The heart of Africa, Vol. 1 (of 2)Schweinfurth, Georg August
Science
The heart of Africa, Vol. 1 (of 2)
Schweinfurth, Georg August
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Schweinfurth, Georg August, 1836-1925 -- Travel -- Africa, Central
The sheep are of a peculiar breed, which is unique amongst the Dinka,
Nueir, and Shillooks; farther on in the interior of the equatorial
districts it is not known. Its chief characteristic consists of a
shaggy appendage to the shoulders, breast, and neck, like a mane,
whilst on the rest of the body, and on the meagre tail, the hair is
quite short. This mantle of hair gives them an appearance like
diminutive buffaloes, whilst their plump bodies and short legs
increase the resemblance. Generally white, they are occasionally brown
or spotted, and in some rare cases I have seen them of quite a reddish
hue.[17] Like the pastoral people of Southern Africa, the Dinka have
acquired the art of splitting the horns in their early growth, so as
to increase their number at will.
[Illustration: Dinka Sheep.]
The continual dampness of the pasture, especially throughout the rainy
season, favours the development of revolting intestinal vermes, and
the rain-pools in the dry months become most prolific as
breeding-places for Cercariæ. I have frequently seen sheep suffering
under disease, their ailment arising from their liver and gall-ducts
being choked up by these worms. The distoma, which is a denizen of
every zone and extends even to Greenland, is found here an inch long.
The race of goats bred by the Dinka does not differ materially from
the Ethiopian form, which we have already noticed[18] among the
Bedouins of Nubia; its only distinction is being somewhat larger; in
appearance it is always meagre, and its prevailing colour is that of a
young grey colt, occasionally inclining to a dark iron-grey.
[Illustration: Dinka Goat.]
[Sidenote: DINKA DOG.]
The dogs closely resemble the common village curs of Nubia, a cross
between the greyhound of the Nubian steppes and the pariah of the
streets of Cairo. It is not unusual for their colour to be brown, but
by far the larger number are a tawny yellow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account