The Hausa Moslems make the Guinea fowl cry, "Kilkal!
kilkal!" (Grammar by the Rev. F. J. Schon, London, Salisbury
Square, 1862). It is curious to compare the difference of ear
with which nations hear the cries of animals, and form their
onomatopoetic, or "bow-wow" imitations. For instance, the North
Americans express by "whip-poor-will" what the Brazilians call
"Joao-corta-pao." The Guinea fowl may have been the "Afraa
avis;"but that was a dear luxury amongst the Romans, though the
Greek meleagris was cheap. The last crotchet about it is that of
an African traveller, who holds it to be the peacock of Solomon's
navies, completely ignoring the absolute certainty which the
South-Indian word "Tukkiim" carries with it.
The Mpongwe will not eat ape, on account of its likeness to
themselves. But they greatly enjoy game; the porcupine, the
ground-hog (an Echymys), the white flesh of the bush pig
(Cricetomys), and the beef of the Nyare (Bos brachyceros); this
is the "buffalo" or "bush-cow" of the regions south of Sierra
Leone, and the empacassa of the Congo-Portuguese, whose
"empacasseirs" or native archers, rural police and auxiliaries
"of the second line," have as "guerra preta" (black militia) won
many a victory.
Pages:
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196