TRUE ADVENTURE TV EPISODE

Heat. Heat. [Music] And now, your true adventure host, Bill Bird. Hi there. This is Bill Bird saying, "Welcome to adventure, true adventure filmed as it happens throughout our fascinating world. As you know, this program takes you to the four corners of the earth for the most exciting, unusual pictures obtainable. We go to the tops of mountains, to the bottoms of the sea, and on this episode, we're going to darkest Africa. It goes without saying that the cameramen who work for me are chosen with great care. To get films like these requires not only tremendous skill, but a genuine thirst for adventure. Here we'll see intimate pictures of the strange pygmies of Aturi. The tiny people who create their own primitive weapons who still kill with only a spear. Our camera will move among these people live right with them. Their life of adventure. We'll also follow the true life story of two African chameleons fighting for the favors of a lady. Yes, as I said, to go to darkest Africa, face tribes of pygmies fearlessly takes courage. And that's why I select my cameramen so carefully, making sure they're rugged and ready for danger. And so, you can imagine how I felt when this film was brought to me by a very small young woman, Elizabeth Jolby of Denmark, when she walked into my office and said she had an adventure film to show. Well, I thought I'd just watch to be polite. When I saw it, I changed my tune. She told me that she lived for many months among the Pygmy tribes with no one but her baby for her company. Her husband was off on an expedition of his own in another part of the world. This then is our story. I think you'll be amazed at the experiences of one woman among the pygmies of it. Far away in darkest Africa, there is a huge forest. It is known as the forest of it. Though it's indescribably beautiful, there is always danger here. And most people wouldn't consider entering this primitive world without a huge safari. Many white hunters were guides and probably a year's supply of pith helmets. But not one young lady. No, Elizabeth Jolby by name is standing here in this jungle alone and unafraid filming a native hunt. This is part, in fact, the vital part of daily life among the pygmies. And Ellsworth intends to get it all on film. These people rely on their hunting prowess for life. When their nets are empty, the people are hungry. So, what you're seeing is true. This is the only way they have to live. They have no idea what they'll catch. Any creature in the path of the hunters may be trapped in the nets. Under colonial administration, the pygmies have never been allowed to carry modern weapons. Just imagine this. They have to hunt for their food and defend their lives with bows, arrows, and spears. This in the atomic age. [Music] Somehow the creatures of the forest know that they're close by. into the nets which they make of laana vines may run antelopee, wild pigs, okapa or even a leopard, a buffalo. Little tiny hunters must take their chances. Remember these people are only about 4t high. Some of them often the women have the uh job of scaring up the game by beating the brush and yelling. [Music] They form a wide arc. They narrow it down toward the net. When they see the game, they change the pitch of their cries, indicating to the others what kind of an animal is on the way to the nets. And the animal is off. The kill is swift because those arrows are dipped in poison. The deer that we just saw killed is the last of today's catch. The nets have been full and the villagers will eat well tonight. To this jungle world of tiny men and women and children has come another tiny woman who feels right at home with her little child, Elizabeth Jolie. The pygmies are friendly people and happy to have her living in their little village because she's warm and gentle. And the pygmies, they understand that kind of a person because, well, they're family people with strong ties. Elizabeth has come to the jungle with her little boy with a blonde hair to have him close by her. What a way for him to grow up. The pygmies understand that, too, because they love children. Man, Elizabeth's son enjoys playing with the pygmy children. Here's an amazing thing. Did you know that each pygmy is the property of a normalsized African who lives on the outskirts of the Aturi forest? It's a sort of loose form of slavery, but it's slavery nonetheless. All major decisions are made by their negro masters, and a portion of an especially big hunt must go to them. But apparently, there's no ill will between the groups, and the Congo crisis has yet to reach the pygmies and probably never will because the Turi is a very primitive area. [Music] Now, like all children, young pygmies play games. But their games are educational. They learn how to hunt. [Music] For here in this vast rainforest, perfect marksmanship is an absolute necessity. These children must learn to grow up to kill animals for their very life. [Music] In this land of incredible beauty and peril, each small community consists of perhaps 30 huts and is self-supporting. I think I might describe that a little better for you, as Elizabeth did for me. The pygmies live throughout the vast rainforest in these small groups. They work together. They share their food, famine, joy, and sorrow. The women are brought up to work and work hard. The men are meant for greater things. They have to be brave hunters. These little 4-foot people have to survive against the tragedies of the jungle and have to survive to eat. Now, every tribal activity is accompanied by some kind of ceremony as a a combat. After it's all over, they have a custom similar to ours. shaking hands. I'd like to describe for you some of the uh amazing things that Ellsworth learned while she was living with the Pygmies. For instance, they introduced their young maidens to womanhood with a ceremony known as the Al Lima, which goes on for many, many days. A little is is known of the strange full meaning of the rituals of the Pygmy tribe. They explain just so much and and no more. And as friendly as they were to Ell, they wouldn't uh go any further in their explanations. They admire and love those who look upon their beliefs with respect, and they allow them to keep their secrets. It's not hard to respect these people who have who have to uh brave so many hardships [Music] above, beneath, and all around them. In the Aturi forest, danger lurks. I might point out that the Ituri is probably the second largest rainforest in the world. This means simply that it rains almost 200 days out of the year, and the jungle seems to encompass you. We'll see that later on. Creatures from the size of an elephant to the tiny proportions of the billions of jungle creatures that struggle for existence live in the Aturi forest. A deadly snake may be dangling from a branch above you. In front of you, a viper may be hiding in your path. [Music] [Applause] Life for Ellsworth among the pygmies was one astonishing discovery after another. For instance, uh what we're seeing now as part of their preparations to hunt. I pointed out at the beginning of the story that they have to use a poison arrows. Obviously, these pygmies are not big enough to uh kill with just the arrow itself. So they have discovered a type of poison which is very similar to kar found in the Amazon jungle. It stuns and kills the the beast almost instantly. It's a paralytic poison that affects the nerves. And here we see them preparing it. Elizabeth, by the way, was fortunate enough to get pictures of this particular sequence. Remember that these men stand only about 4t tall. Yet they have to kill elephants in their daily life. So poison is the only answer. see it dripping from the uh vine. [Music] It has to be prepared and mold and cured. For centuries, the pygmy the Aturi forests have been waging a life and death battle against the things that creep and fly and crawl and attack in the dark. With poison spears they fight what they can see and with rituals and incantations they struggle against what they not see. These people have many uh superstitious fears. For instance, among the unseen enemy forest of it is a creature known as the asamba. It is said that whoever looks upon his face will die. Even the most civilized white man hides his face when the strange low moaning of the asamba is heard in the night. He can't be destroyed by the poison tips of spears and arrows. Nor can the bosoi, the evil eye. The bozi brings disease and keeps the meat from the hunter's nets. All misfortune is blamed upon some unknown person who has turned this evil eye on the tribe. Now here we're seeing and witnessing a strange ritual. The killing of a chicken and the use of the blood of that chicken rubbed upon the body. Evil spirits must be warted off. So the chicken is sacrificed. By the way, this is strange because this is very similar to the voodoo. today. Staggers and staggers, falls to the ground, and in great throws, finally the elephant dies. The hunter rushes in, cuts the tail of his victim, a symbol of victory over the elephant. Now the pygmies want Ellsworth Jovi to see more of their beautiful rainforest. I told you it was the second largest in the world. They take her for a tour of the landmarks that she filmed. Fortunately, she lived for months with them, so she was able to get clear days. For the sun rarely shines in the aturi. And what a place this is. [Music] All around honeybees. They buzz in the bogan via vine. The jungle all its dazzling green above almost like a green carpet over your head. Of course, a leopard could be stalking through the branches upon silent padded feet. Tiny rays of sunlight filter down through a DNM of green. A million tiny creatures live in the Belgian Congo. Behind the serene leaves lurk strange animals and insects to this jungle as well as others that we're familiar with. [Music] Now poking around in the brush, walking along the trails, Elizabeth Joby is searching for some of the creatures for the bizarre events that can be found here. [Music] She wants to photograph a strange little creature that the natives call a chameleon, but we know as a chameleon in our own country. [Music] It's completely different than the chameleons we see in our circuses. And Ellsworth is about to photograph for the first time the life and loves of two chameleons. the male and the female. These strange little creatures. They are strange, aren't they? This is the male and this is the female. With their lightning fast tongues and their amazing counterrotating eyes, you'll see a closeup of them in just a moment. They have the appearance of prehistoric monsters in miniature. Look at that eye. Well, the old saying is only another chameleon could love a chameleon, I suppose. As the chameleon hero advances toward the girl of his choice, she awaits his arrival with baited breath and counterrotating eye. Truly, she's a lucky chameleon. He is really quite handsome. Well, in a chameleon sort of a way. She winks. Togetherness in the Aturi forest. Ah, but what's this? obviously arrival for the fair hand or claw of our hero's betroth. This means trouble. And so he focuses one of his counterrotating eyes on the presumptive stranger and his other eye checks the nervous reaction of his true love. This is it. No stranger is going to look at his girlfriend that way. And so he dashes or well crawls off to meet the challenge to his happy life in the Aturi forest. One sidewoman, there's a job to be done. I'll make short work of that guy. Don't worry, honey. I'll be all right. A man's got to do what a man's got to do. But in all seriousness, you're now witnessing an amazing battle. Like two prehistoric creatures clashing in the earliest days of our world. [Music] This is like turning the clock back millions of years to prehistoric times. [Music] The struggle continues. And like all great love stories though, the hero finally vanquishes the intruder and he's had it. Or has he? Our hero, he's triumphant. But he's a bit unsteady. His girlfriend is proud of him. He's really quite a chameleon. But you know that stranger had a fascinating way about him. Well, what do you know? There he is again. apparently infatuated by our heroine's obvious charms. He's coming back for more. [Music] Our chameleon hero decides that does it. No woman is worth all this grief. One fight a day is enough for me. And so, while the stranger waits with baited breath, our hero brushes is here to for true love aside. and sadly tries to depart. And so while on a great adventure somewhere in the Atouri forest with the piggies, Ellsworth Joel, a Tanish woman, has become involved in a story of romance, just like a woman, even a woman alone in the great and the vast African jungle. Amazing, [Music] [Applause] [Music] wasn't it? Every moment was true. It's hard to believe that a lovely woman like Ellbth could live such a strenuous, dangerous life under primitive conditions and still come out of it lovely and feminine. I'll have to admit she created quite a sensation around our office. You know, I think she's especially to be commended for that one ordeal she faced very fearlessly, filming those lizards. Uh, most women I know would run the 4-minute mile to avoid creatures like that. But there, said Elizabeth, just inches away, filming them for hours. There really ought to be a metal things like that. I wish I could introduce her to you in person. She's she's a fabulous person, but unfortunately, it's just plain hard to get her to settle down in one place that long. Maybe if we had some wandering leopards or waring tribes in Hollywood, she'd stick around. But right now, Ellsworth and her husband are filming in Asia, and we'll be getting that story for you, too. This woman's life is dedicated to adventure. She's gone to sea in Zanzibar with cutthroat sailors against all the warnings of the authorities and survived it. And I imagine she'd be delighted to orbit the Earth in a space capsule if she had the chance. And I promise you one thing, we'd have her films on this program when she does it. And one of these days we'll snare her for an interview. But right now, I just want to thank you for sharing this true adventure with us. Until we meet once again, this is Bill Bird saying may all your adventures be happy ones.