[lit-ideas] How many of us could march with Sherman or hunt with Nellis?
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Lit-Ideas" <Lit-Ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2008 09:09:34 -0700
Over in a Rhodesian Ridgeback discussion group, the breed's temperament is
being discussed. It has been "softened" in recent years. Breeders seem
afraid of even a hint of aggression. The same thing may have happened to
Western men. As Imagine the degeneration described in H. G. Wells The
Time Machine.
The following is a description of a someone who existed prior to the
"softening" of Western Man's temperament. His name was Cornelius Johannes
Van Rooyen, but he went by the name of Nellis. A fellow named Wood
questioned him about his injuries. He told Wood in the late 1880s that he
left the Cape Colony in 1868. 'Then I was eight years of age, and one of my
first adventures was slipping off the wagon, when the front wheels passed
over my right leg and breast, and I was not restored to perfect health until
four years afterwards. In trying to catch horses I mounted a fiery beast,
could not keep him in, and unfortunately, in the midst of his wild career he
put a foot in a hole, and I was thrown off and my arm broken. In 1875 I was
hunting buffaloes with my late brother, when having wounded a bull, the herd
being only twenty yards off, I discovered that the cap had fallen off the
muzzle of the gun just when about to fire the other barrel. Fortunately
there was a thick bush near, where we retreated, and found protection with
the accident of only spraining my ankle, which laid me up for twenty days.
In 1876 I slipped off the dissel-boom of a wagon and wheels passed over my
shoulders, preventing me from using one arm for six months. When hunting
elephants on one occasion in 1877, and having been lucky enough to shoot
five, went to bathe in a river, when exceedingly hot, and as a consequence
suffered from rheumatic fever and have pains even to the present day. In
trying to escape from an elephant had a fall with my horse and injured my
leg severely. After that I escaped until 1883, when my horse put a foot in
a hole and threw me with violence against a tree, the flesh being torn from
knee to thigh. In 1885 at Pretoria was ruptured by trying to lift bags of
200 pounds weight. Hunting koodoos afterwards put my foot out of joint, and
had afterwards for some time to use crutches. Three months subsequently was
thrown heavily when galloping on horseback and broke my wrist and one of my
ears much injured. The pain from this accident was so great, that for
fifteen days and nights I could neither eat nor sleep. I have been several
times laid up with fever, and although only twenty six years of age, feel
quite fifty."
One might think such a fellow had a short life, but not so. The following
is from http://www.lady-ridgeback.sk/historyengla.htm
"There are of course many adjectives, which may be used to describe any
person. Some appropriate to van Rooyen are: hunter, guide, wagon master,
army scout, frontiersman, expert horseman, rancher, explorer, collector of
live wild animals, blacksmith, harness maker, veterinarian, transport rider,
trader, wheel animals, blacksmith, harness maker, veterinarian, transport
rider, trader, wheelwright, carpenter, expert shot, modest, well liked,
naturalist, multilingual, husband, father and breeder of a new breed dog.
"He lived in a thrilling time in which the European powers divided up
Africa. He knew some of the notable figures of his of any time - Lobengula
<http://www.bulawayo1872.com/history/lobengula.htm> Kruger, Grey, Randolf
Churchill, Dr.Jim and "the colossus" Rhodes
<http://www.bulawayo1872.com/history/rhodescj.htm> .
"He earned a living for 41 years in that most dangerous of occupations,
African hunting. He preceded the settlers, hunting and herding in rough
triangle from Pretoria to Victoria Falls to Umtali. He nursed his horses,
cattle and dogs through outbreaks of horse sickness, sleeping sickness,
redwater, rinderpest, anthrax, glanders, distemper, rabies and biliary
fever. He nursed himself and his friends and family through malaria, yellow
fever, and all the "normal" communicable diseases. He survived drought,
flash floods, locusts, snake bites, and attacks by wild animals and
Matabele. He lost both herds and children. He travelled almost entirely on
horseback and by ox wagon in as harsh and unforgiving a land as exists
outside the pure deserts or high arctic. He spent a lifetime with animals
both domestic and wild - his life and livelihood depended on his knowledge
of their habits and behaviour - and with the most expert naturalists and
hunters of all, the bushmen. Other European hunters may have known as much-
none knew more. And throughout his wanderings, for as much as 35 years, his
horses and cattle were protected by the ridged dogs he selectively breed and
field trained end tested, primarily for their ability to challenge and harry
lions, but also for their ability to track, bay and herd the wide variety of
animals he both shot and captured. A map showing the locations of his bases
and farms over the years is shown under. He is still the only man on the
African continent credited with developing a new, internationally recognized
breed of dog. "
Comment: It would not be amiss to say that the men in Sherman's army lived
in a thrilling time as well. And if Nellis's occupation was dangerous; so
was that of the men in Sherman's army. We read of Sherman's victorious
army marching through Washington and of the German Ambassador describing
them as capable of whipping the entire world. He was describing an army of
supermen. And Nellis was a superman as well - not invulnerable as we have
read, but with the aggressive will to overcome illness, injuries, and other
obstacle in the way of doing his job.
Lawrence Helm
San Jacinto
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