. Explorations and adventures in the wilds of Africa; . cantilyover its body. Should a Bushman discover a nest when a long d:stance from home,he is of course desirous of securing the precious eggs; but how is he tocarry them ? Pockets he has not, he is equally barren of pocket-hand-kerchief, and he does not invariably wear either a hat or a cap. Undersuch circumstances, dear reader, you or I would just take one in eachhand and one under each arm, and walk off, regretting that we wereUnable to secure any more. But the Bushman has a * dodge almost asmgenious as it is unscrupulous. He takes off h
. Explorations and adventures in the wilds of Africa; . cantilyover its body. Should a Bushman discover a nest when a long d:stance from home,he is of course desirous of securing the precious eggs; but how is he tocarry them ? Pockets he has not, he is equally barren of pocket-hand-kerchief, and he does not invariably wear either a hat or a cap. Undersuch circumstances, dear reader, you or I would just take one in eachhand and one under each arm, and walk off, regretting that we wereUnable to secure any more. But the Bushman has a * dodge almost asmgenious as it is unscrupulous. He takes off his trowsers, tears a stripoff the waistband, secures the bottom of each leg therewith, and is atonce provided with a commodious double bag which he fills with eggs,and contentedly trots home with his bare legs scorching in the sun. TheBushman has implicit confidence in powdered ostrich egg-shell as a pre-ventive of eye diseases, and should his cattle be afflicted with stranguryhe will grind up a bit of the potent shell, mix it with vinegar, pour it I1. 245 246 WONDERS OF THE TROPICS. down the throat of the ox, and next morning the brute is sound again—at least, so says the Bushman. Although there are no authenticated instances on record of the ostrichever having eaten so indigestible a thing as a great horse-shoe, theobtuseness of taste displayed by the giant bird is very remarkableMethuen in his Life in the Wilderness, when speaking of a female,ostrich that came under his immediate attention, says : One day a Mus^covy duck brought a promising brood of ducklings into the world, andwith maternal pride conducted them forth into the yard. Up withsolemn and measured strides marched the ostrich, and, wearing the mostmild, benignant cast of face, swallowed them all one after another like somany oysters, regarding the indignant hissings and bristling plumageof the hapless mother with stoical indifference. Although it has always been known that the ostrich could je domesti-cated, it
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