The Tree where Man was BornIn this classic volume, Matthiessen exquisitely combines both nature and travel writing to bring East Africa to vivid life. He skillfully portrays the daily lives of herdsmen and hunter-gatherers; the drama of the predator kills; the hundreds of exotic animals; the breathtaking landscapes; and the area's turbulent natural, political, and social histories. |
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Page 81
... wood over a tuft of dung , taking turns with this ancient fire drill until the wood dust glows . Then more dung is laid over the spark , and the whole lifted in both hands to the wind , until smoke appears and fire is created . Lines ...
... wood over a tuft of dung , taking turns with this ancient fire drill until the wood dust glows . Then more dung is laid over the spark , and the whole lifted in both hands to the wind , until smoke appears and fire is created . Lines ...
Page 143
... wood - this is not an exaggeration -with a terrible cracking of trees , but after a while they moved out onto open savanna . In a swampy stream they sprayed one another and rolled in the water and coated their hides with mud , filling ...
... wood - this is not an exaggeration -with a terrible cracking of trees , but after a while they moved out onto open savanna . In a swampy stream they sprayed one another and rolled in the water and coated their hides with mud , filling ...
Page 144
... wood of that airiest of all acacias , the umbrella thorn , and beyond the Ndala River is a region of dense thicket and wet savanna . The strip of trees between lake and escarpment is so narrow , and the pressure on elephants in the ...
... wood of that airiest of all acacias , the umbrella thorn , and beyond the Ndala River is a region of dense thicket and wet savanna . The strip of trees between lake and escarpment is so narrow , and the pressure on elephants in the ...
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Common terms and phrases
acacia animals arrow Bantu baobab Barabaig birds buffalo bush camp cattle century climb clouds Crater Highlands dark dead desert dogs Dorobo ears earth East Africa elephant Enderlein Engaruka escarpment eyes feet fire forest gazelle George Schaller Gidabembe Giga grass Hadza Hamitic head herd herdsmen hide hills hunters hunting huts hyena Iain Isanzu Kamba Kenya Kikuyu killed Kopjes Lake Natron Lake Rudolf Land Rover Lengai leopard light lion live Llo-molo Maasai Maasai Land Magadi Magandula Mangati Manyara Mbulu Meru miles mountain Myles Nairobi Nangai Natron Ngorongoro night Nile numbers Ol Doinyo Lengai park plain rain region rhino Rift river road rock safari Samburu Schaller Serengeti Seronera shadow Sipunga Sonjo spears stone stood Sudan Tanzania thorn tion track trees tribes Tsavo tsetse Turkana turned valley volcano vultures wild wildebeest wind wood Yaida Chini zebra