under the same fate as their Sudanese neighbours, were driven to the same extremes. Their favourite quarry was the elephant ; and they not only took the tusks, but devoured the flesh, not even rejecting the tough meat of the legs. On one occasion a border prince organised a regular elephant drive, at which no less than fifty-six of the animals were slain in a single day. On this occasion the scene of action resembled a pitched battle, for twenty Abys- sinians were left dead on the field ; most of them, it is true, killed, not by the elephants, but by aberrant bullets from the rifles of their own friends.

In Abyssinia driving is a favourite method of attacking game. The number of men available is unlimited, and all living creatures are regarded as imperial property ; so that there are no obstacles in the way of this pursuit. A zebra- hunt, in which one of my travellers took part, may be de- scribed as an example of the way in which these drives are carried out. An army of as many as 2,000 soldiers form a circle enclosing a very large tract of country, where the zebras are known to be. The locality is selected so that near the centre of the circle there passes one of the dried-up river-beds, so common in that country. These sandy river- beds are flanked on either side by high rocky banks. The laree circle of men beoins to contract, driving the zebras into the centre. The animals spring lightly into the river-bed, from which they are unable to escape, by reason of the steep sides. A o-uard is set in the river-bed on either side of them, so as to prevent their moving up or down. When they are thus securely penned in, a barbarous spectacle takes place. A thousand soldiers attack the zebras with long whips, and thrash them for hours, until they are thoroughly exhausted, and their spirit tamed. This manoeuvre is attended with much danger, and on the occasion in question thirty-three men were either killed or severely wounded during the fray.

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT

71

The animals are then fettered, and driven off to the huts of the natives. There they are fastened up, by ropes attached to each of the four legs, and tied to pegs. In a few days' time they become quiet and can soon be driven about, without any necessity for taking precau- tionary mea- sures. Grevy's zebra, the species of which I am here writing, is easily domesticated

Captured zebras in the kraal. (German East Africa).

It has, moreover, a strong constitution which would fit it well for the service of man in more civilised countries. The Kilimanjaro zebra, on the other hand, is a difficult animal to tame ; in its stubbornness it is very like a donkey.

In the Sudan, at the end of the Mahdi's regime, we found the country changed, not only in respect of the game, but also in respect of the people who used to be our friends and assistants. Misfortunes had so overwhelmed them that the famous tribe of Hamran, from which all the best sword- hunters were derived, was reduced to twenty men. Sword- hunting itself was no longer practised, and was known to the younger generation only through the tales of their parents. The Havati or water-hunters also were no more. Both these methods of killing game had been superseded by the more effective, if less exciting, rifle of modern times.

The capture of young animals is effected in other ways besides that of chasing them until they are overcome with fatigue. Traps of various kinds are used ; and in the case of

72 BEASTS AND MEN

young hippopotami pitfalls are very commonly employed. The success of this method is due to the habit of the hippo- potamus of allowing its young to trot along in front of it, in- stead of behind, so that it can keep a look-out for any danger which may threaten its young one. The pitfall is made in a track which the animal is in the habit of using, and is covered over with branches to conceal it. As the hippopotamus goes along with its young one in front, the latter suddenly seems to vanish into the earth ; and the terrified mother, though not wanting in maternal affection, is so taken aback that she turns and flies, leaving her offspring to its fate. Then, if all goes well, the hunter secures his booty without further trouble. On one occasion, after a young hippopotamus had been caught in this fashion, the natives came rushing into our camp beam- ing with joy, shouting to us " Bana kiboko makufa ! " (The hippopotamus is dead). Nothing was left to us but to reply "Nakula kiboko!" (Eat it up) ; for it was their anticipation of this permission that had caused all the rejoicing and tumult. It often happens, when the animal is left a night in the pit, that it is found by a lion ; and in the morning nothing is left of it but skin and bones. But when no mishap has occurred it is still a matter of some little difficulty to extract the hippopota- mus from the pit. A palisade is first erected round the mouth of the pit ; and over this palisade a noose is thrown round the neck of the animal. When these creatures are agitated they break into profuse perspiration, which causes them to become so slimy and slippery that it is difficult to make the noose hold. For this reason, it is passed not over the neck only, but over the forelegs as well. As soon as the noose is fixed in position the animal is hoisted a few inches off the ground, by the combined efforts of about twenty men pulling on the rope. Half a dozen others jump into the pit, and bind together the forelegs and the hindlegs, as also the jaws ; for the animals are obstinate and malicious, and it does not do to run any risks with them. Unlike the rhinoceros, which soon learns to know its keeper and will follow the caravan like a

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT

73

dog, the hippopotamus is an animal to be treated with caution. When the captive has been made fast the palisade is broken away, and a sloping path is dug out of the pit to the surface of the o;round. A litter is made of stout poles and branches, the hip- popotamus is laid upon the litter and secured there with more branches twisted together ; and he is then hauled out. The most laborious part of the work now commences, namely, the trans- port through swamp or forest to the nearest river, A road has to be hewn the whole way throug-h the bush. Arrived at the river, he is placed upon a native barge ; but before being embarked Kalmuck priest.

for Europe he is accustomed to captivity and to the food supplied him. The difficulty of carrying him may be inferred from the fact that the young animal may weigh as much as half a ton.

Some of the most arduous, as well as the most expensive,

74 BEASTS AND MEN

of the expeditions which I equipped and sent out, were those to Mongolia and Siberia. Especially interesting was one despatched at the instigation of the Duke of Bedford for the purpose of catching and bringing home to Europe some specimens of the wild horse {Eqtms pjjwalsky). Attempts had often been made before to secure this animal, but, with one exception, they had all miscarried. This exception was in the case of the famous naturalist Falz-Fein, who had brought some individuals of this rare species from the steppes of Asia to his estate in the Crimea. Little, therefore, was known about the wild horse ; its distribution, its habits, the best mode of capturing it were still unstudied. The conduct of the expedition was entrusted to Wilhelm Grieger, one of my most reliable travellers. On him fell the responsibility of making the preparations for the journey, and afterwards of leading the expedition into Mongolia. He was provided with plenty of money, and also letters of introduction and safe- conduct from the Russian Government, the Chinese Am- bassador in Berlin, and Prince Alexander of Oldenburg. This latter one was of particular value in procuring a warm welcome from the eminent Buddhist Lama, Dr. Radmai, then resident in St. Petersburg, who placed at the disposal of the expedition his great knowledge both of the people and the country of Mongolia.

The first thing to be done, however, was to pay a visit to Falz-Fein in South Russia, in order to ascertain from him where these wild horses were to be found. This Grieger did ; but he found Falz-Fein reluctant to divulge the informa- tion he required. By indirect means, however, Grieger suc- ceeded in ascertaining that the horses were to be found in the neighbourhood of Kobdo, a town situated under the northern slopes of the Altai Mountains — a very long journey right through Russia, and Western Siberia, into Mongolia.

Having procured this information, Grieger returned in high spirits to St. Petersburg, whence the expedition was to set out. But at the last moment another obstacle was

c >

o

p

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HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT -jj

encountered, which delayed the start several weeks. Dr. Radmai pointed out that the current coin ot Europe was quite useless on such a journey. The medium of exchange in most request consists of large fiat silver pieces weighing about 1 2 lbs. each ; and it was necessary to have a large quantity of these manufactured at Hamburg before starting off The metal is much lighter in colour than ordinary Eng- lish silver ; and for small purchases it was the habit to break off portions of the coin of whatever size might be required. Tea and coloured woollen bands were also of use as money in Monoolia.

Soon after the arrival of the money in St. Petersburg, Grieger set forth upon his journey, full of hope for a success- ful issue to his adventure. The time selected was winter — a typical Russian winter, with town and country covered deep in snow. This inclement season was chosen, in order that the arrival in Mongolia might take place in the spring, when the young foals had just been born ; and also that the severity of a Mongolian winter migrht be avoided. It is true that Monoolian summers brino- their troubles, as well as the winters. The climate there is typically continental ; that is to say, the temperature fluctuates with great rapidity and through extreme variations. Thus it may not infrequently happen that 80° F. (27° C.) is registered during the daytime, while there is a frost at night. The cold nights, however, do little to destroy the insect pests which afflict the traveller in the warmer season. The banks of the Kobdo River swarm with myriads of tiny gnats which settle in clouds upon the horses when they go to drink. They attack in particular the tender underparts of the animal ; and exposure to their bites for half an hour is sufficient to ruin them effectually : death ensuing from loss of blood and from inflammation.

Grieger, who took with him onlv one assistant, travelled by the Siberian Railway through Moscow as far as Ob, where the line is crossed by the river of that name. From there he journeyed southwards by sledge about 170 miles to Biisk, a

78

BEASTS AND MEN

place some fifty miles from Altai. Up to this point the journey had been performed with comparative ease. Scanty provisions could be obtained at the widely separated stations which they passed on their way ; but from Biisk the real difficulties of the expedition commenced. Native drivers and riders were hired for transporting into the interior the tents, provisions, money, and other baggage belonging to the

_d

Mongolian village.

travellers. Riding on horses or camels, through deep snow and in intense cold, 600 miles had to be traversed to reach Kobdo by way of Kaschagatsch. On one occasion when the thermometer fell to 50° below zero (F.) the fifty cases of sterilised milk which had been taken as food for the captured animals froze hard.

Although Kobdo had been selected as the headquarters of the various expeditions, there was little in that distant town that could be of any use to the travellers. The town

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT

79

itself has about 1,500 inhabitants, three-quarters of whom are Mohammedan Tartars belongring- to a Turkestan tribe, while the rest are Chinese merchants, trading in the products of Mongolia. Besides the town itself, there is a fortress and a prison ; and also the governor's palace, for it is a Govern- ment centre. Kobdo is the terminus of the great caravan route from Peking, which for camel caravans is distant a two and a half months' journey.

A Kalmuck national dance.

The country north of the Altai Range is not wholly un- inhabited. Along the banks of the river Zedzik-Noor there dwell various Mongolian tribes of nomadic habits, each governed by a chief or prince ; and in his excursions from Kobdo, Grieger usually found them very friendly. He ar- rived at his destination some time before the foaling period had commenced, and filled up his time by studying the aborigines, enlisting assistants, and hunting. The hardships which he had to undergo at this time were often severe. He had nothing but a tent to live in ; and with the temperature

8o BEASTS AND MEN

at 50° below zero it was impossible to keep warm even with blankets and furs. Often he had to go without a fire, owing to the difficulty of collecting fuel. The fuel generally used in the country is dried cattle- or horse-dung, which, when rubbed into powder in the hands, can easily be ignited with steel and tinder. The wind soon fans the spark into a flame ; or, if there is no wind, the Mongolian will sit on his haunches and blow patiently away until there is a good fire. But the amount of dung available was often insufficient to meet the demands of the travellers.

Of food, on the other hand, they had no lack, though little variety could be obtained. For four months mutton was almost the only food ; and with this they drank " Tsamba," a mixture of tea, butter and salt, which is universally esteemed through- out Mongolia and Tibet. Tsamba is made as follows : Tea is powdered in a wooden mortar, and is then poured with salt and butter into boilino- water. The butter is obtained from the milk of sheep or goats. This is well mixed, boiled milk and salt are added ; and the whole is then boiled once more. The beverage thus prepared is not so nasty but that one may soon become accustomed to it. Not so easy is it, however, to become accustomed to the Monoolian method of cleaning the drinking bowl before the liquid is poured into it. All he does is to spit into it, and then rub the bowl carefully round with a greasy corner of his coat. Another native drink is called Arka, and is prepared from the residue of milk that has been evaporated.

The Mongolians, as may well be surmised, are not fastidious in their choice of food. Indeed, they are prepared to eat any- thing whatever that comes in their way, except what is for- bidden by their religion. They consider it wasteful to slaughter healthy cattle, when there are any weak or diseased to be had ; and they have no qualms about eating an animal which has died a natural death. The intestines, even, after being drawn through the fingers to eject the contents, are thrown into the cooking-pot with the rest.

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 83

The customs of the Mongolians are often curious and in- teresting. They have no system of burial, but merely throw out their dead on the steppes to be preyed upon by vultures, crows, and dogs. They are still in the pastoral condition, no agriculture being attempted. They are all mounted, and carry old-fashioned guns. Both men and women wear trousers of blue linen, and high boots, the soles of which are made of many layers of linen cloth, reaching a thickness of almost an inch. Tobacco is always in great demand among these people ; and their rank may be approximately judged by the quality of the pipe which they smoke. The tube of the pipe is made of wood, and is quite straight, a foot or more in length. The mouthpiece is adorned with an agate stone, the size and value of which is an index of the wealth and prominence of the possessor.

The district between Kobdo and Kara-Ussu is volcanic in origin, and is a plateau covered by short grass, and dotted with conical peaks. The valleys are often thickly wooded, and give rise to very pleasant scenery.

The Mongolian is hospitable but not communicative. A characteristic of their conversation is the constant repetition of the phrases which they use. The following is the sort of con- versation we used to carry on with them : —

Mongolian. " Mendi " (God be with you).

Traveller. "Mendi."

Mongolian. " Malzuruk mendi baina?" (Are all your household well?).

Traveller. " Mendi baina."

Mongolian. "Tana del chabana?" (What are you doing here?).

Traveller. " Manna chuduludu gores" (I have come to buy wild animals).

The tents of the Mongolians are surrounded by very

fierce jackal-like dogs ; but as soon as the owner sees a

stranger approaching, he drives them off, and makes the

visitor welcome. The traveller's horse he secures by knee-

6*

84 BEASTS AND MEN

haltering, and then drives out to pasture. At whatever hour of day or night he may arrive, the housewife (or should we say tentwife ?) does all that can be done, in the preparation of food and a couch, to make him comfortable.

At last spring- came upon the land ; the snow melted, and the rivers ran free once more. Grieger soon discovered that the Zedzik-Noor was simply full of trout, of a large and palatable kind. So thick were they in the stream that they could be taken out by pulling a large vessel through the water ; and one afternoon's catch exceeded a hundred fish. These Grieger tried to cook by smoking over a fire ; but the first attempt was a failure, for the bodies fell into the fire, only the heads remaining suspended from the hooks. But neces- sity is the mother of invention ; and Grieger soon hit upon a method of cooking them.

These operations were watched by the natives with horror and disgust ; for they class fish with snakes, and regard it as an unclean food. This, no doubt, was the cause of the ex- traordinary abundance of trout in the river when Grieger arrived. If the Mongolians shunned fish, they made up for it by their eagerness to obtain meat, and Grieger s tent was surrounded by idlers and beggars on the look-out for pickings. To disperse these, who constituted a considerable nuisance, Grieger hit upon a very original plan. He took a piece of meat, and covered it thickly with pepper, an article of food unknown to the nomads. He then handed it out to them ; and as soon as they began to eat it, such a spluttering and sneezing took place that they hastily fled and did not trouble him again. Sausages he made of lungs and livers, but these, for some reason, the natives would not touch. Occasionally hunting brought in supplies. The great wild sheep, the argali, were an especial delicacy, the ten-year-old rams in particular. Now and again onions were found. In the Kobdo valleys, Grieger obtained a large collection of birds, including one species of pheasant, hitherto unknown. Birds, known to the natives as mountain- or rock-hens, were chased by the native

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT

85

sportsmen, who ascertained their whereabouts by watching for the ravens which would soar above them in the sky. Grieger's shooting-parties sometimes disclosed an unexpected spirit of compassion in the natives. On one occasion, for instance, as he was passing some Mongolian huts, with his gun over his shoulder, one of the occupants came out, and besouo-ht him not to shoot hen-birds, as it was the breeding season. This anxiety arose, not from the sportsman's motive

The river Kobdo.

of keeping up the stock (for the Mongols themselves do not eat these game birds), but from a genuine pity for the hen- bird with her young.

During these minor diversions the main object of the expedition was kept constantly in mind. Grieger carefully cultivated the friendship of the chiefs ; and through their means a hunting-party was gradually got together. The aborigines were wholly new to the idea of hunting animals for the purpose of capturing them alive. Their expeditions

86 BEASTS AND MEN

were undertaken solely in order to kill game for food ; and in all the proceedings which were taken they had to be instructed beforehand by the leader. Since only young animals were wanted, watch had to be kept to ascertain when they had become fairly independent of their dams ; and it was found that the proper time for starting the hunt was during the first half of May.

Observation showed that there were no less than three varieties of the wild horse in the neighbourhood, closely resemblinof one another in form but showing differences of colour. They all have wavy hair over the body and legs, and blackish eyes, while in the foals the colour is variable. The wild horse wanders about in herds of twelve to fifteen ; but even in this district it is not very numerous.

As compared with the prolonged preparations which were necessary, the actual catching presented but little difficulty. The method employed was that which has al- ready been mentioned as being the usual method, when vouncr animals onlv are to be causfht. It is a habit of the creatures to rest for some hours during the daytime in the vicinity of the drinking-place. The Mongolians were in- structed to seize this opportunity of stalking them with their own horses. Then at a given signal the whole company break into shouts and yells ; and mounting their horses dash upon the herd. The latter spring up in alarm and gallop off into the steppes, leaving behind them nothing but a cloud of dust. The Mongolians give chase, and after a time brown specks are seen at intervals in the dust-cloud. As the chase con- tinues the specks become larger and turn out to be the foals, which are unable to keep up with the older members of the herd. When at last the foals are quite worn out, they stand still, their nostrils swelling and their flanks heaving with exhaustion and terror. All the pursuers have then to do is to slip over their necks a noose attached to the end of a long pole, and conduct them back to camp. Here there are in readiness a number of tame mares with suckinof

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT

87

foals, which are requisitioned as wet-nurses for the new arrivals. In three or four days the foster-parents and their young become quite friendly.

So easy did the Mongolians find this horse-hunting, when once they had been shown the way, that they went out to do some catching on their own account ; and before long no less than thirty foals were secured in the camp. This placed Grieger in some difficulty. The order, which he had come to execute, was only for six. Ought he, then, to incur the additional expense of bringing home thirty? There was nothing for it but to telegraph home to find out. His journey to the nearest telegraph office and back took him over more than a thousand miles of country, and involved him in an absence of three weeks from the camp. When he arrived back, armed with permission to bring the lot, he found that the industrious Mongolians had increased the number to fifty-two. With these the long journey home was com- menced, the party consisting not only of the wild foals, but also of their foster-parents, the animals carrying the tra- vellers and their baggage, and thirty native recruits. Slowly the caravan wound its way over hill and dale, in rain and sunshine, in heat and cold. Anxiety for the safety of the captives was never absent. Many of them, as was inevitable, died on the journey, in spite of all the care that could be exercised, was decidedly eventful.

V^'ild horses.

And in other ways the journey

88 BEASTS AND MEN

Before many days were passed the first incident occurred, namely, the escape of the camels, owing to the carelessness of the attendants ; and it was only with great trouble that their recapture could be effected. The attendants turned out to be a bad set ; for after a few weeks Grieger noticed that they were becoming discontented. At last a deputation approached him and announced the intention of the entire company to throw up the work and abandon the caravan, saying that the way was too long, the journey too difficult.

9

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i

A herd of yaks.

and making many other similar excuses. The money, paid them in advance, they would as conscientious men return. In vain did the traveller use all the arts of persuasion to in- duce the people to remain. In vain did he point out to them that the caravan would be totally lost if they were to desert him at this moment. At last the leaders of the mutiny pro- fessed themselves ready to remain, if a rise in salary were granted them. As soon as Grieger discovered that the whole affair was merely a vulgar attempt at extortion, he changed his tactics. Seizing his Kirghise whip, he promptly proceeded to distribute the augmentation of salary asked for, but in

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 89

heavy blows instead of coin ! This treatment was immedi- ately successful, the mutiny calmed down, the ringleaders begged for pardon ; and before long the caravan was jogging merrily along again, without the desertion of a single man. In all, the transportation to Hamburg took eleven months. Out of the fifty-two wild horses which had started, twenty- eight arrived safely at their journey's end, where they were henceforth placed upon a diet of hulled oats, warm bran and carrots. Thus ends the story of how wild horses first came to Northern Europe.

Of all the countries traversed by the animal dealer, none present such great difficulties as the vast plains and forests of Siberia. The problem has still to be solved as to the proper way of transporting wild sheep, ibex, roe, pheasants, tigers, wild asses and other dwellers in this region to civil- ised countries. The distances which have to be traversed are immense ; and as a rule there are no roads at all to travel on. Food for men and animals has to be carried by the party, for it often cannot be obtained by the way ; and half the animals usually die in transit. A few years ago I equipped another expedition, and sent it out to this Kobdo country, to obtain some young specimens of the argali or giant wild sheep. This I hoped to cross with the larger kinds of our domesticated sheep, so as to obtain a breed of giant domestic sheep which might be serviceable to farmers. The expedition was unsuccessful ; and another which I sent out soon after fared no better. More than sixty of the animals were captured, but lived only a short time. In the course of the journey home every one of them died from diarrhoea. These two fruitless expeditions cost no less than ^5,000.

Of all the animals which the dealer endeavours to catch, perhaps none are so easy or less dangerous than snakes. In fact, snake-huntinor miorht be better described as collectino- than hunting. In the great marshes of India, the so-called Sundarbans, snakes are sought out during the cool season in the

90

BEASTS AND MEN

early mornings by the natives, who are well acquainted with the haunts of the reptiles. Before dawn they are so benumbed with cold that they can easily be caught. This is done either by means of a net at the end of a long pole, or by a long forked stick, by which they can be fixed round the neck and pressed to the ground. In this position it is not difficult to make them secure. During the dry season another method is employed.

Argali (wild sheep).

Nets are laid out round a selected spot, which is then set on fire. The snakes, in their hurry to escape, become entangled in the nets ; but this method can only be used for the large reptiles, as the smaller kinds would easily pass through the mesh. In snakes supplied to me from Calcutta I have often noticed marks of burnino-. But on these animals wounds

o

soon heal up.

The great python of Borneo [Python 7xtic2ilatus) is caught by the natives when it is torpid from the effects of a heavy

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT

91

meal. It is then entangled in a large net thrown over it, and safely lodged in a bamboo basket. For longer journeys, they are placed in large four-cornered boxes with holes bored for the admission of air.

The most remarkable way of finding snakes is that re- sorted to by the snake-finders of India, who discover them by the smell. They go in the early morning, when the creatures are torpid, taking with them their baskets and ropes, and proceed to smell out their quarry, which are thereupon dug out of their holes and secured. Many large species, including the python, are caught in this fashion.

In old times snake-charmers went everywhere, showing off in every circus or menagerie in Europe and America. At that time the snake trade was very lucrative, and I used to import them by the gross. Once I received as many as 276 specimens in a single day, all belonging to the one species Python bivitatus, which sold largely in America. Snake-charmers now belong to the past, and there is little money to be made in the trade.

It is a far cry

from the sweltering plains of India to the cold northern seas, but I hope I may be allowed to take this jump and describe the methods of capturing the common seal and other kinds of pinni- peds. The work is comparatively simple. Advantage is taken of the fact that seals come out of the water by night to sleep on ^^^-''^"^ '" p^^"'

the sand-banks. Under cover of darkness the hunters creep

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92 BEASTS AND mEN a. e:

cautiously up to the sleeping-ground, ^and set long nets along one side of it. While this is being done a second party of men go round in boats to the other side of the sand-bank, and there await the signal that all is ready. As soon as the signal is given, this second party make for the sleeping seals with loud shouts and gesticulations. The terrified animals rush precipi- tately towards the sea and soon become entangled in the nets. Without delay net bags are thrown over the young individuals to prevent their escaping. These creatures have very sharp teeth, and it is advisable for the hunters to wear stout Wellington boots when engaged in this occupation. I have known as many as thirty caught in this way in a single drive. Twenty of these were adults and soon died, but the rest were young and thrived well in captivity.

Not the easiest part of the business is the transport of the animals to Europe in the sealing ships. The young seals are kept in great water tanks, and it is sometimes difficult to get them out when they have to be disembarked. Seals have to come to the surface of the water every few minutes for the purpose of breathing, and one of these intervals is chosen as an opportune moment to catch it either in a large landing net or with a noose. As so often happens among wild animals, the older individuals are very morose and unmanageable. They think of nothing but regaining their liberty, and cannot be persuaded to take any food. The young, on the contrary, seem quite happy in their new surroundings and soon learn all kinds of tricks.

To my mind there is no nobler kind of game than the eland antelope. Specimens of this animal first came into my possession in a very curious manner, through the agency of Dr. Carl Peters, the famous traveller. After a long day's march under a burning African sun he arrived at the farm of a Boer in Rhodesia. In the course of the evening they fell to talking about the ravages which the tsetse-fiy and the rinderpest wrought among the cattle. Dr. Peters had often

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 93

before been struck by the great difficulties to which the lack of draught animals subjected the farmers. His present host had adopted a novel method of making good the deficiency. Seeing that domestic animals were impracticable, he proposed to catch the indigenous wild animals of the veldt and convert them into beasts of burden. Now the wild game of Rhodesia, though sadly diminished in numbers in the last fifty years, is still fairly abundant. If the herds are no longer to be num- bered in thousands, they may still be numbered in hundreds. Kudu, hartebeest, wildebeest, ostriches and eland antelopes are all plentifully distributed throughout the country ; and the Boer had selected the antelopes for breaking in as draught- animals. As Dr. Peters showed interest in his scheme, he took him to a neiorhbouring' enclosure where half a dozen fine elands were confined. He explained to Dr. Peters that he hoped to be able to use them not only for ploughing, but also as carriage horses. The traveller asked him at what price he would value these antelopes when their training had been con- cluded. The Boer named a figure which, though certainly none too small, appeared to afford Peters some amusement. The latter produced from his pocket an English illustrated magazine with which he had beguiled the weary evenings for some days previously, and showed the Boer a number of pic- tures of Carl Hagenbeck's Institute at Hamburg. "This man," said he, "will give more for the animals than they are worth to you ; why not sell them to him ? " The Boer adopted the suggestion on the spot and I suddenly received a telegram: " Have sixteen eland antelopes. Offer them you so many thousand marks. Wire decision and take over in Rhodesia within six weeks." I closed with the offer at once, and sent my traveller Johannsen to Rhodesia to fetch them home. Long delays often occur before animals can be trans- ported to their destination, but in the course of nine months he brought home not only the sixteen eland antelopes which I purchased from the Boer, but a number of others which he succeeded in catching by a device which he learnt from the

94 BEASTS AND MEN

Boers and negroes in the neighbourhood. This device is, I think, sufficiently interesting to be worth recording. The pre- liminary operations are similar to those by which the Mongolian wild horses are captured. When a herd of elands has been found, about thirty mounted hunters surround them, and, steal- ing cautiously up, suddenly burst upon them from all sides. It would be a hopeless task to try to catch the adults, for an eland bull weighs over a ton and is much more powerful and fleet than any horse. They break into a furious gallop and soon vanish out of sight. But the young, with their ungainly stilt- like legs, are soon overtaken ; the hunter rides up to them and secures them by catching hold of their tails — a manoeuvre which is often not very easy to carry out while on the gallop. In order that the animal may be kept alive, when caught, various precautions have to be taken. The hindlegs are tethered, and the body is carefully wrapt up in a warm rug. In the complete exhaustion which follows its flight for life, it is particularly necessary to guard it from the dangerous effects of a change of temperature. But another precaution has to be taken, much more remarkable. When the eland is com- fortably wrapt up in the rug it receives a subcutaneous in- jection of some liquid the constitution of which my travellers have unfortunately not been able to discover. Probably it is morphia or something of the sort, for a few minutes after the injection a stupefied condition supervenes and the antelope quickly falls into a deep sleep. Without this injection the creature would scarcely live a quarter of an hour ; before this method of treating them was hit upon, they used to die from heart strain. When it has gone to sleep, it is carried back to the camp and laid in a secluded place, where it re- mains in a deep sleep for nearly twenty-four hours. On its awakening it is led to a milch-cow which has been previously secured, and it is trained to regard the cow as its foster- mother. The cow's legs have first to be tied, for she soon real- ises that it is not her own calf but a new arrival from the veldt. After a few days the foster-parent and child come to know

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT

95

each other. In the present instance a delay of some months was necessary before my traveller considered the young ante- lopes strong enough to undergo the arduous journey to the coast. Johannsen occupied himself in the meanwhile in carry- ing out hunting expeditions in all directions and thus securing some valuable additions to my collection. In the accompany- ing photograph the elands may be seen on their way down

Transport from the interior of Africa with eland antelopes.

to the coast harnessed to a buggy with a team of oxen, mules, and zebras.

I may suitably terminate this chapter by stating my opinion that science is in all probability still incompletely acquainted even with the larger members of the world's fauna. My travellers explore the most remote parts of every continent, and it is therefore natural that they should often bring back information which is of great interest to zoologists. They often hear stories from the natives concerning strange animals which, from the descriptions given, would appear to be unknown to Europeans. It might be supposed that these are mere cock-and-bull stories, either exaggerated descriptions

96 BEASTS AND MEN

of well-known animals, or else intentional fabrications. But such is not usually the case. Much more often, the informa- tion given by the natives will lead to the discovery of new species, if the instructions of the savages be properly carried out. For instance, the case of the discovery of the remains of the giant sloth in South America is famous, and all my readers will remember the excitement which was caused when the existence of the okapi was made known. Native reports are more reliable than is commonly supposed.

Some years ago I received reports from two quite distinct sources of the existence of an immense and wholly unknown animal, said to inhabit the interior of Rhodesia. Almost iden- tical stories reached me, firstly, through one of my own travellers, and, secondly, through an English gentleman, who had been shooting big-game in Central Africa. The reports were thus quite independent of each other, and, as a matter of fact, the Englishman and my traveller had made their way into Rhodesia from opposite directions, the one from the north- east and the other from the south-west. The natives, it seemed, had told both my informants that in the depth of the great swamps there dwelt a huge monster, half elephant, half dragon. This, however, is not the only evidence for the ex- istence of the animal. It is now several decades ago since Menges, who is of course perfectly reliable, heard a precisely similar story from the negroes ; and, still more remarkable, on the walls of certain caverns in Central Africa there are to be found actual drawings of this strange creature. From what I have heard of the animal, it seems to me that it can only be some kind of dinosaur, seemingly akin to the brontosaurus. As the stories come from so many different sources, and all tend to substantiate each other, I am almost convinced that some such reptile must be still in existence. At great ex- pense, therefore, I sent out an expedition to find the monster, but unfortunately they were compelled to return home with- out having proved anything, either one way or the other. In the part of Africa where the animal is said to exist, there are

HOW WILD ANIMALS ARE CAUGHT 97

enormous swamps, hundreds of square miles in extent, and my travellers were laid low with very severe attacks of fever. Moreover, that region is infested by bloodthirsty savages who repeatedly attacked the expedition and hindered its advance. Notwithstanding this failure, I have not relinquished the hope of being able to present science with indisputable evidence of the existence of the monster. And perhaps if I succeed in this enterprise naturalists all the world over will be roused to hunt vigorously for other unknown animals ; for if this pro- digious dinosaur, which is supposed to have been extinct for hundreds of thousands of years, be still in existence, what other wonders may not be brought to light ?

CHAPTER IV.

CARNIVORES IN CAPTIVITY.

Seeing how intimately I have always been associated with wild animals, it is a remarkable circumstance that I should never have met with any severe accident. That I have escaped the jaws of the tiger, the crushing feet of the elephant, the horns of the buffalo, the cruel coils of the serpent, is no doubt partly due to the prudence and care which I always observe in dealing with these creatures ; but I am bound to add that wild animals are not nearly so savage as is commonly imagined. On the contrary they are often most affectionate, and I have had many friends among lions, tigers and pan- thers, which were no harder to handle than pet dogs. More- over their affection is very enduring, and survives long after they have found another home.

The following is a remarkable instance of the memory of carnivores for people who have won their confidence. Forty years ago or more I bought a pair of young tigers, one of which caught a bad cold, which produced in him an affection of the eyes from which he became blind. For months I nursed him with the utmost care, going every day to his cage to make him as comfortable as possible, so that a very in- timate relationship between us grew up. At length my de- votion was rewarded and he corhpletely recovered. Later on, he and his mate were sold to Professor Peters of the Berlin Zoological Gardens, and here the pair lived for many years ; but to the day of his death the tiger whom I cured retained a most faithful attachment to me. Often I did not see him

for long periods together, but, notwithstanding this, he would

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CARNIVORES IN CAPTIVITY loi

always fall into the most violent excitement on hearing my voice in the distance ; and when I came up he would purr like a cat, and was never satisfied till I had gone into the cage and spent some little time with him. Often on these occasions have the public stood round in astonishment at the spectacle of this strange meeting. In memory of this tiger I had a water-colour painted for me by the animal painter Leutemann, which is still in my possession.

My animal friends are scattered about in many parts of the world, carefully guarded behind bolts and bars. Their life is not so long as ours ; old age and death come very quickly upon them ; and hence most of my friendships are things of the past. One of my oldest friends is a lion now resident in the Zooloofical Gardens at Cologne. This lion came from North Africa, and was one of a pair purchased by me when five years old from a Belgium menagerie in 1890. They were exceedingly handsome and perfectly tame, so that, although I only had them for two months, that period was sufficient for a lifelong friendship to grow up. I spent a con- siderable time with the animals every day and was very sorry when at last they had to go. One went to the Zoologi- cal Gardens at Hamburor and the other to Coloo-ne. The one that stayed in Hamburg died several years ago, but the other is still alive, and, though now old and infirm, he still re- members me. Once when I was travelling in a train to Cologne I made a bet that he would recognise me without seeing me, if I merely shouted to him from some distance off. And I proved to be right ; for as soon as he heard the sound of my voice, the old lion came up to the bars and would not rest until I had greeted and stroked him.

I once made a similar experiment in the Zoological Gardens at Bronx Park in New York. There lived there two lions and a tiger with whom I had once been well acquainted but whom I had not seen for a long time past. The director. Dr. Hornaday, did not believe that the animals would recognise me ; but he was wrong. No sooner had I entered the door and

I02 BEASTS AND MEN

approached the den, than the creatures became attentive and stared at me like a human being who saw a familiar face but could not put a name to it. But the moment that I called out the names by which I used to address them in Hamburg they sprang up and ran to the bars, purring loudly while I stroked and caressed them. There could scarcely be more convincinof evidence of the excellent memories which carni- vores possess or of the fidelity which they show to friends.

It is not necessary to go as far as New York to find evi- dence of this fidelity, as it can be seen any day in my animal park at Stellingen. Here any sceptic may convince himself that the wild beasts know and love their master. They crouch down by the bars, lick my hands, and are delighted when I stroke them. I am fond of all animals, but carnivores are my special favourites. So attached to them do I become that, in spite of their costly upkeep, I often keep them with me for a longer time than is desirable from the strictly business point of view.

In the open carnivore gorge at Stellingen there is on view an old lion who has been in my possession for eighteen years. His name of "Trieste" was given him many years ago when he was imported through the port of that name. Trieste is a great Somali lion, very handsome when he was young, and even now thoroughly majestic in his carriage. Being by trade a performer, he has covered in his pro- fessional travels a considerable portion of the earth's surface. The exhibition at Chicago in 1893 ^^d that at St. Louis in 1904 were both honoured by the presence of Trieste as a guest. Now that his life's work is over, he is in much better circumstances than many human performers who have grown old in their profession. And Trieste is worthy of his good fortune. He is as tame, true and faithful as a dog; indeed I often treat him as if he were a dog. One day last summer I noticed with sorrow that my old friend was lame, and upon further observation I found that he was suffering pain.

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103

After a close examination I found that on each of the animal's hind feet two claws had grown into the flesh. Now it may well be supposed that the necessary operation would be a matter of great difficulty — the animal firmly bound and the operators going in danger of their lives. But nothing can be farther from the truth. In such matters Trieste can be treated as though he were a sensible human beinor. Hav- ing been ordered to lie down, his claws were clipped with large sharp clippers, and the points were drawn out. During

Having a bath.

the whole procedure, which was by no means painless, the lion kept perfectly still. For several days the wounds were well washed out ; they soon healed, and he is now once again well and happy.

As a corresponding instance of tameness among tigers, I may mention a great Siberian tiger, which in the summer of 1893 was sold from Vladivostock to the Zoological Gardens in Hamburg, and thence came into my possession. This animal was really as tame as any household pet. I could do anything with him, and used even to take him with me into my

I04 BEASTS AND MEN

sittincr-room. He was, moreover, a beautiful creature, and as I was very loth to part with him, he remained over a year in my care. As I ascertained later, the animal had been brought up quite young at Vladivostock, and I have it on certain authority that he ran about free for more than a year, without ever causing any mischief. Every morning, when I went my rounds, I visited my favourite and caressed him. If I happened to pass his cage in haste without noticing him, he would attract my attention with a mewing sound, to re- mind me that I had not spoken to him.

I fear that much of what I now write will be received by many with incredulity, for in the popular estimation carni- vores conjure up a vision of all that is faithless, savage, and cruel. But it is certainly a mistake to call them cruel. It is their nature in the wild state to hunt living prey, and they have to kill in order to live. We are too prone to forget how many millions of animals are hunted and slaughtered, both by land and sea, to provide food for human beings ; and it is as reasonable to accuse mankind of cruelty on this score, as it is to accuse carnivores. Carnivores love their young just as we do, and can also be affectionate and faithful. Of course one often comes across black sheep, but that is due either to their having been caught when adult, or to their being the victims of bad rearing.

All carnivores without exception, when they are caught young and are properly treated, are capable of being brought up as domestic pets. Their so-called wild nature does not break out unless something happens to put the animals in a rage ; and this, after all, is just the same with domestic animals. As to what can be achieved in the way of taming wild animals, I have certainly had more experience than any other human being. Both intelligence and love of animals are essential to success in taming. Then it is quickly dis- covered that among animals, as among men, good and bad are mixed, and that, while the good will develop of itself, the bad can be suppressed. I shall shortly give some evidence,

CARNIVORES IN CAPTIVITY 105

too, of the intensity of feeling which prevails among wild animals.

The management of carnivores which have been captured in the adult condition is, of course, very difficult, and it is quite impossible to train such animals to the extent that is now con- sidered quite ordinary in the case of young animals. To deny this is simply nonsense. Nothing more than a superficial polish can be imparted to animals which are grown up when caught.

About fifteen years ago I obtained from Calcutta the most savage, as also the largest and heaviest, Bengal tiger that I have ever come across. I received him from the Zoological Gardens in Calcutta, only a few months after he had been captured. During his first few days in Hamburg he was in a furious rage ; whenever I approached his cage he would fly to the bars and stretch his paws through in his savage attempts to seize me. I naturally did not relish this sort of thing, and kept at a respectful distance. However, I paid the animal a visit every day and showed him that his efforts to harm me were quite fruitless ; as soon as I approached him I made a purring noise, addressing him, as it were, in his own language. As time wore on the animal became quieter. To be sure, as soon as I appeared he still sprang angrily against the bars of his cage, but he no longer struck at me with his paws. After a week I began to take him a piece of meat every day, for the way to the heart lies through the stomach — a proverb which applies not only among the lower ani- mals. After four weeks I could just venture to touch the great beast ; I had to keep my eyes open, however, for now and again during these experiments he would lash out at me with his claws. I kept this tiger for about three months, by the end of which time he had realised that nobody wished to hurt him. When he saw me he would come quietly to the bars and allow me to stroke him. I had succeeded in curing him of his ferocity, and moreover, after he left me, he does not seem to have relapsed, for in the Dresden Zoological Gardens

io6 BEASTS AND MEN

— whither he went — he allowed both the director of the Gardens and his own attendant to stroke him.

I remember, however, an even more remarkable case. In the summer of 1905 my brother, John Hagenbeck of Colombo, sent me a panther which had been in captivity only a short time. I gave this panther to the Swiss sculptor, Urs Eggen- schwyler, who designed the beautiful rocky cliffs in the Stellingen Gardens. Eggenschwyler, who is unusually fond of animals, and who keeps for his pleasure a number of lions and panthers, was delighted with my present, and commenced at once to train the animal. In less than a fortnight, he had so far succeeded that it would turn round and round in its cage when he commanded it to do so. The artist had pre- viously taught this trick in Zurich to a number of other ani- mals which had been captured adult, and on the present occasion he was so successful that in less than four weeks the panther could be made to revolve as many as eight times in succession. The animal's obedience was, of course, rewarded with a piece of meat.

Perhaps after what I have said my readers may think that after all there is nothing very alarming about the great carni- vores— that they are, in fact, not much more than a kind of meat-eating lamb. In my chapter on the training of wild animals I shall show that the training is by no means so simple as it sounds. Of its danger there can be no question, but nevertheless it is the case that many of those who deal with the carnivores professionally owe their lives to the good temper of the animals.

In this connection I remember an extraordinary nocturnal adventure, which would, I imagine, have alarmed the bravest of us. In the beginning of the sixties I was bringing from Coloone to Hamburg- a hupe collection of animals, which I had obtained in France and Belgium. Among the animals there was a four-year-old lion, which I had obtained from the Zoological Gardens in Cologne, then quite recently established. The lion was placed in a great kennel and, along with all the

CARNIVORES IN CAPTIVITY 109

other animals, was installed in the railway van. A man named Druard, who was inspector of the Zoological Gardens, and had previously held the position of head-keeper in Christian Berg's menagerie, was in charge of the animals during the journey. Everything having been satisfactorily arranged, Druard closed the door of the van, and made him- self thoroughly comfortable.

The train rumbled on through the nioht and the un- suspecting keeper dosed peacefully, perchance enjoying some sweet dream. Suddenly, in the midst of his slumbers, he felt a great weight upon his chest, and awoke with a start. In the darkness, not a yard from him, there shone two greenish lights, and he felt hot fetid breath on his face. Overcome with terror he peered into the gloom and could just discern the shaggy outline of a lion's mane. For a second he lay quite still, hoping that it was only a nightmare — vain hope, however ; the lion had escaped from his cage, and was amus- ing himself by paying a visit to the solitary sleeper. Druard was accustomed to dealing with animals, and he knew that this lion was a good-tempered one. So he decided at once that the best thing to do was somehow or other to tie the animal up. For the rest, he must share the place with the lion until the next station, and make the best of his awkward situation. Luckily no trouble broke out between the lion and the other animals. Had it done so, the man would never have lived to tell the tale. Druard quietly untied a sash which he wore round his body, and placed it like a cord round the lion's neck. Then, groping his way through the dark and jolting van, he succeeded in fastening the other end of the sash to the handle of the door. At the next station he sounded the alarm, lights were brought, and the lion was led back to his cage — a stronger box being provided for him before the journey was continued. Thus ended a bloodless adventure, which nearly cost a careless man his life.

The occasions on which human beings are attacked by captive carnivores are fortunately rare. But quarrels be-

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tween the beasts themselves are more frequent, unless they are carefully watched and separated from each other when necessary. And among the lower animals, as with ourselves, the trouble usually arises over the gentler sex. In a troupe which Heinrich Mehrmann exhibited in Chicago, Berlin, and elsewhere, there was a fine lion called "Leo" and a great Bengal tieer called "Castor". The lion was a bachelor, while the tieer was mated to a beautiful Benofal tig"ress. As ill- luck would have it, when the breeding time arrived the tigress proved an irresistible attraction to the lion. The tiger, natur- ally irritable, and perhaps not unreasonably jealous, regarded the lion's proceedings with disapproval, and the relations be- tween the two rivals became strained. The tiger was as jealous as a Turk ; the lion as determined as the consciousness of his own strength could make him ; the tigress was prepared impartially to receive the attentions of either. One morning, as I was walking in my Zoological Garden at Neuer Pferde- markt, I heard a terrific roaring which proceeded from the direction of the great open-air cage. I immediately hurried to the spot. Sure enough, a bloody duel was taking place between the lion and the tiger. Both were standing on their hindlegs and were giving each other such mighty boxes on the ears that their hair was already scattered about. The siofht of the two i/reat animals standing in battle array, and on the point of rushing- into a life-and-death struggle, I shall never forget. They were, however, much too valuable for this love intrio-ue to be allowed to end with the death of either of them. The keeper of this division, who happened to be near, sprang into the little front cage and from thence into the big cage where the animals were, and succeeded in separating the com- batants by shouting and cracking his whip. Many tufts of hair and pools of blood were left to show where the fight had been.

All carnivores, but especially lions and tigers, are ex- tremely ill-tempered at breeding times. In trained troupes, where both lions and lionesses are necessary, it is frequently

CARNIVORES IN CAPTIVITY iic

essential to remove the males from the troupe altogether dur- ing" certain periods. Where the trainer omits to do this, he runs great risk of trouble, and he himself may be mauled. Even with my best four-footed friends, I have found that during these periods they are apt to be surly and quite in- tractable. The ardour of these animals is boilingf hot, and their jealousy of any possible rival is even greater than their tenderness towards the object of their affection. It is very remarkable, too, that a love-sick lion is not only jealous of his own kind, but also of any human being — -the keeper not ex- cepted— -who may happen to approach his cage.

It is my experience that lions, if they are well taken care of, will frequently live for more than thirty years. It happens sometimes that animals come into my possession, which I have previously known well, perhaps years before. For in- stance, in a menagerie which I purchased a few years ago there was a lioness that I had already possessed twenty years earlier. It was of course difficult to find a purchaser for her. At that time I had just supplied a lioness for breed- ing purposes to the Zoological Gardens at Cologne, but Director Funk, who at that time had. the management of the institution, was not quite satisfied with the specimen. I therefore invited him to come to Hamburg to choose another, and in this way it came about that the old lioness was paid a great compliment. She was very well preserved, was of unusual beauty, and still possessed her full set of teeth. Moreover, when I came up to her cage, accompanied by Mr. Funk, she sprang to and fro vigorously in her delight at see- ing me. Thus it happened that of all the lionesses, Mr. Funk decided to choose this one. When I told him the true state of affairs — which was, perhaps, ungallant to the old lioness, but was honourable to the would-be purchaser — he refused to believe me, and supposed that I was unwilling to sell such a beautiful specimen. If I had allowed him to take her, however, he would not have derived much satis- faction from this brood-lioness, for according to my experience

112 BEASTS AND MEN

in the matter these animals are thoroughly fertile up to the age of sixteen, but not after that time. The director, whose error was very naturally caused by the youthful appearance of the lioness, eventually took another specimen which has proved highly satisfactory.

Lions may be considered sexually mature at the age of two and a half years, but to obtain really strong offspring, it is desirable to wait for another year. In the case of tigers, according to my observations, sexual maturity arrives in cap- tivity a year later than with lions. The capacity to reproduce their kind endures with all the cat-tribe for about twelve years, and expires therefore during the sixteenth or seven- teenth year.

I had an experience in the breeding of jaguars about the year 1870, when a Hungarian traveller brought from Para- guay two pairs of large, full-grown jaguars. The jaguars, which the Hungarian had captured himself, were already well on in years. I should have much liked to possess these animals, but I was compelled to refrain from the purchase, as the price asked was too high for me ; they were bought by the menagerie owner, Manders, who in those days had the laro-est menagferie in Enofland, and he succeeded in ob- taining several litters from the two pairs, the young cubs being excellently brought up by their mothers.

Among many fortunate experiments, I succeeded in breed- ing two beautiful little cubs from a pair of captured ounces during the year 1906. The parents were cripples, each of them lacking a hind foot, and it was in consequence difficult to find a purchaser for them. I therefore arranged a nice secret recess in their cage, and placed the cage so that the ani- mals could not be disturbed. Barely two months later, signs of mutual affection between the two animals were to be observed, and in the middle of May my keeper informed me that a couple of young ones had been born. Naturally, after this occurrence great care was taken to avoid disturbing the ounces in any way ; they were fed and watered, and the cage was

3

CARNIVORES IN CAPTIVITY 115

cleaned in the afternoons, but with this exception the animals were left absolutely in peace. After four days I removed for a moment the lid, which closed the secret recess, and I then saw the two pretty little cubs lying in a nest which the parents had lined with hair from their winter fur. Four weeks later the father of this litter was found dead in his cage, but the mother and young are still living.

The lions and tigers in my animal-park are kept in the carnivore glen, which is not surrounded by a barrier, but is separated from the public by a deep trench only. They are allowed out into the open air every day without exception dur- ing both summer and winter. The weather troubles them very little, and they range about in the open much more during the winter than they do during the summer when it is hot. Every morning the sliding door between the cage and the glen is opened, so that the animals can go out ; they can, however, always return to the inner den if they please. Nature comes to the help of the animals and makes it possible for them to adapt themselves to the climate. We have ob- served that the exotic animals, which are not confined in winter, grow a thick fur that protects them from the cold. I am quite convinced that it is possible to transplant lions to any climate whatever, provided they are allowed out into the open during spring when they are young. I take it, that such lions would eventually grow in winter a woolly covering beneath their hair, exactly as is found to be the case with Siberian tigers and panthers.

Interbreeding occurs between lions, tigers, and other kinds of cats, even without the intervention of man, and it is therefore not very difficult to carry out experiments in cross- breeding. I have bred many young from lions and tigers ; of such hybrids, I possess at the present time a male five and a half years old, and another male and a female of three and a half. The father was a small Somali lion and the mother a small tigress, the offspring of the cross being, curiously enough,

considerably larger than their parents. The one male hybrid

8*

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BEASTS AND MEN

weighs as much alone as the two parents together. They are powerful animals with strong heads, and are faindy striped. When people see them for the first time they wonder whether they are looking at lions or tigers. These queer creatures are unusually tame, and of a very mild disposition. According to our experiments thus far, they have unfortunately never been found to be fertile.

^^1^

The youngest of the Hagenbeck family.

A cross between a panther and a puma was undertaken at my suggestion in a certain small English menagerie. A number of young ones were born, but they all died except one, and there was nothing very noteworthy about the sur- vivor. I have also heard of a cross between a tiger and a female panther, but the young one was born pre- maturely and had no vitality. I know of another similar case. In a small German menagerie there was quite a happy marriage between a lion and a female panther. The panther

" CARNIVORES IN CAPTIVITY 117

gave birth three times, but unfortunately she proved herself a monster wholly lacking in maternal feelings, for she proceeded to devour her own cubs. On one occasion the owner of the menagerie succeeded in taking away the young from their mother, but they did not live long, and he foolishly threw them away instead of preserving them in spirit for scientific purposes.

In the Zooloo^ical Gardens at Stuttgart, which are now unfortunately closed, some very interesting hybrids were bred by Herr Nill These were a cross between the brown bear and the polar bear. A short time ago I saw some more of these animals, which are in the Zoological Gardens in London. They are large heavy creatures, but not larger than their parents. One of them is a very curious fellow, a piebald, his fur being half greyish-brown and half white.

The real difficulty in the treatment of captive carnivores begins, as we shall see in the next chapter, when one attempts to train them to perform ; for here one is endeavouring to make the animals do what is contrary to all their natural instincts. All the difficulties, however, can be overcome by patience, by a careful study of the brute mind, and by a recognition of the good qualities which are to be found in every creature.

CHAPTER V.

TRAINING WILD ANIMALS.

There is probably no sphere in which the growth of humani- tarian sentiment has been more strikino; than in the treat- ment and training of performing animals. Obedience which in former days was due to fear is now willingly paid by the animal from motives of affection. The period when un- fortunate animals were driven to jump over a bar from dread of a whip or a red-hot iron- — a disgrace to the humanity of man ! — is gone by. Sympathy with the animal, patience with its deficiencies, has brought about a perfection of educa- tion which cruelty altogether failed to secure. And at the same time relations between trainer and beast have improved too. The trainer is no longer a taskmaster, or the beast a slave. There subsists between them the wholesome and happy relation of teacher and pupil. The old crude method of training — if these stupid barbarities deserved to be called training ; torturing would have been a more appropriate expression — consisted in terrifying the animals with whips and red-hot irons, so that at the very sight of these imple- ments they would fiy through the cage, and in doing so would leap over whatever obstacle was placed in their path.

Many years ago I saw at an auction in England four "trained" lions, whose whiskers had been scorched off and who were frightfully burned about their mouths. Naturally, when the animals were treated in this way, it was no un- common thino" for the trainers to be attacked and torn to pieces ; nor can one blame the lions and tigers which at last turned round upon their tormentors, for their better natures

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Indian juggler with dancing bear.

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had been completely destroyed. Their lives were rendered insupportable, and they acted only in self-defence.

It is a complete mistake to suppose that carnivores are vicious by nature ; they are susceptible to kindness and good treatment, and will repay trust with trust.

In my younger days I had plenty of opportunities of ob- serving these barbarous shows, not only in Germany but also in England ; and from the beginning I felt a desire to institute a more rational and humane method of training. Performances with carnivores were first shown in Hamburg many years ago by the trainer Batty. This daring man — for the trainer of those days certainly carried on his profession in the face of very real danger — worked, if I remember rightly, with six lions. The exhibition consisted in terrifying the animals, and then driving them around the cage so that they were com- pelled from sheer fright to leap over barriers that were pushed in from the outside. Finally Batty would stand near the exit, fire several shots from a carbine, and then retire from the scene. The surprising part of such a performance was that the animals did not attack the trainer.

There were, of course, individuals among the trainers who treated their animals as well as was possible under the brute- force system then prevailing. One of these was a man named Cooper. Cooper worked with a large troupe of lions, and with such success, that the American circus-owner Myers took over both the trainer and the lion troupe, into the tent-circus, with which he made a tour through Germany and Austria- Hungary. Cooper, an intelligent and experienced man, was well aware of the fact that for the successful train- ing of performing animals it is essential to discard at an early stage from the troupe any animal which evinced lack of intel- ligence, or ill-temper — a necessary step if an element of danger and uncertainty is not to attach itself to the exhibition.

Whilst he was working with Myers, this animal-trainer had a serious adventure with some lions which he had procured from me. I received one day from Myers, an

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inquiry whether I could supply him with some lions. It happened that I had just purchased a whole collection of animals, among which were some lions that had always been used for performing purposes. Cooper came himself to Hamburg, inspected the animals, and, having completed the purchase, took them with him immediately to Brussels. At Brussels he made the grave mistake of putting all the lions, old and new, together, instead of slowly and gradually allow- ing the animals to become acquainted with each other. The new lions had never worked with other specimens and were strange to their surroundings. They became irritable and nervous, and when Cooper tried to drive them with a whip to the performance of the tricks, a catastrophe occurred. One of the new lions, and that the best-tempered of them, fell upon Cooper and mauled him savagely. Thus by a mutual mis- understanding, a humane trainer was wounded by a perfectly good-tempered lion, and the unfortunate man had to spend some time in bed before his wounds were healed.

This event save rise to a somewhat ludicrous incident. On the day after the accident I received a telegram from Myers from Brussels, saying that he wished me to take back one of my lions, as it was ill. When the telegram arrived, although I still knew nothing about the accident, I did not take the statement very seriously. I knew that the lion had been in perfect health at the time of delivery, so if anything had gone wrong since it must be due to an accident. I wired, therefore, my refusal to take back a lion which had been de- livered in good health and for which I had received payment. Next day another telegram arrived which ran as follows : " Your lion is dead : what shall I do with him ? " To this I promptly replied : " Pickle him if you like".

A few weeks later, when I had nearly forgotten the whole affair, a cask of pickled lion actually arrived in Hamburg for me ! Probably the stupid fellow thought that by carrying out the advice tendered to him in my ironical answer, he would be putting himself in the right. Of course I immediately returned

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the official invoice to the station and refused to take delivery of the cask. Myers next tried to bring an action against me, but here too he failed, for when the lion's remains were ex- amined it was proved that he died from ill usage. The skin around the vital parts was covered with extravasated blood, and all over the body there were marks of the terrible blows which the animal had received at the hands of the people who had rescued Cooper at the time of the accident.

The treatment which the animals received from the old German animal trainers — such as Kreutzberg, Martin, Kallen- berg, Preuscher, Schmidt, Dagersell, and Kaufmann, all of whom travelled mainly in Germany and Austria — was on the whole less cruel than that I have just been describing, for they used to exhibit only such animals as had been tamed from their earliest days and which were therefore much less difficult to train. Some of these men used to give quite interesting performances, although, as they exhibited in small waggon-cages (contrasts indeed to the great arenas which are now used) it was not really possible for them to accomplish much.

A son of the old Kreutzberg introduced a new branch of animal performance, which in barbarity it would be difficult to surpass. When Karl Kreutzberg was travelling through Spain with a troupe of seven lions, obtained from me, the people wished him to show them a fight between a lion and a bull. Kreutzberg was an enterprising fellow. He foresaw the popularity of the proposed exhibition, and, immediately falling in with the idea, set to work in an ingenious manner to make the performance, brutal as it was, a success. Kreutz- berg had hitherto been giving his performances in the oval waoTCTon-caees, which were then greneral, and are still some- times to be seen. For the lion and bull fight, however, he had an especially large cage constructed, and devised a clever plan for bringing the two beasts into collision. The bull was led round and round the lion's cage. The lion, maddened with huno-er — he had received no food — made

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furious attempts to seize his prey. Then the performance itself commenced ; the bull was first led into the big cage, and then, after a pause — during which the excitement of the audience reached fever-heat — the lion was let loose. With a roar the great cat hurled himself upon the bull and dragged it to the ground ; for as a rule the bull makes but a poor de- fence. The Spaniards and the Portuguese were delighted with this bloody scene, the fame of which spread far and wide. Kreutzberg made a great deal of money out of the show.

Other animal trainers have attempted, both in Spain and in the south of France, to imitate this performance of Kreutz- berg's, but without success. They did not go to work with the same ingenuity as Kreutzberg. Instead of exhibiting the fight in a cage, they usually employed a large arena for the purpose. Now when a lion or tiger is let out of his small cao-e into a larsfe arena, he becomes nervous and embarrassed, and in his bewilderment quite forgets his hunger. On three occasions I have supplied lions for these fights. In two cases the lion paid no attention to the bull, and the bull took no notice of the lion ; neither wished to come to closer quarters with the other. On the third occasion, however, the upshot of the performance was more exciting. The bull charged the lion and wounded him so severely that the king of beasts, after lingering miserably for several weeks, passed away to the shadowy hunting grounds of his fathers.

But these barbarous methods of training animals are now no longer in vogue ; they have become obsolete for this reason if for no other : that it is impossible to achieve by ill- treatment one-hundredth part of what can be done by humane and intelligent methods. With the lower animals, as with human beings, real insight into their character can only be obtained by treating them sympathetically. This essential fact, which is now understood by all successful animal trainers, ought in no way to surprise us, for the brute intelligence differs from the human in degree only, not in kind. Animals soon perceive whether they are being

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treated sympathetically or otherwise, and quickly attach themselves to those who use them with kindness and con- sideration. Their memories, too, are usually very retentive, a fact highly important to the trainer's art. I have already explained to the reader in my chapter on carnivores in captivity that these animals are not so dangerous as people who know nothing about them suppose ; indeed the majority of them, as I have already said, are by nature of a peaceful and even affectionate disposition. Strange as this may seem, it is nevertheless true.

It is now universally recognised that each animal has its own peculiar characteristics, its own idiosyncrasies over and above the general psychological character which it shares with all other members of its species. This is a discovery I had to make for myself, and a most important one it is for the trainer, for, I say without fear of contradiction, that no trainer is fit for his vocation who is unable to read the char- acter of the individual animals which he has to train. And so it came about that when I introduced the humane system of training, as I may call it, I not only substituted for the whip and the red-hot iron a kindly method of educating the creatures (based upon an intelligent system of rewards and punishments) but I also instituted the practice of studying the character of each individual animal before includintr it in a troupe. At the present day all trainers worthy of the name follow this course. From the first moment that the animals come into possession of their teachers, they are carefully ob- served and have all their peculiarities noted with the view of applying to each the treatment best adapted to its tempera- ment. Some animals require more encouragement than others ; many, on the contrary, have to be treated sternly owing to their obstinate dispositions. Such differences as these must be known and acted upon by the trainer. It must be remembered that the trainer's task is beset with difficulties, for he is demanding from his pupils something which is alto- gether foreign to their nature. It is not natural for a lion

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roaming the primeval forests of Africa to ride like a man on the back of a horse, or for a tiger prowling through an Indian jungle to amuse itself by jumping through a hoop. Moreover, not every lion or tiger can learn to perform tricks, however much trouble may be taken with his tuition. Some are hope- lessly clumsy in their movements, many never learn the duty of obedience, and others again are nervous and forget from day to day what they are taught.

As I have already observed, it is a cardinal principle of the new school to expel from the troupe any animals which do not possess sufficient intelligence, or are too clumsy, to become successful performers. To recruit beasts indiscrimin- ately is to court failure. Each beast must be carefully selected in accordance with its aptitude for the work it is wanted to perform ; otherwise the success of an entire troupe may be marred by the misbehaviour of a single ill-chosen animal. It is absolutely essential to discard at once any animals which are unadapted to the work. I have previously related that on the occasion of my first attempt to introduce the humane system of training, out of twenty-one lions only four proved to be of any use for my purpose. Nor is the selection of the most likely performers always a very easy matter. There are animals which behave quite well at first, and only show a dislike for the work later, when they are set to perform with a large number of comrades ; at such times they are apt to become very dangerous to the trainer if he fails to notice the change which has come over them.

Let us consider the first stages in the training of a troupe of performing animals. We see lions, tigers, panthers, polar bears, and dogs, all young and unsophisticated, which have been selected because of their beauty, and because they appear to possess characters which will fit them to become performers. The first thing is to accustom the creatures to one another, for it would of course be very dangerous, and probably disastrous, to let the whole medley of animals into a common cage without preparing them in any way for meet-

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ing each other. The cubs are therefore lodged In a row of single cages which are separated from each other by bars only ; the young animals can all see each other and converse together in their own language. The teacher gives individual attention to each of his pupils, visiting and petdng each one in turn so that they all come to know and love their master. After a considerable time the animals are brought out for their first joint lesson, which takes place in a large arena, under the superintendence of the trainer to whom they have been accustomed. As in a kindergarten school, there is no real work done in the first lesson ; the animals only learn to know one another more intimately, play about with each other and with their master, and make themselves familiar with their new surroundings.

From the first moment that the creatures are let loose in the arena, the trainer keeps a watchful eye upon every member of the incipient troupe, and has frequently to interfere to prevent a quarrel. All young animals (and for the matter of that, all old animals too) are very fond of play, but they are exceedingly apt to lose their tempers during the game, and to misunderstand each other's actions. Here, perhaps, a polar, bear lumbers towards a lion and playfully tugs the latte '& mane ; but the king of beasts misses the point of the joke, and gives his Arctic comrade a heavy box on the ears. This mioht be the beo-inninor of serious trouble, but the trainer is quickly on the spot, and by a kindly blow on the ribs intimates to the Hon that civility is expected during lessons. Or, again, it occurs to a tiger, who is perhaps by nature somewhat of a hooligan, to deal a blow with his paw at a panther which is peacefully trotting by him ; the panther spits furiously and crouches to spring, but the trainer is again instantly on the spot, and soon separates the two combatants. Even during this first lesson it is possible for the trainer to get some idea of the character of his animals, to distinguish which of them are peaceable and which pugnacious, which are obedient and which obstinate and self-willed. In the second lesson all the

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apparatus necessary for more advanced training is placed in the arena, for of course the programme of the proposed per- formance is thoroughly worked out before any beginning is made with the actual trainino^ of the animals. A number of blocks are piled up in the form of a staircase ; and there is a barrel upon which a tiger has to learn to balance himself. The trainer carries a whip, but far more important than this is the leather pocket, attached to his belt, for it is here that he keeps the little pieces of meat which are to reward the young carnivores for their obedience. The animals are let loose in the arena, and stare with astonishment at the imposing erection which they see before them. They are not allowed long, however, to satisfy their curiosity ; the lesson is begun forthwith, for the trainer knows well that it is only when they really get to work that he can form a sound judgment upon the characters and abilities of the various members of his troupe.

On the top step of the pyramid of wooden blocks a lion is to stand ; on the second highest step two tigers, then two panthers, and in front, upon two blocks, the polar bears are to learn to sit, whilst the dogs are to be trained to jump over the backs of the panthers. The work of making the animals understand what is required of them needs infinite patience ; they have to be taught to take their own places on the pyra- mid, and it is long indeed before they realise that they must stay there quietly and not jump down before they receive the order to do so. And no less patience is required in making the tiger grasp the fact that he is intended to maintain his grotesque position upon the rolling barrel, for the great beast, naturally enough, does not readily comprehend the object of this performance.

From the very commencement every step in the proceed- ings has to be carefully thought out and pre-arranged, and their respective parts in the performance have to be so thoroughly drilled into all the animals that they acquire an absolutely inveterate habit of doing the right thing at the

Lion on his block.

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rio-ht moment. Thus when the stao-e of rehearsals is over, and the performance is given before an audience, the pro- gramme is worked through almost mechanically. As soon as the animals which are to compose a troupe have been chosen, each one is given a name of its own by which it is always called, and as they hear their names shouted whenever any- thing is required of them, they soon grow accustomed to the sound. The first thino- to be done is to o-ive each animal a definite place of its own, and with this object in view small blocks are placed round the arena by the wall, and each four- footed performer must be taught to sit upon his own special block, and, after each trick which he has performed or after each scene in which he has taken part, to trot back to this block as a matter of course. This is the first thingf for the animals to learn. The trainer therefore walks up to a lion and holds a piece of meat in front of him, trying in this way to lead the brute to a block. Or perhaps he uses rougher methods, and pulls the creature along by its hair. When the spot is reached, the reward is not yet earned ; the lion has to climb upon the block, and only when he has done this does he re- ceive his prize. It never occurs to the lion, however, that he is supposed to remain upon the block ; and having eaten the meat he immediately leaps off and proceeds to enjoy himself in the arena. The trainer must then lead him back to the block, and make him stand upon it once more. This has to be repeated over and over again until at last the lion begins to understand what his master wishes him to do. The same process has to be gone through with every member of the troupe. When in this way they have all been taught to take up their correct positions round the arena, they are then ready to learn the more advanced parts of the training.

After a considerable period has elapsed and all the move- ments have been repeated many times over with each animal, the troupe at last reaches the stage at which they answer to their names like pet dogs, and will stand or sit patiently upon their blocks around the arena until they are called by their

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master. This is of course the first and easiest staee of their education ; but even as early as this, many turn out to be unfit for the work throuoh viciousness or other fault. Punish- ment in these cases would be of no use. It would only make the animals more stubborn than before ; and if they were kept in the troupe their fellow-pupils would soon be spoilt by the bad example. There is nothing for it but to replace them by more promising animals. The next thing to be done is to teach the tricks with which the public is to be astonished. The living pyramid has to be constructed over and over again. The tiger needs many lessons before he can stand upon his rolling barrel. The reader may easily perceive how great is the strain on the temper of the animal trainer, when he understands how many hundreds of times each small move- ment has to be gone through, and that the slightest loss of self-control on his part would ruin the whole of the proceedings. But while he is careful to keep his temper, he must at the same time maintain the strictest discipline. As he leads them up- ward step by step in their difficult task, he must imbue them with the feeling that disobedience is an impossibility. I need hardly say that the arduous labour involved in training wild animals can only be successfully carried out by one who is really fond of them. A genuine affection is needful for the establishment of mutual confidence between teacher and pupils. Courage too is most essential, for it must ncA^er be forgotten that however domesticated they may appear to be, they are yet at heart wild animals, and in all wild beasts there remains — deep down, perhaps, but there all the same — some remnant of their primitive ferocity. There is therefore always a chance of some savage outburst of temper, and the teacher has to watch with a never-tiring eye for the smallest indication of any change in behaviour of any of his fearsome pupils. And this liability to outbreaks of temper increases with advancing agfe. -

If the few cardinal principles which I have mentioned be carefully followed out, the danger ought to be very slight.

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In looking on at a performing troupe the spectators often think that the animals are in a very dangerous temper, and are ready at the first opportunity to seize their master and tear him to pieces. But this appearance of ferocity is merely show, put on for the purpose of making the entertainment more piquant. The ominous snarling and savage growling do not really mean anger ; and that the trainer very well knows. How seldom accidents happen my own experience testifies. Enormous numbers of performing animals and very many performing troupes have at one time or another passed through my course of instruction, and gone forth into the world to earn their living. Of all these hundreds, or rather thousands, of animals, accidents have occurred in only two cases. In one, at least, of these cases, the fault must be ascribed rather to the man than to the animal. The acci- dent happened at the Chicago Exhibition in 1893 when a foolish young Englishman managed to make his way from among the sight-seers into the carnivores' den without my knowledge and contrary to my strict orders. He paid for his folly by being severely mauled by a lion, but the trainer suc- ceeded in extricating him in time to save his life.

The other accident was more directly traceable to care- lessness on our part. It occurred during the Industrial Exhi- bition in Berlin in 1896, and the victim in this case was my brother-in-law Heinrich Mehrmann. He was exhibiting a large troupe of mixed carnivores, among which was a black bear which I knew to be dangerous and had specially warned him against. Nevertheless, he continued the performances with this animal, and received two severe wounds, which kept him in hospital for a month. I take some credit to myself for the fact that these two are the only accidents which have occurred under the immediate management of my firm. I account foi it by the extreme care with which I eliminate from the troupe all animals that do not seem thoroughly reliable.

I think I ought to say something about my brother

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VVilhelm Hagenbeck, who was one of the early pioneers of modern methods and has by his long experience become a past-master in the art of training wild beasts. Nearly all the troupes which he now exhibits have been collected and broken in by himself, though of late years he has received some as- sistance from his son. One of his most remarkable achieve- ments was the training of a young lion to ride on the back of a horse and in that position to perform a variety of equestrian tricks.

Wilhelm Hagenbeck also was the first to introduce troupes of polar bears into the circus. Before his time it was held that polar bears were untrainable ; and to him belongs the

Polar bears in the arena.

credit of showing the error of this view. With great patience and care their education is quite practicable, though at certain periods of the year they become extraordinarily restless and intractable. At this season it requires all the tact and ability that the trainer possesses to keep the creatures under control. The other species of bears — Russian, American and Indian — all take kindly to performing exhibitions during the first few years of their lives. But even they, when they have reached the age of three or four, are apt to become peevish and danger- ous. Bears, although some of the most amusing of all perform- ers, are responsible for more accidents than any other animals. In the same way that many of the performing troupes throughout the world have been trained in my establishment, so too their masters have in many cases received their early

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lessons in the very same place. There they have learnt to distinguish the peculiarities and characters of different animals. They have learnt also the great lessons of tact and patience, which are perhaps the most essential of all the traits which go to make up the animal trainer. I myself have advanced greatly in knowledge and skill since my debut at Chicago. I make a rule of almost always going into the animals' cages to make myself acquainted with their peculiarities.

I well remember the astonishment on one occasion of a party of officers and ladies who had come one Sunday after- noon to visit my Zoological Garden. I took them to look at a dozen young lions which were shortly to be sent to the Chicago Exhibition, but which had not yet completed their training. As I stroked them through the bars, one of the officers laughingly remarked that that was all very well with bars in between, but would be a very different matter if I were inside the cage. I thereupon walked into the cage, to his great surprise, and was soon surrounded by them. As they were moulting at the time I got so covered with their hairs that I very soon looked like a lion myself Without any whip or other protection I put them through the element- ary tricks which they had already learnt. By the time I had come out, the incredulity of the party had vanished and I was bombarded with hundreds of questions as to how I taught them to be so tame.

My first experience as an animal trainer was in the seventies. About this time I had sold to the nesro Del- monico three lion cubs and three tiger cubs, which he pro- ceeded to train for three months in my establishment in a sort of waggon-cage. Just before he left he dared me to go into this cage and say good-bye to my animals. Although at that time I had nothing like the experience which I now have, I took him at his word. Goino- into the cao-e I sue- ceeded in taking the animals through all the tricks which Delmonico taught them, to the very considerable discom- fiture of that individual.

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Hazardous experiments like this do not always end so well. Of this I have from time to time seen not a few ins- tances, though I myself have survived whole and sound.

About the time of the incident with Delmonico which I have just related, I had offered a number of young bears, hysenas, and lions to a French animal trainer. These he had accepted on the condition that I first made the animals thoroughly accustomed to one another's society. It was in my efforts to carry out this provision that the trouble arose. The first thing to do was to place the animals in contiguous cages, separated from one another, not by a solid partition, but merely by bars through which they could see one another. When they had thus become accustomed to one another's proximity, I removed the bars between the bears and hyaenas, and was glad to find that they took very kindly to one another. After a little time longer, I took the final step of removing the bars which separated the lions on the one hand from the bears and hysenas on the other hand. At first all was peace and happiness : but, alas ! it was only the calm before the storm. To the present day I cannot, for the life of me, conceive what it was that suddenly brought about a violent misunderstanding. The bears trotted up to the lions, whether with the intention of provoking a quarrel or merely in playful greeting I cannot say. But if they intended it to be playful, the fun fell flat. The lions failed to perceive it in that light, and in a moment the whole collection, lions, bears and hysenas, degenerated into a savage throng of snarl- ing beasts. My position now was anything but pleasant. I could not venture personally among the infuriated animals, as I should almost certainly have been severely injured ; so I made a hasty exit from the cage and with considerable difficulty we managed to separate the ill-tempered creatures before much harm was done.

My first troupe of heterogeneous animals was organised in the seventies. It consisted of two striped hyaenas, two dogs, two brown bears and a young Indian sloth-bear. These

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seven animals had been placed together at so early an age