370 A JOURNEY IN SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
..  . remote countries. As we went on, the country assumed a hilly and 
^ broken appearance ; and descending between grassy hills, we arrived 
at last near the banks of a fine small stream, running in a deep valley 
from south towards north, and entering at no great distance from our 
present station into abruptly intersected mountain ravines. High but 
obtuse, ovate-topped mountains became visible in front of us, and in- 
spired us with the hope that they were the promontory of the Magalis 
mountain range, for which we had longed for. We were agreeably 
surprised to meet two young couple of emigrants near the banks of 
the stream, where we encamped together for the night. They were, 
like us, on their way towards the country of the Magalis mountain- 
range, and gave us some useful information with regard to a tolerably 
good route, leading through the more intricate ranges of mountains, 
which were lying as a barrier before our way towards the more northern 
countries. 
As long as we halted the next morning, a brindled gnoo was shot 
by one of our people, it being the first time that we observed this kind 
of antelope during our journey, although their most southerly range 
goes as far as to the banks of the Vaal River. The last-mentioned 
animal, although resembling much the black gnoo when seen from à 
distance, and to whom it is certainly the nearest related. amongst the 
known species of antelopes, yet it differs in many points considerably 
from the black species, as well in the form of body, the manner of 
running, and in the colour of its body, that it is easy to distinguish at 
any distance, when they move, the one species from the other. Our 
party was pleased to taste for the first time a new kind of venison, 
and concurred in the opinion that its flavour was preferable to that 
of the black gnoo. As these kind of antelope prefers the shade of 
forests, and as the general belief amongst the Cape Colonists is, that 
the venison of game living in the shade of forests, like the koodoo 
and the bushbok, has a better flavour than that of others living on 
open plains and exposed constantly to the burning rays of the sun 
. during the day, it is not unlikely that similar habits in various kind of 
game produce that uniformity in flavour which is so much prized in 
wild venison. : | 
(Our copy of Mr. Zeyher's Journal terminates here.) 
